Riding Jacket Comparison: Care for Your Core

From the March, 2010 issue of Dirt Rider

By Jimmy Lewis, Karel Kramer

Photography by Drew Ruiz, Karel Kramer, Pete Peterson

Dirt riders are always searching for a safe and acceptable compromise between comfort, movement and protection. So when it comes to jackets, the schools of thought generally fall between avoiding a jacket whenever possible, to wearing one unless it is absolutely not possible. Fortunately for our test we have Jimmy Lewis who is one of those guys who almost always wears a jacket, and it never seems to slow or limit him. None of us fall into the avoid-at-all-costs category, but if the rest of us can do without or substitute a vest, we will. But weather is the reason for the existence of jackets, and in certain conditions you gotta have one for comfort and in extremes, even survival. After roosting, switching off, squirting water at and weighing these 17 examples, we all have a greater appreciation of what makes an excellent jacket. Whenever you buy gear, or even motorcycles, you should always attempt to obtain the right tool for the job. Our California staff wouldn't weight ultimate waterproofing as highly as riders in Washington. Nor would someone in high-country Colorado be as concerned with venting. But there is a lot of crossover and only you know what jacket is right for your conditions and needs. Be honest, is a jacket going to free you to finally ride in the pouring rain? How fearlessly do you face cold or other extreme weather? Use the answers to those questions to decide based on the features of jackets that interest you.

We've rated the jackets on waterproofing and a maximum range of comfortable temperatures we'd use the jacket for. Our suggested temp range assumes you are generating body heat through exercise, not blasting down a freeway.

KEY TO IMPORTANT JACKET FEATURES

Common Features and Why They Matter
1. Removable sleeves: Converts jacket to vest for less restriction in mild weather. Most have pockets in the rear of the jacket to carry the sleeves.
2. Vents: Zippered areas that allow air into the jacket without opening the jacket front. Important for keeping cool in mild or warm weather.
3. Drink Port: A hole in the front of the jacket that allows your drink system hose to exit.
4. Two-way front zipper: The main zipper opens up or down. This allows you to open the bottom to clear a fanny pack, or have the zipper meet in the middle to allow full air intake, yet have immediate temperature control while riding.
5. One-way front zipper: A main zipper that zips up from the bottom.
6. Velcro neck flap: Allows the most possible adjustment so riders with different size necks will not have chafing.
7. Velcro wrist closure: Allows you to snug up the sleeve openings for cold, or open them wide to scoop air when it is warm.
8. Fully fastened zipper cover: Usually a flap or even double flap that covers the front zipper and is fastened to the jacket front (usually with Velcro) when closed. This is the best set-up for waterproofing and cold control.
9. Snap- or patch-fastened front zipper cover: Allows the option of having the zipper open for venting, but with the jacket front closed.
10. Expandable jacket skirt: Usually zippered slots in the bottom of the jacket that can be opened for comfort or to allow fanny pack room under the jacket. Can be closed to keep the jacket bottom snug in cold or wet conditions.
11. Barrier or breathable fabric: Any of a number of waterproof fabrics with an inner membrane that passes water molecules one direction and blocks them coming through the other way. Gore-Tex® is the best known of these.
12. Zip-in liner: An insulated liner made for the jacket that zips in to change the jacket from a wind and water-resistant shell to an insulated one.
13. Armor: Plastic or foam elbow or shoulder guards that install in the jacket to provide impact protection.
14. Waterproof zippers: Special zippers with flaps that close over the zipper as it is closed to keep water from going through the zipper teeth.
15. Snap-close cuffs: Cuffs that restrict sleeve opening via snaps. These are usually two-position adjustable. They don't catch on things like hook-and-loop can, but doesn't offer as much adjustment.
16. Internal wind gaiter: An internal stretch flap that keeps wind from coming up under the jacket at high speeds.
17. Elastic jacket drawstring: Generally hidden inside the jacket, a drawstring allows snugging the lower part of the jacket against you body. Some are at the waist, and others right at the bottom of the jacket.