Written and produced by - Staci Wilt from RIDE TO FOOD

Roland Sands Design is known for their attention to detail and innovative designs when it comes to their riding gear. The Maywood is the newest jacket to their women’s riding gear lineup, and is also their premium jacket offering. Having owned multiple RSD riding jackets, I can say that the Maywood holds true to the RSD quality and comfort standards, but with a little more luxury added to the table.

From the high mountain passes of Colorado to the sunny, coastal roads of Southern California, I’ve gotten to ride over 1,000 miles in the new CE-Rated Maywood Jacket from Roland Sands Design. Let’s dive into a review of this jacket!

Combining Fashion and Function

From a fashion standpoint, the Maywood is an elevated, chic cafe style riding jacket that could be worn on or off the bike. From a functional standpoint, the Maywood packs a punch. Let’s go through a few of the features in both of those categories:

Fashionable Details

• Unlike other Roland Sands jackets available, the Maywood offers a standard “cafe” collar instead of a snap closure. I personally favor this style of collar in comparison to the rest of their lineup. It feels less restrictive while riding.
• No snap closure on collar makes the Maywood less restrictive while riding.
• Around the chest, shoulders, and upper sleeve area, you’ll find a quilted stitch pattern, moving into a ribbed pattern on the pre-curved sleeves, and RSD embossed logos near the sleeve zippers.I’m personally a huge fan of how minimalistic the RSD branding is on all of their jackets.
• While there are no side zippers to adjust the jacket near the waistline, the Maywood does feature stretch accordion paneling to allow the jacket to mold to different body types.
• YKK Zippers do come standard on all RSD Leather jackets including the Maywood, as well as zippered outer pockets which have a unique zip style to them.
• Mesh and Waterproof storage pockets can be found inside the Maywood.
• Internally, you’ll find a weather-resistant chest pocket as well as two mesh pockets near the hip, which is where I typically store my phone while riding.
• One of my favorite features of RSD jackets is their plush, satin poly quilted liners. I’ve always been a fan of the satin liners from RSD, but the Maywood’s has a bit more of a snuggly feel to it. I’d definitely consider this an upgrade to something I didn’t even know needed or could be upgraded.

Functional Details

• While it has plenty of luxury details, the Maywood is by no means a “fashion” leather jacket. It’s indeed fashionably functional and meets CE EN 17092:2020 – AA certification criteria.
• The Maywood comes standard with SAS-TEC CE EN 1621:2021-1 Certified flex elbow and shoulder armor. If you wish to add a back protector, there is a pocket available. This armor does a great job molding to the shape of my body and typically can’t be felt while riding.
• CE-Rated SAS-TEC armor comes with the Maywood jacket in the shoulders and elbows.
• While it is soft and buttery to the touch, the Maywood’s premium, Winchester full-grain cowhide construction packs a 1.1mm thickness, which is standard for all Roland Sands Design women’s jackets. I can confidently say that the construction of the Maywood feels just as protective as the other RSD jackets I’ve worn.
• Another new feature to the Maywood is an upgraded leather treatment that will prevent the jacket from fading over time.
• A unique feature of the Maywood that’s probably it’s biggest selling point, is that the RSD team added a a water repellent finish to this jacket, making it “waterproof and/or resistant.” All critical seams have been seamed for additional protection against the elements, including the inner chest pocket, cuff, and sleeve zippers. I did get stuck in downpour in this jacket for over an hour, and to my surprise, it withstood the weather. While my boots and gauntlets had taken in water, my jacket was completely dry.
• The waterproof-sealed zippers near the sleeves will open to allow for minor ventilation while riding.
• One thing that the Maywood lacks, is ventilation. There are no perforated areas since the jacket is waterproof, nor closable vents. I’ve had the chance to wear this jacket while riding in frigid temps over Trail Ridge Road, in addition to 80-degree days. Both were manageable. This isn’t a leather jacket that I would suggest wearing on a humid, hot summer day, though.