All my Ekoi jackets have a zipped pocket on the back of the rear open one. I like how they fit at the wrist too.
1 Like
These older jackets were mainly aimed at mountain bikers, I think. So they had a nice fleece lining (unlike my 7mesh road cycling-focussed jacket that keeps me warm by slowing down the heat flow from my body to the environment, i. e. when I stop, it starts getting cold real quick).
The Pearl Izumi Pro jacket was close-to-perfect, and I can’t really see a replacement.
One worry is the every-increasing sizes that smartphones come in and whether they will fit into the front pocket. When I upgrade from my iPhone 12 mini, I need to find a replacement for my cycling wallet, too.
1 Like
Thanks, Ekoi wasn’t on my radar. Any models you can recommend in particular?
This is my favourite one https://www.ekoi.com/en-gb/thermal-cycling-jackets/16285-thermal-jacket-ekoi-perf-elegance-black-blue.html
but there’s a good range:
1 Like
Pactimo. Pretty nice having the external rear pockets. (3 Rear Open Pockets, one smaller with a zipper)
I just checked - my Pixel 10 Pro XL and iPhone 15 Plus both fit in the zippered valuables pocket, although I always ride with my phone in one of the open ones.
1 Like
I bought one of these https://nopinz.com/product/pro-1-evo-blizzard-jersey-mens-navy/ and it’s all ive worn through winter. Fleece lined, stretchy and lovely fit around the hips. Has a front pocket and a zipped pocket. Never wear a base layer under it it’s absolutely mint, never overheat, never get cold. Brilliant rear pockets. I think it’s the best product Nopinz have made.
1 Like
Bioracer spitfire tempest series has one large zippered pocked at the back, and a normal stretchy one. Plus a zippered chest pocket.
Like the chest pocket for keys, but I prefer normal stretchy ones at the back. The jerseys are great otherwise.
1 Like
These are great suggestions so far from brands I hadn’t considered. Thanks.
That’s the brand that Alex Dowsett has partnered with, I believe.
Just one clarification: the description states this is a jersey and not a jacket. I don’t care about the label, but I was wondering whether the difference in this case is: jersey = no room for anything but a base layer vs. jacket = room for another, thicker layer.
Thanks, I had a look, and they do seem to have quite a few options, although some in questionable colors (at least according to my taste, you do you!).
Looks interesting, but at least on the website it is out of stock. But I’ll look around (I’m in Europe/Germany).
1 Like
Tbh I bought mine last year, seems they only have a couple left on their sale/outlet page. This years version has more traditional pockets, with one zippered one behind them. And they don’t have the light-reflective “pixel” strip last year’s had.
Regarding you jacket/jersey question - depending on size, I think they could be either. I have a thicker “Tempest” one that I think is more a jacket, and a thinner "Tempest light” one that is more a winter jersey. Both have the same pockets.
Bioracer are in Belgium so should be easy to get shipped to Germany.
1 Like
It’s a winter jersey really which can take a base layer underneath. Surprisingly good in the wet also.
1 Like
Ornot added pockets to their latest version. not zippered though
2 Likes
Just for clarity, they make 2 jackets
-
The Magic Shell jacket has 3 pockets and no zip.
-
The Microclimate jacket has one of those rear side zip pockets that doubles as a fold up pocket for when you remove the jacket and want to put it in your jersey pocket.
1 Like
I just ordered the Nopinz Pro-1 Evo Blizzard. With import duties, shipping and all, it was around 146 £ ≈ 170 €. I’m curious as to the quality.
2 Likes
When my commuting soft shell jacket finally give up the ghost, I might check that one out I like a chest pocket on the commuting jacket as I need to be at keys and passes more often. Endura have discontinued what I currently wear for commuting (it must be 15 or 16 years old at least, so no shock there). Let me know how you get on with the NoPinz jacket
Lol, the other feature I like of the Endura jacket which I thought was daft at the time, zip off sleeves. I was living in Scotland at the time and it never warmed up enough on a single day but down south it’ll often be 8-10 deg C in the morning and 15-20deg C in the evening in spring Scotland had a similar temp variation greater but it be from 1-2deg C to 8-13 deg C and it would still be too cold for zip off sleeves.
1 Like
Will do.
I’m in the same boat: this is mostly for commutes and the front pocket is really, really useful. It’s weird, in my book, the design of softshell jackets peaked around 15 years ago and nowadays the ones you can buy are not as good from a feature perspective.
The “glove extensions” were super useful to keep cold wind out, they work much better than any grippy material or so.
1 Like
I took delivery yesterday and wore it on a grocery haul. Here are my first impressions:
- Nopinz is aimed at the sporty end of the spectrum. Hence, the jersey is very tight-fitting, especially around the arms.
- The jersey is designed to be worn with a base layer and practically, nothing else fits underneath.
- Quality seems good, the sleeves have strong rubber bands that prevent wind from getting in.
- I also don’t need to wear a buff.
- Yesterday, it was 8–10 degrees outside and I put on a short-sleeved baselayer. My core was very warm at all times, especially when I was standing still (the opposite of my 7mesh jacket/jersey), but my arms were feeling a bit fresh from the wind. They were not cold, but a tad colder than ideal. I reckon with a long-sleeved base layer, this is solved.
- The front pocket fits my iPhone 12 mini, but I am not sure how much more space there is to spare.
I’ll post more once I got to wear it on my commutes. I’m cautiously optimistic. Right now we have rather wide temperature ranges, today 2–14ish degrees, and I’m curious how well it copes with that.
2 Likes
Thanks for sharing the review. I have to say, after reading what you wrote, I read their description, and it sounds like the marketing department did a great job of describing the product accurately. That’s refreshing.
2 Likes
Yup, absolutely. I should have referenced their description, too, in my post.
It made me more interested in the brand: the prices are good (although import duties are a bit steep, thanks Brexit) and the products focussed. I obviously cannot comment on the quality at this point, but it seems well-made.
I’m toying with the idea of getting 1–2 more jerseys or bib shorts from them in the near future. I have wo bib shorts that are in desperate need of being replaced.
1 Like
The new endura 3 season is very versatile. It has an internal liner which csn be removed and vents, so it can be used in quite a broad range of temps.
1 Like
Think Nopinz are extremely popular in the British TT scene. They also make pockets for race numbers (think you can send them your jersey and they’ll add them, at least they used to do that). So no surprise the cut is on the sporty side.
1 Like