Pearl Izumi PI DRY Kit

By Brandon Bilyeu

P.R.O. Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights

P.R.O. Escape Thermal Bib Shorts

Elite Thermal Arm Warmers

Elite Thermal Knee Warmers

Pearl Izumi Adds a Unique New Water-Resistant Tech

Back in September RBR editor/publisher John Marsh and tech guru Jim Langley strolled the floor at Interbike and reported back on their favorite finds in RBR Newsletter Issue No. 779. Among John’s Top 5 was Pearl Izumi’s PI DRY technology, its new water-resistant fabric. Pearl Izumi is a late entrant into the water-resistant kit game, with Castelli NanoFlex and Sportful NoRain having been available for years, but Pearl has come to the market with a different approach. And this autumn and winter in the Pacific Northwest, my stomping grounds, has been the perfect place to test this new technology.

PI DRY – What is it and how well does it work?

Competing brands’ water-resistant fabric technologies are a surface treatment on the finished garment’s exterior. These surface treatments tend to lose their water-repellent abilities after multiple wear/wash cycles, though some can be revived with special washes or heat. And when water does penetrate into the fabric, it is absorbed and degrades the garment’s breathability.

Pearl’s PI DRY technology is not a surface treatment, but an individual fiber treatment performed before the garment is knit or woven. Each individual fiber is covered with a hydrophobic coating that makes the entire garment water-repellent. Pearl claims this integrated approach means the treatment is permanent and will not wash off or lose efficacy for the lifetime of the garment.

I have worn NanoFlex in years past and NoRain recently (review coming soon), and I find that in terms of water shedding ability PI DRY is on par with its competitors. Short rain showers, puddle splashes, and wheel spray bead and roll right off the kit.

In steady light rain I found it took about 45-60 minutes before I could start to feel water intrusion. Heavy rain showers quickly overcome the PI DRY, as it only takes a few minutes before the wet gets through.  Also, I have found that horizontal surfaces get wet first (top of thighs, top of forearms) as compared to the vertical surfaces (lower legs, upper arms).  Presumably the vertical surfaces slough off water easier with the help of gravity, while the horizontal surfaces tend to puddle and soak quicker.

Where PI DRY really shines is breathability and warmth after soak-through. Since every fiber in the material has a hydrophobic coating, the material does not get water-logged and therefore can still breathe. When most cycling apparel gets wet, it becomes cold, heavy, and clingy. On my hours-long rides in the rain the PI DRY materials certainly got wet but never felt as cold and clammy as most other kit I have worn.

Bib Tights – Armor for your legs, but difficult to get on

Pearl’s P.R.O. Pursuit Thermal Cycling Bib Tights come from their top-tier (P.R.O) and race-fit oriented (Pursuit) lines. They are constructed of predominately softshell fabric for wind/water protection with PI DRY thermal fabric used on the back of the legs and bib uppers for water protection and breathability.

The tights are anatomically shaped to the riding position using multiple panels, and the reason is clear when you put them on. The softshell fabric has limited stretch compared to typical lycra, so ingress/egress can be a real tug-o-war. When off the bike, the material bunches in front of the knee, not uncomfortable but not great-looking either. The zipper-free ankle openings do have ample stretch to get over your foot (tip: flip the ankle gripper cuff inside out so you are not fighting the gripper when pulling them on).

On the bike, the shaped construction moves well through the pedal stroke but the lack of elasticity can be noticed as the tights tug and pull a little. It almost feels like you are wearing tight-fitting pants as opposed to skin-tight cycling apparel. It simply doesn’t fit or feel as good as lycra. Even though flat-lock stitching was not used on the many seems in these tights, I did not feel any irritation (I just had crazy post-ride indentations all over my legs from the raised seams).

The softshell fabric excelled in cold and windy conditions by keeping the heat in and the wind out. On the rare occasion that the wind switched from head to tail, I could immediately feel the cold air cutting through the lighter and more breathable PI DRY fabric on the back of my legs. The combination of wind blocking on the front and breathable on the back is a great way to stay warm without overheating.  The softshell’s water-resistance was almost as good as the PI DRY, and being a tight-knit fabric, it also did not hold much water when wet.

