how they get customers for life....
Good jackets
Posted by: thaaad
FWIW I got my Theta from a buddy who outgrew it, it had one seam that had come apart. Bought it for cheap with the intention of just paying to have it repaired or gluing it myself.
I took it in to the warranty center in North Van, told them I bought it second hand and was happy to pay for the repair. The guy at the desk basically said it didn't matter, it would likely get replaced anyways. About a week later I get a call asking me which size and colour I'd like for the replacement jacket. Showed up at my house a couple days later. Didn't even have to pay for shipping or anything.
I was blown away.
I just has a similar experience with an Arcteryx pack. It was 20+ years old, and I was sending it in to have the zipper replaced (for the 3rd time). Both previous zippers were replaced for free. Much to my surprise, they offered me a brand new pack as a warranty replacement, as they still offered the same model for sale to this day. It was in my hands less than a week later. No question a customer for life here as well.
I got last year a meridian jacket from acre supply/mission workshop.
It is very light, very packable and resilient as well.
It is 100% waterproof and breathes very well. All detail have been though.
It is very expensive, but I think it offers something more than the other jacket I had before. I got lucky to get it at 50% off, which is rare.
Also it doesn’t look too sporty when you wear it with jeans to go to work.
That Mission stuff is pricy but nice too. I bought Steppe hoody this year on sale. Highly water resistant and somewhat wind resistant. It’s fantastic and worth the price. And because of shipping errors on their part I ended up with a second for 60% off. I was tracking my order and when it didn’t show up when it was supposed to, I checked with Fedex and they said it was recalled by Mission. Called them and they said they had shipped the wrong thing to a number of people and recalled it. I didn’t get the email as most others had so he shipped a replacement right away. When the recalled one came back to they they shipped a second one. It was dropped at my door so I had no chance to refuse delivery. They were going to to send me a shipping label for return when I suggested I buy the second one too for the sale price but Mission offered a better price yet. I’m happy.
I had a mission workshop orion and it sucked. Didn't breathe well and the material pilled really badly under where my pack goes. Believe it or not I actually left it somewhere and when I realized it I just said good riddance. That jacket literally pissed me off. A 20 dollar Walmart special would have been better.
Prior to that I had an Alpha SV that delaminated after several years of hard use and Arcteryx replaced it no questions asked. Sadly they change the cut since I'd bought mine and it fit terribly. I sold it new with the tags and bought the mission workshop.
So now I am basically jaded about jackets. In reality the Alpha SV was good but you certainly couldn't have ridden in it. I'm not convinced high tech riding jackets offer more comfort than merino and just being wet. I've heard mixed reviews on durability but one I might try is the Arcteryx norvan or similar.
Posted by: Kenny
I had a mission workshop orion and it sucked. Didn't breathe well and the material pilled really badly under where my pack goes. Believe it or not I actually left it somewhere and when I realized it I just said good riddance. That jacket literally pissed me off. A 20 dollar Walmart special would have been better.
Oh, that's weird. Everything I had from acre is really top quality.
My jacket is the meridian and is bike specific. It might make a difference compared to the Orion. It uses polartec membrane, supposed to breathe better than gore Tex. From my experience, it works.
Material is very light but resisted several crashes and doesn't pile under backpack.
I've gone to roadie wear over the past two years. Castelli makes some amazing gear for wind/rain/snow. I never wear more than a sleeveless base layer under my jacket.
For the coldest days I use their Alpha ROS jacket. pocket for my helmet light battery or whatever else I need. Their material is super breathable, windproof and water resistant. If I get in a downpour it will find it's way through but on a positive note, I never soak it from the inside like I do my waterproof stuff.
For more fall, on and off mist/light rain I use their Perferreto ROS jersey.
The down side is they are not crazy durable in a crash - so don't do it?
