Defy the Elements this Winter with Madison Clothing
Riding outside all winter is the dream. No matter how good indoor riding gets it just can't compare to the fun you have riding in the real world. That's especially true for off-road riding where 95% of the fun doesn't come from the actual pedalling, but from navigating the terrain.
But to stay outside for as much of Autumn and Winter as possible, you're going to need kit that'll keep you warm and dry. Warm is the easier of the two as that can be achieved through layering but dry require quality kit that actually keeps the water out properly, not stuff that 'keeps water out as long as it's not raining that much and doesn't keep up for more than about 20mins'.
Madison Clothing's DTE collection (which you wont be surprised to find out after reading the headline stands for Defy the Elements) aims to help keep you riding outside for as long as you want. The main pieces - bib trousers, pants and 3-layer waterproof jacket - are serious, heavy duty items of clothing made for the British winter where water and mud abound and you wont last long if your kit can't keep it out.
The DTE 3-Layer jacket is designed as a shell that will keep out pretty much anything. With 20K waterproofing and 40K breathability, a dropped back, hem draw cord, windproofing and using a 4-way stretch fabric so it moves with you rather than restricting you, there's a reason why it's become a fast favourite of both the riders on the Madison Saracen downhill racing team and all the sponsored athletes the brand works with.
The perfect compatriot to that jacket is either the DTE 3-Layer waterproof bib trousers or the bibless DTE trousers (depending on your preference). Both have the same waterproof/breathability rating as the jacket and use a similar stretch fabric but most importantly these have an articulated fit designed around riders on a bike, and also have space for knee pads to fit underneath. One other great feature of the trousers is that they come in three different leg lengths - small, medium and large which is 30, 32 and 34" respectively - so you can dial your fit right in.
If you like that stuff, then there's also two types fo DTE gloves available (one waterproof with Primaloft insulation, the other with a showerproof DWR coating) and even some DTE 3-Layer shorts for anyone who doesn't like to ride in trousers and presumably doesn't mind wet socks either. It really is a fantastic collection of Autumn/Winter ready clothing made for the exact sort of weather we're having right now so if you're interested you can check out the whole range right here on Freewheel.
