As a city commuter, I like my cycling clothing to be able to be worn both on and off the bike and the Dare 2b Clarendon jacket completely fits the bill.
The jacket has a great nautical, fisherman style look to it (I love the wooden toggles) and is something that can be easily worn over my cycling jeans or leggings. It completes my cycling outfits without looking like I’m wearing typical cycling clothing and is great for city riding in short distances.
The length of the coat is ideal for me. It doesn’t let any unwanted drafts in and it’s not often that you find many cycling specific jackets this length which is something I really like, style wise. The sizing of the jacket is quite large and roomy, which is always a winner in my eyes. I’m a size 12 in clothing and the size 10 jacket fits me perfectly on it’s own, or even with layers underneath.
The cut on the Dare 2b Clarendon’s arms is also the right length, there was no material riding up or wind coming in because of the jacket’s adjustment straps around the wrist.
The jacket feels quite stiff on because of it’s thick waxy material, but it’s actually really easy to move round in on the bike. The only problem I had with it was feeling a little restricted in the area around the elbow when I wanted to indicate with my arm or reach something from my backpack.
There are plenty handy (and deep) pockets on the front, back and side of the jacket. I’m also a big fan of zipped pockets and the zip used on the back pocket feels very well made and secure, unlike a lot of cheap coats with zips that break within a month or two.
There’s some small reflective details dotted around the Dare 2b Clarendon on the front and rear pockets for added visibility on the bike, with the the large strip on the back pocket being really effective. The jacket’s underarm vents were also very welcomed on this jacket, keeping me cool and ventilated when things got a little too stuffy.
Although I’m a big fan of the colour yellow, I’m not sure how much I like bright yellow jackets. It will be tricky to wear with most things in my wardrobe because of the colour clash problem!
I’m also quite skeptical at how well grease and mud will keep off it because of the colour and waxy material of the jacket. So far, little bits of grease have been easily removed but I haven’t had to tackle any big stains on it yet.
Pros
– Great looking style.
– Comfortable fit.
Cons– The colour yellow is my favourite but not in a cycling jacket.
– Quite stiff around the elbow area.
Available from Dare 2b this spring.
