c. £159.99 today
(AmV76, November/December 2015)
Everything’s great when you first get it, but living with it can throw up issues. That is true of something as robust as a proper bike jacket, and doubly so anything with a soft shell – like this Draggin’ Jeans Roo Hoody – that is going to get put through hell, and then through a washing machine.
I inherited this off Andy, who wasn’t giving it the use it needed and reckoned that I might be able to put it through its paces; and while it had been through the wash often enough to take the newness off it, it arrived in excellent condition.
As luck would have it, it was the size I would have chosen for myself and is a good fit, and I would say that you don’t need to go up a size as the material has a good amount of stretch. You are better off not having a lot of spare fabric which might ride up in the event of a slide, of course, but then as a garment that has been designed to wear as the outer layer on a bike, it features an adjustable draw-string waist and extended cuffs with thumb-holes to keep it where you want it.
The Roo Hoody is a lot lighter than I expected. The outer is soft but sturdy and lined with Draggin’s own 
Roomoto abrasion resistant fabric in the key contact areas. There’s also a full, mesh lining with pockets for the included DFFUSE CE armour, which is also soft and malleable, feeling more like stiff memory foam than previous generations.
The two zipper pockets on the front are a good size and easy to access without having to remove your gloves, both having a decent sized tab – as does the front zip – to make life easy. And the secure, zipped inside breast-pocket is very useful for your valuables.
Even though it’s designed to keep you cool in summer, it’s closer to a three-season jacket with excellent additional use as a thermal layer in the fourth. I’m quite ‘nesh’ – as we say in t’north – but have been out for a couple of short journeys when it’s been down to 4 degrees with just a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath – just to prove a point – and found it bearable. Yes, I was cold when I got home but, with the addition of a decent base layer, commuting a few miles shouldn’t be an issue even on cold, dry days.
I could just say that the Roo will become my jacket of choice for urban riding next summer but the truth is that it has barely been off my back since October.
It’s snug enough to wear on its own when the weather is milder or under a leather when it’s cold, and its comfy enough to wear as a normal hoody – usually without its armour – even when you’re driving.
And it’s been washed numerous times – a 30° wash with non-bio detergent, dried on a clothes airer – and it still has the same fit and feel as the first time I wore it.
A great way to ride safe, stay comfortable and look cool when you’re doing it. //Fon