Icon Accelerant Stealth Jacket - $340
Nothing beats the heft and feel of a nice, supple hide on the road, so when I got wind of Icon's new Accelerant jacket a few months back, I requested the subtle Stealth version-all-black, with a modern cut. The jacket mixes 1.4mm premium leather up top with a stretch ballistic nylon torso so it's lighter and more comfortable than its all-leather brethren yet still offers better-than-average abrasion protection. Subtle lettering on the chest tells you it's an Icon.
After a dozen wearings, the stitching is as tight as the day I got it, and the garment has become more comfortable now that the leather and nylon have broken in. The low collar doesn't cinch my neck, but the drop-down back feels a touch long for my torso in the riding position (though it's cropped comfortably in front). The insulated liner should be the first thing yanked in the summer heat (even the shoulder vents don't do the job in temps over 85), but it proved perfect in November. I'm also not crazy about the zippers, which are hard to manipulate with gloved digits.
Despite all that, I find myself reaching for the Stealth quite a bit on street rides-the jacket's heavy-duty leather and removable CE-approved armor in the elbows and shoulders make for a good combo in an attractive package. It's ideal for around town-especially in the autumn and springtime. -AC
http://www.rideicon.com
Roadgear Tierra del Fuego Boots - $190
I fly to gobs of motorcycle introductions during the year, and the TSA's hyper-restrictive packing regulations have conspired to make me a fan of less-than-full-height motorcycle boots. The 31/44-size Roadgear Tierra del Fuegos fit that bill, so into my carry-on they went.
The leather Tierras get points for comfort, but boy is their closure funky. A vertical zipper runs outside, but where you'd expect a single rear flap, two elastic tabs along the top close things up instead. These tabs wear the "loop" that attaches to "hook" material, and a too-short patch limits the adjustability here. On the plus side, the Tierras sport protective ankle armor and stout toe and heel cups. A toe patch combats shift wear, the soles are sticky, and reflective material front and back adds conspicuity.
I was intrigued by the Outlast material in the TDF's lining, which is claimed to "interact with the body and the environment to moderate temperature." But I've dallied with Outlast before, and my feet felt steamier in the Tierras than I reckoned they should. I'm sure the Aerotex waterproof-but-allegedly-breathable lining didn't help. It's "waterproof" all right; after an hour's ride in a thunderstorm, my toes remained dry, but the sweat stayed with 'em, too.
Sure, the TDFs are stuffed with technology, but some of it may be for naught. I also feel they're slightly overpriced; after 10 rides, the heel reflectors' stitching has unraveled. And that puts them firmly in the good-but-not-great category.
http://www.roadgear.com
(800) 854-4327
Casio Mudman GW900A - $150
Casio sent me this thing out of the blue, so I didn't really plan on "testing" it, but it turned out to be good timing (ahem)-after 11 years of touring and general abuse, my old G-Shock had been showing signs of serious wear anyway.
The new Mudman's been on my wrist for a month now, and it turns out to be a notch (or two) above my ancient version; it's more shock resistant and, this time, uses a sealed case to lock out foreign particles, like the oil, dust or mud my old one was constantly battling on road trips. It sets itself NASA-style, by automatically calibrating to the signals it receives from atomic clocks in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan. I also dunked it in a pool several times, and sure enough, it's water resistant (well, it's still working). The Mudman's world time features mean you also get 29 time zones, city codes and daylight saving settings, which I'll admit have come in handy but can be hectic to figure out. Issues? Despite the automatic satellite updates, my Mudman took days to lock onto the "right" time zone, so the initial time displayed was an hour off for a while. Still, with its chunky, black-resin band and weatherproof seals, it's a good fit for outdoor activities like motorcycling. Plus, it won't break the bank.
http://www.gshock.com