Skip to main content

Royal Racing Matrix jacket


This was the heaviest jacket on test and noticeably so, but in a superprotective way rather than being restrictive. The fit is really very good – when you move your arms, even over your head, the body of the jacket doesn’t shift around. This, combined with a good length through the back, means no cold patches and makes it a solid cold-weather choice, especially as there’s room to layer up underneath. It’s warm during sustained pedalling efforts though, and the lack of vents means you need to wear a decent-wicking baselayer. The hood fits over a helmet, but it’s a snug fit, so has a tendency to pull. Overall, the fit of the body is so good that it’s a shame that the fabric isn’t more breathable or there aren’t some vents, but it’s a decent price for the durability and protection that it affords.

Weight 590g

Price $165

Popular posts from this blog

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

SKS Airbuster CO2 inflator

The alloy Airbuster has a large knob so you can regulate the flow of gas, a mechanical stop to prevent the cartridge being pierced in transit and a dust cap to keep the valve free of debris. While it works with Presta and Schrader valves, switching between them requires a fiddly change of the valve head. The thin rubber sleeve doesn’t provide much protection from cold spent canisters. You can’t insert much of the valve into the inflator head, so you have to be careful to avoid leaks. Price $33 w/16g cartridge

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

Anthony Messere’s Morpheus Vimana Slope

A flying chariot built with one thing in mind – slopestyle domination