A rain jacket should be versatile enough squish into a decent sized saddle bag or the back pocket of an already full jersey on an epic adventure through the country side. I haven’t been on a truly epic adventure through the country side recently, but I’ve endured Melbourne’s somewhat unpredictable weather over the last 10 years and I know a thing or two about what to pack for a big day out, or a commute 30km across town.
When looking at a rain jacket all the words and technology like wind proof, rain proof, breathable, and reflective should be included into the technology of the product.
The Tineli Rainman jacket that I received has all of these technologies included with it, it’s a given these days. Technology in cycling gear is at the top of it’s game right now and it’s only going to get better. I read up on the Tineli jacket and learnt the new term Rainskin which is used in the advertisement of the jacket.
Tineli describes Rainskin as, “ a light weight and transparent membrane which apart from being waterproof and highly breathable is also very light to wear and compact to stow.”
There is nothing worse than a bulky jacket that doesn’t fit in the back of a jersey pocket (I have one that doesn’t, I don’t use it), except perhaps a jacket that is too complicated to scrunch or fold. Luckily the Tineli Rainman scores full points as it is easy to stow in a back pocket, I’ve even squished it into my saddle bag on a day when even the weather just wasn’t sure what it was doing and I didn’t want it in my pocket.
Fan’s of light weight bicycle culture and minimalism should be looking at this jacket, not just because of its fold-ability and squish-ability, but because of the reflective piping along the back of the seams that provide a bit more confidence when you don’t really know what’s coming up from behind.
I don’t tend to sweat much on the bike unless I’m going uphill or I’m competing in the Melbourne commuter races and then I find that the jacket does stick to me somewhat if I have skin exposed. If you cover up the skin and wear arm warmers or a long sleeve jersey underneath the jacket then breath-ability is top notch.
It seems to be a durable garment , I’ve been using it and abusing it for 4 months and I’m happy with the way it’s holding up. If it’s not in my bag it’s thrown into a draw until that last minute rush for kit on a rainy morning.
The fit is good, I can’t fault it, plenty of space to stretch and move. Don’t forget Tineli designs their gear for your position on the bike so if you want a more relaxed fit then they suggest the next size up. If you do like to go out and get dirty, you can throw it in the washing machine (cold water wash) and it will be fine, I’ve done it a few times and the product stays true to its original self.
Most importantly, I’ve stayed dry during my cycling journey’s and if I knew about this jacket before I bought my other jacket, I would have probably chosen the Rainman because of the simplicity of the design and the added bonus that other people can see my kit under my jacket.
Check out the technical speak and read the full details on the product page of the website. It’s the perfect jacket for those of us who like to pack light with the added benefits of durable and breathable.
I’ve used it frequently for approximately 4 months, you tend to see pretty quickly if your kit is going to last and this is definitely a piece that’s in it for the long haul.
The Tineli Rainman Jacket retails for $134.95 and is available from all leading bike shops or you can organise with Tineli to pickup the next day from your favourite bike shop. Tineli do both custom cycling wear and offer a range Tineli brand cycling wear with good looks and prices: www.tineli.com.au
