Arc'teryx Enters Mountain Biking With Rhoam Jacket, Pants, and Shorts
Arc'teryx's first MTB kit: Rhoam jacket, pants, and shorts. Hybrid materials, bike-specific cuts, and a $450 question about whether climbing expertise translates.
Arc'teryx just launched Rhoam—a jacket, pants, and shorts designed specifically for mountain biking. This is their first MTB-specific kit, which is notable because they've been building technical gear for wet, steep terrain on Vancouver's North Shore for decades. Riders have been using their climbing shells on bikes forever. Now they've mapped that expertise onto bike-specific cuts and movement patterns.
The jacket is the standout piece. It's a hybrid: 50D softshell where you need stretch (sides, shoulders), 20D 3-layer Gore-Tex ePE where you need waterproofing (arms, hood, torso). The hood fits over a helmet without blocking peripheral vision—a detail that matters more than it sounds. There's a lower-back pocket for tools or a tube, a chest pocket sized for a phone, and velcro cuffs. Weight is 250g for women's, 270g for men's. Price is $450.
Here's the catch: that price puts it in direct competition with dedicated cycling brands like 7mesh and Showers Pass, who've been refining MTB shells for years. Arc'teryx is betting their material science and fit will justify the premium. I haven't put miles on it yet, but the spec that matters is the Gore-Tex placement—if it's actually where water hits hardest during a ride (not just where it looks good), it'll work. If not, you're paying for the bird logo.
The pants and shorts use Fortius DW 2.0 softshell with Aequora AirPerm panels at the waist and behind the knees for breathability. Both are cut to fit kneepads, with lower-leg zippers on the pants for access. The shorts have a 13" inseam. Women's fit is high-rise, men's is mid-rise. Pants are $280, shorts are also $280, which feels odd—same price for less fabric.
The material mapping approach is smart in theory: put stretchy stuff where you bend, breathable stuff where you sweat, waterproof stuff where rain collects. Whether Arc'teryx nailed the zones better than brands who've been doing this longer is the open question. If you're already in their ecosystem and trust the fit, this is worth trying. If you're budget-constrained or loyal to a cycling-first brand, wait for field reports before spending $450 on a jacket that's never seen a wet root drop.
