Jake’s a rather normal guy, but also a rather talented athlete

Road tested

We wanted an opinion on our new Zeroweight Pro bibs. We asked Jake Catterall for his.

BY: MARK COHEN • RIDE • 28.04.2022


Endurance athlete Jake Catterall is two events into a seven-challenge program he’s created for himself dubbed Way Beyond (a framework for anyone to go further than they previously thought possible which he’s evolving into a documentary series).


Despite a penchant for endurance challenges – among the ones already completed include the Vondel 200km (running about half the length of New York State) and a 1400km ride around Iceland (about the distance from Florida to New York City) – Jake’s a rather normal guy, but also a rather talented athlete. He speaks humbly about running 10km in under 33 minutes. Or what it took to ride nonstop for three days on little sleep. What separates him from others, he maintains, is his ability – not to put up with discomfort or his superhuman strength – but being able simply to focus.


“Things that are perceived as out of your reach, if you stick to it,” he says, “they tend to happen. You just have to see through the smoke,” he adds over a video chat where we catch up on recent and upcoming projects. 


The fit is nice, the length is good, and everything is just clean and flush like you want.

Just ahead of his Iceland ride last summer, ODLO caught wind of the Way Beyond project and decided to support Jake on his pursuit with kit from our then current and upcoming SS22 collection – base layers, bibs, jackets, gilets and more – so he could withstand the varied conditions he’d face riding for over 50 straight hours. With wardrobe changes being prominent on a ride featuring four seasons of weather (scroll down for the video), and during many training miles since, Jake’s had time to form opinions on our completely redesigned Zeroweight Pro cycling bibs. We attempted to capture some of them here.


“There’s some surprisingly good cycling kit out there from very cycling-specific brand names like Pas Normal Studios and MAAP. And these bibs easily rival any of them. The shimmer, the aeration in the leg, the cut, and the comfort in the chamois is a big jump from older season ODLO bibs that I’ve worn. The fit is nice, the length is good, and everything is just clean and flush like you want.”

“Some of the conditions that we faced on this ride were absolutely brutal. And I think the thing I was really surprised about of all the kit I tested was the Dual Dry Waterproof jacket. Jackets are one of those things that you must try to believe, and this one did the job well. When you pick up a rain jacket, you almost believe in the jacket based on the weight, but somehow ODLO has made this weightless layer that does exactly what is says it does.”


So, what comes next for Jake? More training – like a recent running-focused trail camp in South Africa – and setting in motion the next chapter for Way Beyond: an edge-to-edge, 50+ day, solo, unsupported, sled pulling expedition across Antarctica. And another opportunity – like in Iceland – to put ODLO apparel under the knife and see how it stands up.  

SHARE

Suggested Stories
Mark with gravel bikes
by odlo-en-eu

The road beyond: a simple guide to bikepacking this summer

Total kms: 720km Elevation: +14,620m A route this difficult isn’t for everyone. We looked at options that kept us under 2000m elevation (for warmth) and led us into Italy to enjoy some food and drink. We sought out Grand Tour worthy climbs that weren’t household names. We scheduled stops in cool spots, like in Como at Sartoria Cyclista. We rode the roads of Giro legend Alfredo Binda. But every day we kept distances within reach. We passed through towns, cafés, and canyons. It took about 36 hours to do it all. But the scenery and company made it pass by quickly.  Key learning: when planning, be realistic, but don’t be afraid to bite off a little extra. In difficulty, you find reserves you thought not possible.