Bike commuters are like cabbies: they travel in a pre-Waze, pre–Google Maps world.
Most start out taking well-known thoroughfares—Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Broadway in Manhattan, Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Soon traffic or curiosity sends them down smaller streets, feeling out how certain routes are better at certain times of the day. Eventually, reading the mood of the city becomes second nature.
Consider Showers Pass’s Atlas jacket ($275) a tip of the cycling chapeau to these two-wheeled warriors. The pattern is a mashup of street maps from 11 great cycling cities, including Portland, Paris, and Washington, D.C. When headlights hit the waterproof fabric, the maps illuminate. Thanks to a brushed lining, the Atlas is comfortable next to the skin.
Tech? There’s plenty, such as long core vents, adjustable cuffs for temperature control, and a zip-off, helmet-compatible hood. There’s even a chest pocket with an audio port, in case you want to listen to Google Maps’ biking directions, just for giggles.