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Racers stuff them into their jersey pockets to keep cool on fast marathon descents. Touring bikers take them out of their rucksacks to relax and enjoy the view on stormy summits. And enduro bikers throw on wind protection so that they don't freeze before the start of a stage. There are few items of clothing that are as universally applicable as the windbreaker. And even better: hardly any other item is as light and can be packed so inconspicuously small. We tested 16 models for racers and trail bikers as well as for men and women. Even before the test, there was one detail that was repeatedly discussed among our colleagues:
MTB windbreaker with or without a hood?
"It just flutters annoyingly on the back of your neck," say some. "Better than having the summit wind whistling around your ears," say others. Ultimately, it's a question of taste. Racers are more likely to do without head protection. On the one hand, they save weight without a hood - none of the hooded jackets break the 100 gram sound barrier. On the other hand, your ears will quickly start to ring under the hood if the material doesn't fit your head perfectly. And the hooded jackets don't seal as tightly as a classic collar. In our opinion, the hooded jacket scores more points when the freewheel isn't buzzing: when you're resting at the summit, for example. With a beer by the campfire on an overnighter. And when the style has to be right for a tour with your mates. Another indication that the models with a cap are more for trail bikers and adventurers is the cut of the jackets.
You can download the complete test of the 16 wind jackets for women and men from BIKE 9/2021 as a PDF below the article.
The test report costs €1.99. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't charge for them, but the opposite is the case: we do charge for them - tens of thousands of euros every year.
Wind jackets for men:
- Assos Mille GT Wind Jacket
- Craft Pro Nano Wind Jacket
- Cube Teamline Jacket
- Endura Singletrack DuraJak
- Gonso Karwendel
- Löffler M Bike Jacket WPM Pocket
- Pearl Izumi Summit Shell Jacket
- Protective P-Rise Up*
- Rapha Trail Lightweight Jacket
- Triple2 Kleen nul Superlight Windjacket
- Vaude Me Moab UL Jacket II
Wind jackets for women:
- Assos Uma GT Wind Jacket Summer
- Löffler W Bike Jacket WPM Pocket
- Pearl Izumi W Summit Shell Jacket
- Protective P-Rise Up
- Vaude Wo Moab UL Jacket II
MTB wind jackets:
Stefan Frey
Editor
