Mountain biking asks a lot of clothing. It’s got to be durable, water and wind resistant, comfortable, have places to store bits and be stylish. The Dirt Track jacket from The North Face knocks each of those ducks over. TNF have clearly had a good look at garments like Gore Bike Wear’s Phantom jacket, which was the first mountain bike jacket to bring softshell protection and zip-off sleeves together.
We love the cut of the Gore Windstopper windproof jacket, which is close fitting enough to let you ride fast without becoming a sail yet casual enough for après bike wear. Zip the sleeves off and the main body of the jacket becomes a zip-front gilet.
The concept might seem like something that you’d never find yourself actually wearing, but once you realize how useful it can be to have a cold/warm option from the same garment you’ll swear never to be without it again. There's great hi-vis detailing, along with twin zip pockets that hold stuff securely. The high neck and lightly brushed collar keeps the chill out.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine.