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Vulpine’s new Rainy City Collection is designed for winter commuting

Vulpine launches new Rainy City Collection and Nightfall Jacket

Vulpine continues to expand its cycle clothing range, and the latest launch is the new Rainy City Collection. It’s aimed at protecting commuters from the rain and wind through the winter, with a new Deluge jacket and Rain Trousers that are intended to “look as good around town as it does in the saddle.” There's also the new Nightfall Jacket which aims to provide maximum visibility for riding at night.

7 highlights from the new Hoy Vulpine autumn and winter clothing range

vulpine rainy collection6.jpg

The launch would appear to be well-timed - it’s currently raining outside the office as I type this - and Vulpine reminds us in its press release that the average rainfall is highest between October and February. Thanks, Vulpine, as if we need reminding. 

- Essential wet weather cycle clothing and gear

With its latest Rainy City collection, though, Vulpine reckons it has the solution for this wet weather. The key product in this new range is the appropriately named Waterproof Deluge jacket (£275). It’s made from a material that offers 20k waterproofing and 20k breathability. What’s 20k? Good question, glad you asked. They're both measures of how much water a fabric can hold back, and how much warm air can escape. 

vulpine rainy collection1.jpg

For the waterproof performance, the test involves covering a tube with a 1in square piece of fabric and trying to force water through it. The number, 20,000mm, is how much water it could withstand before water would leak through. For the breathability test, it is how many grammes of water vapour are able to pass through a square metre of fabric in a 24-hour period.

- Buyer's guide to the best waterproof cycling clothing

Back to the jacket. This fabric is used in a jacket that comes in men and women’s fit and sizes, and a choice of three colours, charcoal, navy and mandarin. It’s packed with features including a neat venting system to help prevent overheating if the breathability of the fabric can’t cope. The shoulders are reinforced if you’re regularly slinging a bag onto your back, the zips are waterproofed and there are reflective details. 

vulpine rainy collection3.jpg

The new jacket is intended to be partnered with the new Tailored Rain Trousers (£150) for the ultimate commuting outfit. They’re made from the same windproof and water resistant Epic Cotton that the company has been using in its clothing for many years, but made to its own exact specifications and made in Italy. The trousers have a cycling-specific cut with stretch where it’s needed.

Lastly in this new range is the company’s now signature Harrington jacket (£250). It’s made from the same Epic Cotton as the trousers so it’s water resistant to deal with most rainfall, short of the heaviest downpours.

vulpine rainy collection10.jpg

The successful London-based company has four new collections lined up for the winter, Indian Summer that we saw back in August and also Rainy City, Nightfall and Luxury Winter. As you probably know, Vulpine has made its mark in the cycling market with clothing that ticks all the functionally and performance boxes when on the bike, but also looks good off it.

“We’re completely committed to urban apparel, not as a fashionable fad, but long-term, and I think it’s this passion for quality and specificity of design that customers can see is so authentic and true,” says Vulpine founder Nick Hussey.

- Vulpine launches Indian Summer clothing range

The other new release from the Nightfall collection is the brand new Nightfall Jacket (£195). It’s a limited edition jacket and has been designed expressly to provide maximum visibility for those cyclists that do a lot of riding in the dark during the winter, and if you’re commuting to the office during regular hours that’ll likely be most of the winter.

vulpine nightfall jacket 11.jpg

The Nightfall Jacket has a reflective print design which somehow manages to look quite stylish, not a word we ever use for reflective garments. It’s made from a waterproof and windproof fabric so it’ll keep you dry and warm, and there are vents under the arms to stop you overheating when racing home for tea. There are plenty of pockets including two waterproofed zipped pockets. Meanwhile, a soft internal lining provides insulation and there are shoulder pads for comfortably wearing backpacks. 

vulpine nightfall jacket 6.jpg

It’s available for both men and women, and the fit is cycling-specific, with longer arms and an expanded upper back so it fits well when riding your bike. It’s available in Navy or Mandarin Orange colours.

vulpine nightfall jacket 5.jpg

This jacket “combines visibility with the classical urban style for which Vulpine has become synonymous,” says the company. 

