By now, it should be no secret my love of gravel, bikepacking, and all forms of “all-road” drop bar adventures. While it has been a boon for the bike industry to have a new market and range of products to develop, the question is often asked about whether gravel or all-road products are just re-marketed road or MTB gear. After all, a popular adage in gravel biking is that “the best bike for gravel is the one you have now.”
Unique Gravel Needs
What are some of the unique aspects of gravel and all-road riding when it comes to kit design? For me, some of the main considerations or characteristics include:
- Lightweight and packability. This is especially so for bikepacking, where being a weight-weenie is NOT an insult. Every gram of weight and every volume of space is critical real estate when you have to carry everything for days on end. The same can be the case for long one-day gravel rides.
- Storage is everything. Within reason, the more pockets the better.
- Except for all-out gravel racing, comfort is a bigger priority than pure aerodynamics.
- You might be wearing the kit for a dozen hours a day for multiple days. Merino is the miracle textile.
- Versatility is also key. When bikepacking, my ideal is that almost every piece of clothing I bring can ideally perform double duty. For example, I always pack a buff even in summer, as the buff can both be worn and used as a pillowcase when I use it to wrap around my puffy jacket at night.
- You might be stopping at a lot of gas stations and small village stores far away from your trendy roadie café stops, so you want a more casual clothing vibe.
So with these different considerations in mind, I was excited to see and try out the new Le Col ARC Gravel Collection. I was sent the ARC Merino LS T-Shirt, ARC Cargo bib shorts, ARC Overshorts, and the ARC Lightweight Rain Jacket.
ARC Lightweight Rain Jacket
With the restrictions or outright bans on fabrics used in previous generations of rainwear fabrics for environmental reasons, manufacturers have had to develop new fabrics. Le Col went with a Pertex® Shield technology for the jacket. As with most equivalent rain jackets on the market, it is claimed to be that combination of waterproof and windproof while maintaining high breathability.
Of course, it’s not just the fabric but also the design and construction that ultimately determines performance. The rain tech is paired with 2.5 layer Ripstop fabric, so durability and tear resistance should be good despite the extremely thin fabric. All seams are taped. Two elastic cinches on the hem also help to adjust fit.
Le Col went with a minimalist design, with nothing flashy but everything well-chosen. There are no back pocket that serves double duty by allowing you to pack the jacket. There is a zipper left chest pocket that was big enough to fit my phone. There are also two barely noticeable side pockets with no zippers, just a small horizontal flap to provide security and coverage. A single vertical back reflective stripe is there for visibility. The front zipper is a double zipper to permit maximal ventilation adjustment, but there is no storm flap underneath except for the upper third near the throat.
The overall package is well-suited for its purpose of rain protection. It’s extremely lightweight and packable, so there’s no excuse for leaving it at home. In addition to cycling, it’s become my go-to for my rainy dog walks and general use. Performance has been excellent, with very good waterproofness. When I’m riding hard and feel moisture buildup inside, the double zippers allow excellent ventilation control. Even when not raining, I’ve worn the rain jacket over a LS base layer and jersey to 5°C and have been fine.
Note that all these newer waterproof technologies are durable water repellent (DWR) treatments rather than inherent in the actual fabric (which are now generally banned), so the waterproofness must be refreshed. Pertex itself recommends regular washing, and says that the DWR can be reactivated with 30 min in the dryer at low heat. They also recommend Nikwax TX.Direct if reapplying DWR.
Gravel-specific design is good. The colours fit with the earthy and single-colour gravel palette that is currently in fashion, but is classy enough to withstand the vagaries of fashion in my opinion.
Sizing is not pro racer cut, as the purpose again isn’t for maximal aerodynamics. But at the same time, it’s not a baggy and flappy garbage bag fit. My size Small was roomy enough to fit a base layer plus extra thick thermal jersey underneath. You should be able to easily wear a cozy sweater or sweatshirt underneath too. So keep with your normal tops sizing.
The integrated hood is well-designed. It’s roomy enough to fit over your helmet, but not so huge that you get this claustrophobic feeling with reduced peripheral vision. The front of the hood has a slightly shaped peak to help catch rain. There is also a hidden elastic cinch to adjust fit as needed.
