First Impressions: Bontrager RXL All-Weather Beard

We at Roadie Review were VERY excited to get our hands on this newest product drop from Bontrager just in time for the cold, nasty Midwest winter that those in Waterloo must be accustomed to.  The new RXL A-W Beard is by no means a replacement for your -20C balaclava, nor is it to be worn year-round, but is ideal for those times of the year when normal people ride bikes outside (or at least by cycling culture's standard), cyclocross, and even day-to-day use.

The premise behind the beard is excellent in its simplicity: a product to cover the part of your body that faces the wind the most--except the nose, although the R&D team at Bontrager mentioned difficulty in blending comfort with coverage(2013 models)? The RXL A-W B is not water proof, though it does block the wind well and offers some minor insulation. What the Beard lacks in warmth, it makes up for in versatility, and aesthetics.  Our review staff could not stop gaping over the unique blend of material and texture the Beard offered, as many staffers immediately started rethinking their entire wardrobes around it. Though it might seem peculiar to say about a soft good, the installation was a lengthy process taking some of our less experience staffers as many as 6 weeks, and removal was a pain (literally!) even for seasoned veterans.

Reps from Bontrager say the Beard represents a watershed improvement from the previous generation's RL Moustache, and is designed to work best in conjunction with the Upcoming SSR Chesthair. For now, we're excited to put some miles in with this new product, and provide a full review in the weeks to come!