All this new Vulpine clothing is available now from their website www.vulpine.cc

See all Vulpine stories on road.cc 

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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8 comments

Avatar
LegalFun | 7 years ago
0 likes

I might end up cycle commuting depending on job changes, so a decent commuter coat would be nice, but at £275 I'm going to have to give it a miss...

I cant see what makes it so special that it deserves such a high price tag? Since it looks swish, £175 or even £200 would be closer to the mark, but I think a cheaper altura for £75 will do for me even if it isnt as stylish.

 

I think cycling is getting too a la mode these days, and the con artist "Mr Fashion" has caught a whiff and decided to fleece us!

Avatar
Christopher TR1 | 7 years ago
4 likes

So when the girl in the 1st photo looks over her shoulder to check for traffic she will see.... the hood of her jacket. Not very well thought-out for expensive cycling-specific clothing.

Avatar
A2thaJ replied to Christopher TR1 | 7 years ago
1 like

Christopher TR1 wrote:

So when the girl in the 1st photo looks over her shoulder to check for traffic she will see.... the hood of her jacket. Not very well thought-out for expensive cycling-specific clothing.

 

Got a vulpine gillet for commuting in. Its nice pastol coloured and would not look out of place off the bike. However, this it does not have a hood, it does have an extremely high collar, which is annoying when riding for this very reason.

Avatar
sparker replied to Christopher TR1 | 7 years ago
2 likes

Christopher TR1 wrote:

So when the girl in the 1st photo looks over her shoulder to check for traffic she will see.... the hood of her jacket. Not very well thought-out for expensive cycling-specific clothing.

I thought the same re. the hood, but it actually moves with your head so doesn't obscure your view at all, as it has an adjustable drawstring. The hood also just zips off. Using this as a general rain jacket off the bike, the hood is a bonus and if you don't want it whilst cycling, just remove it. Same goes for the generous reflective drop tail - it has magnets to tuck it up inside the jacket when not needed.

5 years ago, I'd be drawing a sharp intake of breath at the price, but things move on and my opinion has changed. If I didn't think it was worth it, I wouldn't spend my money on it, but I can only speak for myself and I'm also obviously right in the target market for Vulpine.

Avatar
sparker | 7 years ago
5 likes

If you're buying just for on-bike use, then yes, you might not get as much wear out of the kit, but it isn't just for on the bike. I've got the 1st iteration of the Deluge jacket ('Gill' as it was then called) and it is my go to jacket for wet weather, on or off the bike. Extremely breathable, and I run hot. Wore the trousers this past weekend in London in a heavy downpour whilst riding between bars on the Santander bikes and they were superb too - water just beads off. Also didn't look out of place when I stepped off the bike. Oozes quality and well thought out design. If its quality kit, I don't mind paying more, totally understand its not for everyone though, depends on what you want to pay.

Avatar
robertoegg replied to sparker | 7 years ago
2 likes

sparker wrote:

If you're buying just for on-bike use, then yes, you might not get as much wear out of the kit, but it isn't just for on the bike. I've got the 1st iteration of the Deluge jacket ('Gill' as it was then called) and it is my go to jacket for wet weather, on or off the bike. Extremely breathable, and I run hot. Wore the trousers this past weekend in London in a heavy downpour whilst riding between bars on the Santander bikes and they were superb too - water just beads off. Also didn't look out of place when I stepped off the bike. Oozes quality and well thought out design. If its quality kit, I don't mind paying more, totally understand its not for everyone though, depends on what you want to pay.

 

Yep, this, great kit - great company. I know what I have will last me for years on and off the bike. In fact, I daren't use the Harrington on the bike; I keep it for 'best'  4

Avatar
50kcommute | 7 years ago
0 likes

Mountain hard wear is my go to for this stuff - they're long established so easy to pick up waterproofs from previous seasons much cheaper than the vulpine. 

The vulpine trousers look interesting ... But dear  7

Avatar
EddyBerckx | 7 years ago
2 likes

Hmmmmm might wait for next years sample sale (making rapha look cheap with some of these)

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