ABR giant test: Adventure jackets

OscarIndia

OscarIndia

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Mentioned this in the Beakchat, complete with puzzlement as to why anyone without loads of £ would buy one as a main jacket (clearly great for summer/actual adventuring, not UK winters).
Been continuing my hunt for new textiles this morning, and thought as I did it it might be useful to let those of you who don't get the ABR mag have the results. So:

Bone Dry - Switch Desert Jacket - £99.99: 5/10. "Budget buy only"
Spada - Dakar Jacket - £109.99 - 8/10. "Exceptional value for money" and "Best budget buy".
Buffalo - Endurance Jacket - £130: 6/10. "Most stylish jacket on test, but you'll have to buy it for looks".
Richa - Adventure Jacket - £150: 9/10. "Best overall value for money" and "performs as well as jackets costing twice the price".
Weise - Nevada Jacket - £159.99: 7/10. "Good value none-too-flash".
Hein Gericke - Desert Jacket - £199.99: 6/10. "HG has other jackets more suitable for adventure and touring".
Furygan - Cup 3 EN1 Jacket - £200: 7/10. "Stylish, well-made, we like it"
Held - Hakuna Jacket - £270: 9/10. "Top warm weather adventure jacket - Morocco here we come in style and comfort".
Lindstrands - Quattra jacket - £299: 8/10. "Most desirable adventure jacket, practical and almost perfect".
Alpinestars - Excursion Gore-Tex Jacket - £350: 8/10. "Quality all year round touring jacket with conservative styling".
Rev'It - Defender GTX Jacket - £416: 9/10. "Almost perfect if you can live with the looks".
Rukka - Kalahari jacket - £750: 8/10. "The quality and desirability of this jacket is as high as the price".

As seems to be the case with the new(ish) ABR, I'd say they have one eye on advertising here, in that even stuff that's clearly rubbish doesn't get slagged off. I suspect if you'd been reading this in Bike or Ride they'd have been more brutal about some of these.

Second, by definition all of these "adventure" jackets are designed to ride in hot climes first, rain second and cold third. Thus none will keep heavy rain out via the outer layer, needing a waterproof liner instead, and some don't come with any kind of thermal liner at all.

There you go. Hope that's helpful to those of you shopping.:thumb
 
OscarIndia said:
Mentioned this in the Beakchat, complete with puzzlement as to why anyone without loads of £ would buy one as a main jacket (clearly great for summer/actual adventuring, not UK winters).
Been continuing my hunt for new textiles this morning, and thought as I did it it might be useful to let those of you who don't get the ABR mag have the results. So:

Bone Dry - Switch Desert Jacket - £99.99: 5/10. "Budget buy only"
Spada - Dakar Jacket - £109.99 - 8/10. "Exceptional value for money" and "Best budget buy".
Buffalo - Endurance Jacket - £130: 6/10. "Most stylish jacket on test, but you'll have to buy it for looks".
Richa - Adventure Jacket - £150: 9/10. "Best overall value for money" and "performs as well as jackets costing twice the price".
Weise - Nevada Jacket - £159.99: 7/10. "Good value none-too-flash".
Hein Gericke - Desert Jacket - £199.99: 6/10. "HG has other jackets more suitable for adventure and touring".
Furygan - Cup 3 EN1 Jacket - £200: 7/10. "Stylish, well-made, we like it"
Held - Hakuna Jacket - £270: 9/10. "Top warm weather adventure jacket - Morocco here we come in style and comfort".
Lindstrands - Quattra jacket - £299: 8/10. "Most desirable adventure jacket, practical and almost perfect".
Alpinestars - Excursion Gore-Tex Jacket - £350: 8/10. "Quality all year round touring jacket with conservative styling".
Rev'It - Defender GTX Jacket - £416: 9/10. "Almost perfect if you can live with the looks".
Rukka - Kalahari jacket - £750: 8/10. "The quality and desirability of this jacket is as high as the price".

As seems to be the case with the new(ish) ABR, I'd say they have one eye on advertising here, in that even stuff that's clearly rubbish doesn't get slagged off. I suspect if you'd been reading this in Bike or Ride they'd have been more brutal about some of these.

Second, by definition all of these "adventure" jackets are designed to ride in hot climes first, rain second and cold third. Thus none will keep heavy rain out via the outer layer, needing a waterproof liner instead, and some don't come with any kind of thermal liner at all.

