The Aztec jacket from Scott is actually part of their winter/snow sports range, but it fits the bill for mountain biking well. A thin Gore-Tex Paclite shell keeps the jacket light, and all the seams are taped to keep water out.
The waistline has a drawcord to keep water from getting into the jacket from underneath too, and the sleeves have Velcro closures, which are big enough to fit gloved hands in winter. The hood has a drawcord as well, which could come in handy after riding if the weather’s really bad, although the hood itself isn’t big enough to fit over a helmet.
The waterproof, windproof and breathable Paclite shell fabric lives up to its claims on the trails, and kept us dry. It’s not specifically cut for riding, but the shape still works well, and the only extra we would have liked was a slightly lower back to cover right down to our trousers, because it tended to ride up a little when we were bent forward while climbing. The sizing comes up big too – our medium was comparable to some large jackets.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine.