Review: 7mesh's Cache Anorak & Grit Pants
As a committed fan of the simpler sides of ride apparel - cotton t-shirts, a comfortable hoodie, whatever shorts are around - I've been slow to adopt the more technical options on the market. Over time though, I've learned the value of membranes, engineered textiles, and modern plastics, and can now appreciate a good piece of kit when it comes my way. At the vanguard of the push to make mountain bike apparel more technical and specialized is 7mesh, the Canadian firm bridging the gap between us dirtbags and the rest of the outdoors industry.
Their new Airmap collection exemplifies that push well, with custom-milled fabrics and highly specialized fit and function, all meant to make your rides in foul weather a little less nasty. There are many items in that new collection, but I'm reviewing the Cache anorak and Grit pant - two items aimed squarely at the mountain bike market.
Cache Anorak
Assume the position.
The Cache Anorak is a pleasantly simple item, with a couple useful pockets, some basic adjustment, and clever on-bike storage capabilities. The complexity lies in the fabric, which 7mesh touts as the "ideal balance between rain and wind protection" thanks to some carefully placed 1, 2, and 3-layer laminates in different areas of the items.
It features a 1/2 length zipper, sizable hood, and roomier fit meant to layer well. I tested a size Large, in keeping with most tops I wear.
It features a 1/2 length zipper, sizable hood, and roomier fit meant to layer well. I tested a size Large, in keeping with most tops I wear.
Cache Anorak Details
• Face: 83% recycled polyester, 17% spandex
• Membrane & Backer: 100% polyurethane.
• 2 zip pockets
• 3 colors, 6 sizes
• Self-stow pouch with bike attachment straps
• MSRP: $330 USD
• 7mesh.com
• Face: 83% recycled polyester, 17% spandex
• Membrane & Backer: 100% polyurethane.
• 2 zip pockets
• 3 colors, 6 sizes
• Self-stow pouch with bike attachment straps
• MSRP: $330 USD
• 7mesh.com
I really dig the boxier fit of the jacket, as it makes for comfortable layering, good airflow, and less of the road-warrior skinsuit look. You could size down to keep things a little more svelte, but for me the Large was perfect. Another upside to the fit of the piece is the arm length; I have very long arms and it's rare that a jacket actually reaches my wrists when on the bike. The Cache did so with no issue, which helps keep things comfortable if the weather is really coming down.
Speaking of weather, the waterproofing on the Airmap fabric is impressive, though not infallible. Like any breathable membrane, it wets out eventually, but in my experience it took a long session in heavy rain to get things to that point.
Pocket one.
Pocket two.
Waist adjustment.
Hood adjustment.
That tradeoff in all-out waterproofing is in service of breathability, which is a strength on the Airmap. I'd consider this a fairly heavy jacket relative to your average windbreaker, but it doesn't feel like a trashbag unless you're really putting out a hard effort. I run pretty warm, but can pedal with the Cache in temps above freezing, so long as I'm not pinned. Eventually you'll want to doff it, and luckily there's built in convenient storage for when you do so. 7mesh's integrated bungee clip things are one of the smartest little details I've seen on bike-specific apparel, as they remove the need for an accessory strap, stash spot, or pack to carry your extra layer in.
Comparisons
There a seemingly infinite takes on the "perfect" bike jacket out there, but realistically all of them are a compromise of some sort. I'll be doing a big roundup of all the options I've tried recently, but for now here are some direct comparisons that I see as relevant to the Cache.
The closest proxy in my closet is the Trail Magic jacket from Ornot, which uses Polartech's NeoShell fabric to do the water resisting and the heat dumping. The version I tested appears to be unavailable right now, but the hoodless Magic Shell is still in their catalog. Good news, because to me the performance of the Ornot bests the 7mesh when it comes to breathability and long-term comfort. I do prefer the fit of the Cache jacket, as the boxier, looser cut works better for me on a mountain bike, but one could just size up to achieve the same goal. Rain resistance is a close call, and might err towards the 7mesh, though both options wet out over a long ride in gross conditions. All told, the Ornot is $100 cheaper and made in California, so to me the choice is pretty easy.
Ornot Trail Magic.
Grit Pant
Rain pants are a simple item, but surprisingly hard to get right. Often, I find they're overly-complicated, too tight, and so uncomfortable you'd never actually opt to wear them unless you were desperate.
7mesh seems to have nailed that balance with the Grit pants, as they've been the only rain pants I've reached for this winter. I've been wearing a size Medium, and the fit has been perfect for my 31-32" waist.
