Meet Warren Haas, Escape Collective member #773 from Montreal, who co-hosts the delightfully obsessive Cycling Fashion Week podcast. We asked him to create this new monthly column for us where brings his expert eye and wit to break down the latest trends in cycling apparel – from bold new kit releases to timeless style combinations. Join us for his debut column, where the worlds of performance gear and style collide.
Welcome to the first edition of Cycling Fashion Monthly, a column about the extremely serious topic of exceedingly tight lycra—and other materials.
You might be asking, “Isn’t there already a podcast on this topic?” and you’d be right. I am a member of the hosting team behind Cycling Fashion Week, an independent podcast focused on all things related to cycling style and aesthetics.
So why has the brain trust at Escape Collective tasked me with addressing the intricacies of finding good kit and covering the generally kind of ridiculous cycling fashion world? I assume it’s because we’re the only podcast (so far) to dive deeply into the fashion side of cycling. Plus, I have a tendency to lurk the cycling kit channel on the Escape Discord.
We will look at new releases, reviews, product guides, and which things from the world of cycling kit should be thrown into Montreal’s Lachine Canal – more on that in a bit.
Now is the winter of the fashionable cyclist’s discontent 😔
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, we are, sadly, in the thick of winter riding season.
It is sad not just because I live in Canada and it can get quite cold here when trying to ride outside, but also because it is nearly impossible to find a winter jacket that is warm and looks good. In fact, I find this to be broadly true about all winter kit beyond tights. Your options are usually some variation of hi-vis orange, black, or black with a giant reflector stripe across the back – look like a pylon or be invisible? Decisions, decisions …
There also seems to be a lack of new winter gear being released so far this year by the major players, which raises the question if there really is a market for fashionable winter kit. Maybe they’ve accepted that the cyclists brave enough to ride outside in the winter are more focused on performance. Or maybe they’ve forgotten that some of us still like to look stylish while shivering through another aborted attempt at the Festive 500. Given that I place high importance on my bike-based vanity, this dearth of new winter pieces is concerning.
That’s why I have made it my mission to find winter kit that looks good. Bonus points if it actually performs well, but that isn’t my focus. I am willing to shiver through the kilometers so long as I think my winter layers look sick, and I don’t think I’m alone in this. After all, I’m pretty sure the expression “suffer for fashion” is about riding your bike in the winter but please don’t fact check me on that.
So for this inaugural offering of Cycling Fashion Monthly, I’m going to take a look at the best and worst of winter cycling kit. I’ll let you know if you should spend hundreds of dollars on a thing you will probably wear fewer than 10 times, and tell you which “performance-focused” pieces I consider to be crimes against cycling fashion.
Why should you believe me? Because I have owned nearly as many winter jackets and jerseys as I have cycling shoes (a story for another time).
Editors’ Note: The structure of this story is likely instantly recognizable to you – a list of products with short reviews and links to manufacturers’ web sites, common to the editorial revenue strategy variously called affiliate marketing/affiliate commerce/commerce content. This is not that. Escape Collective is 100% funded by memberships; no ads, no affcom. Got $600 burning a hole in your pocket and need a winter jacket? Lucky you. Want to offend Warren to his core by purchasing Spatz? Go off. We don’t earn a dime from a single click here. There is nothing inherently wrong with affcom, although as we’ve written, it’s all gone a bit pear-shaped. It’s just that we don’t do it. Carry on.
The Hits
Café du Cycliste Albertine jacket – $340 USD/£255/$470 AUD
A new offering from an often overlooked brand (in North America, at least) with two tasteful color options, including a “hi-vis” pearl grey. The product description claims it can be worn below 0°C/32°F, and while I have no idea if that is true I can confirm that it looks warm. Plus, the marketing copy says the jacket is “inspired by the backcountry of the Alpes-Maritimes.” Like in France? Sold!
Grin27 Tend The Garden winter jersey – $200 USD/£165/$328 AUD
I’ve been a fan of the designs from this small L.A.-based brand since I discovered them last year, and this new long-sleeve jersey is no exception. Am I worried that this jersey might be aimed at a Los Angeles-type winter rather than a cold one? Yes. Am I worried enough to not spend $288 USD on it? No.
Albion Zoa Mountain jacket – $320 USD/£240/$540 AUD
Since this is running on Escape, I feel like I have to include something for the mountain bikers out there. (Hood = for mountain biking, right?) This jacket has a cycling-friendly cut and a nice shale green color option. Plus, I own an older version of this jacket that I wear off-the-bike all the time and every piece of Albion kit I own impresses me with well-thought-out design touches.
