Patagonia does cycling clothing!

[raygunner]

I'm a big Patagucci fan so I'm pretty stoked they've starting making some cycling specific wear, hopefully more to follow! I'd totally dig a merino wool Pata jersey!

Their new catalog has some MTB & fat bikes featured. I'm thinking more people cycle than fly fish (maybe I'm wrong...) but a smart move on their part.

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/mens-dirt-craft-bike-mountain-biking-shorts?p=24575-0

http://www.patagonia.com/tsimages/24575_RATN.fpx?wid=750&hei=750&bgcolor=FFFFFF&ftr=6&cvt=jpeg,scans=progressive

[AngryScientist]

interesting.

i've been a patagonia fan for years, but it's getting almost painful to see how much their brand has exploded recently. I just hope they dont go in the North Face direction.

[christian]

interesting.

i've been a patagonia fan for years, but it's getting almost painful to see how much their brand has exploded recently. I just hope they dont go in the North Face direction.

Don't? As in, the future? They have, bro. The new R1 hoody is sooooooo much worse than the 2009 R1 hoody. Read my review on Patagucci.com for the particulars.

[Louis]

Um, that doesn't look like cycling clothing to me.

Just for the record, real bike shorts don't have belts, buttons and zippers.

[dustyrider]

It's been hit and miss with me and Patagonia. Some of their stuff is great and stands up....others not so much. I think it is very telling when their own catalog shows their "pros" with pieces of duct tape holding their gear together. I only ever buy their items when it's 50% off. Which is every couple of months it seems.

[notsew]

Don't? As in, the future? They have, bro. The new R1 hoody is sooooooo much worse than the 2009 R1 hoody. Read my review on Patagucci.com for the particulars.

Pretty disappointed in the interweb that this site doesn't exist.

[rnhood]

Um, that doesn't look like cycling clothing to me.

Just for the record, real bike shorts don't have belts, buttons and zippers.

Agree. Looks like they are merely trying to capitalize on fashion. But that has been successful in the immediate past.

[echelon_john]

They used to make bike specific clothing a long time ago, at least vests and tops.

[ofcounsel]

NICE!!! Thanks for the link. I didn't realize Patagonia made MTB gear.

Their mountain bike shorts are pretty well thought out. I tend to ride in stuff from Club Ride and Zoic. I'm also liking the look of the Bandito jersey......Very much in the Club Ride vein.

[ofcounsel]

Um, that doesn't look like cycling clothing to me.

Just for the record, real bike shorts don't have belts, buttons and zippers.

Maybe you don't ride bikes much? :)

[Louis]

Maybe you don't ride bikes much? :)

Apparently not the type that requires that sort of clothing.

[ofcounsel]

Apparently not the type that requires that sort of clothing.

Variety is the spice of life, or so they say.... I just got into Sedona for the MTB festival! Looking forward to putting on my supposedly inappropriate cycling clothing and enjoying the weekend. This place is beautiful!

[Louis]

How is covering up the actual bike shorts with regular-looking shorts that make it look as if you're wearing normal non-cycling gear variety?

Seems to me that that's just trying to fit in with the non-cycling norm.

[alembical]

I have been a fan of Patagonia for a long time. Between 15-20 years ago, I had a few pairs of Patagonia cycling shorts that I loved. I am not sure the exact details or if they ever made it to market, but like most of their things, they were great. Well thought out and very simple, but quality. I would not hesitate to buy their stuff again. I am still struggling with their exit from the footwear business... but luckily I have 10 pairs of work shoes in boxes and 3 pairs of casual shoes still remaining.

[ofcounsel]

How is covering up the actual bike shorts with regular-looking shorts that make it look as if you're wearing normal non-cycling gear variety?

Seems to me that that's just trying to fit in with the non-cycling norm.

Of course.. One can use road cycling gear when riding MTB. No hard and fast rules. But the gear you see from Patagonia is pretty "normal cycling gear." Just not roadie cycling gear per se.

1. Regular roadie cycling gear tears easy in crashing. Crashing can happen often in MTB. So it's not very practical or long lasting.
2. Aerodynamics aren't much of a concern in MTB, so no need for skin tight roadie clothing.

Of course, I know you're aware of all of this this, and your comments are more directly a "bike snob tribe" thing. It's cool. I get it.

[Louis]

and your comments are more directly a "bike snob tribe" thing. It's cool. I get it.

Yes, and the original comment was a joke to boot.

But on the rare occasions when I my MTB (not a real one, since it has no suspension, not even on the fork) I do wear my roadie shorts, if only because I haven't bothered to get any mtb stuff.