Importantly, the hood doesn’t end up as a noisy flapping parachute behind you if you’re not wearing it over your helmet. So I didn’t find the lack of ability to roll it up and hide it away to be an issue. The lack of a hood pouch also means less fabric and thus less weight and bulk.
A couple of unobstrusive slash pockets for extra storage on each side.
It would’ve been sweet if I had received this in time for my summer Iceland bikepacking adventure, as there certainly was enough rain there for proper field testing! Instead, I took a hiking jacket for my rain jacket. It did the job, but it was much heavier and bulkier than the very lightweight ARC rain jacket.
ARC Merino Long Sleeve Tee
This is a thin long sleeve t-shirt that I absolutely love. It’s made with 67% merino wool, and is a relaxed fit. The relaxed fit is great because it doesn’t have that constrictive feeling that some base layers or compression tops give, so it can be worn comfortably all day. The merino wool gives it a super soft feel along with high breathability and comfort across a pretty wide range of temperatures. Best of all, merino’s anti-bacterial properties means that it stays funk-free over multiple days of use.
Why do I love it besides the super soft feel and all the advantages of merino wool? Go back to the top of this review for my gravel/bikepacking characteristics and it absolutely nails the maximal versatility mark.
- It’s light enough to wear on its own as a cycling top on a warm day, with the long sleeves offering added sun protection. For this reason, I would pick this longsleeve over the shortsleeve version.
- It also serves as a 3-season base layer underneath a cycling top, jacket, or rain shell.
- It’s lightweight, highly packable, and can tolerate several days of use.
- It’s stylish enough off-bike to wear as an everyday top. Honestly, it has seen almost constant use off-bike as an everyday staple in my wardrobe.
For me, Le Col’s merino tee is a comfortable and versatile shirt that I can wear in many situations on and off the bike.
ARC Cargo Bib Shorts
At the premium price range, bib shorts are by and large all of excellent quality and design. So it’s the design details that really distinguish bib short preference.
Top quality chamois with a bamboo microfibre top sheet that aims to help with breathability, softness, dryness, and wicking.
Some may deride cargo pockets on cycling shorts as a hipster statement, but for me all-road adventures are all about versatility. Given that there can be a lot of stuff to carry on a ride and you may not be wearing a standard cycling jersey with three rear pockets, it never hurts to build in more rather than less on-person storage on the shorts. At the worst, the penalty is an extra layer of fabric that some might find constrictive or impair breathability.
A wide leg gripper has many small gripper dots to hold the leg of the shorts in place. I’m so glad we’ve moved beyond the thick silicone tourniquet bands of old.
That said, the devil is in the details. I’ve had some shorts where the cargo pocket is too small, too tight in fabric/fit, or too covered up with security flaps to get into easily while riding, especially with the long-fingered gloves favoured off road. The Le Col cargo pockets are well-designed. They’re large enough such that my phone is completely inside the pocket, and the slight elastic top and fabric strength are enough to prevent sag or loss of phone on the rough stuff.
There are also two lower back pockets that are just big enough to completely fit my iPhone 15.
You see that the rear bib straps are reinforced with a joining panel that go all the way up to the shoulder blades. They help with stability and reduce sag, especially with loaded cargo pockets.
ARC Overshorts
For when you want to blend in to the local scene without screaming “I’m a cyclist!” a pair of overshorts above your cycling bib shorts can definitely help. Even once you’ve ditched the bib shorts after a long day, the overshorts can just double as a pair of everyday shorts.
Like a pair of good overshorts should be, the Le Col ARC overshorts are thin and light. You’re already wearing bib shorts or a chamois liner underneath when cycling, so the thin and stretchy fabric helps maximize breathability and minimize constriction.
The ARC also have two zippered side pockets because you never miss storage space until you don’t have it.
Double the security in terms of not losing your shorts, with both snap and clip closures.
There are no belt loops, so make sure you get your sizing right. However, the wide rows of small gripper dots around 2/3 of the shorts help with keeping the overshorts in place.
Overall Impressions
If you go back to my original thoughts about the distinctive checklist for gravel kit, Le Col’s ARC Gravel Collection hit the mark excellently overall. The merino tee can be worn over and over in multiple scenarios. The rain jacket is as waterproof as you can expect, with a nice hood along with being light and packable. The bib shorts have lots of well-designed storage. And the overshorts can be worn on or off the bike.
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