Winter bike riding calls for special gear. Unlike standing around, where you just add enough down, and youll be fine, You want some protection from the wind, some insulation from the cold, but also escape routes for the sweat youre producing. Thats where the Assos bonkaJacketLaalalai for women comes in.

Assos brings out the heavy artillery for this effort. Stratagon windproof/breathable fabric, is busted out for the front torso panels and collar. When its warmed, its pores open up and sweat vapor escapes. When its cooled, it shuts down and keeps the cold outside. The arms use both Stratagon Ultra and Stratagon Medium, which, as you can imagine, is the lighter, more breathable sibling of Stratagon. For the back, they bring out the RXQ, a fleeced material with generous stretch that can both wick and breathe. All in all, eleven textiles are brought to bear on the problem of winter cold.

The seams are taped to keep out moisture. The wrist cuffs are left with raw edges to minimize bulk and maximize both stretch and comfort.

Assos calls this jacket cut performanceclickFit, meaning if it fits right, it will feel a bit odd when you first put it on, with slightly too-narrow shoulders and a waist that seems a bit high. But reach for the bars and everything clicks into place, and feels natural and just right. They get to this point with fourteen panels, which, far from limiting fit, dials fit in to a near second-skin comfort.

Because this jacket comes in black, theres a reflective stripe on the rear pockets and a bio-luminescent strip across the rear waist hem.

Dont hide away in the darker months; live in winter. The Assos bonkaJacketLaalalai is your aegis against the icy world.