A series of soggy and grey afternoons charging across Bristol was the perfect opportunity to don the Albion All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket for our best waterproof cycling jackets guide. Part of the Albion All Road range, this jacket is designed to fight the rain on road rides and during off road adventures. Its shape is definitely more towards the road end of the spectrum, but there’s room for a puffy jacket underneath for longer days and bikepacking trips.
The All Road is constructed from Pertex Shield fabric, designed to be lightweight, waterproof and highly breathable. Time spent getting totally soaked and puffing up steep bridleways was the ideal proving ground for a jacket aimed at the performance end of the market.
Design and aesthetics
The Albion All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket has a fit that is more at the race end of the market, without being too tight. The sizing chart was spot on for me; it’s not too tight across my stomach and would fit well on someone with a larger bust too. There was still room to layer well underneath without looking like a bag lady when I didn’t need to. The back of the jacket sat a bit higher than I would like though. It drops a touch but doesn’t offer much by way of coverage. The extra fabric is there to accommodate full jersey pockets rather than covering your butt.
The arms are a comfortable length and went over my watch without feeling restrictive. The neck of the All Road doesn’t come up too high and is wide enough that it doesn't press annoyingly on the front of my neck when fully closed. This Albion jacket doesn’t have a hood, giving it that more roadie look. Albion does offer a similar spec hooded jacket in its Zoa range, the Albion Zoa Rain Shell, but there’s no women’s fit at the moment. I prefer the option of a hood owing to my long hair which can get gross and cold, so come on Albion, help a sister out.
If orange isn’t to your tastes there is a light grey option, but to be honest I prefer the added visibility on offer that comes with dressing as a tangerine. If visibility is your number one priority the Proviz 360 Jacket should be on your shopping list, though they are aimed at very different end uses. This waterproof is not as garish as a hi-viz orange; still bright, but a more muted one that grew on me the longer I wore it. The distinctive Albion logo at the bottom of the jacket is also reflective, so there is a little sliver for approaching vehicles.
The zips and adjustable cuffs have a no nonsense design which makes them easy to use when you’re mid-ride. Instead of opting for a two-way zip, Albion has a curveball up its sleeve - it has opted for a second, slimmer, zip, nestled next to the main one. This smaller one goes up to your waist, so you can unzip from the bottom for ventilation without unzipping entirely. It is an entirely novel way of achieving the same result as a double ended zip. The ‘quick seal and release’ cuffs have a simple velcro tab which allows you to free your hands or tuck them back in.
The jacket features one pocket on the chest which you might fit a bank card, note or house key into. The internal fabric of the pocket is stretchy and not waterproof, so if you open the jacket whatever is inside will not be protected. It’s more of a nod to a pocket to be honest, and not hugely useful. As the jacket can be unzipped from the bottom you can access your jersey pockets pretty easily without taking the jacket off.
The jacket is made from Pertex Shield 3-layer fabric featuring a PFC-free membrane and a C0 Durable Water Repellency (DWR). If that means nothing to you, take a look at our waterproof fabrics explained guide. In case you forget PERTEX is handily printed on the sleeve so you can gloat about your wonder fabric. It’s known for being lightweight and durable. Albion offers free lifetime repairs on its products too, so if the durability ever gets tested to its max, you have a fallback.
Performance
I know the Albion All Road Rain Jacket fits in a jersey pocket because the first time I took it out for a spin, that is exactly where it stayed. Handy to know it is very packable, but not ideal conditions for testing some of the more important qualities. Luckily for you, my next ride was a non-stop rain fest and wow did this jacket perform. In a nutshell, it’s excellent. I was dry for the entire ride and didn’t have any issues with water seeping through the zip or the cuffs. It’s impressively breathable; even after a significant climb I was comfortable and the ‘boil in the bag’ effect hadn’t got me. Gradually throughout the ride I began to perspire, but it was a normal amount for the effort rather than the jacket. This jacket is packable, waterproof and breathable and there’s a new Pertex fangirl in the house!
I think the best kit is the kit you don’t have to think about. I want my attention to be on the ride, not on annoying seams or weird sizing. Before starting my ride I thought the zip system looked fussy and complicated. Why have two zips when you can just have one? To be fair that’s a question I’m still asking, but the Albion system works too despite potentially adding an extra point of potential failure. The main zip with the ‘oversized puller’ was easy to locate and pull down even with thick cycling gloves on. The smaller toggle for the second zip was no harder to find and got plenty of use as I reached into my jersey pockets for my phone. Sometimes waterproof zips can be a bit difficult and stiff, but not these ones. Adjusting this jacket while riding is really straightforward.
So where does this jacket fall short? It feels a bit like nitpicking when it performs so well in the key areas of protection from the rain and breathability. If I had to push I’d say the pocket feels more like a nod to a pocket. It’s very small and in quite an uncomfortable location for anything that isn’t flat. It would also be nice to have a bolder reflective panel for road cycling in low light conditions. The Albion logo, while very attractive, doesn’t offer much real estate for reflective details. Like I said, I’m nitpicking here, so I’ll ask once more for a women’s fit Zoa Rain Shell…please? It is nominally unisex but still...Especially as its puffy jacket range has a hood, it would be nice to keep that dry too.
Value
It’s at the higher end of the market. If you’re looking for a high performance garment that will feel just as good on a cafe run as it will on a day long adventure ride, this jacket is a great shout. Sure, it’s an investment piece, but with lifetime free repairs (the planet salutes you) you should have it for a fun time and a long time.
Verdict
This is a premium waterproof cycling jacket, but it backs the RRP up with impressive protection, great breathability, and a great fit that allows for layering underneath. While it lacks in the pocket department, and the zips are a little unorthodox, the details like pull tabs at the lower hem to aid doing it up make it a pleasure to use. Add in a well designed cuff to help seal the elements out and you have a winning package.
