Technical clothing with an urban appeal is becoming more and more common these days. This excellent jacket from DHB could be a high street fashion jacket at a glance, but is a full-featured technical waterproof.
The waterproof polyester fabric has a soft brushed twill effect coating on the outside, and full taped seams internally. Against bare arms, the slightly rubbery internal doesn’t feel too nice, but is fine if you’re wearing long sleeves.
The high neck is cut close to keep out drafts and rain, and it has a soft lining with a twin popper closure. Long tapered arms with Velcro adjustable cuffs are great for even the lankiest riders, and the long dropped-tail keeps the worst of the weather away, without looking too much like a cycling garment.
Two expandable pockets with popper flaps can hold a fair amount and their kidney positioning puts the weight in a good place with easy access, even while riding. One of the pockets has an internal zipped pocket that’s ideal for a phone or iPod.
The cut is very good and the Southsea jacket is 100 percent waterproof and surprisingly breathable. For commuting and casual riding it’s brilliant, but for performance riding it would need to be improved a touch with armpit venting.
For an urban jacket, we’d also like to see a removable hood, but it would still be a great addition to any keen cyclist’s wardrobe, whether it’s for the dash to work, getting out in the elements or kicking back at the pub.