Nick Tunstill, from Catalan Adventure, has been testing thermal armour from Exotogg; an innovative product to keep you warm over the winter – and it doesn’t require batteries!
Over the gloomier months in the UK, you can pretty much guarantee it will be cold and layer up accordingly, and Exotogg is a great piece of equipment for this purpose. But one of its strengths is that you can wear it uninflated and then blow it up when temperatures drop or carry it with you as an emergency back up. So we have been testing it out on the Spanish roads and trails where the winter is more like an English spring. When the sun is out it can be warm, but ride over a mountain, and there are plenty of those in Spain, and temperatures drop sharply.
I tried it out on a few winter rides and was impressed overall with the Exotogg’s effectiveness and flexibility.
A couple of my more fashion-conscious biker mates commented on the appearance, and you do look a bit like the Michelin man when it’s inflated. However, I am not one of life’s fashion followers and I tend to select biking kit for its purpose rather than its visual appeal to others.
The Exotogg packs down well enough to be stowed away in a topbox or rucksack and can be inflated quickly when required. The only niggly part of it is the side straps are loose bits of Velcro. They work, but I think that part of the design could be tweaked a bit.
For trail riding, weight is even more of an issue as you are unlikely to be lugging around topboxes and panniers. You also experience a wide range of temperature fluctuations. Sometimes you will be riding hard and working up a sweat and then you could take a rest or find yourself at a higher altitude and suddenly your core temperature can drop quickly.
Of course, if the worse happens, you could come off the bike, injure yourself and spend some time waiting for help. Without painting a doom and gloom scenario, it’s always best to be prepared for various eventualities and the Exotogg could come in handy at some point. A bit like that puncture repair kit that you may always carry “just in case”.
For the cost and convenience, I think Exotogg is something worth taking a closer look at for any kind of biking (or other outdoor) activity. It’s a one off purchase and requires no subscription, upgrades or maintenance.
www.exotogg.com
#exotogg #catalanadventure #heatedclothing #motogusto
