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Hein Gericke 'Travel' jacket - can a jacket truly be used all year round? Bob Pickett thinks Gericke's new and very popular jacket might just get close

Hein Gericke 'Travel' jacket - truly a four season jacket? Year round riding - especially in the UK - needs kit that can cope with a wide variety of conditions.

Temperatures can vary from well below zero to over 30 degrees Celsius - a range of easily 40 degrees. Then there is rain, hail, snow and sleet. Not to mention wind. And the need to be visible. And, of course, being the UK, these conditions can change within moments. Anything else? Well it needs to be comfortable, both for short trips as well as crossing the country.

So how can anyone expect a jacket to handle all of this? Well Hein Gericke has had a damned good stab at this with their new 'Travel' jacket.

One of the things I like about Hein Gericke kit is it feels like it has been designed by bikers. And the 'Travel' jacket is no exception. Instantly comfortable, the arms are bent just a little… but just enough to hang comfortably and feel 'right' as soon as you sit on the bike. And no breaking in is needed, it feels just right from the off.

The first few days of riding in the 'Travel' jacket it was cold; I'm guessing sub-zero. And I had no clue. The thin, detachable lining is extremely effective, both off and on the bike. No matter how cold it has become, I've not noticed. The jacket's permanent lining layers also stop the wind penetrating.

And it is waterproof - OK, we're just a few months and a couple of thousand miles into the jacket's working life, but so far not a drop of rain has reached me - but the jacket is breathable, so I stay dry and snug inside.

So that covers Winter. How about the rest of the year? The thermal lining comes out, making the 'Travel' jacket suitable for the (hopefully) milder weather of Spring and Autumn. And it even gives a sop towards Summer, with zippable vents at the shoulders.

Other useful things to know? For cold weather distance riding, there is an additional, detachable collar. This goes right up to the base of your helmet, meaning no cold winds affecting your neck and chin, no rain getting through, just warm comfortable distance riding. I don't get on with scarves or anything else wrapped round my neck, so this is a welcome feature.

And I like pockets. Lots of pockets. The 'Travel' scores highly in this regard, with four outer and two inner pockets, plus a wallet pocket inside the wind layer but still allowing you to keep the inner zip done up. And the two inner pockets are deep, very deep in fact (I keep my mobile phone in one and it is almost at my waist!). Storage is not going to be an issue with this jacket.

So far I have been raving about this jacket, so any drawbacks? Well the zips could be better quality (a common complaint regarding Gericke kit I understand). They have a habit of catching the inner linings or at times just being generally sticky. Even worse, one of the sleeve zip handles snapped after just a couple of months. It is still possible to do up and undo - but not with gloved hands, which was what it was designed to allow. Other than that, sometimes I struggle to do up the outer pop-studs. But overall, these are small niggles.

Verdict:

I still don't think it is possible to design a true four-season jacket, at least not for the UK - there are too many variables. But the 'Travel' goes a long way to meeting your needs all year round. For the hottest part of Summer, I will wear my Gericke 'Air' jacket, but the rest of the year? The 'Travel' will suit me just fine. And it is priced at a level that will suit most pockets.

For details of your local Hein-Gericke stockist, click on Hein Gericke's UK site

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