Outdoor Research Freewheel Half-Zip Hoodie Review: A Versatile Layer For Cool, Mostly Dry Conditions

Outside Analysis (OR) has been producing an enormous vary of outside attire for a few years. A few years in the past, the model formally entered the mountain bike market with the launch of its Freewheel line of attire. Now OR is utilizing its a long time of fabric and design experience to craft a full lineup of mountain bike shorts, pants, shirts, jackets, and equipment for each women and men.

The Freewheel Half-Zip Hoodie is without doubt one of the model’s cool-weather items. This hooded pullover has a bike-specific minimize, is comprised of a sturdy double-weave mid-weight polyester mix, and is claimed to be each wind—and water resistant. It additionally claims to be breathable and quick-drying, with movement-mirroring stretch. 

I’ve had the Freewheel Half-Zip Hoodie because the spring and have lately had the possibility to check it on shoulder-season rides that includes a variety of climate situations. I’ve been placing it by way of its paces to see if it performs as claimed within the situations its meant for and the way it compares to different mountain bike jackets.

OR Freewheel Half-Zip Hoodie Particulars

Because the title suggests, this layer has a hood and a half-zip, pullover design. It’s comprised of a bluesign-approved mix of 92% recycled nylon and eight% spandex. This double-weave materials has a tighter knit on the surface and appears/looks like a softshell. Inside, it has extra of a grid texture and is brushed for a tender contact on the pores and skin. It’s claimed to be abrasion-resistant and supply UPF 50+ safety.

The bike-specific minimize features a drop tail, articulated shoulders, and angled wrist cuffs to go well with the using place. It has an hooked up hood that matches below a helmet and avoids seams on high of the shoulders for consolation with a backpack. The entrance zipper is 13 inches lengthy and is arguably extra of a ⅓ zip than a ½. The hoodie has a single zippered pocket on the left chest. This pocket is massive sufficient to suit my historical iPhone 11, however it is perhaps a squeeze to suit bigger telephones.

The Freewheel Half-Zip Hoodie is available in Black, Jupiter (pink), and Summit (like a lavender gray) for males. The ladies’s model is available in Black, Summit, and Neptune. The lads’s model is available in sizes S to XXL, whereas the ladies’s is obtainable in XS to 4XL. There’s a small OR brand on the chest, and the model title additionally seems in comparatively small print on the decrease again. My measurement medium weighed 400 grams on my scale.

Match and Consolation

I’m an enormous fan of manufacturers that embody the mannequin’s dimensions and the dimensions they’re sporting within the pictures on the web site. I discover it to be very useful when making an attempt to resolve on the right measurement, as I’m usually on the cusp between a medium and a big. Primarily based on the pictures on the OR website, it was straightforward to decide on the Freewheel Hoodie in a measurement medium, because the physique and sleeve size seemed spot-on for my man Zachary within the pictures. 

I’m precisely 6’0” tall, and the medium suits me good, too. Each the physique and the sleeves are the proper size, and the comparatively slim, contoured match by way of the torso is how I like my garments to suit. It’s not tight or restrictive for me, however when you’ve got a extra muscular chest, sizing up is perhaps a good suggestion. I had no downside layering it over my common brief or long-sleeve using jerseys. Likewise, you possibly can slide a shell proper over it, and it makes mid-layer, too.

Off the bike, the Freewheel seems fairly unassuming and prefer it may simply be an informal hoodie. On the bike, it maintains the identical subdued look, however the bike-specific minimize turns into extra obvious. When within the using place, the dropped tail, angled wrist cuffs, and articulated shoulders work effectively to maintain issues snug and gap-free. There’s no binding or restriction because the stretch materials is forgiving and strikes with you. 

Inside, the internal face of the fabric feels fairly good towards the pores and skin. It’s not tender like a cotton hoodie, however it deftly avoids feeling like polyester due to the marginally raised gridded texture and softer, brushed end. I discovered this to be particularly good when it was inevitably soaked with my very own sweat or the rain.