Posted by: Vincent66
Posted by: Kenny
I had a mission workshop orion and it sucked. Didn't breathe well and the material pilled really badly under where my pack goes. Believe it or not I actually left it somewhere and when I realized it I just said good riddance. That jacket literally pissed me off. A 20 dollar Walmart special would have been better.
Oh, that's weird. Everything I had from acre is really top quality.
My jacket is the meridian and is bike specific. It might make a difference compared to the Orion. It uses polartec membrane, supposed to breathe better than gore Tex. From my experience, it works.
Material is very light but resisted several crashes and doesn't pile under backpack.
Orion is essentially the replacement for the meridian. Very similar. At the time I had mine they were made from the same material (polartec neoshell). Mine was orange, maybe that made it less durable.
That said, they don't use neoshell anymore, they use Toray entrant which is a Japanese material.
Despite the bitter taste they left in my mouth I do still feel tempted to check out the sans, looks very nice. But it's over 700 bucks and only comes in black.
Posted by: Kenny
Orion is essentially the replacement for the meridian. Very similar. At the time I had mine they were made from the same material (polartec neoshell). Mine was orange, maybe that made it less durable.
That said, they don't use neoshell anymore, they use Toray entrant which is a Japanese material.
Despite the bitter taste they left in my mouth I do still feel tempted to check out the sans, looks very nice. But it's over 700 bucks and only comes in black.
Oh, I didn’t see that. That might explain why I had mine 50% off ...
At some point, the meridian and Orion we’re both available. I’m not sure Orianne is a replacement for meridian.
Meridian had a slimmer fit, and different pockets, very well placed ( IMO). It was very minimalist. Hood is perfect, for y head, at least ...very mountain bike oriented, while Orion was more everyday jacket.
I have a gray one and orange one. The orange is perfect for on the road commute.
If you’re into investing to get a superior product, 7mesh looks great ! And regularly on sale as well ...
Good luck with your search !
I bought a 7mesh guardian a few weeks back.
Used it for the first time on the bike today on some pretty legit north shore conditions and I was impressed.
It was only 16c out so that helped, but still, only moisture inside the jacket was sweat and it was no more sweaty than a typical ride in dry weather.
What I really like is that it doesn't feel (at least to me) like it's totally wind proof, so when you traverse or descend a bit it feels like you get some airflow through the jacket that carries moisture out. But it's not so much airflow you get cold. With a thin merino jersey underneath it was super comfy.
My only problem now is I like wearing it day to day and now it's all muddy. Aka I need two of them. Lol. I'm sure my wife will totally see my need for multiple 500 dollar jackets as totally valid. Hahaha.
Posted by: Kenny
My only problem now is I like wearing it day to day and now it's all muddy. Aka I need two of them. Lol. I'm sure my wife will totally see my need for multiple 500 dollar jackets as totally valid. Hahaha.
Plant that seed now and when you bring home that second one in the fall it won’t be such a surprise. Always easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission. It’s worked for me for almost twenty five years.😇
Besides the Arc'teryx Theta jacket that thaaad recommended are there any other rec's on Arc'teryx jackets that would be good for riding and staying dry?
Specifically I'm looking at the Alpha SV, Beta SV, Beta AR and Beta SL
Also considering this as a possible snowboarding jacket as well
Last edited by: syncro on July 6, 2020, 4:35 p.m., edited 5 times in total.
Apparently SV, AR and SL mean something in dead bird land. ¯\(ツ)/¯. I assume it’s face fabric thickness.
A coworker just ordered an Alpha SL or something this week and was taking about them.
They’ll all probably work good for riding. Especially since dead bird uses a real short body cut. I find the arms to be too baggy
Altitude has 30% off currently. Might be ending tonight.
yeah SV = most durable/heavy fabric, SL = super light and AR = all around
I had an Alpha SV and it was great but definitely not for mountain biking. Way too heavy/hot. I tried it once and even in December I totally cooked inside it.
It's an alpine climbing jacket. For much colder temps and lower aerobic output.
For Mountain biking you need something ending in SL or LT.
Forum jump:
