Pedal Ed Kanaya Jacket review

Pedal Ed is a Japanese brand started back in 2007 by Hideto Suzuki. Like many trendy cycling brands out there, its story sounds quite familier.

Frustrated by the lack of good-looking technical clothing available to cyclists, Hideto began designing clothes to bridge the gap, and so Pedal Ed was born. Their range stands out from a lot of other brands of this nature though, with a style that's more bohemian than banker.

The Pedal Ed Kanaya jacket is just the type of cross-over garment we're talking about. A good looking gentlemen's jacket, with technical ability included. Obviously aesthetics are subjective, but if ex-pro racer and coat hanger David Millar is seen in it, it's probably a good start.

On first wear, the quality seems as good as you'd expect from a jacket costing over £200. And after a few months of rough and tumble, both on and off the bike, we haven't seen anything to question that first impression.

The Kanaya is marketed as a rain jacket, with minimal insulation. It's ideal as a top layer for the type of cold conditions we're seeing at the moment, and thanks to the double-zip system, there isn't any issue fitting it over some bulky winter layers.

Pedal Ed say that the double-zip offers a snug race fit, or a casually relaxed fit, depending on which zip you chose. I'd go along with that, but for me, as a particularly skinny cyclist, I only ever went with the race cut.

Out on a wet ride, the jackets wet weather performance was adequate, but under some seriously heavy rain we did see water ingress around the shoulder seems and at the front, via the zip. Taped seams might help to improve the Kanaya's waterproofness, but that would come at the cost of its breathability, which is very good.

The standard three rear pockets are here, and subtly covered by a flap of material, keeping them discreet for off-bike duties. A couple of zipped pockets are also available at the front too, and they're discreetly hidden away to avoid ruining the smart lines of the jacket.

Waterproofing aside, my only criticism of the Kanaya jacket was the length of the sleeves, which for me, came up a little short. In casual mode, the soft cuff sits nicely on the wrist, but on the bike, when you make use of the thumb loops, the sleeves could do with an extra inch to aid manoeuvrability.

All in, the Kanaya is a good cross-over jacket. Some compromises to performance have to be made, and of course a similarly priced jacket designed specifically for road riding will best it without too much problem. But for a jacket designed for riding, commuting and leisure time, the Kanaya is a good item.

For more details head over to the Pedal Ed website.