When the weather gets nasty, you’ve got to cover up to stay dry and happy on the trails. I got the chance to test Patagonia’s Dirt Roamer Storm jacket and Dirt Craft pants, and I’m glad I got my hands on both. The jacket offers full protection from rain, and the pants are a versatile pair you could wear for any ride.
I’ve been riding in the Dirt Roamer Storm jacket and Dirt Craft pants since spring. The Dirt Roamer Storm jacket quickly won me over with its effective waterproofing and excellent ventilation. The Dirt Craft pants are light and breathable but also proved more weather-resistant than expected.
Dirt Roamer Storm Bike Jacket: $319
The Dirt Roamer Storm jacket is made from 100% waterproof 3-layer H2No fabric. This fabric is breathable and offers a bit of stretch. On the inside, a wicking knit backer provides comfort for bare skin. Abrasion-resistant reinforcing panels are located on the forearms, shoulders, and rear hem.
This pullover features a ¾ length front zipper, which opens up enough to easily get the jacket on or off with a helmet on. On the sides, full-length two-way zippers open up huge pit-to-hem vents from either end. Even the chest zipper can be opened from the bottom for a little extra airflow.
This jacket’s hood is large enough to fit over a helmet and has a single-pull cinch to tighten it up. If you don’t need the hood, a clip on the cinch cord can be used to tuck it away on your shoulders. The Dirt Roamer Storm jacket can be stuffed into its own back pocket and winds up about the size of a large water bottle.
Men’s models are available in Black, Pine Needle Green, or Nouveau Green. Sizes range from XS-XL. Women’s models come in black only and in XS-XL sizes.
Ride Impressions:
At 5’9” the size medium Dirt Roamer Storm jacket fits me nicely. Patagonia’s website shows a 6’1” model wearing the same size, but I wouldn’t want to go any smaller as it keeps me well covered. The tail is long enough to fully cover my butt, and the front is cut higher up but reaches down to my waist. There is ample room in the body for insulating layers, but the cut is lean enough to not feel baggy. I never had any issues with restricted mobility or lack of coverage while riding in this jacket.
The arms are long enough to easily cover my wrists and they’re roomy enough to fit layers underneath. The cuffs are on the larger side but they can be cinched down simply with their Velcro closures.
The Dirt Roamer Storm’s hood fit over my Oakley DRT5 helmet well enough to comfortably climb with it up, which is awesome on cool, rainy days. I really like this jacket’s collar, as it is high and spacious enough to easily tuck your chin inside on cold or wet rides. When opened up, the collar tends to fall off to the sides and out of the way.
The Dirt Roamer Storm jacket doesn’t offer a ton of storage, with just one zippered pocket on the lower back. The pocket is large enough for a phone and a few other small items, and it is easy to access while on the bike. I think one or two front pockets could make this jacket more desirable to those who don’t want to ride with a pack.
The Dirt Roamer Storm can be packed into its back pocket, but you really have to jam it in there. It easily packs up small enough to carry in any decent-sized hydration pack.
Waterproofing and Ventilation:
After riding the Dirt Roamer Storm jacket in the spring and fall, I managed to get it wet several times. I’m pleased to say I never got wet inside it; This jacket lives up to its claim of being fully waterproof. Water beaded up on the jacket’s H2No fabric nicely and it withstood several rides in steady rain without getting saturated anywhere. This jacket is also very wind resistant, so it will keep a cool breeze at bay.
Aside from its waterproofing, ventilation is probably the Dirt Roamer Storm’s best attribute. The huge side vents on this jacket are great! They can be opened from the bottom or top, so you can use them as pit zips and/or side vents. With these vents open you can feel air flowing through them and they effectively dump body heat.
With this great ventilation, this jacket can be comfortable in a pretty wide temperature range. I’ve ridden it from roughly 8-20°, and I’m sure it could work in cooler temps with appropriate layers underneath. Beyond about 17-18°, the Dirt Roamer Storm jacket can get a bit warm once you heat up inside it. Despite the large vents, the waterproof fabric doesn’t breathe super well, so there are limits to how cool it can keep you on warmer rides. Still, I would ride this jacket on any rainy day since its waterproofing is so good.
Dirt Craft Bike Pants: $149
The Dirt Craft Bike Pants are a thin, lightweight pair of pants constructed from stretchy, breathable fabric making them ideal for just about any spring, summer, or fall ride. Laser-cut vent holes on the inner thighs and back of the knees provide ventilation.
These pants keep their construction lean and simple, with a stretchy waistband and no cinches or adjusters. The lower cuffs feature sewn-in stretch panels at the back. At the waist, there’s a zippered fly with a one-button closure.
For storage, the pants include two zippered pockets on the thighs. Both pockets have a pass-through feature that works with Patagonia’s Dirt Roamer liner or bib shorts. The pockets on the pants and shorts/bibs line up so you can access items from the liners’ pockets right through the pants.
Men’s sizes range from 28-44, and there are five colors to choose from. These pants are also available in a women’s model, in sizes 0-22. Women’s color options are Utility Blue, Black, or Golden Caramel.
Ride Impressions:
The Dirt Craft Bike Pants are a minimalist option for those seeking full coverage. Overall the size 32 pants I tested fit me quite well. The legs are easily long enough to keep my ankles covered in the riding position, and they’re roomy but not baggy. With no waist adjusters, I was glad the elastic waistband was tight enough for me to ride them comfortably as my waist is a tad under a true 32. Given the option, I would tighten them up a bit more, but they were just snug enough.
These pants remained comfortable in a wide temperature range. Being pants, they are an obvious choice for cooler spring and fall rides, but their light, breathable fabric handled hot summer days really well too. On one particularly warm and humid ride, I noticed my legs never felt sweaty or overheated. On cooler days I could feel air flowing into the vent holes on the inner thighs.
I rode the Dirt Craft pants with my slim Dainese Trail Skins Lite kneepads, and they fit into the pants easily with no restriction of motion. I’m sure a slightly thicker set of kneepads would be no problem with these pants.
I’d be happy to have waist pockets on these pants, but Patagonia stuck with just two pockets on the thighs. There is some opportunity for phones and keychains to bounce around a bit while you pedal, but it didn’t prove to be an annoyance.
Weather Resistance:
The Dirt Craft pants are not a waterproof pair, but they did pretty well fighting against light rain. After an hour-long ride in light but steady rain, parts of the pants were still not soaked through. Areas with direct exposure to rain and the seat of the pants did get saturated, but the pants kept me feeling dry otherwise. The fabric seems to absorb a fair bit of moisture and doesn’t turn into a slick wet blanket until it gets completely soaked. Splatter from mud and puddles is no problem for these pants.
My Dirt Craft pants have suffered no damage or excess wear during my many test rides with them. I expect to get years of use out of these versatile pants.
