PEARL iZUMi

P.R.O. Softshell 3x1 Jacket

So it's cold, really cold outside. What do you do? Say to hell with it, light the fire, and pour out a nice cognac? Well, not if you want to stick to your training regimen. What you need is the most effective multi-task winter cycling jacket available. The Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Softshell 3x1 Jacket has been designed to work for you in any number of unpleasant weather conditions. Pearl Izumi actually calls this jacket a 'cold weather system' and when you see the sorts of bells and whistles they’ve included, you'll see that they've thought of everything but the electric blanket.

To begin with, Pearl Izumi designates this as the 3x1 because there are three detachable options for varying degrees of defense against the cold. The outer jacket is made from P.R.O. Softshell with Cocona fabric to give you amazing protection against wind and rain. Then there is an inner, insulator jacket made from P.R.O. Barrier Lite fabric with Permaloft to give the ensemble a snug warmth. They use the Lite version of their P.R.O. Barrier fabric, though, to keep the inner jacket from becoming too bulky or indeed too suffocatingly warm. And so that the two jackets work in perfect unison, each comes with contoured sleeves with specially shaped cuffs so that the upper part of the hand is covered with more fabric than is found on the under-wrist. The collar of each jacket is also tapered from the front to the back so that the back of the neck will get the benefit of more coverage while the fabric at the front will not interfere with your helmet strap. The outer jacket cleverly comes with a collar tab which will allow you to secure the zipper or even keep the collar closed while you zip down to vent your chest a little.

With so many options to keep you warm, possibilities for ventilating have also been well thought out. Each jacket has laser cut Direct-Vent panels to keep any heat build-up from turning the interior of your jacket into a veritable sauna. The jackets come with full length zippers, each with internal draft flaps and garage seals to keep the air from penetrating whether you are wearing them in combo or on their own. As for storage, the outer jacket comes equipped with one rear pocket and two chest zipper pockets. The interior jacket comes with one chest zipper pocket. These jackets give you a ton of pocket space, so your only problem as far as storage is concerned will be remembering in which pocket you stowed your mobile phone.

This cold weather system is a Utilitarian’s delight. In addition to the symbiotic jacket combo, Pearl Izumi has added a detachable balaclava with its own internal stow pocket. This form-fitting head gear will guarantee that no cold wind will penetrate through the neck region. To add to the effectiveness, a one hand pull elastic draw cord at the jacket collar will shut out any wind or rain from dripping down the back of your neck. The two-layered jacket with included balaclava may remind many of you of what has for the past four or five years been the holy grail of winter cycling coats. The Assos Fugu. However, the Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Softshell 3x1 Jacket has a huge advantage over the Fugu: every piece is detachable. If a day is chilly enough to combine the outer and interior jacket, but not severe enough to include the balaclava, then you don't have to have the blasted thing hanging out, getting in the way of your chin and helmet strap, or worse, bulking up the area behind your neck, particularly when you are in the drops bombing it down a descent. The 3x1 gives you a mix-and-match capability that will help facilitate your decisions for how warmly you’ll need to dress for a ride.

The Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Softshell 3x1 Jacket comes equipped with 360 degree reflective properties, so that you will be much more visible to drivers during the darker parts of the day. It comes in Black/Black and True Red/Black color combinations. It is available in sizes Small through XX-Large.