I wonder how many MTBs out there have Look Delta-cleat pedals on them? Mine does. ;)

[ofcounsel]

I wonder how many MTBs out there have Look Delta-cleat pedals on them? Mine does. ;)

Yikes! :beer:

[xjoex]

More variety is never a bad thing. I have been riding in Patagonia board shorts and capilene layers for years.

In fact I almost never buy cycling clothing anymore, it is overpriced and under quality.

-Joe

[rwsaunders]

Louis...didn't I see you riding downtown just the other day?

[wc1934]

Don't? As in, the future? They have, bro. The new R1 hoody is sooooooo much worse than the 2009 R1 hoody. Read my review on Patagucci.com for the particulars.

Yup - In my opinion they have gone down hill the past 3-4 years.
Not sure why, as the brand seems to be more popular than ever.

[mgm777]

I've been buying Patagonia products for nearly 30 years. I have, and still wear, a shelled synchilla jacket and snapT pullover from '87. I just can't bear to part with the stuff and it doesn't wear out. I still really love the brand, but they have so many products now that the quality-bomb-proof-durability is not as consistent, as is once was, across all their products. To be fair though, for me, their recent misses haven't been related to quality, but poor fit issues. It appears they are constantly tweaking their fit patterns. This drives me nuts. That said, they still have several staples in the line that have that original Patagonia DNA. I have always thought that most of their apparel items are just a little bit ugly, in a good way.

[Louis]

Louis...didn't I see you riding downtown just the other day?

Close - that was my buddy.

I'm the one with the Rapha African hair goat gloves and Tibetan yak leather shoes.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSn_qeJoBFRk6eP6AvP1l-yvcOmP23Ben3t5LtHOrDxxreycnEiZw

[verticaldoug]

If you want the original Patagonia DNA, just buy Black Diamond.

When you have fast broadband on Everest, are you really surprised when outdoor brands go fashion forward and downhill.

[shinomaster]

Don't? As in, the future? They have, bro. The new R1 hoody is sooooooo much worse than the 2009 R1 hoody. Read my review on Patagucci.com for the particulars.

I have 4, r3 jackets stockpiled. The new ones are not so warm..

[maxn]

The fit thing drives me nuts too. I used to me and now I'm S in pata, and not because I have shrunk.

As far as general quality of products, I dunno, but the Nano Air I just bought is my favorite jacket of all time. I have barely taken it off in the past month. For comparison, I have had jackets by Mountain Hardwear, Arcteryx (gamma in particular was excellent), RAB and Marmot... soft/hardshells/down parkas, a little of everything. I find RAB to be consistently better than Patagonia, except for the nano air.

[christian]

I have the Nano-Air hoody and it is an exceptional piece, with possibly the softest hand of any clothing I've ever owned. But the R1 hoody was their premier technical insulation piece and they made it significantly worse to save just a couple bucks. It doesn't speak well to upholding their standards.

[CampyorBust]

Those look a whole lot better than my Zoic shorts (at least the liner does), which after just a season of use the poor liner is reminiscent of Swiss cheese. I can’t even sew it back together, then again given current fashion trends maybe I can list it in the classifieds for an smoking bro deal of $1,819 (msrp $2,600).

Though I think my days wearing baggy mtb clothing is coming to an end, it just gets in the way. Still not sure I can shred wearing lycra and still feel somewhat protected and maintain an iota self-respect. Something in the middle would be nice, like a tight fitting khaki spandex type short with a cargo pocket or two.

[likebikes]

But the R1 hoody was their premier technical insulation piece and they made it significantly worse to save just a couple bucks. It doesn't speak well to upholding their standards.

can you explain the changes they made?

[christian]

can you explain the changes they made?

Enumerating the complaints from my review on Patagonia.com:

Compared to the prior (2009-2014) R1:

Previous model had lighter-weight fabric on the sleeve ends and bottom of the torso. Now all material is R1 fleece, meaning it bunches in a climbing harness and with jacket sleeves/gloves.
The neck design is worse -- it used to be a single, shaped piece of fabric that followed the throat; now it is four separate pieces stitched together -- and the fit is not as snug around the neck.
The zipper is no longer offset at the mouth.
The large one-piece zipper shed at the neck has been replaced with a split shed.
The rubberized main zipper pull has been replaced by a standard pull with a mitten pull attached.
The chest pocket used to be made with a light fabric outside the grid fabric. Now the grid fabric is the outer fabric and the pocket is inside the grid fabric, which means that opening the pocket disturbs the insulation.
The same size is less fitted than the older one.
The logo is silk screened, not embroidered. (A nit, I admit.)

All in all, the changes are all cost saving moves, not feature improvements. Yet the price stayed at $159. Would have been far better to raise the price to $169 and keep the exceptional quality of the original.

[goonster]

Would have been far better to raise the price to $169 and keep the exceptional quality of the original.

