I bought this jacket for several different reasons that appealed to me. The jacket had a removable thermal liner, zip out, allowing for riding in cool and warm riding. It certainly kept me warm in all my riding conditions, and if it ever got chilly, a simple long sleeve took up and extra chill that crept in. It was also pretty waterproof, I would give it 80 or 90 percent waterproof rating. A particularly strong storm in Wyoming while I was crossing Big Horn Pass with snow, sleet, rain and hail still did not get through the jacket, and I was dry while my fellow riders were soaked to the bone. I think these two factors, combined with its great bargain-like price, were the jackets most outstanding features. I would say its pretty hard to find warm, waterproof riding jacket for less than 180$. Even the pockets were 100% waterproof, with lined walls, and zippers as well as over-flaps for each pocket. The enormous pocket on the lower back was very handy, and the fact that the jacket went past my waist was great and helped in both comfort, and weatherproofing. It certainly looks good too, the reflective piping is just enough to be visible but still look stylish.
The jacket fit me well, i am 6’ 2” 205 lbs, and I decided to get an XL so I could wear clothes underneath the jacket if neccessary. I have a more thing waist but broad shoulders and long arms, and the XL fit me excellent at the waist, arms and chest. There are multiple adjustment points on the arms and waist which really allowed me to perfect the fit, such as tightening my arms but loosening my waist to fit my riding pants. There are also multiple zip open/close spots on the back and shoulders which really worked well- when it was especially warm, you could open the shoulders and fresh wind would buffet down into your back and feel heavenly.
The downfall of this jacket, I believe, was the build quality. Alot of small features on the jacket wound up falling apart, which alone would not have been a big deal, but combined became annoying. The velco on the pockets and cuffs would begin to fray quite soon, and eventually start coming off the jacket on the backside where it was glued to the jacket. The main zipper head broke off and I had to attach a small carabiner to it so it could be operated, especially with gloves on. Multiple points of the thread came undone, mostly at the corners of the chest pockets. The included armor felt pretty cheap and small, and while I fortunately never got to test it out, I questioned its strength.
I have put approximately 4500 miles on this jacket, including a cross country trip from Vermont to Alaska. I would give it a 7 out of 10, mostly because for its price, its an great jacket that does keep you warm and dry, even in the craziest weather. The small details like stitching, velcro and zipper tabs didnt hold up for long, but the important details held up just fine. For 180$ jacket to get me to Alaska, I was pretty happy!
No comments:
Post a Comment