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Outlast "phase change" material is
relatively new to the world of motorcycling, and our
sport provides an ideal environment to evaluate the
benefits that this product has to offer.
Motorcycle riders need protection from the extreme
temperatures which can be experienced during a riding
season or even a single ride.
I don't profess to understand the technology behind phase
change materials, but it's my understanding that the technology was first
developed for NASA to keep astronauts comfortable in the temperature
extremes found in outer space.
In general, phase change materials can either absorb, store
and release energy in the form of latent heat. Excess heat generated
by the body is absorbed into the Outlast fabric, and stored heat is released
back to the body as needed.
Outlast Technologies owns the Outlast brand name for these
temperature regulating textiles, so-called because they interact with our
skin temperature to act as a buffer against temperature change.
There's more information on the
Outlast Technologies
website, including a Flash demo of how it works.
There's a whole lot more technology involved in
manufacturing the Outlast fabric, and there are various tests to determine
the degree of efficacy of the product. The bottom line is that this
"fabric of the future" is good news for motorcyclists. Bundling up no
longer means that you have to look like M. Bibendum with multiple layers of
insulation causing a decrease in feel and reaction time.
I feel certain that one of these days we'll need only a
single thin and lightweight outfit that keeps us cool in the summer and warm
in the winter. I consider Outlast to be a step in that
direction.
The fabric is still being adapted to various types of
motorcycle clothing, and it's not all that easy to find just yet, but
Roadgear has recently developed an Outlast-based jacket and vest as part of
their "Adaptive" line of high-performance motorcycle apparel. This
line of clothing also includes the very nice Outlast-based
Roadgear gloves that we reviewed recently and found to be, for all
practical purposes, completely waterproof.
The Roadgear Adaptive-Tec jacket and vest are definitely
more stylish than the typical industrial-looking motorcycle clothing used as
an insulating layer. The soft jet-black outer fabric definitely helps
to make these garments look good enough to be worn on their own once the
destination is reached.
And the Outlast temperature regulating effect doesn't only
work while riding; now that the fall weather is here in the Mid-Atlantic,
I've been wearing my jacket around the house and on local jaunts and it
really does seem to keep both the cool and warm fall temperature extremes
comfortably regulated.
We don't profess to have the ability to conduct scientific
testing to determine just how much warmer or cooler the Roadgear products
are than other types of insulation, so my conclusions are subjective.
But here's an example: The temperatures here have ranged from a windy 42 to
50 degrees Fahrenheit recently, and I deliberately wore only a T-shirt, a
cotton turtleneck and the Outlast jacket under a basic Cordura motorcycle
jacket shell, and I was perfectly comfortable.
Now granted, this isn't what I would call extreme
temperatures for motorcycle riding, but normally when it gets down around
45-50 degrees, in addition to a pair of thermally lined pants, I'll wear a
T-shirt, a thermal underwear top (such as a Duofold crew neck), a cotton
turtleneck and some type of thick sweater or polar fleece under a textile
jacket outer shell. At the lower range of these temperatures, I'll
probably leave the jacket's liner in place.
I'm not fond of the extra thickness of the sweater or polar
fleece because it slows down my reaction time. I find it harder to
turn my head quickly to look both ways and the extra bulk makes the jacket
feel tighter and more constricting; I just don't feel like I can move as
quickly, which can be dangerous. Riding with the relatively thin
Roadgear Adaptive-Tec jacket under the unlined motorcycle jacket shell can
make a big difference.
I'm not saying that the Outlast fabric in the Adaptive-Tec
jacket can completely replace warm clothing for winter. But it does
seem to do a good job at temperature regulation, although it is more
difficult to determine its effectiveness in keeping out the cold as compared
to something like thermal underwear, an insulating jacket liner or a polar
fleece sweater.
What is strange is that I can notice a difference in how the
Adaptive-Tech jacket or vest can keep me cooler in warmer temperatures, like
when I'm wearing it indoors. This is counterintuitive to me -- I
assumed that basically any sweater or jacket would make me warmer, but it's
hard to believe that wearing a jacket can actually keep me cooler as the
temperature rises.
The Adaptive-Tech jacket and vest are available in sizes S
to XL. My size large jacket is slightly large; I'd say it fits like a
men's U.S. size 44 to 45. I probably could have gotten away with a
medium if I were going to only wear it with a T-shirt underneath and no
other shirt or sweater.
The size large vest fits perfectly, so I'm not
sure if it's cut slightly different or it's just a matter of the vest not
having the arms. The vest works really well under motorcycle jackets
with narrow arms and it helps to regulate the body core temperature.
The jacket's shoulders and elbows are covered with what
appears to be material similar to Cordura. This gives the jacket some
added style and possibly a touch of extra protection in these sensitive wear
areas.
Both
the jacket and vest have a nice, big nylon zipper, and the neck can either
be zipped all the way up like a mock turtleneck or left open. The
outer material is super-soft, kind of like a cross between a very fine and
light weight polar fleece, Chamois and felt. The inside feels like
Chamois cloth to the touch, but it definitely feels strange when the liner
hits the skin.
The lining always feels cold to me at first, like it's made
from rubber or similar. It takes a minute or so for the Outlast
material to do its stuff and then the liner feels normal. This is only
noticeable when the jacket touches bare skin, like when it's worn over a
T-shirt.
Roadgear has included two of the largest pockets in the
jacket and vest that I've ever seen. The difference is that the
vertical zippers for the pockets are located right at the seam down either
side, under the rider's arms. I'm guessing that they are located to
avoid compromising the Outlast material outside of the seam area.
The pockets on both the jacket and vest open from top to
bottom to 6" (~150 mm), and the inside stretches all the way to the central
jacket zipper. This makes the internal pocket about 12" high by 12"
wide (30 by 30 cm), which is big enough to fit anything you'd ever want to
carry. There are no chest pockets inside or outside either garment,
and none are needed.
The Roadgear logo, which is printed on a strip of 3M
Scotchlite, is located across the left upper chest and across the back.
This gives some reflectivity if the garments are being worn at night, off
the motorcycle. Some elastic at the cuffs (arm holes on the vest) and
waist complete the design.
Conclusion
The few Outlast-equipped garments we've tried have been impressive.
It's a subtle feeling; the clothing does not make one immediately warm or
cool, but they do seem to keep the temperatures in a more comfortable range.
The Roadgear Adaptive-Tec jacket and vest are nicely styled
and are probably the first motorcycle insulated clothes I've owned that also
use for street wear and feel good doing it. In effect, these are
multi-purpose garments that are useful both on and off the bike, making them
a relatively good bargain.