Why do you hate capitalism?

[shinomaster]

Enumerating the complaints from my review on Patagonia.com:

Compared to the prior (2009-2014) R1:

Previous model had lighter-weight fabric on the sleeve ends and bottom of the torso. Now all material is R1 fleece, meaning it bunches in a climbing harness and with jacket sleeves/gloves.
The neck design is worse -- it used to be a single, shaped piece of fabric that followed the throat; now it is four separate pieces stitched together -- and the fit is not as snug around the neck.
The zipper is no longer offset at the mouth.
The large one-piece zipper shed at the neck has been replaced with a split shed.
The rubberized main zipper pull has been replaced by a standard pull with a mitten pull attached.
The chest pocket used to be made with a light fabric outside the grid fabric. Now the grid fabric is the outer fabric and the pocket is inside the grid fabric, which means that opening the pocket disturbs the insulation.
The same size is less fitted than the older one.
The logo is silk screened, not embroidered. (A nit, I admit.)

All in all, the changes are all cost saving moves, not feature improvements. Yet the price stayed at $159. Would have been far better to raise the price to $169 and keep the exceptional quality of the original.

I have a big Adams apple so most thing are too tight around my neck.. but yeah it sounds like they are cutting corners. These jackets do last for ever but they stretch out and the fleece sorta has a lifespan.

[verbs4us]

Still wear Patagucci stuff from pre-1990. After that, quality slid. I remember reading an interview with Yvon in the late 1980s, saying that they do not, and will not, make clothing related to "use of machines," eg, cycling, downhill skiing, golf, hunting, etc. I think the idea was to support "pure sports" less mediated by technology--although the company was birthed in support of technical climbing, which is totally mediated by technology. Yvon got old and did less free climbing and more trout fishing...so fishing clothing emerged. And surf clothing...and cycling wear...

[charliedid]

It's not the first time they have made cycling clothing.

[pdmtong]

c'mon people. they've made huge strides since the polyproplene and bunting pieces that capilene and synchilla replaced.

The issue for me though is fit. In outerwear, I am too big for medium, too small for large. So it's Arcteryx...not Pata.

Oddly I can fit Pata insulation in medium. so R1/2/4...all work great

[TEMPLE]

Though I think my days wearing baggy mtb clothing is coming to an end, it just gets in the way. Still not sure I can shred wearing lycra and still feel somewhat protected and maintain an iota self-respect. Something in the middle would be nice, like a tight fitting khaki spandex type short with a cargo pocket or two.

I had the same problem, and tried a bunch of stuff, including showing up to mountain bike rides in my sausage casings (this did not go over well, just as you suspected, and I won't do that again). Then I found these shorts, which have been great for me. Tight fitting enough to be functional, but I could walk into an old folks home without overloading too many pacemakers.

http://www.mec.ca/product/5046-498/pearl-izumi-elevate-shorts-mens/?h=10+50002+50020+50089+50106+50299&f=10+50002+50089+50299+4294965508

[rzthomas]

Of all the things I miss about living in Reno (and the list is very, very long), I miss the near-weekly trips to the Patagonia Outlet store the most. I scored so much great stuff for huge percentages off. Lots of base layers and hoodies.

[pbarry]

Former gf was sponsored by P for many years. All the hype about the environment vs. footprint is mostly hype. It's a business that is concerned with making a profit. All well and good, just don't believe everything they say.

[alessandro]

I love my Patagucci stuff, although my son had three Better Sweater fleeces in a row that kept pilling badly, so we warrantied & replaced them each time, and the third time he moved on to something else. But their warranty refund/replacement is huge: A friend who worked at the Outdoor Gear Exchange here in BTV (best gear store ever) for 10 years told me that once Patagonia instituted that policy, a bunch of other outdoor companies followed suit.

That is why I am here to put in a plug for Marmot. I had a 3-layer Gore-Tex shell for about 10 years that started to wear out--a little seam delam here, bit of a zipper problem there, etc. So I sent them a picture, along with an explanation of how it had been my constant companion and stalwart protector through 30+ ski days a season, in all weather, and could this jacket be saved? They asked me to send it in, with another note. A few weeks later, I got an email: No, my hi-viz green jacket could not be saved. But they could give me full credit for a new Marmot garment.

Yowza! I am the proud owner of a new 3-layer Gore-Tex jacket, and a Marmot fan for life.