There you go. Hope that's helpful to those of you shopping.:thumb
Click to expand...

Helpful?...................tells you nothing useful, so what was the point of it

You summed it up well:augie
 
Apparently you can get some Olins shocks for £7,500+ from Touratech as well according to the latest ABR...
 
OscarIndia said:
As seems to be the case with the new(ish) ABR, I'd say they have one eye on advertising here, in that even stuff that's clearly rubbish doesn't get slagged off. I suspect if you'd been reading this in Bike or Ride they'd have been more brutal about some of these.
Click to expand...

They have both eyes on advertising:blast The result of most reviews in mags is directly comparible with the amount of advertising space they have bought.

Ask Vern about the pannier test they just did and whether or not they may or may not of actually put the panniers on a bike:augie
 
Sgt Bilco said:
They have both eyes on advertising:blast The result of most reviews in mags is directly comparible with the amount of advertising space they have bought.

Ask Vern about the pannier test they just did and whether or not they may or may not of actually put the panniers on a bike:augie
Click to expand...

I suspect all mags do this to some degree. Yes Ride can be more brutal but as the incumbent in the market they can afford to do this. It would be interesting to see how brutal Ride was in the very beginning. Starting any business is very tough and I would imagine that in the cut throat business of publishing is very tough. :thumb2 to them for giving it a go.
 
I worked for RiDE and MCN as a freelance from 94-96 on and off (including the bikes :blast) RiDE hadn't been going to long as I remember. Editor, or perhaps he was deputy to John Westlake, Dickie Finchie was a good friend from the RN, oh the happy days of nepotism.

Anyway in all my time there, not once did I ever get the feeling that there was external influences in the tests. I was a test rider and feature writer and not once did I feel my input was overshadowed or altered by anybody else

People have said that publishing is a harsh competitive business but then so is most things

If you make a shit jacket that isn't waterproof when it claims to be, where is the point in a mag saying that is a great jacket and blatantly lying. Most manufacturers know what sort of shit they are punting out, I think the advertisers only get miffed is the test is a sham, not if the mag gives a poor result to a test

The reputation of the mag slowly dies if it isn't true to its readership.

Mags need to go in the opposite direction, be authoritative, the definitive word on something. You get all sorts of shite opinions spouted on internet forums :blagblah:blagblah:blagblah:blagblah :blasts so mags need to be the converse of that, a professional voice for the reader/rider

Now if you want to slag ABR for using shit pictures submitted by talentless readers that make the mag look amateur, well..................
 
Richeyroo said:
I worked for RiDE and MCN as a freelance from 94-96 on and off (including the bikes :blast) RiDE hadn't been going to long as I remember. Editor, or perhaps he was deputy to John Westlake, Dickie Finchie was a good friend from the RN, oh the happy days of nepotism.

Anyway in all my time there, not once did I ever get the feeling that there was external influences in the tests. I was a test rider and feature writer and not once did I feel my input was overshadowed or altered by anybody else

People have said that publishing is a harsh competitive business but then so is most things

If you make a shit jacket that isn't waterproof when it claims to be, where is the point in a mag saying that is a great jacket and blatantly lying. Most manufacturers know what sort of shit they are punting out, I think the advertisers only get miffed is the test is a sham, not if the mag gives a poor result to a test

The reputation of the mag slowly dies if it isn't true to its readership.

Mags need to go in the opposite direction, be authoritative, the definitive word on something. You get all sorts of shite opinions spouted on internet forums :blagblah:blagblah:blagblah:blagblah :blasts so mags need to be the converse of that, a professional voice for the reader/rider

Now if you want to slag ABR for using shit pictures submitted by talentless readers that make the mag look amateur, well..................
Click to expand...
Good points. In the era of information provided down the internet fire hose, magazines only have a future if they can be authoritative and trusted.

Otherwise you might as well listen to the the half-formed drivel that passes for drivel on most places on the internet.
 
stolzy said:
Good points. In the era of information provided down the internet fire hose, magazines only have a future if they can be authoritative and trusted.

Otherwise you might as well listen to the the half-formed drivel that passes for drivel on most places on the internet.
Click to expand...



what rubbish - my waxed string vest is the best and warmest garment ever made.........
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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