Review: Race Face Conspiracy Wet Weather Apparel

Next up in our wet weather round-up are the latest offerings from Race Face. This features the Conspiracy jacket, pants, and jersey.

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I like this minimalist approach to jackets - I'm not a fan of bulky outer waterproof layers, and I would rather wear several thinner garments than one large thicker one, especially in changeable conditions. The Conspiracy jacket offers 10K breathability and waterproofness and it does a good job of keeping you cool and dry. That said, the right fit for a jacket is important and will play a large role in how comfortable it is, as well as how well it dumps out damp air.


I eventually chose to ride a medium in this jacket. At 183 cm tall I'm often between sizes. However, due to the jacket's tapered and not particularly stretchy fittings around the waist and wrists I decided to size down. On the large, with the jacket's lack of adjustment in these areas, I felt there was just too much air running through the jacket and coming out the venting under the arm. Apart from around the wrists, the Conspiracy is a lot more fitted than a lot of other mountain bike jackets. I would love to see a small amount of adjustment on the wrists or elastic fittings that start off smaller and offer more give. All in all, I was very impressed though.

There are different ideas on how to make a waterproof jacket comfortable. Do you want as much air running through it as possible? Or do you want it to create a high-pressure area within the jacket that will force hot air through the material and make it breathe? In my experience, it's the latter that provides the best results.



This seems like a good idea but when riding these patches tended to rotate around my arm and almost sit in front of my elbow rather than behind it and around the joint itself. It's a nice idea but I do wonder how much difference they make in real-world crashes.


The Conspiracy is a good jacket and it quickly became my go-to over the wetter months. It seems to be a good compromise of all that I like - light, comfortable, well-fitting, and minimalist. I like the simple colors and subtle looks, too.

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I've found this to be a great mix with waterproof trousers on even the foulest of days. The material doesn't seem to cling to and soak up water as you might normally expect from a jersey. Yes, it will get wet, but then it almost acts similar to a wet suit and just concentrates on regulating your body temperature. I'm typically somebody that runs a little warm, so when showers are rolling though this is perfect. That said, if you were to put a waterproof jacket over the top you will find yourself most likely overheating rather quickly.

It also works well in colder conditions as a winter jersey to combine with a base layer. Even on rare days where it doesn't rain in Squamish there is still occasional puddle bombing to be done and the jersey does insulate you from that somewhat.

I found the large to be a perfect fit. I also like the simple blacked-out look. It has elbow protection, too. However, much like the jacket, I wonder how much use these really are.

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The fit around the ankle is also snug while not making it hard to get your foot out when you come home covered in mud with cold hands. They're also comfortable to pedal in and didn't feel like they ever restricted my movement.

In terms of breathability, thanks to the smart cut, triple-layer material, and waistband, I think they breathe better than most. That's doubly impressive when you factor in the fact they're a full waterproof pant. As previously stated, they pair very well with the Conspiracy jersey on all but the foulest days.


The trousers have two zippered pockets that are big enough for either your hands or phone. Again, I like the simple looks of these trousers. The logos are so subtle you almost have to hunt them out. Overall, I'm really impressed with these trousers - they're some of my favourites I've ridden to date.

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