Firstgear Jaunt T2 Jacket
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Good jacket at any price, excellent at this price.
I own both the Jaunt T2 and what I would consider its closest competitor, the TourMaster Transition. So, I have a good basis for comparison between somewhat similarly priced jackets.
The Jaunt T2's overall construction is quite good. Stitching seems secure, nothing noticeably sloppy or "cheap" looking. Materials are top quality.
The comfort of this jacket is somewhere between awful and excellent. I know...what??? How can it be both? Well, overall, the jacket wears well. The neck and cuffs are soft and feel great next to the skin. The material isn't overly stiff, and moves well. My complaints, and they are major, are with the armor. First, the way Firstgear installs the armor is to put it inside nylon pounches that are held in with velcro on the inside of the elbows and shoulders. So, if you have the quilted liner removed and are wearing short sleeves, your elbows are rubbing against this pouch (which, itself, closes with velcro so your elbows are rubbing against the velcro stitching on the outside of the pouch). The Transition, by comparison, holds the armor inside the lining of the jacket...nothing irritating against your skin at all. That, though, isn't the worst complaint I have with the armor. The elbow armor is, BY FAR, the stiffest, most irritating armor I've ever suffered with in a jacket. The armor is moulded with a very deep elbow pocket. Comfy in the riding position, but once you straighten your arms it is stiff and just awful. I replaced it with Icon D3O armor, which fits perfectly and is way more comfortable.
The zippers seem to be of good quality and all work well, provided you have both hands available. The vents can be fairly easily openeed with one hand, but I've had no luck closing them with one gloved hand.
The jacket has plenty of pockets, and I greatly appreciate the chest pocket just inside the storm flap, but it is lacking my favorite pocket of all...the pocket on the bottom of the left sleeve. The Transition has the sleeve pocket (as well as one just inside the storm flap). It's a minor thing, I admit, but I love the sleeve pocket. I keep my license, insurance card, and road/bridge toll money in that pocket. Super easy to access without having to open any velcro or zippers to get at the chest pocket.
The collar...well, good and bad. As mentioned before, it's very soft and is high enough to block most of the wind on cool days. Two complaints, though; the adjuster won't hold its position if you have the collar adjusted at all snug. Second, there is no snap or velcro to hold the collar open if you want a little air.
As for size, READ THE SIZE CHART! If you order your normal size, the jacket will almost assuredly be too big. I'm 6'0", 225lb with a 45 inch chest and the size Large fits me well. I'm an XL in most brands, and a XXL in Rev'It. I originally ordered the XL in this jacket and was swimming in it. I had the waist straps cinched down all the way, and it was still loose on me.
You'll note I haven't commented on the "waterproof" nature of the jacket. That's because I never, ever count on a bike jacket to be waterproof, whether it be this $180 Jaunt or a $900 Klim Badlands. There is always a rain suit in my pannier. That said, it'll certainly keep you dry in a light rain or at least long enough to pull over and put your rain gear on.
So, finally, a summary. Good looking jacket, well made, and mostly comfortable. I think this would be plenty of jacket for the vast majority of people most of the time. I'll still wear a mesh jacket in the summer, and you'll want more layers under this in the winter, but it's a very good 3 season jacket.
Personally, I have to admit in all honesty that I prefer the Transition to the Jaunt T2. The armor is light years more comfortable, I prefer the armor retention method, I'm a big fan of the sleeve pocket, it has a snap to secure the collar open, the sizing runs true. I would point out that the Transition is around $45 more expensive, but in my case I spent the savings on more comfortable armor, so I have the same amount invested in both jackets. Bottom line, though, is that the vast majority of people would likely be happy with either of these jackets, and I'm not at all sorry I bought the Jaunt T2.
May 9, 2013
Solid product, great price.
Commuting year-round in Portland, Oregon, I see a lot of wet days and a lot of days with huge swings between high and low temperatures. Even on the days when it's not raining, it may be 40 degrees F in the morning and above 80 in the afternoon. This jacket fits the bill nicely.
I'm about 5'10" and 185 lbs. The size Large is possibly a bit big but I wanted room for an extra layer for winter weather. The interior zip-out liner doesn't add a lot of warmth but it's easy to layer a fleece jacket underneath in the morning and then stuff the extra jacket in a backpack or a sidecase for the ride home.
The jacket is very waterproof and windproof, even at freeway speeds, and the vents do a great job flowing air once it warms up and stops raining.
The only thing I didn't love about the jacket is the basic back protection is pretty flimsy. I installed a Knox back pad from another jacket for more piece of mind.
Yes, there are certainly jackets out there with more features and I considered some higher-end touring gear from Rev'it, BMW, Aerostitch, etc. but I'm glad I went with this jacket. I'm not honestly riding 10-hour days in a third-world country for weeks at a time. I'm commuting on pavement less than a half hour each way. This jacket is solid and reliable and is perfect for what I need it for. It's a lot of jacket for less than $200.
April 3, 2013
Returned for next size up
By the video I bought a jacket 2 sizes smaller than I normally buy. The Large was too tight in the arms. Xlarge was still snug in the arms. I spent another $50.00 to have the tailor modify the arms by getting rid of the adjustment straps and puting a zipper on the end to get rid of the extra fabric at the gauntlet. The forearm and upper arm were still snug but useable. The lower pockets could have use a side opening to warm your hands when walking with your gloves off. The stitching on the inner linning was not finished as nice as the Tourmaster nor was the detail to the type and color to the latches on the end of the sleeves or waist line.
February 4, 2013
This product offers great protection; however, in my opinion, it needs additional pockets.
I purchase this jacket approximately two weeks ago to be used for the winter months. So far, the jacket is working very well against the cold weather. I am currently riding in temperatures between 50 and 35 Fahrenheit. The jacket is somewhat bulky and stiff, but I hope the stiffness goes away after the break-in period. Overall, I am very satisfied with the purchase.
November 26, 2012
You get what you paid for...and then some!!!!
First up you are getting a lot of jacket for the money. Keep this in mind and do not expect a top dollar textile because you didn't pay top dollar for it. What you do get is a well fitted quality materiel middle of the road water resistant 4 season with armored jacket. I am 6 foot 3 inches and 225 lbs I have long arms and a long torso and got a xl tall and it fits perfect. Every thing is adjustable to really customize the fit...I got mine in red and I must say it looks very sharp!
The Good: Comfortable, Good zippers, Plenty of pockets, Adjustable fit, Decent venting, Nice looking. the liner is really nice and the cuffs have a separate velcro tightener to seal out the cold air and weather
The Bad: A bit to much velcro in key areas that "might" wear out over time, Back protector is flimsy I highly recommend buying a upgrade ASAP, would like to see more rubber seals on the zippers, the main cuffs of the Jacket can bunch up a bit if you want a tight fit
The Ugly: the neck snap button combo has a adjustment that really does not work it slips forward if you get it anywhere near tight.
September 27, 2012
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