Whistler Mountain Bike Review: COSMO Jacket and FREERIDE Shorts

November 7: Whistler BC. 3 degrees Celsius, light snow, tacky dirt!
Great condititions for Chris Armstrong to test out our COSMO WS Jacket.

"This time of the year can be a mixed bag of nuts for riders in Whistler.  Sometimes we could be ½ foot deep in snow, or it could be sunny and warm.  And it could change at anytime to the complete opposite.

Saturday afternoon it had stopped raining, hard.  My neighbour called asking if I had a quick window for a ride in Lost Lake, well of course I do silly.  I then found myself geared up and out the door heading for a quick spin.

Being that it was an interesting day with the chance of snow at any time I threw on the COSMO WS Jacket from Gore Bike Wear.  Made from WINDSTOPPER® Soft Shell material with mesh liner I couldn't think of anything else that would have been a better choice for the ride.  A Napoleon pocket on the left side and two pockets at the bottom kept the lines simple and straightforward while giving you enough storage.  Pit vents were a nice treat when I got up to temperature and needed to let some escape out.  The interior of the COSMO is fleece lined and it extends up into the collar giving it a nice fit and feel.

Unfortunately as with most biking clothing the fit models are tall and skinny, so I found that the XL was snug, with long arms.  You will want to try it on to make sure that the fit is correct for your body style.

On the lower half of my body I had the Freeride shorts.  Now in all honesty these are better suited for warmer days as they have permanent and semi permanent venting.  In the upper leg area the permanent venting is made from finely woven mesh, while the semi permanent venting on the sides comes from zippered panels.   The Freeride shorts were excellent in the warmer months as they were nice and cool to ride in, but when the temperature dropped last week I really noticed it on fast descent back home.

The Freeride shorts come with a Chamois that can be snapped into place on both sides.  I'm not really much of a Chamois guy, so I can't really attest to the comfort of it, but it is well constructed.   The waistband was interesting on the shorts as it was a mix of elastic & a draw cord, but both worked well together to make sure that I wasn't worrying about my shorts sliding down.  Hidden at the back top part of the waistband is a nice little pocket.  Big enough for a small phone, or small money clip it is just the right size to fit small necessities in.  I tend to ride without a backpack on shorter rides and I like to care a tool with me, so I was out of luck in that regard.  There is a small pocket on the front right leg, but since it is near the cuff you can't really put anything heavy in it as you will get a bruised knee as a result.

Both pieces were very well made and have stood up to countless rides.  The styling is much more subdued than what most other brands are offering right now and hence have clean simple lines.  So clean and nice In fact, my wife has stolen the COSMO jacket and she is threatening to not give it back.

Opinion:
Great gear from the best fabric company in the world. 

Plus:
Weatherproof, well vented.

Minus:
Shorts could use a front pocket for a tool or phone, jacket arms were too long for me.

Price: COMSO Jacket $229USD, Freeride Shorts $149USD.

Rating: 4.5/5"*

 

*Please visit www.whistlermountainbike.com for more information.