All Arround MTB

AS THE NAME suggests, the Aksium Thermo is a jacket for colder days. The inner surface is brushed and cosy against the skin, but it wicks well and we stayed comfortable even when things warmed up.

THE STRATEGY IS one of two 300$ jackets in this test and we make no apology for the winning spots they both hold. This isn’t high fashion, where price doesn’t necessarily equate to performance. This is a case of the best fabric – GoreWindstopper, once again – being combined with incredibly well-specified functionality and pattern cutting that must have been refined again and again to get just the right fit.

THE EXPLORAIR COMBINES Gore Windstopper where you need it most – over the sleeves, through the front and hood – with a lighter stretch material on the back and the underside of the sleeves.

THIS IS ANOTHER jacket that feels a touch short when standing but is the perfect length on the bike. Gripper on the back hem ensures that stays in place too.

THE FIRST IMPRESSION of the Bontrager softshell is that it’s cut for movement – it’s longer at the back, with a gripper to keep it all in place, and the generously long sleeves ensure that when you shift back, the jacket doesn’t shift up.

MADISON’S ADDICT SOFTSHELL ticks lots of boxes at a not-too-crazy price. It’s got a good fit, with well-shaped sleeves and a slight tail drop. It does shift up a tad with more extreme moves but not enough to give you the chills up the back.

DON’T BE PUT off by the way this jacket feels short through the front when you try it on. Once in the saddle the fit is spot on and, together with the decently long back, gives the AM Enduro a proper ‘go faster’ bike-specific cut.

VAUDE ARE COMMITTED to using sustainable and environmentallyfriendly materials, and the Posta has the ‘bluesign’ seal of approval as well as bearing the German brand’s own Green Shape and Eco Finish badges, meaning that the water-repellant finish is made without fluorocarbons.

THE CUT OF this jacket impresses from the off. It’s neat but not tight, with a hood that pops straight over a helmet and stays in place, maintaining perfect peripheral vision.

THIS JACKET IS unusual in that it’s a softshell with (waterproof) taped seams. The feature detail matches that high specification, with waterproof zips, two hand warmer pockets and one at the rear, plus pit zips too.

OUT OF THE box this jacket struck us as looking like a (very well specified) tracksuit top. The cut, which dips marginally longer at the back when off the bike but not enough to make a difference when riding, has a relaxed look that would be at home in almost any sport.

THE AERON HAS a racy fit, with extra length at the back that kept the mucky spray from our gloopy spring test trails at bay. It’s a little tight under the arms but just about gets away with this due to the stretch of the fabric. More refinement in the cut would add comfort though, especially when layering.

ALTURA’S ATTACK 360Windproof is another ‘technical hoody’ style, and if you love the ’80s style colourblocked graphics you’re probably sold already. Again, it’s very much a casual crossover jacket, made from a lightweight fabric that provides wind and water resistance.

THE STYLING OF the Milestone reminds us of a favourite hoody and that’s what it is really, albeit a technical one. The substantial softshell fabric is warm to wear and kept us dry, but you do need the pit zips once the temperature rises or you start to work hard.

THIS WINDPROOF SHELL is so thin that it feels a touch fragile but the fabric is surprisingly robust and the jacket has survived being screwed up and wrenched out of packs with no signs of wear.

THE DESCENDER WP isn’t cheap for a water-resistant rather than waterproof jacket, but the 2.5-layer rip-stop material it’s made from is windproof and offers a decent amount of breathability.

MADISON DESIGNED THEIR Addict Storm jacket to take on anything the British weather can throw at it, and so far it’s done just that.

THE GRADIENT JACKET will get you noticed on the trail, but it’s not just the lairy looks that make it stand out for us. The lightweight two-way stretch material gives a close fit and excellent mobility, and there’s room to layer up underneath.The slightly dropped rear gives a bit of bum coverage, the underhelmet hood stashes away to form a comfy collar, and we love the laser-cut underarm vents, which help with cooling without the bulk of a pit zip.

The Nano’s lightweight construction and airy cut make it a comfortable garment. The large rear vent and perforated arm pit areas cement it as the least sweaty option here – great for muggy rides. The three quarter zip offers a little control to the ventilation, but we’d prefer a full length one for rapid removal. It easily packs into its back pocket, there’s also a front pocket, but it was less than useful for storage as items can jiggle about annoyingly.

The Scottish gear gurus at Endura know a thing or two about rain. The emergency shell does what it’s supposed to: stuff it in your bag and deploy it when the heavens open. Rain and water beads and runs off without soaking in. Even after subjecting it to the washing machine, water was repelled superbly.