Climate Resistance

OR calls the Freewheel Hoodies’ materials each wind- and water resistant. Resistant is the operative phrase, because it does resist each, however not utterly. It isn’t windproof, and whereas it does block some wind, it undoubtedly doesn’t block all of it. It takes the sting off of biting winds on chilly days, and the little bit of airflow that passes by way of from the surface is without doubt one of the major causes this hoodie breathes in addition to it does.  

In very gentle sprinkles, passing showers, and splashes from puddles, I discovered the Freewheel to shed water comparatively effectively. In additional constant or heavier rain, nevertheless, the face cloth bought overwhelmed fairly rapidly and began to soak up moisture readily. That is undoubtedly not a rain jacket, nor does it declare to be — OR’s Freewheel Rain Jacket is for correctly moist situations. However even when moist, the brushed inside face of the material felt surprisingly good towards the pores and skin.

Heat

The Freewheel Hoodie isn’t insulated, however the mid-weight materials offers a bit extra heat than only a skinny wind shell. The gridded and brushed inside of the material creates a contact of loft and appears to offer slightly bit of heat. On the identical time, the slight little bit of air that passes by way of helps hold overheating at bay.

The good journey I’ve taken in it thus far was about 50 levels and slightly wet. I unzipped it on the climb to let warmth escape and efficiently prevented getting too heat. It looks like it ought to work effectively in temperatures all the way down to round 35-ish, assuming you layer correctly.

Breathability

The Freewheel Half-Zip Hoodie isn’t essentially the most packable layer round, and it appears meant to be a bit that you simply placed on and go away on for cool-weather rides. As everyone knows, it’s straightforward to generate loads of physique warmth whereas using, so breathability is tremendous vital. Fortuitously, this materials breathes surprisingly effectively, and the half zip opening helps cool issues down if/when you end up heating up. And, if/whenever you do get tremendous sweaty, the fabric manages to really feel good towards the pores and skin, as a substitute of plastic-y and pretend, the way in which many technical materials can.

Versatility

The Freewheel Half-Zip has a mode that’s not misplaced round city or when doing different out of doors actions. I’ve worn mine casually to the grocery retailer, the brewery, and the airport, and it seems darn good with a pair of denims. I’ve additionally worn it on hikes and backcountry ski excursions, and it has labored effectively in these functions, too. Positive, it’s a mountain bike garment, however it isn’t so bike-specific that it isn’t helpful for anything.

What’s To not Like?

I touched on two factors above that I’ll reiterate right here. This jacket is neither windproof neither is it waterproof. In the event you’re on the lookout for both of these issues, you’ll wish to look elsewhere. These aren’t essentially cons, thoughts you, however vital issues to think about based mostly in your wants and expectations.

With a half-zip, the Freewheel Hoodie is a pull-over, so it isn’t fairly as straightforward to placed on and take off throughout a journey. It does open up loads to tug it on and off over a helmet, however it’s merely not as handy as a full-zip jacket. 

At 400 grams, it’s roughly double the burden of many packable wind layers. Its packed measurement can also be roughly double that of these lighter packable wind layers, too. It’ll stuff into a bigger capability using backpack or vest, however this jacket does not likely match into my smaller Evoc hydration vest. As talked about above, if I’m placing this jacket on for a journey, I’m assuming that it’ll be cool sufficient to depart it on for the length. Fortunately, there are many crisp and largely dry days within the spring, fall, and even winter that’ll be an ideal match for the Freewheel half-Zip Hoody.

My Takeaway

The OR Freewheel Half-Zip Hoodie is a comparatively distinctive cool-weather layer. This mid-weight pull-over hoodie has an athletic, bike-oriented match that works nice on the bike. It resists wind and fends off gentle doses of water, however I discovered it greatest for brisk and largely dry days. It’s not the lightest or essentially the most packable, however it’s breathable sufficient to placed on and go away on for many of my shoulder season rides. 

The truth that it suits nice and is snug towards the pores and skin makes it a no brainer for cool/chilly rides after I’m not anticipating rain. The subdued fashion and stable colours additionally look nice off the bike, making this layer a flexible possibility that may play a bunch of various sports activities or complement your informal wardrobe.

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