7mesh seems to have nailed that balance with the Grit pants, as they've been the only rain pants I've reached for this winter. I've been wearing a size Medium, and the fit has been perfect for my 31-32" waist.
Grit Pant Details
• Face: 88% recycled nylon, 12% elastane
• Membrane: 100% polyurethane
• Backer: 100% recycled polyester
• 2 zip pockets
• 2 colors, 6 sizes
• MSRP: $300 USD
• 7mesh.com
• Face: 88% recycled nylon, 12% elastane
• Membrane: 100% polyurethane
• Backer: 100% recycled polyester
• 2 zip pockets
• 2 colors, 6 sizes
• MSRP: $300 USD
• 7mesh.com
The Grit pants are satisfyingly simple, with two zip pockets, a snap and zipper closure, and a funny little hook belt to dial in the fit. I've found that latter detail a bit annoying, as the small belt can be hard to use when you have gloves on or if your hands are freezing up. A very positive detail is the pocket construction - having a second internal pouch makes organizing all your doodads easy and comfortable despite there only being two pockets.
Perfectly functional pockets.
With a handy little mesh organizer inside.
Highwaters.
Though I do find they sit lower when wet.
I've found the Airmap fabric to be very comfortable against bare skin, so there's been no need to wear an intermediate layer underneath the Grits while riding. Sweat builds up a bit over long pedals, but far less than with other rain pants I've tried. These are essentially the only waterproof pants I'll wear on a regular bike ride - anything else is e-bike only, where I'm basically able to layer without fear of sweating very much at all.
Same as with the Cache anorak, the waterproofing lasts long enough for a couple hours in the pouring rain before wetting out. They remain comfortable even when that occurs, as the fabric is still thick enough to keep you from freezing in a strong breeze. Durability seems pretty good so far, with no significant wear showing up after plenty of riding. I've noticed the saddle-contact butt area is getting a bit discolored, but that's typical of anything that's getting subjected to a constant grinding of mud and grime.
One note on fit: there's only one length option on the Grit pant, and it's slightly shorter than other 7mesh options like the Glidepath pant. I didn't mind the slightly shorter fit, and found that it sat a bit lower than the pictures show when things were wet and they'd sagged down a bit with wear. Of course, my ankles and feet got soaked, but that's kind of my expectation with wet weather rides. The overall cut is roomier and far more comfortable than the mallcore-emo-kid-skinny-jean-cut lots of companies are using now, and fit knee pads and cyclist thighs well.
A Note on Pricing
I balked at the price of this kit initially, and still find it a bit hard to swallow, considering the fact that neither of these pieces are critical to your ride, nor are they a panacea when it comes to foul weather. On that front, I reached out to the folks at 7mesh to ask how a jacket and pants could cost so much. This isn't a referendum on 7mesh specifically, as I have the same frustration with most high-end apparel out there. I mean shit, people will spend $150 on a Supreme t-shirt.
 | 7mesh focuses on performance, innovation, and products that last. We start with the materials, working directly with fabric mills to develop fabrics and don’t pick off the shelf. This means we’re working on longer production schedules and spending a lot more time on R&D. We do this so we don’t compromise on performance or durability and as a result developed a PFAS-free fabric that still meets our performance requirements. We also prototype and test all of our products here in Squamish before sending them to the factory, as well as pattern drafting in-house instead of going off drawings. This means we’re sewing samples and testing to get the fit and articulation just right, rather than crossing our fingers that a factory can realize our vision from a render. We’re also committed to high standards of quality and ethics and therefore work with the best manufacturers in China and Vietnam. Lastly, you’ll notice prices of outdoor apparel going up across the board, and the mountain bike world isn’t immune to this. Manufacturing costs are increasing, and materials are being innovated to remove harmful chemicals of the past. |
I appreciate the transparency here, and understand the broader factors at play that lead to the steady increases in pricing that we see across the board. That patterning and prototyping mentioned is why the fit of the pieces are so ideal for me, so whatever overhead that incurs is definitely worthwhile. Ultimately, it's your money, so the choice simply depends on what you value and how much you're willing to spend for style and some added utility.
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I have one of @plylawn's teen's patagonia anoraks, it's great...not the best for bikes in borderline temps though. Cmon.
jackets for courses, etc...
Anoraks are objectively great. Ask Oasis, they'll tell you.
If the rain, plants, and puddles don’t get me soaked, I’ll be sweating my out of shape ass off and be soaked anyway. What’s the difference.
