Race Face Clothing - Wet Weather Preperation

When the rain season hits, it hits hard in our area. Better known as the "Wet Coast", the West Coast is well known for getting a lot more rain than snow on the local trails. While this winter season was one of the best in recent memory, we still have had our fair share of wet weather. Inside you'll see some of the gear I was rocking while out there dodging raindrops.

Read On...Starting up top, if your upper section gets wet, it's all over. Nothing sucks more than catching a big old drip of water down the neck, or the feeling of a wet jersey up against your cold skin only half way though your ride. So the first step for wet riding is a proper riding jacket. You will have to base your coat needs on what your riding style will require. For example, you'll need to decide if you want an insulated jacket or a lighter weight non-insulated model. Some riding days end up being done under a constant barrage of pounding rain, while on other rides you'll just want to carry a lightweight and easy to pack coat. I found two coats from the same manufacturer that served very well in each condition.

Race Face Membrane Jacket


The first jacket we're going to look at is the Race Face Membrane Coat. The Membrane coat caters to the rider who may live and ride in a slightly warmer climate, or for those of you that don't need intense rain protection. It does not feature a hood, which is a nice when the rain is really coming down and you are stopped, or just to protect your neck from surprise drips. To counter that Race Face kept the neck closure pretty close to your neck, but not restrictive. The Membrane coat is super light and easily packable. It's constructed out of 100% Polyester and is waterproof up to 5,000mm.


Being waterproof is only one part of the equation. The more effort you are putting out while on your bike, the more breathability you'll need in a jacket. The Membrane coat features a breathability rating of 5,000g/m2. It also has perforated underarms to allow greater air flow through the coat.

Aside from the technical features, the Membrane coat has a fair amount of details that makes it nice. Things like a brushed inner collar and zipper garage to minimize chafing on your skin, as well as reflective material on the zipper closures and up the sleeves to raise the safety factor. The cuffs have both an elastic binding and thumb holes to prevent water from getting in or them from being pulled up your arms.




Offered in Grey/Green (shown), Grey/Purple, and an Allover print, the Membrane is a great jacket for general riding and those riders who want something that can be quickly and easily packed in their riding bags when not needed. Coming in at $100 CAD, the Membrane won't break the bank but it will keep you dry while you're out riding your bike.

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Race Face Aquanot Jacket

For those days when you think you may need to bring some paddles and a life jacket with you on your ride, the Race Face Aquanot jacket will also come in handy. Featuring the same breathability and waterproof rating as it's little brother, the Membrane, the Aquanot adds in a hood, cuff closures, and an adjustable waist closure.



Cut for cross country use, the Aquanot coat features reflective tape styling and a drop back. What's a drop back? It's a slightly longer back to the jacket that protects your bottom from trail spray on those wet days. Lycra inner cuffs and monkey thumb holes ensure your wrists don't get chaffed from the coat, and the monkey thumb's prevents water from getting in your sleeves. A brushed inner collar is used once again to keep comfort at a high level and chafing to a minimum. Hidden in the right hand pocket is a TPR cord port to keep your mp3 player safe and sound.

Designed for the active rider who may need to vent while climbing to earn their turns, the Aquanot has zippered underarm vents to let the hot air out. Each zipper has custom pulls to make things easier when your fingers are cold, or when wearing gloves. All the pockets are also water proof to keep your goodies from getting damp on the wettest of wet days.





Offered in clay (shown), black, and white, the Aquanot is a functional technical jacket that retails for $200 CAD.

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Race Face Aquanot Pants
If the weather is looking especially grim, you may want to don a pair of pants instead of your usual shorts. For those nasty days the Aquanot pants could be just the ticket. Made of the same Storm Lite material as the jacket of the same name, the fully seam sealed pants use a laminated membrane to ensure that the weather stays out and you stay dry. The fit is tailored to work well with riders who don't want to be restricted in movement, but also do not want to be sporting overly baggy pants that could catch on their seat while shifting positions on the bike.





Designed with comfort as well as functionality in mind, the Aquanot pants feature a size cinching micro-adjustable waist closure, and full length leg zippers. A dual snap fly closure should keep them from popping open at the worst of times, and custom rubberized tabs on the ankle closures are easy to work with even while wearing gloves. Along with that they feature the same zipper pulls as the Aquanot coat to ensure easy doing and undoing of the pants.


The Aquanot pants will surely be best put to use on the monsoon days when you leave home with a snorkel in your backpack just in case. They retail for $150 CAD.

Visit Raceface.com to see all of their hard and soft goods.

Do you like what you see from Race Face? Tell us what you wear when out on those cold and wet days when most regular people are at home hiding from the weather!