Assos

Equipe RS Rain Jacket - Men's

Modern-day cyclists have it pretty good. The efforts to go fast might still hurt like hell but frames, components, shoes, wheels, and apparel have evolved so much over the past few decades that we're able to ride in more comfort and go faster with less effort than ever before. Rainwear too is an area that has advanced to such an extent and does such an amazing job of keeping riders dry and comfortable without overheating, that we almost look forward to going out under ominous skies to try the gear out. If you're after an ultra-lightweight and packable jacket that'll keep you comfortable on wet days, the Men's Equipe RS Jacket from Assos will let you leave the house without fear during those unpredictable shoulder season rides.

The Equipe RS is built as a lighter weight version of the hugely popular rS.sturmprinz. It's fit is an ergonomic race-focused cut that clicks when in the riding position and contributes to less drag. The construction is the propriety Schloss textile that's the lightest weight and most waterproof soft-shell from Assos and is stretchy and packable. The 3-layer construction has excellent abrasion resistance and uses a hydrophilic membrane to keep you dry. Seams, all taped, and panels were reduced to a minimum to help keep water out and improve the fit. As such, it's much lighter than the sturmPrinz, by almost half, and is more compact and packable, thus making it perfect to toss in the jersey pocket and in racing scenarios where you're battling the elements just as hard as the competition.

Highly elevated features exist throughout as we've come to expect from Assos including the silicon elastic waistband that holds the jacket in place, taped wrists and neck that keep water out and minimize friction, and the well-thought-out slot pockets on the rear panel that allow easy access to your jersey pockets as well as providing additional ventilation areas.

We’ve found that the jacket is ideal when heading out on a chilly start and works quite well over a summer jersey or even a spring or fall top. It also comes in handy as much-needed wind protection on the descents. The focus is for the milder conditions of spring, summer, and fall and if you're looking for even more protection in winter and possibly snow, we'd recommend the more heavy-duty sturmPrinz. 

Finally, a few other features worth mentioning, this jacket has been designed to be as quiet as possible with rustle-free fabric and is treated with a DWR (Durable Water Repellency) coating to prevent it from soaking up rainfall and wheel spray. Reflex material is added to the rear of the jacket to enhances visibility in low-light conditions.