Gear Review
By TOM Palazzolo
CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?
husband, Tom, often
MY teases me that, as I get
older, my temperature tolerance
range is down to less than 5
degrees one way or the other
before I am either freezing cold or
sweltering hot. He might be right.
And while summer riding does not
require us to wear heavy coats and
riding pants, I still want to be safe,
shielded from the sun’s UV rays
and COOL.
We found the perfect summer
riding jacket right here in our own
CMA Goodie Store.
This mesh jacket comes in Silver
or High Viz Yellow; which was my
choice being that the yellow was,
well, high viz; or “high visibility.”
The fluorescent yellow on front,
back, sleeves and neck band are
certainly attention getting. The
reflective seam piping and banding
across the back waist band and
upper sleeves are a bonus at dusk
and less sunny days.
The second best safety feature
is the new link armor in the
elbows, shoulders, and back. We
know armor isn’t comfortable if it
doesn’t stay in place, but the fit
features on this jacket make it
easy to snug it down so that the
armor is not shifting around while
you ride.
It has adjustable waist closure
snaps in the back for better fit. The
hem of the jacket has elasticized
bands for a closer fit and to keep
the jacket in place. The sleeves
have adjustable upper armbands
to allow for either a tighter fit or a
loser fit for a more aerated ride on
a hot day. The sleeves are a little
longer to accommodate the
extended arm reach of the rider.
The cuffs have a zipper opening as
well as a hook and loop closure.
There is a hook and loop closure at
the neck with CMA boldly embroidered
on it and for comfort, the
neckband is lined with a soft polyester
fabric to avoid irritation.
So far, safe and snug are good.
This jacket provides coverage from
the sun and a good fit with impact
protection, but what about staying
cool?
Apart from the cool factor in
how amazing you will look while
wearing this jacket, the cooling
effect, temperature wise, is also
pretty good. I found it comfortable
up to and over 100 degrees.
(Although is anything really comfortable
over 100 degrees?) This
jacket did what I wanted a mesh
jacket to do for me with all the little
features that make it both safe
and functional for summer riding.
There are two zippered pockets
in the front at elbow level which,
when sitting on a bike, are much
easier to access than lower side
seam pockets.
But wait. There’s more. It comes
with a zip-in rain liner that also
has a hoop and loop closure chest
pocket. Small button tabs attach it
to the button holed elastic loops
just inside the jacket cuff. Of
course, the rain liner can also be
used for a little extra warmth in
case the temperature drops, say,
five degrees.
Over all, a good summer riding
jacket that covers all the bases at
a reasonable price point. CMA
Tom and Kathie Palazzolo
oversee the West Region
as National Evangelist.
25⎪SEPTEMBER 2020⎪www.cmausa.org