The North Face Women’s Xenon Jacket £160

At a glance A very light, packable Gore-Tex Paclite mountain bike jacket with great style and features, perfect for carrying on ‘Will it rain?’ days, but not breathable enough to cycle in for a whole day of rain.

Tested by
Claire Maxted, tester for The Bike List

Value

Performance

The first thing I noticed about this jacket was that it packs down to almost nothing. Designed as an emergency shell for you to whip out at the first unexpected sight of rain, it easily rolls down to the size of a can of beans, and weighs much less at 340g. It really is great for chucking into your backpack on days when the clouds look a bit threatening but haven't actually started hurling wet stuff at you yet.

So it's a pleasure to carry, but what about wearing it? I've been blurring bright pink down the Welsh and Lake District trails in this jacket this autumn and I am pleased to say that it is definitely waterproof. The Gore-Tex Paclite and taped seams see to that. I have sprayed this jacket with wet mud from behind, used it to shelter me from light drizzle and totally relied on it in the pouring Welsh rain.

As an emergency shell it performs really well, but if you are expecting to cycle all day in the rain you should choose a more breathable option. The Xenon Jacket doesn't let water in from the outside, but as Gore-Tex Paclite isn't the most breathable fabric Gore-Tex offer, it can get sweaty on the inside if you're working hard. This is true for all Gore-Tex Paclite jackets, so I don't even think about putting this kind of waterproof on until it's properly raining, using a more breathable softshell or windproof jacket until that point.

To combat any condensation build up during rainy episodes, wicking baselayers were a must. I used The North Face's Light L/S Crew Neck combined with their new Women's Muddy Tracks Tee. These mopped up and wicked any excess moisture away from my skin and kept me more comfortable, then once it stopped raining I took the jacket off and they dried very quickly.

The fit of a jacket for mountain biking is crucial - you can't be faffing around with a toggle or a zip mid bump, so I really enjoyed the snap-lock magnetised closure at the top of the zip. I didn't think anything of it when I first saw the jacket, but in use it has proved much quicker and easier to use than a popper. The main zip has a storm flap front and back to keep out the rain; the brushed collar is very comfortable; the hanging hook is a very useful, sometimes overlooked feature; the one-hand-adjustable hem draw cord is great for keeping out wind; the anti-snag Velcro cuffs are excellent; the single Napoleon pocket is of a very good, large size and it is great to find a pocket opening that you can get into with a gloved hand.

I found the women's fit to be very good (I'm a 'normal' shaped size 12 and 5.7inches tall). The Xenon is low bulk at the front, long enough for you to stretch out on the handlebars, it looks good, with enough reflective lines and logo details are enough to be seen whilst still in keeping with the jacket's clean style. However I did feel that the drop tail needed to be about an inch lower or perhaps the addition of a fold out drop tail would have been useful. When leaning over the handlebars, the drop tail doesn't cover the main mud-splatter area of my behind. However, with this being an emergency jacket, this may add too much weight and could be a design decision better suited to another jacket in the range.

The Xenon is not as cheap as chips. You can certainly get lower priced jackets, but for your £160 you are getting a very light, functional and well-designed shell made from Gore-Tex Paclite, one of the lightest waterproof fabrics around. On a quick price comparison search on the web we found two other Gore-Tex Paclite jackets, the £200 Gore Bike Wear Alp X and the £150 Berghaus Gore-Tex Paclite Shell Jacket II but this one doesn't seem to feature a drop tail. So The North Face Xenon seems fine price wise if you are looking for a top notch jacket.

All in all The Xenon is a great mountain biking jacket and its strength really lies in its light weight and super scrunch-upableness. You hardly notice you are carrying it, so for days when it probably won't rain but you can't trust the UK weather forecast (ie every day!) this is a great emergency shell to have in your bag. With the Xenon in your backpack you can bomb it over the trails safe in the knowledge that if the heavens open, you will stay dry and warm enough to make it back to your nice hot shower without too much bedragglement.

Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk

The North Face says:

Nearly as lightweight as the element that inspired its name, the new Men's & Women's Xenon Jacket shines a sharp beam of light on the world of cycling jackets. As compressible as it is lightweight, the Xenon shell is constructed from Gore-Tex® Paclite®, a fabric that combines extreme breathability and durable wind- and waterproofness with minimum weight and pack volume. The highly technical material utilises a specialised oilhating / carbon protective membrane, eliminating the need for a bulky extra lining. The streamlined Performance fit allows for unencumbered movement and the longer back hem offers extra coverage while bent over the handlebars. To block wind and rain, the Xenon boasts fully sealed seams, a bonded storm flap with snap closure, hem cinchcord and non-abrasive moulded cuff tabs. The heat-transfer label prevents any chafing, as does the brushed collar lining. The Napoleon chest pocket stashes mobile phones or energy gel shots, while shaped reflective prints and logos provide critical visibility for rides that stretch past sundown. For women, the Xenon is offered in Fuchsia Pink and Hamel Green, while the men's version is available in Voyage Blue and Black.

Extremley compressible and light weight jacket designed with Gore-Tex PacLite, this minimally bike shaped jacket serves as a superior emergency shell.