The American Pacific Northwest falls into this band of weather every winter where it’s just temperate enough you can keep riding. It rarely snows and it rarely freezes. Instead it gets down to just above freezing and it stays there while raining continuously. That’s the kind of weather I’ve spent untold hours riding through to test the jackets I put into the best winter cycling jackets buyers guide. Not because I didn’t have a trainer to ride inside but because sometimes type 2 fun is the best kind.
There’s a limit to that though. If you want to keep some element of fun in your cold winter rides, you are going to need the right jacket. You probably also want a whole host of supporting pieces but everything starts with a winter jacket that will keep you warm and dry and feels good to wear. It’s the most visible part of your winter wardrobe, the piece you will likely have the longest, and arguably the most important.
That importance matters to me. I feel a lot of weight on my shoulders when I make recommendations for winter jackets and so I keep testing and refining. Out of all the options though, these are my favourite. The best of the best filtered down to only the best overall winter cycling jacket, the best value winter cycling jacket, and an honourable mention.
Best overall
There are different strategies to take on the worst winter weather. One strategy is to use a bunch of layers and use only a shell for your main winter jacket. It’s a great direction if you see yourself regularly spending more than four hours in hard rain and cold. Most people don’t do that much these days though and in that case, it’s nice to stick with a single layer that does everything. Assos does single layer jackets better than anyone.
The Assos Mille GT Ultraz is the warmest jacket Assos offers. Assos has more expensive jackets in the RS line but for warmth you want to look to the Mille GT options and the Ultraz is as warm as Assos makes. The outer is a softshell with a weave so tight it borders on hardshell. It will hold up to hours of rain and underneath is a thick fleece layer that’s allowed to float partially free.
When you put the Ultraz jacket…
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