[alessandro]

My new jacket :banana::beer:
1697916148

[CampyorBust]

I had the same problem, and tried a bunch of stuff, including showing up to mountain bike rides in my sausage casings (this did not go over well, just as you suspected, and I won't do that again). Then I found these shorts, which have been great for me. Tight fitting enough to be functional, but I could walk into an old folks home without overloading too many pacemakers.

http://www.mec.ca/product/5046-498/pearl-izumi-elevate-shorts-mens/?h=10+50002+50020+50089+50106+50299&f=10+50002+50089+50299+4294965508

Thanks, those look interesting, now if only my vanity would permit me to wear a Pearl Izumi product that would be nice. It keeps telling me it needs boutiqueness, keeps screaming for a SOS and uses weird words I don’t understand such as Rafa. I tried feeding it Novara, Sugoi and Zoic (REI discounts time) and it tried to stab me, so we settled on a sparse diet of Castelli from the discount rack to keep it alive. Its an awkward relationship.

[raygunner]

Kinda OT & reviving an old thread but I just noticed a great cycling related photo on Pata's website...

http://www.patagonia.com/static/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-patagonia-storefront-na/default/dwa1becb99/banners/1400x655_Burr_a_3127.jpg

[benb]

Nice photo but kind of goes with what was said before, why on earth would you wear loose pants on a ride like that... even if it was baggy shorts it'd be easier to accept. :rolleyes:

[CampyorBust]

Boooo, just goes to show that’s not a “real” cyclist. The dood (?) has no idea how to pick a good line.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/PedalPusher33/HAHA_zpsxjdr0i3b.jpg

On a touring journey, why risk getting stuck in quick sand, getting wet and catching hypothermia? Posers!:rolleyes:

[charliedid]

Boooo, just goes to show that’s not a “real” cyclist. The dood (?) has no idea how to pick a good line.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/PedalPusher33/HAHA_zpsxjdr0i3b.jpg

On a touring journey, why risk getting stuck in quick sand, getting wet and catching hypothermia? Posers!:rolleyes:

In deference to the environment, he is make the ethical and correct choice.

[CampyorBust]

In deference to the environment, he is make the ethical and correct choice.

Perhaps, but what about the family of salamanders bathing in the puddle. If he stays on the dry he can see and avoid the critters, if he goes in the puddle he might get the shivers. The rider should learn to bunny hop and everyone will be happy.:p

[charliedid]

Perhaps, but what about the family of salamanders bathing in the puddle. If he stays on the dry he can see and avoid the critters, if he goes in the puddle he might get the shivers. The rider should learn to bunny hop and everyone will be happy.:p

Or at least do a wheelie reducing his impact by 50% and only killing half the salamanders.

[benb]

This thread suddenly got awesome. Maybe he's just going to bunny hop over the whole thing.

[MattTuck]

He needs to drop his saddle by half a centimeter.

[beeatnik]

Perhaps, but what about the family of salamanders bathing in the puddle. If he stays on the dry he can see and avoid the critters, if he goes in the puddle he might get the shivers. The rider should learn to bunny hop and everyone will be happy.:p

Those GIGANTIC tires are meant for water and sand and gravel and dirt and, most importantly, adventure.

[ColonelJLloyd]

If you watched the video you saw that he stopped his bike and gently waded into the puddle. He scooped up all salamander family which are riding on the brim of his hat.

[cadence90]

If you watched the video you saw that he stopped his bike and gently waded into the puddle. He scooped up all salamander family which are riding on the brim of his hat.

Colonel, you really should tell the entire story.

I watched the video, and you are 100% correct there, but did you not watch the video, part 2?

That is Phloyd, and he, Dave Z, and Patagonia are starting 2 new joint-ventures on Kickstarter, "SalaJackets" and "SalaJuice."


"In literature and legend, the salamander is associated with fire, being supposedly unharmed by the flames, while clothes made from its skins or 'wool' were believed to be incombustible. More plausibly, salamanders were said to be intensely poisonous. Despite this, salamander brandy, a drink prepared by dunking live salamanders in fermenting fruit juices, is reputed to have hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac properties."

[adub]

Are these shorts hand stitched by artisan Asians in a sustainably fortified vegan sweatshop?

[CampyorBust]

He needs to drop his saddle by half a centimeter.
I was wondering if someone would point that out, this guy is a faker. That leg is way to extended at the bottom of the stroke.

Those GIGANTIC tires are meant for water and sand and gravel and dirt and, most importantly, adventure.

True dat, but that guy would be better off on a Pugsley with a Nate and a Lou on backwards.

If you watched the video you saw that he stopped his bike and gently waded into the puddle. He scooped up all salamander family which are riding on the brim of his hat.

I watched it while multi tasking I must have missed it, but good don't harm salamanders.

http://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/salamander-sign1.jpg

[raygunner]

Are these shorts hand stitched by artisan Asians in a sustainably fortified vegan sweatshop?

No, that's Outlier.

[mistermo]

Actually he's riding a Riv and wearing their MUSA line. Pata jacked the photo from Grant's folk.