Q36.5 has introduced an updated version of its Wind System, a refined collection of vests and shell jackets designed to better match the demands of modern riding across changing conditions courtsesy of ultra-packable lightweight layers with varying levels of protection that all remain breathable, allowing riders to choose the right level of protection without compromise.
Built on more than a decade of uncompromising research and development in the Dolomites, the updated wind system range represents a confident evolution of Q36.5’s design language, pairing forensic precision engineering with Italian cycling style.
At the core of the system is a focus on versatility. Rather than relying on a single solution like many of their competitors, Q36.5 has developed a range that reflects how riders actually experience the road, cold descents, shifting weather, and long days where temperature and effort levels constantly change.
A SYSTEM BUILT FOR REAL AND VARYING CONDITIONS
The updated Wind System is structured across four distinct categories: Air, Light Rain, Rain, and Hybrid. Each serves a specific purpose, from 4-season ‘emergency’ protection to full rain coverage, while maintaining a consistent approach to weight, packability, and on-bike performance.
The Air category represents the lowest-volume solution, designed for riders who need immediate protection from wind and light rain without excess bulk. These pieces are easy to stow and pack down to smaller than an energy bar, offering a practical solution for unpredictable conditions.
The Light Rain option is designed for light or intermittent showers and summer riding in highly variable conditions, the best option to pull on for a damp descent after climbing all day.
The Rain option offers full rain protection, combined with superior breathability and packability. Perfect for winter and mid-season poor weather and rainy racing. This is the jacket to reach for when you know it will rain and not stop for large segments of your ride.
The Hybrid option is a high-density woven ‘Natural Shell’ without a membrane for extra breathability. This is perfect for riders looking for extra warmth and highly breathable fabrics that allow the jersey underneath it to dry out faster during descents.
LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTION, REFINED
Across the range, Q36.5 continues to push fabric development, using ultralight ripstop nylons and high-density woven constructions to balance protection with cooling airflow. In particular, the use of non-membrane woven shells in the Hybrid category allows for greater breathability, helping riders regulate body temperature during high-intensity riding/training.
This approach contrasts to traditional ‘all-or-nothing’ jackets that many of Q36.5’s competitors offer, designed to be used for windy, cold, damp or very wet days. Q36.5 instead prefers to offer a wide range of options for the individual needs of the rider and the weather they are riding in on any given day, with garments that respond more naturally to effort and environment. This entire range sits alongside Q36.5’s separate Foul Weather Range, which debuted earlier this year, and offers complete protection from the elements in a three-part system. No other brand offers such a deep catalogue of weather protection.
PACKABILITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
A key focus of the updated system is reducing volume without reducing function. Pieces in the Air category use ultralight 7-denier Japanese ripstop nylon in a 2-layer construction, delivering full windproofing alongside protection from light showers through a DWR treatment.
The result is a system that prioritises adaptability. Riders can carry exactly what they need, when they need it, without overloading pockets or compromising performance on the bike.
Founder of Q36.5 Luigi Bergamo, explains: “With the Wind System, our goal was not to create a single ‘do-it-all’ shell, but to better reflect the reality of how cyclists ride on different days. Conditions are constantly changing, and the body is constantly adapting, so we designed a system where each piece has a very specific function. By working with different fabric constructions, from ultra-low volume windproof layers to breathable woven shells, we can offer protection that responds more precisely to both the environment and the rider’s effort. The result is greater comfort, but also greater efficiency, because the rider is never overprotected or underprepared.”
Lastly, Q36.5 has also renewed its collaboration with ABUS on some new helmet colorways applied to its Airbreaker 2.0 helmet that now comes in white and navy, the perfect option for matching one’s helmet to his or her Q36.5 kit.
Q36.5
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