You cannot top the "built, not bought" feeling with spending a paycheck on some product. That product will most likely cause buyer remorse in it's lifetime.
then i got a pizza oven, pizza peel, stupid special flour, etc. now i can make mediocre pizza.
then a sous vide and a vacuum sealer. i dont even use this anymore.
yea... it would be easier and cheaper to just go buy food.
We'll give you a Canadian Passport and a 25 litres of maple syrup if it works out.
I've paid a lot of money for an excellent rain jacket, but I would never thrash it on a ride. I'd rather throw on a Costco special and get a little wet.
We can never know, of course, unless we knew 7mesh's expenses. OneUp beats much larger companies on price. So does PNW. Ride Concepts. The list goes on. Just a suspicion, may or may not be true, but I've seen it borne out in the business world plenty of times. It's just nuts how high these prices are.
Spoiler alert; you can't. Been there, tried that (but with bike frames, not clothing).
It's great that there are so many options for us MTBers to choose from. There's something for everyone, right? If 7mesh isn't for you, what's the point of slagging the brand? Go fill your boots with another brand that works for you and get out there and enjoy the wet and mud. It's fun!
Yes we’re small. OneUp is actually much larger than us, I don't know about the others. And yes we are inefficient in a business sense, but not meaning disorganized, more in how we allocate resources. We're here to build better mousetraps, that's our drive. So we over-invest in product development, and we sacrifice elsewhere to keep after it.
Example, we think the best chamois collection comes from Elastic Interface in Italy. Several top brands use them, and some private label them to call them their own designs. We use EI too, but not off-the-shelf. We partnered with them, but also built our own molds and processes, and went to Italy to commercialize them in their factory. And we left them EI branded because we were focused on the result, not the hype. EI still do the heavy lifting.
That probably doesn’t make economic sense. Their chamois was already the best. And our effort cost the same whether we're building at our scale, or Fox's or Rapha's. It's hard to absorb at our size. But we like to push, the highest compliment we get being ‘worthy’ from a few we care most about. So we take the steps we need. We develop materials directly with the makers, partner with the most capable factories, and wrestle with the increased costs, custom work, upcharges, and long development and lead times that come with that. 2-3 years developing WTV, same for Airmap.
For us, wrestling with those costs translates into making do with less elsewhere, and I give kudos to our team who come together to make it work (possibly excluding my portion!). We’re 24 people all-in, and on product we're going toe-to-toe vs the $250M-$3B+ juggernauts in bike and outdoor, with hundreds or thousands of employees, all the muscle, and every resource they could want. The truth is there are a lot fewer brands pushing the envelope than you’d think.
So...if you like what we do, we're stoked! But not everyone has to. We don’t know everything, we don't get everything right, and we don’t think one solution is good for everyone. If you prefer a different looking mousetrap, that's cool. Or one that's more affordable, no problem. You don’t need us to make it, there are plenty of options already. And if you want an even cheaper mousetrap from a super-efficient company, there are specialists that can do a good job for you.
For me, the different approaches by different brands are super cool to see. We’re pushing on what’s important to us, and others make different choices. At the end of the day very few of us actually need an amazing mousetrap, or frame, or dropper, or sunglasses. We don’t even need great ones, really, for just riding bikes in the woods. But it’s nice to have options.
I own some cheap shit too, some adidas tech tops, some on sale 50 off FOX and TLD shit, Rapha mtb shit on sale. I guess I am just saying, I like your products a lot, i'd own more of them if it were more in my budget, I am just selective about what I NEED and BUY from you or anyone. Keep up the good work, I like your brand, the products I buy and really like knowing the process in your making of the product-gives me confidence in my investment.
Forum-dwellers need to brush up on their meta language.
It's not all literal for maple's sake.
TLDR: with a few weeks of sewing lessons you'd be ripping your hair out trying to make a simple button down shirt out of cotton. It would take you years of dedication and expensive equipment to make the the equivelant of 7mesh clothing.
I'm only writing this because you belittled many people's profession with your post. What do you do professionaly? I bet I could just take a few weeks of classes and get up to speed right? Do your job for you?
It takes a skilled human to sew clothing, even if it's a pair of pants from Walmart. The world is swamped with dirt cheap clothing options that come at the cost of many ethics being disregarded. It's pretty sad everyone flips their shit everytime someone trys to take the high road and produce high quaility stuff that will last AND compensates the producers appropriately.
Enough merino layers to stay warm and a Houdini is a great combo. You can literally stuff a Houdini into a pants pocket. And it's $109.
