Did I need another raincoat? Hell no. But I spotted this Women’s Co-op Cycles Rain Jacket in Cocoa on REI’s sale page for $30 down from $100 and fell in love. THAT COLOR!! (I know, it’s not black. Hey, I can break out of my #healthgoth sphere long enough to enjoy other neutral tones!)
Honestly, cycling can be crazy expensive when it comes to gear, and a lot of it is absolutely worth it (like the perfect pair of bib shorts). But if you’re new to cycling and on a tight budget, sales like this are so freaking helpful for building up your basic wardrobe. I’ve written a lot about a cycling capsule wardrobe for newer riders, and the raincoat is a piece I would list right behind bibs, a jersey and cycling shoes. Everything else, you can basically fake with what you already own (i.e wearing tights over your bibs rather than getting legwarmers when you’re just starting out), but a cycling-specific raincoat will make your life SO much better. Especially if, like this one, it’s light and super packable. I also think a decent cycling raincoat can easily replace a winter coat if you get one a size up so that you can fit multiple layers underneath. If I had a time travel machine and could go back to when I first started out, I would tell my newbie self to get bibs, a jersey and a raincoat, and let the rest sort itself out eventually. But those are non-negotiable to me.
Not into this one? If you have a bigger budget, might I interest you in this amazing Paddington-Bear-esque raincoat from Chrome or this no-nonsense basic black one from 7Mesh? Both are freaking amazing.
(Unrelated but for the sake of transparency… I also admit I ordered this Prana Henley at 50% off because I have a weird fixation with finding the perfect Henley and I feel like I’ve been fighting a losing battle.)
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