Bontrager Lithos Stormshell Jacket Tested

Testing winter jackets sucks. Only the most heinous weather will challenge a jacket like the Bontrager Lithos Stormshell. Living in the Pacific Northwest I have easy access to the monsoon, and thankfully the Lithos does its job well enough to help push my arse out the door.

“Is that some more mud I can go ride though?” – The Lithos Stormshell from Bontrager is a very worthy winter jacket.

Bontrager has been churning out some well designed clothing in recent years and the website shows a huge product range. In addition to the Lithos jacket, I have some well worn Bontrager base layers and a coveted pair of merino socks with the retro Bonty rasta colours on the cuff.

The Lithos is a feature-packed jacket that sits at the top end of the price range retailing at $299 USD, and for that price you would expect nothing less than the best performance. The jacket is made from a 3.5 layer fabric that feels good next to the skin and moves really well. As you would expect, the jacket is cut to fit well when on the bike with a drop tail and longer arms.

Filthy from a ride seemed like the best way to photograph this jacket. Plus the colour pops against a gloomy backdrop.

That 3.5 layer softshell material is taped at the seams and rated to 10k waterproof and 10k breathable. In real world terms that means that you shouldn’t get wet in the nastiest deluges without sweating like a stuck pig and getting clammy on the inside.

There are pockets in all the right places, two for your hands, one on the arm for those more valuable items (keys). There is also an inner pocket with the all important headphone port for those that like to ride with tunes in their ears.

A full featured jacket with a good collection of pockets to stash everything that you need on you for a ride.

The most distinct feature of the Lithos was the design of the vents. All too often I have found myself flapping around trying to grab a pit vent zip or something that isn’t easy to grab on the move. The Lithos has two large vents that run from the side of your waist up towards your collar bones. They are very easy to open on the move and are designed so that they don’t interfere with the straps on your hydration pack.

Pooch photobomb. Two front hand pockets help with numb digits when its cold out.

With expectations high I ventured out into the nastiest weather I could find. Cold, wind and rain doesn’t phase this jacket, and with some sensible layering beneath, it keeps you warm too. The hood is very nicely cut and fits over a helmet without restricting peripheral vision. It also has the ability to cinch down when you are helmetless or when you it isn’t needed, sitting nice and flat across the shoulders. This is a pet peeve I have with other jackets and the feature prevents the hood inflating like a parachute when you pick up speed.

I may be clenching in this photo. A dropped tail and drawcord waist help keep any water thrown up by the rear tire out.

Adjustable cuffs and a drawstring waist allow you to cinch down all potential routes for moisture to ingress in the jacket. The vents are very easily accessed on the move which I’ve particularly appreciated. At the bottom of a descent I can quickly open them up for the slog back up the hill for another lap.

Bontrager’s own photo of the vents shows how they work with a hydration pack the best. Some of us still use hydration packs and haven’t succumb to the fashionistas yet.

Does the Bontrager Lithos Stormshell feel like a $300 jacket? I’d say yes. The fabric seems very durable, and while more use is the only way to confirm this, current evidence is good. The softer face is coping with regular washes and occasional ground interactions without any scarring and post wash the jacket looks like it’s just been taken out of the packaging.

Feature-wise the Lithos doesn’t have me cussing anything and with a bunch of pocket options the jacket does cross duty for other winter activities well, making the investment seem more easily justified. That is if the jacket isn’t hanging up in your garage caked in mud like mine often is.

Finish on the jacket is top notch with solid stitching and no loose threads. Available in this “don’t shoot me hunter” orange, or the ever under-stated black, the Lithos Stormshell is very subtly branded for those who like to keep their two-wheeled addiction under the radar.

The Bontrager Lithos Stormshell ticks all Jon’s boxes for winter riding needs.