You can trust Cyclingnews
Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
Price: £320 / €320 / $430
Sizes: XXXS – XXL
Weight: 123g
Colours: Black, Navy, Olive Green
Main fabric: 25% Polyurethane, 75% Polyamide
The Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket is at present the flagship waterproof offering from Q36.5, aimed squarely at taking on the best waterproof cycling jackets on the market, and in the era of PFAS-free waterproofs it performs pretty well. There is some water ingress after several hours of rain, but the jacket maintains wind proofing so much so that there is no negative impact on body temperature even if water gets through.
This is paired with very good breathability and an ideal fit across the board. As far as temperature regulation and comfort go, it’s a great jacket. The only issues really are the lack of some more practical features that many jackets at this level do feature, the Rain Shell just feels a bit long in the tooth by comparison, especially at this price.
Design and specifications
The Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket, referred to by the brand as the R. Shell, is built upon the brand’s UF 75 Shell. This is a proprietary (as many Q36.5 technologies are) 3-layer fabric. The outer layer is a compact, high density woven polyamide, while the second layer is, in the brand’s words, “an avant-garde hydrophobic Polyamide membrane”. This has a breathability rating of RET 4, which refers to the Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer (RET), where the lower the number the more breathable the garment is. 0-6 is deemed a very low score, so better and suitable for high activity levels. It is measured by using a heated metal plate and skin model to simulate body heat and sweat, then the test measures the amount of energy the fabric requires to allow moisture to escape. Low energy/heat means great evaporative transfer and better breathability.
This fabric also has a 10,000 mm waterproof rating according to the website, but 15,000 according to the brochure. Most jackets as standard start at 10,000 mm so waterproofing is OK here. So as to further this waterproofing, the R. Shell has been paneled aggressively according to Q36.5. The collar is hermetically sealed, while seams have been carefully moved to less exposed areas of the jacket while been both tapered and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…