Words and Photos :: Ben Haggar
If you live in Southern BC, you know all about Juneuary. Endless grey days and copious amounts of rain are nothing new here, but as May primes us for summer with long, hot sunny days, a cold and rainy June seems like a cruel joke after so much anticipation. Normally my anti-Juneuary sentiments are right there with you, but this year I’ve been maliciously willing bad weather into the forecast for my own personal means – to test out the new Cinder Kinetic mountain bike line from Rab.
Well known for burly clothing and equipment in the climbing and mountaineering realm, Rab is the new kid on the block in the cycling world with its line of soft goods. Designed with 40+ years of experience in the harshest environments on the planet, you know it’s going to stand up to whatever you’ll encounter in the saddle. From the first time I tried on a Kinetic jacket at the North American launch of the new Cinder line in Colorado back in April, (read the article here) it was love at first touch. Unfortunately (depending on your point of view) the sunny Colorado weather was perfect for riding but left me wanting to see what this highly engineered gear could do – I mean, Rab makes Everest suits! So the wait for Juneuary begins.
The Cinder Kinetic line consists of pants, shorts and jacket available in Men’s and Women’s specific cuts. Each detail is tailored for foul weather. Kinetic garments use Rab’s proprietary Proflex fabric which is soft, stretchy, highly breathable, but with the weather resistance and durability of a hardshell. Aligning with Rab’s impressive environmental standards, it’s made with 100% recycled fabric and the DWR coating is fluorocarbon free! If you want to get really nerdy, the 3 layer stretch knit fabric has a 10,000 mm hydrostatic head and a 35,000 MVTR rating. For the rest of us, that means it’s built for big days on the bike in monsoon season, providing zero excuses not to ride in horrendous weather.
The jacket features a storm hood that fits comfortably over a helmet and can be rolled away and secured with its own tensioning cord for streamlined riding. Partially elasticated cuffs extend over the wrist for added protection and a drop hem with silicone grip keeps trail spray from finding its way in through the back door. The stretchy fabric works well with the slim fit and feels great against the skin when wearing short sleeves.
Designed as a complete system, both pants and shorts feature ventilation slits that double as access to cargo pockets on bib shorts worn underneath and layer seamlessly together against the elements.
As high pressure systems stacked in succession over the Pacific and the forest fire danger grew to Extreme, it felt like I might not get my chance to put the gear through the paces anytime soon. But, I was able to test the shorts in the meantime. Not just for bad weather, the Kinetic shorts are breathable enough for full on summer riding and I was happy for the side vents on the climbs. The longer cut has a ‘freeride’ feel which adds extra rain protection lapping halfway over kneepads while pedalling. The only drawback I found the was the reinforced fabric on the seat and inseam is a bit noisy when pedalling, but feels bomb proof. I didn’t notice the noise when I entered the forest with my focus more on technical climbing and descending though.
By mid-June, the clouds finally opened up and I was able to test the jacket and pants that waited anxiously in my closet. With the now unfamiliar humidity, I needed to unzip the jacket half way to cool down on the climbs, but even with the high physical output, the fabric did a great job at wicking moisture away on both jacket and pants. The lightweight pants feel almost invisible and have a lightly tapered, relaxed fit feeling more like a slim rain pant – not baggy but not tight either. This provided a welcome bit of extra coverage over my shoes as compared with a tighter fitting pants where water rolls down the legs straight into the shoes after a good puddle smash. I didn’t notice the looser fit on the descent (I was probably more focused on the slippery roots) and my pant legs stayed away from my hungry drivetrain. I was sceptical of the elastic drawcord waist synch, but it held strong the entire ride and was comfortable.
Throughout my two to three hour rides testing the gear I definitely worked up a sweat which was expected but I didn’t feel like I was saturated by my own perspiration at the top of climbs and the soft fabric provided that extra bit of warmth while socializing at the trailhead and sheds water like a kale leaf. The fabric is a nice balance between weight and waterproofness and feels really good to wear, but what stands out is the attention to detail with the design. Small, cycling specific tweaks that help the zipper bend inwards instead of bulging out towards your top tube, cleverly placed seams stationed away from high wear or chaff areas, and pockets tucked away from high movement zones for maximum protection show the thoughtful design. I find I’m always searching for lower hand pockets on the jacket so relying on the chest and back pockets will take some getting used to.
I’m definitely stoked on summer riding, but also excited for muddy fall shredding – I just hope my friends get on the program too so I’m not the only one without an excuse not to head out for a ride in the inevitable downpours.
