Are you shopping for a new touring jacket? If so, you may want to consider the Tour Jacket Pacora ST, the latest offering from Swiss gear maker IXS. It’s named for a town in Panama located along the Carretera Panamericana (the Pan-American Highway that runs between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego), and that’s because IXS says this jacket is made to be “an all-rounder and a loyal companion every day.” I mean, it’s certainly no Sox the Bike Dog, but what jacket is?
The Pacora ST is a textile jacket with an outer shell made from Tactel, a material which IXS claims is extremely abrasion-resistant. It features a waterproof solto-TEX two-layer Z liner membrane, a removable thermal lining, and a breathable mesh lining with water barrier to help keep riders dry and comfortable. It comes equipped with impacTec CE level 2 armor for the shoulders and elbows, and a back protector. That is nice, but the back protector doesn’t appear to be as breathable as IXS says this jacket is, which is something to consider.
Gear Up:
Seven external pockets, two inside pockets, and two Napoleon pockets offer ample storage space for plenty of items you might want to have on your person over the course of your ride. There’s plenty of reflectivity to help make you visible to others you may encounter in your travels, and it naturally comes with a circumferential zipper at the base to connect to matching pants. There’s even a women’s-fit Tour Jacket Pacora-ST available, which can also zip to its own set of matching pants.
Gallery: IXS Tour Jacket Pacora ST
Six ventilation openings and a number of width adjustments make it infinitely possible to find your perfect fit with this jacket. The elbow, upper arm, cuffs, waist, and jacket hem all feature individual width adjusters. With the exception of the elastic drawstring at the hem, all adjusters are Velcro, so they’ll stay where you put them. Elbow protectors are also height-adjustable.
MSRP is €249.95, or US $289, which seems in line with other similar jackets with similar features. It’s a nice-looking bit of kit, and available in multiple colorways. The women’s jacket gets a particularly nice purple and black option, while the men’s version gets a black and dark gray option, a beige and dark gray option, and a fluorescent yellow and black option.
Source: IXS