PEdALED Jary All-Road Collection: First Look

compose Logan Watts
time Sep 12, 2019
comment 15

“September is when the real fun starts,” states PEdALED in its latest marketing pitch. I couldn’t agree more. The fall is supreme for riding and exploring here in the Northern Hemisphere. But despite all its magic, autumn requires slightly more robust gear than the summer, which is how PEdALED’s latest collection is positioned. For those unfamiliar with PEdALED, they’re a growing cycling apparel brand that’s based in both Japan and Italy—garments are designed in Japan and handmade in Italy.

PEdALED has been supportive of the bikepacking community for the past few years, sponsoring events such as the Transcontinental and the Silk Road Mountain Race. All the while, they’ve been expanding their lineup to include semi-technical clothing designed with multi-day bike adventure in mind. Comparable in price, quality, and precision to brands such as Search and State and Kitsbow, their gear isn’t cheap. But it’s handmade in their home country, and made very well at that.

Today, PEdALED launched its first line of apparel dedicated to off-road pursuits, the Jary All-Road Collection—Jary is the pronunciation of “gravel” in Japanese. What exactly do all-road clothes look like? Beats me, but it seems like PEdALED has attempted to tick a few boxes that I usually look for in clothing for an extended bikepacking trip: a “normal” relaxed and comfortable fit that works both on and off the bike, temperature regulation and breathability, and odor control. The Jary lineup includes two merino jerseys, shorts, padded undershorts, and a merino jacket. We had the chance to have a look at the jerseys, and try the shorts over the last few weeks. Here are the details with some first impressions…

Lay-down photos by us, riding photos (except MTB action shot) by PEdALED

PEdALED Jary Shorts

The Jary Shorts are engineered with variable weather conditions in mind. They feature a stretchy rip-stop fabric that’s water resistant, although I’ve yet to wear them out in the rain to test that claim. They also have three pockets—a left side/cargo pocket that nicely fits my iPhone 6, a zippered right hand pocket that’s not too deep and not too shallow, and an internal front right-hand small cloth pocket where you could stash a couple credit cards or a small wallet.

The Jary Shorts are constructed with a 80% Polyamide, 20% Elastane one-way stretch fabric that’s designed to provide horizontal elasticity up front for the legs and rear vertical elasticity for comfort at the waist. I’ll add that they are super comfortable on the bike. I’ve been wearing them for the last couple of weeks and they’re quickly becoming my favorite. They’re not heavy at all (185 grams/size L), which I’ve appreciated during the hot weather spell we’re experiencing in the Southern Appalachians. They also breathe quite well. The “over-the-crack” vent area in the back is a nice addition that seems to help.

Another excellent feature is the button loop. Instead of being attached with thread, PEdALED uses a sturdy nylon webbing strap that’s looped through the button and bar-stitched to the main fabric, then stitched again on the adjacent seam. Not only does this make it easy to use, it’s clearly built for the long haul. Other features include a drawstring and a rubber textured rear waistband, both are nice touches to prevent slippage at the waist.

I have zero complaints with these shorts so far. They fit perfectly and clearly have a smart design with useable features and a superb cut and fit. They also look really sharp and are well contoured to work with you while riding, even on more technical mountain biking—a far cry from all-road. One observation, they might be a little thin for when it starts to get really chilly, but we’ll see.

The PEdALED Jary shorts are available in Mustard (shown here) and Charcoal Grey for $170 USD/145€ in sizes XXS-XXL. Learn more over at PEdALED.com.

PEdALED Jary Merino Jersey

The Jary Merino Jersey is made out of a blend of merino and synthetic fibers (29% Wool, 46% Polyester, 25% Polyamide). According to PEdALED, this combines thermal regulation with odor control and maintains elasticity without sagging and stretching. Although it has a nice henley/t-shirt fit, the Jary Jersey is a little heavier than a typical merino T. The large weighs about 213 grams on my scale.

The Jersey is equipped with a rear zip pocket which comfortably fits snacks and a phone (or three phones—it’s pretty big). It also has four front buttons to remove the Jersey with your helmet on. Or you can just unbutton to air out, Tom Selleck style.

The Jary comes in three different colors (Teal, Charcoal, and Mustard) which, according to PEdALED, were inspired by the autumnal colors of the Japanese forest. It’s available in sizes XXS-XXL for $145 USD/125€. I’m typically in between a medium and large and tried a large. It fits pretty well, if not a bit snug, so I’d say the Jary Jersey runs a little small.

I haven’t spent much time with it yet as it’s been humid and in the 90s (F) here for the last few weeks. However, it’s an impressive piece that fits well and has a stretchy, sturdy yet soft feel. I’ll update this once I spend some time with it. If it’s indeed odor resistant, and durable, that could be a big win. I’ve bought plenty of merino Jerseys that last about a season (or a single trip) before falling apart, so I can certainly see the value in spending extra for a shirt that’s around for a while. Find more photos and details about the Jary Merino Jersey over at PEdALED.com.

PEdALED Jary Merino Jersey Long

Designed for the shoulder of the fall season, cold mornings, and higher altitudes, the Jary Long Sleeve is a warmer iteration of the Jary Jersey. The long-sleeve version is equipped with the same pocket on the back and full front buttons. The fit of the two are the same. The long-sleeved jersey has generously long sleeves that don’t become too short when your hands are on the handlebars. I can foresee the need for a base layer in chilly temps as there’s not much of a baffle to prevent air from going through the space between buttons.

The PEdALED Jary Merino Long-Sleeve Jersey is available in the same color options and sizing as the short-sleeve Jary for $175/155€. Shown above in Charcoal, our size large sample weighs in at 280 grams. Find details and images over at PEdALED.com.