Specialized Men’s Trail Wind Jacket review

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The Specialized Men's Trail Wind is a pullover-style jacket designed to combine on-the-bike functionality with off-the-bike style.

At £100 / $130 / €110, the Specialized jacket has been created with versatile performance in mind.

Additional venting and an easy on/off cut overcome the usual red flags associated with pullover mountain bike jackets.

Specialized Men’s Trail Wind Jacket details and specifications

This lightweight jacket has pullover styling and a slim, active fit. It features a deep front zip opening for effective venting, while the fitted, elastic-edged cuffs keep the sleeves in place with a comfortable fit.

The material is lightweight and breathable, with additional venting perforations across the shoulders to enhance airflow, making the jacket well suited to high-output riding.

The under-helmet hood offers extra protection without adding bulk and the whole jacket folds up into a compact size, fitting easily into a back pocket, with a long zip-pull for quick access.

Balancing convenience, comfort and functionality, the Men's Trail Wind Jacket will look equally good off the bike.

Specialized Men’s Trail Wind Jacket performance

Less is very much more in this understated style, yet it still manages to serve up all you need in extra-layer weather protection.

Granted, not everyone likes a pullover, but the deep front zip of the Trail Wind ensures it pulls on easily, even over a mountain bike helmet.

There’s little bulk, with the hem and cuffs bound with stretch to keep them in place.

If the cut wasn’t good, it wouldn’t work as well, but the slim profile stays with you when you ride and there’s no bunching or billowing.

The fabric is soft and, even though windproof, it doesn’t overheat when you’re working hard. The perforations across the shoulders, combined with the front zip, enables effective cooling.

I wore this for long XC days in the saddle when the pace was consistent and no-one was up for long stops.

I found myself putting the jacket on to keep away the morning chill and it stayed on for longer than it usually would because I didn't really notice it.

The over-helmet hood has a simple elastic binding. It's a relatively tight fit, but that means it doesn’t flap, just adds a reassuring layer of protection.

The jacket packs quickly into its single pocket, with a generous zip-pull making it easy to unfurl, even with winter gloves on.

This pared-back design has become a firm favourite. It’s always in my pack and when needed it’s easy to put on, ride in and forget about.

Specialized says it’s good-looking enough to wear off the bike too – and I'm inclined to agree with that. For the £100 price point, it’s a hard worker.

How does the Specialized Men’s Trail Wind Jacket compare to the Madison Roam Lightweight Packable Windproof Jacket

These jackets are at similar price points, and both are designed as emergency wind and weatherproof shells.

Realistically, there’s little to separate them in terms of performance and price – it will likely come down to your opinion on the pullover style.

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Specialized Men’s Trail Wind Jacket bottom line

The Specialized Men's Trail Wind is a pullover jacket to convert the haters.

While the style might not be for everyone, its minimal lines, maximum functionality and small pack size could make the Trail Wind your go-to extra layer.

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