You may know of Hub & Bespoke as the fashion-minded little bike shop in Fremont that doesn’t actually sell any bikes. They won’t fix your flat or sell you a bottle of chain lubricant. They will, however, hook you up with clothes and accessories that both look good and perform well while you bike around rainy Seattle.
A longtime advertiser on Seattle Bike Blog, Hub and Bespoke and the blog have sort of grown up together. Now the shop is launching its second foray into the world of bike-friendly apparel designed in-house and made in Seattle.
You may have already seen Juliette Delfs’ women’s riding coat either around town or advertised on this site. Well, now they are launching a men’s riding coat, and they are crowdfunding the coat’s launch.
They’re looking to hit their $15,000 goal by October 15. You can score a coat of your own for $239.
Details from the Crowd Supply page:
- A Bike-Friendly Cut. The sleeve shape and a rear pleat allow a comfortable reach in an arms-forward position.
- Venting. Air flows in through zippered vents on the chest, and out through rear vents under the back yoke.
- Concealable Reflectivity. Reflective details on the sleeves, under the collar, in the back pleat, and in the tail vent increase visibility during the ride, but are subtly concealed when off the bike.
- Waterproof Fabric. The outer is made of a two-ply waterproof nylon fabric. Seams are not taped so this is not a coat for mountaineering, but for most city trips, the waterproofness will be more than adequate.
- Extra Coverage. The collar and lapel turn up and fasten to protect the front and back of the neck during cold or wet weather, while the double-breasted cut keeps the rider’s lap dry during wet rides. An inner drawstring adjusts the waist to accommodate additional layers.
Here’s a video about the coat:
Comments
17 responses to “Help Hub & Bespoke crowdfund a Seattle-made men’s riding coat”
Nice looking jacket, but personally, I’m unable to wear “waterproof” fabric when cycling. One ride up one of Seattle’s hills, and I’d be soaked with sweat underneath the jacket – even in the dead of winter.
So what do you wear? I’ve got a showers pass coat and only wear it when it’s actually raining. And yes my motto is “keep the warm water close.”
The rest of the winter I wear an ibex cycling jacket (wool & poly) over a wool jersey until I warm up, then peal the coat off.
I prefer to wear a simple tight weave “nylon” jacket (e.g., a windbreaker) over layers, or a windproof fleece works well too.
I find I do not get permeated through by the rain in these jackets on a typical ride of a duration of an hour or less. If I’m really worried about the rain, there are several products that can be applied to fabric jackets that “Scotch Guard” non-waterproof fabric and make them water-resistant with out leaving them feeling clammy. Anything that is billed as waterproof leaves me drenched underneath.
I’ve ridden through many winters in Seattle and find that keeping warm is not a problem. Only on the coldest days (when the weather is clear and it is typically not raining), do I need to go to extra measures to cover exposed skin (like my face).
I find that wardrobe changes during a ride are key. Having a warm and waterproof (or very water-resistant) layer is vital for winter biking, but I will often take it off by the time I get to the top of a big hill and put it in my pannier. I usually wear a thin wool sweater under my coat for this purpose. That way if it is sprinkling but I am too hot to keep my coat on, I still have a somewhat water-resistant layer on.
Ride naked!
Augsburg: I think this is totally fair! It’s kind of a tough tradeoff: either you’re soaked from the rain or soaked from sweat. Many coat manufacturers claim to employ fabric that is both waterproof and breathable, but anyone who’s huffed and puffed up a Seattle hill in a waterproof coat knows that once that steam and sweat builds up, it’s difficult if not impossible for it to escape through a truly waterproof fabric.
I would offer two points for consideration: 1) We built vents into the front and back of this coat that really help with airflow during your ride. The chest vents work a lot better for me than armpit vents do. 2) This coat is obviously not a sport piece, but is instead designed for those shorter urban rides. So we’re thinking it will serve well for those moving a little less fast on their commute of a few miles (I’m the slowest one out there, so I’m often on the chilly side).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I was going to point out venting too. I find adjustable venting to be the key. There is no reason to get all sweaty if there is enough airflow, even in the rain. I like a coat with pit vents, chest vents, and the key is a big exhaust vent out the back. I also like a coat with some big arms and cuffs that can be left open or large to collect venting air that goes up the arms.
My critique of this jacket is the visibility. I really think it is still very important to be as visible as possible, day and night. I like a jacket with very bright colors and a lot of reflective material on it in every direction.
I fixed the visiblity problem by adding a Class III highway workers reflective vest. $30, fits over everything and has some pockets for things like keys and Orca pass.
I have a showers pass coat too, and find it pretty bright. I added some more iron on reflective material, but I would love a jacket that had reflectors up to those workers vests. I just don’t want to add even another layer with the vest.
Venting helps, but does not make a significant enough difference for use when I’m active (as in cycling) in my experience. Perhaps I come from swarthier stock than others. I would expect that women may be able to get away with a waterproof jacket – especially with the venting offered. For me however, anything waterproof quickly feels too clammy and wet inside for my liking. Since it is so rare that I’ve actually been caught in a torrential downpour over the years, I don’t see the need for waterproof attire for cycling. I can’t remember the last time I was soaked through – and that’s with riding an average of four times a week in the winter.
My wife purchased the women’s riding coat a year ago and has used it regularly except during summer. She never had a problem with sweat build up inside the coat and rode daily throughout the winter. Admittedly she and I both ride slow, about 10mph on average so we don’t get too hot. The coat has excellent wind breaking capability and that is perhaps its best quality. (Interestingly she used it as a motorcycle coat and it worked really well at blocking wind for that activity also).
If the men’s riding coat is anything like the women’s it’ll be a stylish yet functional piece of apparel. I might have to get one.
The largest size you offer is 44? As a 46 coat wearer, I cannot take advantage of what looks like a nice urban coat.
As for the hills, yep, in Seattle it would appear that this coat would appeal to folks who live on Cap Hill and ride in. That’s fine comming down the hill, but going back up I’d kill it huffing and puffing. The venting looks nice but unless I put my bike on the bus …
Still torn though. Looks like a cool concept.
When I worked on cap hill I would ride to the base with leather gloves, earmuffs, and a short wool coat. After a little climbing I would remove the coat and drape it over my chain I wear over my shoulder. If it was raining hard I would pack my work cloths in a plastic bag in my backpack. Between rain and sweat, there is no way to stay dry on a bike. If I had money, I would definitely get this coat. It just costs 10 times more than the one I got at Buffalo exchange.
Pretty limited sizing. Otherwise looks like a good idea.
David, so glad your wife has been happy with the women’s coat. That’s great news.
Gary and SGG, definitely hear you on making sure the coat will fit. It does have a relaxed cut that should accommodate bigger guys, but of course that only goes so far. If you like, you can come by the shop next Wednesday evening (Sep 24th), where we’ll be offering personal fittings for coat orders. It’ll be a great way to see if the coat will fit before purchasing one.
I know a size “L” won’t fit me. I would order at a minimum an “XL” and sometimes go with a “XXL” if I feel like I would like it fairly roomy depending on the garment. If you all start expanding to a more standard sizing range of garments, I would actually love to buy one of those jackets, or one similar in the next production cycle.
Sounds great. I appreciate your interest!