SPG Achilles Jacket

6,899 spartanprogear.com

WHILE LOOKING FOR A HELMET for Aniruddha, I chanced upon the SPG Achilles jacket and was immediately intrigued. It comes in this unique brown colour and the two white stripes down the arm make it look more like a regular jacket and less boy-racer. Naturally, the philistines at the office were far less than charitable about the brown colour. The Achilles is a well-constructed jacket and uses quality materials inside and out. The shoulders and elbows contain removable Knox-branded armour and there’s a dualdensity back protector as well. Fit is very nice, particularly for my small frame. The sides have a stretchable elastic panel for a snug fit, while there are zips at the cuff and adjustable straps to tighten the arms. Velcro straps secure the collar, cuffs and adjust the waist. This is an all-Cordura jacket and comes with an internal, removable rain liner which I had to remove after the first ride. It’s impossibly hot to ride with. That said, this is a very well thought-out piece of kit. There’s moisture- wick lining on the inside, a waterproof pocket for your cellphone and a microfibrelined pocket for your glasses. There are a couple of vents on the front and back to allow airflow, and these work adequately. All zippers are waterproof and the white stripes are 3M Scotchlite reflectives. We haven’t had a chance to test the durability of the materials (and we hope not to) but judging by the construction and thought behind this jacket, we have no doubt it will hold up.