The Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket review | It's basic but brilliant

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The Linesman Jacket is a lightweight soft-shell trail and dual sport riding garment built by British firm Adventure Spec. It’s geared more towards the off-road end of the spectrum than many traditional adventure jackets and whilst it can be used as a standalone garment, it’s really been made with the layering philosophy in mind.

That means tailoring your adventure clothing system to specific environmental conditions to achieve optimal performance, rather than simply throwing on an ‘all-in-one’ jacket and hoping for the best – as such, the Linesman is intended to form part of a series of kit that you put on, or take off based on what the road (and weather) determines.

Adventure Spec say the Linesman has been built for the Trans Euro Trail – a largely unpaved, free to use route spanning the breadth of Europe from the Artic Circle to Mediterranean coast that comprises of legal rights of way and covers over 60,000 miles. In fact, it takes its name from the ‘Linesman’ who help look after the route.

How comfortable is the Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket

You need only peruse your local green lanes to see how hugely popular the Adventure Spec Linesman has become among certain circles.

This esteem comes with good reason too – the Linesman is quite simply the most comfortable motorcycling jacket I have ever worn and is a great example of a simple, but well executed product.

Is the Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket practical

In terms of features, you get removable armour, zip off sleeves, a handy attached pocket whistle and capacity to run a two-litre hydration pack bladder (not included).

I’ve opted to forgo the armour on mine and run it as an outer layer, calling on the Knox Urbane Pro to keep me protected underneath. This means I can quickly whip off the sleeves, or even the full jacket when the going gets sweaty and still remain protected.

Whilst the Linesman isn’t a waterproof jacket per se, it is constructed with a hydrophilic middle membrane, and I’ve found it to do an admirable job shrugging off the odd shower.

It also dries quickly, should you find yourself unexpectedly out of talent whilst fording a river.

It’s not perfect though and despite substantial venting, the Linesman also doesn’t flow a huge amount of air, meaning it can get rather toasty during summer use – but pairing it with an armoured undershirt (like Adventure Spec’s own Super Shirt) would solve this issue.

The elasticated sleeve cuffs do an admirable job of keeping cold air out, but equally prevent cooling air from entering on hot days too, so it would be nice to see some adjustability here on future versions.

Does the Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket look good

Subjective though it may be, I’m yet to find anyone who isn’t equally as smitten by the Linesman’s looks as I am. It fits well and manages not to be bulky like a lot of other bike gear is. Without the armour in you could even happily wear it down the pub.

Is the Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket good quality

There is very little to complain about in terms of build quality. It’s clear the Linesman has been stitched together with care and attention by people who understand the demands a trail riding jacket should meet.

The abrasion layers on both sleeves have also pilled slightly after charging through many an over-grown gorse bush covered green lane. But there are no holes or tears to report.

How protective is the Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket

Offering just a lowly CE protection rating of A, the Linesman is far from the best choice if you expect to become acquainted with the ground at high speeds – but it is built with trail riding in mind after all.

That said, it has pretty much become my go to riding jacket, whether that’s for a quick jaunt to the shops, a weekend of trail riding, or in fact a recent blast into Europe which involved a fair amount of triple digit travel – where legal.

Is the Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket good value

At £385, it is a significant chunk of cash for what effectively amounts to a softshell jacket, a smattering of Kevlar panelling and some armour. That said, the Linesman has a real premium feel to it despite its simplicity. It’s worth noting that Adventure Spec have always been excellent in terms of customer service in my experience too, so you should be safe in the knowledge that should an issue arise, you’ll be in safe hands.

So what’s the verdict?

Admittedly, the Linesman is not everybody’s cup of tea – it certainly wouldn’t be the ideal choice if your two wheeled life is spent entirely on tarmac, nor would it be great if you spend your riding time exclusively buzzing around a motocross track or racing enduros.  

For the folks that exist in the in-between however, who want to venture away from the beaten path and explore the thousands of miles of unmetalled rights of ways available in the UK and further afield – whilst still needing to cover tarmac miles in the interlude – Adventure Spec have absolutely nailed it.  

When coupled with different layers as intended, it simply works very well. There’s no fuss, no unnecessary gimmicks, just an adventure jacket doing adventure jackety things with a high degree of competency.

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