Looking to buy a Riding Jacket under 10,000 rupees? There are a wide range of options now a days, one such jacket is the 'I Ride I Live' by Biking Brotherhood Gears a Chennai based company, known to manufacture various safety riding gears like Jackets, Gloves, Boots, Riding Pants and Race Suits. We bring you a detailed review of the same jacket after using it for a few days to test it out completely and state the outcome.Reviewer's Note: Always remember to buy the size that suits your body when you get a safety riding gear, since the size plays the most important role in giving the rider the at most safety.
Looks and design:
The jacket looks very decent with a neat design not too fascinating or over whelming just the way I like it. It gets white, blue or orange strip color options and reflecting tubes all over the body. I found white to be the most attractive and visible throughout any time in the day. Both the hands get buttons to increase the tightness of fit if the rider requires it. Both the arms get zippers for easier wearablity.
The left arm gets a small secret pouch where the rider can store small things like his license or coins. There is a nice small slot provided behind to store the external rain coat. Slots to store materials are also provided inside the jacket. When it comes to practicality there is nothing to be complained about the jacket.
The arms and the back get rubber BBG branding and the ones on the arms looked gorgeous. The shoulder gets a I ride I live rubber branding. The quality of the rubber is soft and good. A small feature that impressed me a lot is the rubber BBG branding that is added to the zipper for easier functioning. The zipper materials are made of good quality and will not fail very easily.Protection:
Safety is number one priority and there must be no compromising on that. The jacket gets removable CE certified armors for the elbows, shoulder and the back. The armors feel softer and are made up of sturdy material to withstand more impact. The shoulder gets a metal protection outside so that more impact is absorbed during a crash by the metal and lesser amount of impact is transferred to the shoulders.
The jacket gets detachable thermal and an external rain coat. Something good that BBG have included to all the variants of their jacket. The reflectors do a great job during night time. Rubber padding are used since they have a better shock absorbing capacity compared to the previously used plastic padding. Comfort and ventilation:
The jacket is made from textile material that can be used in any weather and terrain. The airflow through the meshes are very good. I wore the jacket for a really long ride without stopping, tes time and I hardly shed any sweat under moving conditions. It is a little heavy and sweaty under traffic conditions. I found this jacket a bit more heavier than the other jackets form the same brand. I have been using the Xplorer for a year now and I find this to be more airy and comfortable to wear for longer distances, but the Xplorer. The Xplorer is a more lighter jacket for daily use.
I find the collar strap a little hard to wear and annoying at times, I feel like I'm wearing a tight chain with no gap to even swallow a gulp. The jacket comes with various size options ranging from S to 5XL. With modern safety features, external rain coat and a decent price tag of Rs. 7500 it's a bang for the buck.Review By: Rishath Suresh