Madison’s Roam jacket has been around for a few years now. The latest model, the Roam Men's 2-Layer waterproof jacket, gets the ‘gravel’ tag to add to its mountain bike roots. Its casual styling and adventure-ready attributes make it a packable, versatile all-rounder designed to take on the worst the weather can throw at it. The casual styling is great, but I found the cut overly generous, and moisture management was problematic on higher-intensity and warmer rides.
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Madison Roam Men's 2-layer waterproof jacket - Technical details
Made from DWR-coated windproof and waterproof fabric with fully taped seams, the Roam gets a waterproof performance rating of 10,000mm (10k), and a breathability rating of 10,000g/m2/24hrs (10k). The material offers a little stretch to aid movement on the bike, and the articulated fit is designed for a more natural seated pedalling position. The tailored cuffs are designed to offer a seamless fit when wearing gloves and the hood is small and very well cut. A full-length two-way waterproof zip should keep out the elements, and there are two large side zip pockets and a generous chest pocket, all finished off with water-resistant zips with rubberised pulls.
Keeping things simple and lightweight, the cuffs, hood and hem are all elasticated with no adjustment on fit. Madison states it’s packable – you couldn’t get away with giving it a gravel tag otherwise, as it folds up into the chest pocket for stowage. The slightly dropped rear offers some protection from trail spray without losing its casual look. Reflective print details on the arms and rear provide safety when worn at night – always a nice detail.
Muted colours are very de rigueur right now and the Roam gets rust orange, midnight green and black options. Sizing ranges from S to XXL.
Madison Roam Men's 2-layer waterproof jacket - Performance
Madison calls this jacket a relaxed fit, and that is certainly true. I found myself annoyingly between sizes and went for the medium. It’s certainly roomy. However, when seated on the bike, I found the arm length too long and the body a bit too baggy, and carrying my phone in the breast pocket bulked it out further. However, the hem length and dropped back are spot on.
Although it’s not a helmet-compatible hood, I could just about squeeze it over my trail and gravel lids if the zip wasn’t fully done up. It fitted comfortably under both helmets to provide some much-needed respite from the wind mid-faff/mechanical, but it’s noisy when riding. A small detail I particularly like is the tailored cuffs that mate almost seamlessly when wearing gloves for a bit more coverage.
Waterproof performance is excellent. From soaked and muddy trails to downpours, it took an impressively long time to wet through, but that said, it was internally that it suffered. Although I didn’t overheat, high-tempo rides left the whole back drenched in sweat. If the pockets were mesh-lined, they could help with moisture movement – I mean, how many of us carry that much in our side pockets? Windproofing is excellent, keeping the chill out even when the material gets damp with sweat. I would have liked to have seen an adjustable pull-cord hem to seal out the wind further though rather than the two elasticated strips.
Washing waterproof gear is a pain. I try to wipe down jackets and handwash them with gentle detergents to try and preserve their waterproofing properties for as long as possible before a reproof is needed. So far, under testing in some horrible conditions, I’ve had to concede that a wipe-down isn’t enough and after numerous washes, the Madison Roam is holding up well still beading off rain.
Madison Roam Men's 2-layer Waterproof Jacket - Verdict
A few products on the market aim to blur the lines between MTB and gravel, like Endura's GV500 line. Although it definitely errs on the side of gravel, the Endura GV500 Waterproof Jacket costs £160. It's minimalist but lacks in some areas, scoring three and a half stars from Pat.
Designing a jacket to work for gravel and trail riding is a big ask, as, although both require the same performance levels when it comes to fighting off the elements, the cut can be slightly different, and that's where I think this jacket falls a little short. It’s overly bulky for gravel riding and okay for mountain biking if you can get over the bulky front. It could benefit from an adjustable hem, and mesh-lined pockets would help with moisture management, but I can’t deny its excellent waterproof and windproofing capabilities.