Assos Mille GTC Loewenkralle Jacket C2

The Assos Mille GTC Löwenkralle Jacket C2 is built for the moment the weather turns and you need protection you weren't carrying a minute ago. It's a thermal, wind-blocking, water-repellent shell that packs down into its own pocket and mounts to your handlebar as a self-contained bag, so it rides with you without taking up jersey pocket space until conditions call for it. Assos designed the Löwenkralle for rides beyond the tarmac — gravel, singletrack, and mixed-terrain routes — though it works just as well layered up for a wet daily commute.

The front panel combines two fabrics with distinct jobs. Assos' new PAVE rip-stop woven fabric blocks wind, repels water, and resists abrasion, which matters when trailside brush or loose gravel is grabbing at your sleeves. Alongside it, the BREATH fabric uses a micro 3D structure to boost breathability and move moisture off the skin in the zones that run hottest. The rear panel switches to Type.OF11, a high-stretch material that keeps the jacket's regularFit close to the body without restricting movement, while the sleeves use RX EVO Light for light insulation that stays form-fitting rather than bulky. Assos rates the jacket for riding in the 53.6–68°F range, with a breathability score of 4/5 and moderate wind and insulation protection — this is a shell for cutting wind and shedding light rain, not a fully waterproof layer for sustained downpours.

When the weather clears, the Löwenkralle packs back into its zippered pocket, made from the same water-repellent Type.OF11 along with a high-stretch Push Pull fabric, and cinches onto the bar out of the way. Reflective stripes on the forearms, rear elastic, and the handlebar bag itself keep you visible whether you're wearing the jacket or it's stowed for later. It's the layer to keep loaded on the bar for a gravel ride with an uncertain forecast, a long descent that drops the temperature fast, or a commute where the sky can't make up its mind.