Albion’s new Zoa collaboration with technical fabric maker Pertex promises a collection of extremely weather-resistant cycling gear that will help you through the worst cold, wet winter riding conditions – all made with 100% recycled shell fabrics and 55% recycled insulation. Featuring an all-new Rain Shell, a new Insulated Jacket, and a hi-tech scarf, the Zoa cycling gear was developed for adventure, to keep you warm and dry both on and off the bike…
Albion Zoa extreme weather cycling gear with Pertex
British cycling clothing maker Albion knows something about adventure riding in bad weather. Based in London, they are familiar with dreary rides all over Britain, and say their best stories about rides “start and finish with the weather”. While Albion makes some normal cycling kit, their best gear seems to be that developed to survive foul weather rides.
We’ve been testing out their latest Ultralight Insulated Jacket, and it’s proving to be one of my most favorite ever pieces of kit to stay warm, packing down so small it’s gone on tons of changing weather rides – from road to enduro.
New Tech Fabrics
Now with the new Zoa collection, Albion is the first cycling company to partner with Pertex and their durable, lightweight technical fabrics brand, to tame even more extreme wet & cold riding conditions. The Zoa range consists of a hooded Rain Shell with Pertex’s most breathable new Shield Air 3-layer waterproof membrane, and the hooded Insulated Jacket & new Zoa Burner technical scarf that both use Pertex’s recycled Quantum shell fabrics with Primaloft Gold Eco breathable insulation inside.
Each piece of Zoa kit can be used separately on or off the bike, or layered up for the most extreme adventure rides. They even come in super bright colors for added foul-weather visibility, or a more subdued black look for those hoping to blend in. All three of these new Zoa pieces are made in China, in factories where Albion says the workers are treated & paid fairly. Some of their other products are manufactured in the UK & Italy.
Albion Zoa Rain Shell
Albion’s all-new Zoa Rain Shell was developed to be a lightweight, breathable, and fully-waterproof protection layer to keep you dry as you ride and once you set up camp for the night. It’s the first cycling product to feature Pertex Shield Air, the textile maker’s newest highly breathable 3-layer membrane waterproof fabric designed for intense activity, and made from 100% recycled nylon fibers.
The Zoa Rain Shell gets a 2-way waterproof main zip to adjust airflow as you ride, and 2 large mesh side pockets also with long 2-way waterproof zips to further adapt ventilation as needed.
The shell features an adjustable drawcord hood that can fit over or without a helmet, flap closure cuffs, and a drawcord to tighten the slightly dropped rear hem, plus an environmentally friendly C0 DWR coating to act as a first line of defense against the rain. Reflective trim details on the forearms & lower back keep visibility high… as if you could miss this jacket in it blaze orange. Ok, the reflective bits help the black jacket not disappear.
The Albion Zoa Rain Shell sells for £260 / $322 / 284€ in six sizes (XS-XXL) in bright orange, black with orange hood, or all black.
Albion Zoa Insulated Jacket
If you want to stay warm too (not just dry), pop on the Zoa Insulated Jacket. Also made for an on or off-the-bike fit and either as a mid-layer or to stand on its own, the insulated Zoa is meant to be light but warm, and both wind and a bit weather resistant.
The 100% recycled nylon tight-knit Pertex Quantum shell fabric also gets a veggie-based C0 DWR coating to shed light rain, and then is lined with breathable 55% recycled/45% new polyester Primaloft Gold Eco insulation to keep you warm.
The Zoa Insulated Jacket again gets cut to fit and move on or off the bike, with 2-way zip, an adjustable bungee cord hem, and reflective details at the arms and back for riding visibility.
The jacket features a single-pull adjustable hood that fits under a helmet, with special slits for your helmet straps to go under your chin while you can keep the jacket zipped all the way up to protect your neck and chin up to your nose. It also gets two zip handwarmer pockets, a hidden zipped chest pocket, and a hidden zipped rear pocket that doubles as a stuff sack or even turns the jacket into a travel pillow.
The 456g Albion Zoa Insulated Jacket sells for £185 / $230 / 202€ in six sizes (XS-XXL) in bright orange, black with orange hood, or all black.
Albion Zoa Burner insulated scarf
The Zoa Burner is an insulated scarf for use both on and off the bike, using the same tech as the Zoa Insulated Jacket, just pared back to the absolute bare minimum. It uses the same recycled Pertex Quantum shell & recycled Primaloft Gold Eco insulation to add a bit more warmth to any adventure outfit.
Wear it like a regular scarf wrapped around your neck. Or carefully drape it over your chest (or secured under your bib straps) for extra wind protection and warmth like their original Burner. The techy scarf packs down into a tiny integrated stuff sack pouch so it can go with you on every adventure ride.
The 50g Albion Zoa Burner insulated scarf sells for £35 / $44 / 39€ in bright orange or all black.
All three are available now, direct from:
