Triban Cycling Rain Jacket Gravel review

Decathlon bills the Triban Cycling Rain Jacket as a jacket tailored for gravel.

Alongside spring and autumn commuting, gravel riding certainly feels like its natural home.

That said, its looser fit and hood make it less suited to endurance road riding.

Triban Cycling Rain Jacket Gravel specs and performance

From an aesthetic perspective, the roomy fit suits baggier gravel shorts more than skin-tight bib shorts.

As a result, you're probably best off looking elsewhere if you want a jacket for road cycling.

The £40 RCR Racer Ultralight from Decathlon’s other house brand, Van Rysel, is probably my favourite budget road-riding waterproof jacket.

Where that garment is easily stashable, packing away the Triban jacket isn’t so seamless.

Trying to scrunch it into its chest pocket was a lengthy experience akin to packing down my pop-up Decathlon tent.

After much struggle, it compressed into the pocket, albeit in a shape that’s far too big for any cycling jersey pocket to hold comfortably.

Instead, you’ll need to use precious space in your bikepacking bags, if you have any.

That said, the quartet of zipped pockets are well-crafted and offer storage practicality.

The chest option, especially, is great for a phone and the shielded zipper adds waterproofing confidence.

The other zipped pockets are positioned on either side at the lower frontal area, plus one just beyond the right hip.

All have pretty hardcore zippers for defence against water ingress. They're sizeable enough for an array of snacks too.

The zips are pretty tough to undo one-handed on the fly, offering a good test of your bike-handling skills to do so.

The Cycling Rain Jacket Gravel boasts a high 15,000mm water column rating and I had no reason to doubt that claim during several sodden rides.

Its multi-layer, 100 per cent polyester construction remained resolute in the face of some extended downpours.

That waterproofing is elevated by taped seams throughout, but breathability is less impressive.

Although there are vents on the chest and under the armpits, and thinner fabric at the sides, its multi-layer fabric construction in places means this isn’t a jacket for fast-paced efforts.

Instead, I think it’s best used for slower sojourns and steady commutes.

The extended cuffs are adept at preventing unwanted cold draughts or precipitation entering the sleeves. The Velcro fastening is bulky, but effective.

An elasticated drawstring hem around the waist helps with draft exclusion, as does the high neckline complete with a full-length zipper guard (which also prevents any under-chin itching).

The peaked hood, meanwhile, sits under your helmet for riding in the wettest of conditions. It can’t be rolled up and fastened, though – I’d prefer the option of being able to stash it away somewhere.

The Cycling Rain Jacket Gravel also performs well off the bike as a casual raincoat, further heightening its wallet-friendly appeal.

This Chocolate Truffle colourway is the sole option at time of review, while there’s no women’s gravel equivalent on sale from Decathlon. I hope this will be remedied very soon.

Triban Cycling Rain Jacket Gravel bottom line

Overall, as we’ve generally come to expect from Triban, this is a good-value option.

It’s a jacket that performs well for off-road rides, during winter commuting and for casual wear.