Summer kit: What to know

The summer brings challenges. Heat and humidity are draining. Dehydration is a threat, leading to loss of concentration... which is potentially lethal on a bike. There is kit designed for this. We looked at two p rice ranges:

Getting out in it

Out on the road, how did each set of kit get on? First we will consider the lower budget, followed by the more expensive option.

The Buffalo Coolflow ST jacket is a loose fit (arm straps prevent flapping) with mesh front/rear for airflow and additional arm vents to increase flow. I estimate that the removable quilted/waterproof lining makes for a 5° difference (keeping me dry in a light shower). Lining out, I felt chilly around 18°C! I found the Coolflow’s limit into the mid-30s and at that point even at 70mph on the motorway the air felt warm.

Very comfortable to wear, with two external pockets, a Napoleon pocket, mobile phone pocket and zippable inner ‘pouch’ pocket (inner pockets replicated on the detachable lining), my only issue is not being convinced that the elbow armour would be in the right position in an impact.

The Knox Zephyr jacket performs its core role – keeping you cool in heat – superbly. Into the 30s (°C), as long as I was doing as little as 15mph I felt cool, staying bone dry. The Zephyr is meant to be worn as a snug ‘overshirt’, over a base layer only. It has CE back protection and shoulder/elbow armour that I have 100% confidence will be in the right place should it ever be needed.

That snugness gave me an issue as I felt constricted. Lots of people will feel fine, but ‘try before you buy’, trying a size larger than normal. Being so snug, it also held the back protector close to the spine, so at (inevitable) stops there was no gap, resulting in me getting home with a bone-dry torso and arms, but a sweaty patch on my upper back.

Snugness aside, I have one big gripe with the Zephyr. I am a practical soul, carrying a lot of stuff with me (a minimum of house, garage and bike keys, mobile phone and earplugs). Two smallish pockets to stash this lot in isn’t great. The Zephyr does have a concealed rear pocket… but that means having to take it off to get at the contents.

The Spidi J-Strong jeans only come in regular leg length – a problem for those of us with little legs – but I was able to turn them up over the pre-stitched turn-up making them fit nicely. They’re a relaxed fit, comfortable from the off and very light. They are the jeans of choice for that retro image.

I get the feeling that there is more Cordura in the Cordura/denim blend of the Spada Rigger Selvedge jeans, as they have a real elasticity, the mesh lining making them easy to slip on and off. The messages on the waistband make me smile; having ‘ducks’ disease’ I appreciate the short and regular leg lengths. I did find them a little constricting at the crutch, but over time the fabric will give.

The RST Blade II gloves’ goatskin took some breaking in. For a time, the knuckle armour dug in when pulling on the clutch lever. The fingers felt tight. But I was always able to take them off, the three-strap securing system gave me 100% confidence that they would stay in place and I appreciated the mix of materials on the palm, meant to encourage the hand to slide in an accident, allied with a suede strip to wipe moisture off the visor during a summer shower.

What does another £44 buy you? In the case of the Wolf Kangaroo gloves, there is bags of feel. I hadn’t realised until I put on the Wolf gloves how much feel was available. Suddenly the levers and switches were intimate friends. Comfortable from first wear, nothing dug in and my hands stayed sweat-free in the hottest of weather. I did manage to pull off some decorative trim – and the blades on the thumbs make me think I should give them back to Batman – but they have become my ‘go-to’ pair of gloves in warmer weather. No suede wipe strip, though – a bit of an oversight.

I love the TCX Rush WP boots. They are so light that you hardly feel they’re on your feet and breaking in consisted of one evening wearing them around the house. Adjusted by tightening laces, I like being able to secure the bow with the Velcro strap. The tiny vents (you’ll miss them unless you look properly) supply a surprising amount of ventilation – when the temperature dropped I realised there were little jets of cold air shooting along my feet! My feet stayed dry in a shower and the soles were grippy.

How does TCX get its boots to be so comfortable from the off? The TCX X-Hero leather boots broke in after a day wearing them round the office (with praise for such good looking boots from non-biking colleagues). The leather is supple, the soles grippy, and I love being able to adjust them by tightening/tying the laces… then never touching them again, getting them on/off via the lateral zip. I’ve worn these on really hot days and my feet felt fine, but long term I’m thinking of these as spring/autumn boots; choose these for that retro look.