This high tech Dutch raincoat is designed for bicycle commuting

By Thomas Ricker, a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He's been a tech journalist for almost 20 years.

A raincoat review, on The Verge? I know, I can hardly believe it myself. But that was before I received an early sample of the Cyclist Raincoat from a small Dutch company called Senscommon. No, it doesn't contain any electronics — but it's still high-tech because it applies scientific knowledge for a practical purpose. No, nobody put a chip in it — but it's still smart because it's thoughtfully designed. And yeah, it's wearable just like most rain gear meant to keep you dry on your biking commute — only the Cyclist Raincoat does it with unrivaled style and convenience.

I spent a week with a prototype of the raincoat here in Amsterdam, the bicycle capital of the world. Outside of some color variations on the internal taping along the seams and the lack of reflective material on the back of the sleeves, my test raincoat is functionally the same as those that will ship to Kickstarter backers in early 2017 now that the campaign has been funded (with two days to go).

A Kung-fu-wielding prophet

The Cyclist Raincoat uses an incredibly lightweight and breathable fabric to create a minimalist silhouette that's neither too masculine nor too feminine. When I first donned the raincoat here in Amsterdam, I imagined myself as a waterproofed version of Neo when he first returned to the Matrix as a Kung-fu-wielding prophet. It's hard to look stylish in rain gear but this is as close as I’ve ever come, judging by the reaction of friends and family. My wife, too, who's six inches shorter than I am, looked positively sylphlike in the exact same unisex raincoat.

Designer Laura Silinska sent me a swatch of the reflective fabric she's considering for the elbows to keep riders safe and to make your hand signals more visible at night. There's nothing special about it under normal lighting. But when the lights go out and the headlights from passing cars go on, you get an idea of the common-sense approach she's taking to her Senscommon Cyclist Raincoat:

Testing a Dutch raincoat designed for bicycle commuting that's experimenting with this crazy reflective fabric https://t.co/ZTEwKjGinV pic.twitter.com/LcxGVTFQwG

No raincoat is worth all these words if it doesn't keep you dry. The Cyclist Raincoat does that, of course — better than almost any off-the-rack raincoat. One special feature is the ability to fasten the raincoat around your legs using snaps. That way, when you’re pedaling, the length of the raincoat stays closed and keeps the tops of your thighs dry. The length also helps keep your butt dry because it's long enough to sit on while riding. Anyone that regularly commutes and locks their bike up outside will know the special kind of embarrassment created by a wet bike seat. If you want dry shoes and calves upon arrival you'll need to find additional protection elsewhere.

Some other notables:

Things you should know:

Senscommon jokes that raincoats are the Tupperware of the modern wardrobe. But the Cyclist Raincoat is no ordinary raincoat. If you can afford it, if you value convenience, and if cycling in style through the rain is just as important as arriving (mostly) dry, then it certainly won't disappoint when it begins shipping to Kickstarter backers in February.

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