off-road.cc

7mesh's Outflow hoody is a lightweight and insulated compact jacket, perfect for after ride warming up, off-bike use, cold days riding and bike packing trips. I’ve found the Outflow to be a great, versatile jacket despite the odd name.

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With a great cut and a slightly off-bike focus, the Outflow is a lightweight jacket with high thermal properties. It’s filled with Primaloft Gold Active synthetic insulation, with a 100g weight fill on the body and 80g on the arms. It has permeable inner and outer layers, which makes it really effective in getting rid of the boil in the bag effect. 

Using it riding is good for early starts for short trips, or later in the day when the temp drops - it is super warm, so not one for much above 5ºC and not for rainy weather. It is comfortable but essentially it's perfect for when you get cold after a ride when you can chuck it on and flip the hood up and get warmed up quick, without overheating.

I've used it for all types of off-road riding; it's good for milder days if you are not racing about and on cold days it's got plenty of warmth and is great waiting around when you have to pause on a ride for punctures or the group catching up. It's low weight and compactness is great for the just-in-case type days, you can really cram it down and I keep it in the bottom of my bag on longer days out.

The hood is big enough, but with the lighter 80gm PrimaLoft, its not too hot, but its not designed for over helmet - which would be complete overkill. There is a soft brushed collar and chin guard, always a nice touch.

The front pockets are zipped and set in what 7Mesh call  ‘CampfireStance™’(Thinkmoodly staring at a campfire with hands toasty) - they are big enough for holding a manner of clutter, like tools, keys and snacks as you faff post-ride. The main front zip is solid and easy to use, with cold hands or gloves.

Fit is the usual standard I’ve found from 7Mesh - well thought out shaped panels, with an athletic fit, with enough cover and fit. Its more off bike, but there is a decent elasticated waist hem, that stops the jacket riding up your back when pedalling. The arms are long enough, and again hemmed with the same material as the waist. It keeps the warmth in but isn't too tight. 

The jacket is perfect for very cold days, when it’s dry, and with a waterproof over the top, would be great for wet and cold days - it’s light enough, but probably end up overheating. It’s super comfy, well fitted and warm. If you suffer from the cold, this would be a great jacket for winter, with the waterproof top.

I have used it frequently over the spring and odd times in the summer (later in the evening in the Alps or early morning spins) - as a winter jacket, I can see it becoming perfect for cold and dry riding. It is windproof, and has a degree of water resistance, but would get saturated in a downpour, but will dry out pretty fast. 

As a jacket for after riding and riding, it ha a great balance of warmth, moisture ventilation, and fit. It’s also on sale at the moment, perfect for the Autumn. It’s available in Black and Grey with Gold interior.

• 7mesh.com

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