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Carbon Jacket – $ 319.95 Fly Racing Boise , Idaho FlyRacing . com

STRONG : The outer material was impressively durable . It truly looked brand new after a season of abuse and several trips through the wash machine .

PROTECTING : On a 10 scale , I ’ d rate the windproof capability of the jacket at a solid 8 . Not the best I ’ ve ever worn , but pretty darn good .

PRICING : With so many competitive jackets now claiming MSRPs nearing or topping $ 500 , this Fly Carbon seemed like a relative bargain .

While the “ carbon ” in the name of the helmet reviewed on page 57 references the lightweight advantages of carbon fiber , use of the word in the Fly Racing Carbon

Jacket reflects the robust features of carbon steel .

An alloy of iron and carbon , carbon steel is strong , durable and shock-resistant . It ’ s used to build bridges , heavy industrial piping and quality hand tools .

This is the third time we ’ ve spent a winter wearing a Fly Racing Carbon Jacket over the last decade , and each time we ’ ve been more impressed by its durability and strong feel . This latest iteration is definitely the best yet .

It starts with a thick Cordura outer shell that almost has a canvas feel to it . It made us unafraid to scrub up against branches when riding or lay down in a parking lot when dealing with a trailer wiring issue because it gave the feeling of firm outer armor .

That said , the material was also easy to move around in . While it wasn ’ t stretchy like some popular , emerging materials , never did our body shifts feel inhibited by the jacket when crawling around the machine with the Fly Carbon jacket on our torso .

The uninsulated jacket felt mostly protective from the elements as well . It featured a decent wind-stopping material . While the main zipper was exposed to the elements , a storm flap behind it kept self-generated breezes at bay . When riding in single-digit temps or below , though , we definitely wanted to wear a quality mid-layer beneath it .

Conversely , when we got lathered up while off-trail riding , sweat control was offered by a series of vents , including two 11-inch-long vents that run diagonally under the arms and 5-inch vents in each upper arm . Each was backed by 2Cool Air Vent mesh material that lets air in and out but locks out snow moisture . The system moved air around inside the jacket well and didn ’ t rely on rear exhaust vents that often get covered by a backpack .

The outside of the jacket featured two fleece-lined zipper pockets at the waist as well as a handy chest pocket and a small key pocket in the left sleeve . Each outer zipper had a little zipper pocket overhang material at the top so they could be closed tightly and not let unintended air seep into the jacket . Interior storage included one zipper pocket in the upper left chest along with a large goggle pouch on both sides .

Lycra hand gaiters and a flap with a Velcro enclosure at the bottom of each sleeve allowed the jacket to work with a variety of glove types .

Attention to detail was found in several locations . Microfleece material on the inner collar added a touch of comfort . A powder skirt was integrated , but each side snapped securely out of the way into inner slots when it was not in use . A detachable safety whistle and goggle wipe – both mounted on elastic straps – were

54 / NOVEMBER 2024 / SNOWGOER . COM