MISSION WORKSHOP SIGNAL 5-POCKET PANTS
As most of you who have followed The Spindleros know that we ride in whatever gut punches Mother Nature slings our way, but aside from that we are diligent in making sure that everything on the shelves of The Spindle shop are well made, high quality products. If something busts..you’ll hear about it, because we know commuters don’t want to show up at their destination with a busted pant or ripped shirt. With that being said, we try to test gear that is ready for all types of weather but also has style.
Many All-Weather commuters know thatweather resistant/waterproof pants are generally highly insulated, which tends to leave cyclists hot and swampy upon arrival. Not to mention the 10 minutes after getting off your bike when your body temperature rises to molten lava status! This leaves us with an extra pair of pants in our bag to do the ol’ switchero so you don’t look like a sweaty mess heading into the office. Then good people of Mission Workshop sent us the new Signal 5-Pocket pants in Mid-January and we had a good feeling those days would be long forgotten.
Let’s get the construction out of the way here, The Signal is made from Swiss-made Schoeller Dryskin Fabric with Nanosphere water repellant treatment. A mouthful, we know, but this Schoeller fabric gives the stretch and durability of Coolmax synthetic fabric (used in the lightest running/active apparel) as well as the abrasion resistance of Cordura nylon ( a ballistic nylon designed for military use).
They've also added a side zip 5th pocket to the fray and will fit a iPhone and a wallet with a bit of room to spare. But it’s not only the material, it's the look we love. These are just sleek looking pants that can be dressed up or down. I’ve walked right into the office on a rainy day without looking like I just walked off an episode of ‘The Deadliest Catch’. Unlike most water-repellant pants, these pants don’t make an entrance, not that their not snazzy, they just don’t make that swish/swash noise like most technical pants do letting the world know ‘Hey, I’m coming around the corner in 5 minutes, oh and by the way, that swishy noise, that’ll be here all day!’
As we expressed in our past review of the Mission jackets, we love Schoeller fabric, its waterproof, and extremely breathable. These pants have been tested in anywhere from 30-55/60 degree weather both rainy and sunny. They did great in all weather, since their highly breathable they’ll build up heat while you ride, but once done, the pants let loose and breathe out the heat. They are also very comfortable. As said before we're denim guys, but these have become one of our favorite pants in the Spindle chest of goodies.
Now for the big one, rain. On light to moderately rainy days these pants do great, out of the box they immediately had a great weekend ahead of them for testing. The first just happened to be The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s Mobile Social ride which was hit with consistent rain with light winds throughout the trek, the Signal’s did great, I was warm and dry by the time we reached Argosy bar for a couple of pints and hot totties! The next morning, I groggily awoke to head to the shop and noticed sheets of rain outside, I looked at the Signals and I swear they winked at me and whispered “LESSGO!” It's 3.5 mile ride from the house to The Spindle, not until the last mile did I start to feel wetness hitting my leg, it wasn’t a lot but it was definitely noticeable. But again they are not waterproof so choose your gear wisely on longer rides. Also, it was a decent dry time both days. After The Mobile Social it took about 10 minutes to dry and 35 after the down pour and they weren't weighed down by the dampness and held their shape just fine.
The fit is a bit relaxed, but not baggy, they’re a good mix of relaxed and slim, the inseam is set at 34”, so if you’re shorter gent we recommend getting them hemmed, but be sure to let your tailor know to use thread that stretches, otherwise you’ll be popping seams frequently since the pants have a bit of give to them, you’ll want to use a thread that will be up to task.
We know that MW will always come at us with a quality products and The Signal doesn’t stray from the goal, it’s got a hefty $225 price on ‘em, but rest assured these baddies will be hanging in your closet for years to come anticipating each and every ride no matter the weather.