It was time to plan another ride across the country, and I needed a good jacket. Of the many options available, I found only a few that seemed to offer the kind of protection, comfort, and weather resistance I’d need without consuming vast amounts of precious cargo space.

I wanted a jacket that was warm enough for the high elevations of the northern states, and cool enough for the low deserts of the Southwest. It also had to keep me dry in inclement weather. So, I chose the Hein Gericke Speedway Jacket. It has a ballistic-grade mesh shell with leather in the shoulders and elbows. To further take the ouch out of an unexpected dismount, the elbows, shoulders, and back have removable Turtle Armor pads. Cordura arm panels make for a nice, comfortable fit that stretches just a bit as you move around on the bike. And to keep things tidy in the wind, the jacket has a belt at the waist and on the upper arms for a custom fit.

Inside is a removable, breathable, waterproof Sheltex membrane that keeps rain out and keeps your body from overheating. When the sun gets low in the sky and the temperature starts to drop, the lining keeps you warm until you’re ready to stop for the night.

This jacket performed well in many conditions, except for extremely hot days in the desert. At 110 degrees, it feels like you’re riding into a blast furnace, and the mesh of a textile jacket simply doesn’t offer protection from the heat like leather does. (I’ve found that leather jackets channel air well through the vents, while the hide protects you from the blazing hot wind.) Somewhere around the 100-degree mark, you actually get hotter as your speed increases, and I’m not sure any jacket would be truly effective in these conditions.

All in all, the Speedway jacket offered a high level of comfort and protection — and to get that kind of performance out of one lightweight jacket is amazing. For the price, it’s a real bargain. RB

SOURCES

Speedway Jacket $249.95
Sizes S-XXXL

Hein Gericke USA
Fairchild Sports
888/313-2510

heingericke-usa.com