Spring Bike Commuting Essentials: Jacket, Pack and Helmet
Spring is the perfect time to trade car keys for a bike lock. The Active Junky team’s been pedaling all year long, and we found three products where utility, quality and value share the same lane.
Showers Pass Metro Jacket: Look as good as you ride
Active Junky spins through thousands of products every year. Whenever total utility collides with style, we get out of our seats (bike seats, that is). Showers Pass places among pedal- and medal-worthy brands as Metro Jacket comes off the line strong. Waterproof and breathable, this 2.5 layer hardshell lands at under 11oz with a non-constrictive fit that’s never sloppy. The two-tone, subtle color blocking feels moto-inspired with upper back vents to channel airflow. Cyclists appreciate angled back pockets while curb hoppers applaud shoulder abrasion resistance; messenger packs don’t mean premature retirement. Off-bike, testers relished the soft collar and front two-way zipper to control temps. Be ready, however, for the “pockets to nowhere;” zips expressly for venting rather than stashing urban essentials.
Best For: Wet and windy metros, suburban weekend errands
Novara ETA Backpack: Navigating the essentials
Active Junky grabbed this one for cycle commuting. After all, why pop out a Candy Crush-orange rain cover unless you’re competing for lane space? Somehow, Novara manages to pack 19L of storage into a low profile design, one that never impairs neck movement or visibility. Wide, high-density shoulder straps overcome payloads rife with laptops, water bottles, food and cobra-like bike cables. Quick access to the exterior accessories pocket converted ETA to a mobile coffee-shop office without digging into the internal, compression strapped body. Active Junky gravitated to the exterior helmet bungee along with removable waist belt. Sternum strap security would benefit from elastic even as it slides to find a comfort point on the chest. Dig the hidden pump sleeve and ride in confidence to your next appointment with destiny.
Best For: All-conditions commuting, coffee-shop entrepreneurs
Lazer Helium Helmet with MIPS: The road to no excuses
Active Junky’s been looking to feature this helmet, one built around double density EPS foam and a patented (and legitimately unique) Rollsys Retention System with Adjustable Head Basket. Sounds weird until you’re flying down Rocky Mountain hairpins – or stuck in traffic trying to reach your Carlsbad, California office. Among the coolest, lightest helmets in its category, the 260g Helium has remained a popular recreational and competitive helmet. With the addition of MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System), this version makes a compelling case to upgrade to a 7-piece, in-mold model in 2015. With the popularity of citizen cycling events and the overlap between weekday commuting and weekend charging on the rise, Helium sits at the crossroads of speed and safety. Evaluators spun the thumbwheel tension adjustment along the helmet’s top ridge to arrive at one conclusion; time’s run out on reasons not to ride smart.
Best For: Weekday protection, weekend acceleration
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