I fall off my bike plenty, and I'm always impressed with the quality of repairs that they have done.
7mesh: China, the land of ethics and quality, is why our clothes are more expensive.
Not speaking for other dude, but my point is I found it quite silly that "made in china" came up in response to why the jackets cost so much. Not that they are made in China.
Companies are tripping over each other trying to bullshit their way towards profits while completely contradicting each other.
Outsourcing to China reduces cost. While we are on the BS train....
My usual MTB kit is not any more expensive than it was 5 years ago. Maybe 5 bucks more for name brand higher end apparel but it's constantly in sale. Yes, inflation is a thing. We get it but a $300 hoodie is not normal.
Clothes don't "perform".
And I would expect you to test your f*cking product before selling it.
Marmot Precip - $120
Patagonia Torrentshell 3L - $179
REI XeroDry - $130
MH Stretch Ozonic - $200
OR Helium - ~$100
Etc. etc. And sure, there may be differences (though from the reviews the Strech Ozonic sounds quite similar)...but enough to justify the extra money?
I mean, at least with Arc'teryx you get a cool logo and everyone KNOWS you're a dentist...
more waterproof = less breathable, old gore-tex much better than new, cold and dry conditions are ideal for 'waterproofs' to breath properly - just when you need them the least.
my only demand is stuff being comfy, durable and as waterproof as possible. some of my friends however are soaked in sweat after our ride and freeze with my approach of clothing
Glad to hear that someone else is riding the best gear that is currently available on the mtb and gravel market.
My gear.
Skipilot Jacket & Chilco Vest
Slab Short
Glidepath Pants
Elevate and Desperado Shirts
Recently purchased the Cache Anorak and Gryphon Crew and absolutely love these pieces of clothing. I will mention that all these items were bought on sale and have no regretted one day on the mtb or gravel bike. If you ride more that 200 + days a year, it will always be worth it.
Top Class stuff and I will be purchasing 7Mesh for the next couple of years...thanks for the great products, customer service.
I am not saying companies shouldn't be based in Squamish, Boulder, etc. but between real estate, taxes and, in theory, higher wages required for staff, location most definitely factors into the cost of the product.
Apples to pears comparison, but prototyping/testing location seems an odd justification. Frame/component testing companies who have facilities in Asia and Europe charge the same regardless of location, from what I've seen...
Gore-Tex is nuts. if you look you can find deals on Gore-Tex jackets/pants from some really good biking brands at reasonable prices; and even cheaper for none Gore-Tex.
The only real fabric I've ever used that doesn't wet out, is breathable, and 100% waterproof is Columbia's Outdry, they could use better marketing for sure.
There are a TON of clothing options out there and lots of products to meet any budget.
@7mesh is at the high-end of the spectrum. (Although there are plenty more expensive options too.)
My gear.
Revelation Jacket
Revo Short
Slab Short
Glidepath Pants
Glidepath Shorts
Optic Jerseys
Socks (even these are great)
Cons:
Expensive. (As commented) Very athletic fit (big riders need to size up). Durability 7/10. (Zipper pulls fall off, some seam separation, the odd snap breaks, graphics wear off). To be fair, I use my gear a lot as an instructor. Style. (Love it or hate it)
Pros:
Incredible fit and made for movement. When I’m wearing my 7Mesh gear, I don’t even know it’s on. The cut and length are exactly right for me (6’3”, 220”lbs).
Incredible performance. The fabrics are hands down the best I’ve ever used. I never have any accumulation of sweat in the summer and they seem to be disproportionally warm considering how thin most fabrics. My Revelation jacket is the best jacket I've ever owned across any sport. IF you ride in the rain, stand around giving lessons, hike mountains with your bike on your back, bikepack, gravel ride in spring, or fatbike all the winter, this gear is amazing. Ultimately I have to be fully functional on the bike in any conditions during lessons so the high performance and comfort are worth it.
M.
www.rideottawa.com
Bike shops going flat because all of the 2020 customers left, not realizing they chased us all off with predatory pricing, poor customer service, garbage equipment and "innovations" that turn to a pile of sand after 3 rides.
Take lots of as an example. Not enough people actually want the overpriced crap to buy it. Even at a discount.
Rant over
I want this Cache jacket for overtop when its colder but the price tag is wild at $450.
I'll never buy anything from this brand now. Thanks for sharing
7mesh anorak: $330
Velocio anorak: $389
Rapha Gore Infinium (not anorak): $300
youtu.be/4txVqr1eNwc?si=GKVmSXvjfq0iH9qN