Designed as a multi-sport jacket rather than being cycle-specific, the Helly Odin 9 can happily be used way beyond the realm of two wheels. This makes it perfect for extended cycle touring or bikepacking adventures where you are more than likely to meet bad weather, and not necessarily on the bike the whole time.
We instantly took to the bombproof fabrics and massively weatherproof cut - that high collar just sealed out everything the weather could throw at us on the worst of days - and while the length is good, it wasn't too long to interfere with our riding. Articulated sleeves have high denier elbows to protect against abrasion while adjustable cuffs, hem and collar all snugged up perfectly to keep us protected. It was a little on the heavy and stiff side for high output road biking, say, but for lower impact activities that weather proofing was unbeatable.
The fabric is Helly's flagship Professional; 20,000mm waterproof - twice the waterproof rating of most other jackets here - and surprisingly breathable. To mitigate against condensation there are pit zips, however, which could be very welcome during heavy exertion.
The only mild criticism we got back from a few testers was that the hood could have been slightly deeper, but the rest of the comments were overwhelmingly positive, especially from those who had come across wild conditions to really test its mettle.
This is a jacket pitched at some pretty mean conditions, and although pretty punchy coming in at £350, we felt it could easily earn every bit of that if we were in a corner against the weather. It isn't particularly light or even packable, but for the protection you get it is invaluable. Buy it if you want to stay dry in extended crummy weather.
