Madison Men's Road Race Apex jacket

The Road Race Apex Jacket from Madison is a solidly waterproof jacket that completely prevents water penetration, all while managing to be impressively breathable. The fit and attention to detail is good, and the price reasonable for the level of performance it offers. The black colour won't to be everyone's taste though, but there are lots of reflective details.

Madison is the distributor that looks after brands like Shimano, GoPro, Park Tool and many more. In recent years they've really upped their game with their own line of mountain bike and road cycling clothing, and following the launch of the Madison Genesis professional race team a couple of years ago, they've added a line of racier fit garments. Like this Apex jacket.

If you like jackets to be snug and aero, you'll like the Apex. It's not tight though, as the photo shows the medium does still have a bit of bagginess to it. Some waterproof jackets can feel like you're wearing a bin bag, baffling and flapping when you're riding. The good fit of the Apex ensures it doesn't do that, quite the opposite in fact. It's all very quiet.

There are some nice details on this jacket, and it shows they've really put some time into getting it just right, which is evident on the bike. It just feels good. There's a part elasticated waist band and slightly dropped tail. The cuffs are semi-elasticated, ensuring a snug fit around the wrist, but does mean you have to remove bulky gloves first before you pull it on over the top. It's not a jacket you'll be wanting to remove on the go.

Other nice details that matter when you're riding include the tall collar, lined with a soft fleece material. There's one single vertically aligned rear zipped pocket, a blessing when you need to wear the jacket for the duration of the ride, but don't want to have to stop to grab a gel or bar. I can see that being useful for the Madison Genesis racers, as much for us mere mortals out riding and training.

Let's get down to the core of the jacket, it's waterproofness. It's made from a 2.5 layer fabric, and Madison claim a waterproof rating of 15,000mm and breathability of 15,000g/m^2 for both. That's up there with the best modern fabrics.

I can put that waterproof and breathability rating into real-world numbers if you like. Last weekend I rode a 200km Audax, with an average temperature of 6°C, and horrendous torrential rain for much of the 7.5 hours I was on the bike. With the Road Race Apex jacket over a short sleeve merino base layer and two long sleeve tops, and riding at a brisk pace, I was completely dry throughout the ride. In fact, my under layers were bone dry when I finished. As for breathability, I didn't overheat one bit.

I used the surprisingly effective arm vents when the heat started building up in my arms a bit, and was fine for the rest of the ride. The rest of me, well I was completely saturated, couldn't feel my fingers from the freezing rain, to the point I couldn't even unlock the car, and my feet were numb. I really hadn't expected the jacket to cope as well as it did.

If you do run a bit hotter than me, Madison have wisely added four zipped vents, two on the forearms and two on the chest.

It's available in two colours, the black pictured, and a white version. Both have a good number of reflective details, but I feel a few more wouldn't go amiss on a jacket that is going to be worn a lot in poor light or the dark.

Here is a waterproof jacket that doesn't cost a fortune, is properly waterproof and manages heat buildup supremely well, and looks great too backed up with a good fit and nice attention to detail.

Verdict

Fully waterproof jacket with great fit and really quite impressive breathability, and packed with nice details.