‘Amazing mix of comfort and protection’
Tested by Mike Armitage for two months / 500 miles
Sorry, who? I’d not heard of John Doe until my teenage son Ed started looking for proper bike kit and began showing me clobber that matched his image requirements but still claimed to be genuine bike gear. The promise of comfort, ‘urban streetwear’ style and protection seemed too good to be true – but this Explorer jacket is great.
With more than a hint of a classic M65 military jacket, the Explorer is made from cotton twill but with XTM Fiber underneath. This is their abrasion-resistant material, which is also stretchy and includes Coolmax to make it breathable and nonclammy. With this fancy material and discreet armour in the elbows, shoulders and back, the jacket has full-on AAA safety certification.
It’s staggering that something so light, comfy and easy to wear can be so handy at protecting your bark should it all go upside-down. There’s no clever-sounding waterproof membrane, however the tight weave of the cotton and a Beeswax finish mean it’s water-resistant to a column of 900mm – this means it’ll deflect unexpected showers but doesn’t have the weather-beating capabilities for a 400-mile ride in a winter storm. Not that you’d wear it in winter anyway; with no thermal liming the Explorer is what you’d call a ‘three-season’ jacket (at best).
Details are good. The press studs are large and satisfying to click, there are plenty of pockets, its interior lining has a quality feel, and the sleeves are long and so don’t ride-up on the bike. I appreciate the discreet logos and badges, too. In business since 2001, John Doe clearly believe in the product: there’s a five-year warranty. Colour options are Olive (this army-ish green), Camel (a warm sand colour) and Black (which is… er, black). Sizes range from XS to 5XL.
Buy directly from John Doe’s website (where you’ll also find some rather cool trousers, protective shirts, gloves, boots and more) and the Explorer is around £330 delivered to your door, depending on exchange rates. There are also a few stockists in the UK so you can go and see it for yourself, including SportsbikeShop.
Quality ★★★★★Value ★★★★★ www.ridejohndoe.com
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