The P.R.O. Pursuit 1:1 Chamois is very comfortable. John and Sheri Rosenbaum previously reviewed this chamois in Pearl’s P.R.O. Pursuit Bib Shorts and had nothing but praise, and I fully agree. It is a fairly simple design with plenty of support for long rides but relatively thin for good road feel (designed for a racer but with all-day comfort for all of us). The outer layer is soft against the skin and placement with the bibs feels spot on.

Another consequence of the minimal stretch softshell fabric is that the chamois tends to move with the tights and not with the rider.  A few times every ride I would move in such a way that the chamois would get tugged slightly out of position and it was a bit of a struggle to pull it back into the right position.

Holding everything up are bib straps that are super comfortable. The material is soft as silk and laser cut so there are no irritating seams. They just disappear when you put them on. If you are not a fan of bibs, these tights are available as standard tights both with and without a chamois for those who prefer to wear tights over summer shorts.

Good Thermal Bib Shorts, But Don’t Neglect Your Knees!

The P.R.O. Thermal Bib Shorts are from the Escape line and are designed for all-day comfort. The biggest contributor to comfort is the Escape 1:1 chamois. Compared to the Pursuit chamois, the Escape chamois has thicker padding that softens the connection to the bike and mutes bike feedback a bit, which is not great in a criterium but exactly what you want for a century. The thicker padding is also less dense than the Pursuit chamois and gives a nice floating feeling without being so bulky that it creates bulging pressure points. I found the Escape chamois to be very comfortable with my longest ride in them at 3 hours (I don’t go much longer than that in cold/wet weather).

For warmth, the shorts are built entirely out of thermal micro-fleece fabric with PI DRY (no softshell panels here). As a result, the shorts feel and fit exactly like typical summer shorts with a little added warmth and water protection.

The bib straps are excellent, same as used on the Pursuit tights. The leg openings are raw laser cut with minimal but effective grippers and plenty of stretch to avoid the dreaded sausage leg.

The overall fit is spot-on with mild compression in the thighs, and the thermal fleece provides good heat retention while still breathing to dump sweat vapor. I would have liked to have seen the thermal fleece extended all the way up the back instead of just stopping at the waist.

Elite Arm and Leg Warmers – Solidly Built Protection

It should be said that if it is cold enough to wear the thermal bib shorts, then it is definitely cold enough to warrant knee protection. This can be accomplished with knee warmers, leg warmers, or tights over the bib shorts.

I tested the Pearl Elite Arm and Leg Warmers with PI DRY and was impressed with the design and function. The warmers are unisex, come in black or screaming yellow (arm warmers only) with reflective logos, have multi-panel construction that is pre-shaped to the arm/leg bend, and are even specifically shaped (and labeled) for left and right. For smaller diameter arms there is a women’s version available in black or pink.

Heavy duty elastic bands with grippers provide a very strong hold and are easy to pull into place, unlike some dainty gripper hems. These are quality warmers with water protection at a decent price.

Final Thoughts

The PI DRY technology is a very effective water-resistant approach that I find equal to its competitors in terms of performance in the wet. The big advantages are its claimed permanence, and its breathability and warmth when soaked through. I have washed each piece about 15 times so far with no noticeable difference in performance.

The Pursuit Thermal Tights really are a nice piece of kit that is quite effective in cold and wet weather. Construction and quality are great, with the softshell and PI DRY fabrics working well together. But the stiff feel of the softshell provides a less than perfect fit experience compared to what I am used to with lycra. This is a great technical piece for the cold and wet, and I would not hesitate to wear it in nasty weather, but if the weather is decent enough for standard lycra tights I will definitely go with the lycra for a more comfortable ride.

The Escape Thermal Bib Shorts and Elite Arm/Knee Warmers are versatile kit that allow you to mix and match depending on the weather conditions. If you are a fan of using knee/leg warmers but only have summer-weight shorts, the thermal bib shorts are a great way to add a little torso warmth and protection.

January 2018

Brandon Bilyeu

Brandon Bilyeu is an avid recreational roadie who lives in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys road, track and ‘cross racing. He’s also a year-round bike commuter and is a mechanical design engineer by trade. Click to read Brandon’s full bio.