DeFeet Slipstream oversocks – $22 USD/£19/$37 AUD
Whether paired with toe covers or just over the shoe, these are my winter footwear staple. Yes, I wear the white ones so people will know I am wearing white shoes in winter.
Ornot Super Thermal Merino jersey – $187 USD/£155/$307 AUD
My go-to winter cycling jersey is made by Ornot, and the only thing currently preventing me from adding this one to my wardrobe is the tanking Canadian dollar.
PEdALED Windblock Merino jersey – $230 USD/£170
I am strongly averse to PEdALED’s logo, but there’s something about this jersey looking like a Patagonia fleece you can wear on the bike that just hits – and I don’t even wear Patagonia fleeces.
Q36.5 Super Termico winter gloves – $145 USD/£105
These gloves have been routinely lauded on the Escape Discord, and they look good to me. Black is fine for winter gloves so long as you never go full lobster.
The Misses
PEdALED Detachable Sleeve jacket – $253 USD/£187
“Your [designers] were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Pas Normal Studios T.K.O. Essential Shield jacket – $440/£350
Those that know me know that I am the pre-eminent Pas Normal hater (mostly due to the brand’s ubiquity where I live), but this jacket design has logo placement that feels arbitrarily for the sake of it. However, I must give them credit for their bizarre autumn/winter campaign photos.
Q36.5 Dottore Termico jacket – $594 USD/£428
Hard to put my finger on why I don’t like this other than it looks too Italian. But hey, Tom Pidcock!
Anything by SPATZ
Many cyclists I’ve met from the U.K. swear by the functionality of this stuff, but the designs look like they’re from the costume department of a low-budget remake of Tron.
That’s it for my picks, but if you think I’ve missed any standout pieces please let me know in the comments. And before you ask, no I have never tried an Assos jacket. I refuse to buy their kit until they bring back Assos man.
Into The Canal 🫳
As promised, we now return to the Lachine Canal in Montreal, Quebec. This is the section where I metaphorically throw things I don’t like into the canal, specifically things from the world of cycling fashion. I have already used much of this piece to throw certain pieces of winter kit into the canal, but I want to drop one more item to the bottom: knee warmers.
I simply do not understand the appeal of knee warmers. Any time I wear them, I am either too cold or quickly become too warm. Putting aside the modular nature of layers that can be removed mid-ride, are your knees really ever so cold for the first 15-20 minutes of a ride that they need to be specifically covered? If so, maybe consider a pair of thermal bibs. Otherwise, I’d just go for tights. If you are in favor of knee warmers, please leave a scenario that specifically requires them in the comments. Honestly, they just kind of baffle me.
Up Camillien ⛰️
We can’t end on a down note, can we? Fashion is supposed to be fun. This section is for metaphorically placing things I like atop Camillien-Houde, the hardest climb in the world. Or, simply Montreal’s famous climb that saw Tadej Pogačar escape to victory at this year’s Grand Prix Cycliste.
Today I’d like to give a Camillien to lace-up cycling shoes. I used to be a Boa absolutist, but I have seen the error of my ways. Lace shoes offer the most adjustability for comfort and fit across your entire foot, and they simply look so much cooler than dials or velcro (just ask Taylor Phinney). Plus, unless you are sprinting in the WorldTour, they are plenty tight enough. None of us need to be cinching down our Boas for the town sign sprint, Big Boa Conspiracy has only brainwashed you to think you do.
While this pick is heavily biased to my aesthetic taste and the needs of my peculiarly shaped feet (again, story for another time), I have tried all the different variations of shoe closures across nearly all the major brands so I therefore believe it to be an objective fact.
The simple reality is that Boa dials require constant adjustments throughout rides. While that is one of their main selling points, I actually find it extremely annoying. All of my rides in shoes with Boas have left me reaching down to readjust the tightness several times per hour. Honestly, I was almost certainly imagining the need to adjust them, but I couldn’t help myself. Laces are the “set it and forget it” shoe closure, no on-the-fly adjustability needed … provided you have spent hours combing the internet to find the most effective shoelace knots.
And what about Velcro? It has its place: the 1980s. In all seriousness, it’s a great option for closures on reasonably priced, entry level shoes. And Fizik has released some performance-oriented Velcro shoes that are actually quite nice.
I have been a laces purist since about a year ago, and I don’t see my feet ever going back.
Until next time …
That’s it for the first edition of Cycling Fashion Monthly. Got some hot fashion takes of your own? You can reach me on Instagram @cyclingfashionweek or @warrenhaas.
Did we do a good job with this story?