Viking Cycle Ironside Mesh Motorcycle Jacket
On hot summer days it's hard to resist the urge to do away with ATGATT (All the gear all the time) and ride in a t-shirt. One solution to riding safe and staying cool is a mesh riding jacket. Several clothing manufacturers offer a variety of styles, quality and levels of ventilation. Today we are reviewing Viking Cycles Ironside mesh style jacket. I'll admit living in Canada this is the first time I have come across Viking Cycle apparel, I have to say my first impression is great. I do have to note though winter hit us early so I have not had the opportunity to test the jacket on the street so this is a first impression review.
The quality of the materials and stitching is noticeably high quality. It is constructed with PU coated Cordura and high-grade mesh. With mesh jackets some can feel baggy but the Ironside jacket has a tailored fit like a textile jacket. This is probably a result of the balance of mesh and Cordura material, The front, back and front of the sleeves are mesh while the sides and shoulders are Cordura, this gives the jacket more structure while still providing plenty of area for air flow.
The jacket has cinch straps on each side on the bottom as well as two tabs on each arm with snaps. The cuffs have rubber like straps with velcro to hold them in place. There is also a zipper to attach pants.
Pockets! You can never have enough. The pockets in the Ironside jacket are plentiful and sturdy. Other makes of mesh jackets I have had, the pockets were some what of an after thought, spare material added that never held anything securely. There are seven pockets on this jacket, all with either zippers or a velcro tab. The zippers on the jacket are large enough to open and close while wearing gloves and they move effortlessly.
Lastly the protection system in this jacket. The first thing I noticed when I put it on is that the pads didn't slide out of place or feel like hockey pads. They are firm yet pliable. This is because Viking Cycle uses their V-Safe protection system. A state of the art protection system which matches the safety threshold of CE-Approved protection while improving the ergonomics by adapting a honeycomb design for increased flexibility and maximum joint movement.
Overall this a high quality jacket that fits and looks great. Oh did I mention it's affordable? At the time of writing this article it is listed for $49.99 USD on their US website. I can't wait for the snow to melt so I can take it out on the street. Check back in May when we will have a video review of the current model.
TWC
Visit Viking Cycle online:
In USA
https://www.vikingcycle.com
In UK
https://uk.vikingcycle.com/collections/mens-motorcycle-jackets
In Australia
https://au.vikingcycle.com/collections/mens-motorcycle-jackets
