ABOUT THE TROY LEE DESIGNS DRIFT WINDBREAKER
Troy Lee Designs made the Drift Windbreaker to offer riders with a lightweight and packable option for changing weather conditions. Utilising a four-way stretch 78gsm material consisting of 91% Nylon with 9% Spandex, the Drift Jacket is designed to offer some protection from the elements without being bulky. The material is treated with a Teflon EcoElite h2o repellent coating to help it shed water and dirt.
The TLD Drift Jacket is given a drop tail rear hem with an elastic toggle to offer adjustment to keep it in place. Up at the top, a high neck hood with structured visor brim is designed to go under a helmet. There’s a YKK Vislon zipper in the middle tying everything together, with the singular chest pocket doubling up as a pocket to pack it for easier transport. Down at the wrists, elastic cuffs help to secure the sleeves in place.
Available in sizes S-XXL, the Troy Lee Designs Drift Windbreaker can be purchased in Black or the bold Fire Orange tested, with a retail price of $129.99 / £99.99 / €119.99.
THE DIRT
In the constantly changing Scottish climate, having an adaptable outfit is essential to remain comfortable for the duration of a ride. Packable items such as the Troy Lee Designs Drift Windbreaker are very useful to call upon if temperatures drop or the wind picks up. The Drift Jacket doesn’t pack down particularly small, so will take up notable space within a hip pack or small riding pack, but crucially it does fit in most setups.
I found that the size Large Drift Windbreaker I was sent to test came up a little short on my relatively short torso for a “large” man. Otherwise, it offered a comfortable fit – if a little on the “sporty” side. It’s likely I would have found benefit in testing the XL in this case, however I did enjoy the more form-fitting fit of the Drift Windbreaker for the days where I didn’t feel the need to stuff multiple layers below. The high level of stretch in the Drift’s fabric allowed it to move with me and I remained unrestricted.
When worn, the TLD Drift Jacket offered a reasonable level of windproofing, but not much in the way of insulation. This may not come as a huge surprise to many given its lightweight 78gsm fabric, but it’s worth ensuring you’ve got room for suitable insulation below if you’re going to be using the Drift Jacket in particularly cold temperatures.
I typically found myself saving the deployment of this Troy Lee Designs windbreaker for the descents or when there was a shift in the weather. It managed to keep light showers and puddle splashes from soaking me, but anything more would quickly get through the Teflon EcoElite DWR coating – this is no waterproof. Similarly, I found that I was able to build up a little more humidity inside on harder efforts than I’d expected, and so it wasn’t a garment I found myself usually calling upon to wear for a full ride – the versatility of a vest such as the Fox Flexair Wind Vest was my preference in these instances.
Through half a Scottish winter’s worth of abuse and countless washes, the Troy Lee Designs Drift Windbreaker held up amicably. It still does everything it was capable of at the beginning of the test and has fended off tree scrapes and thorns without much complaint, so it’s likely to continue being stuffed into the bottom of my pack for the inevitable rain showers on my future rides.
The Wolf’s Last Word
The Troy Lee Designs Drift Windbreaker is a solid option to stow in your pack when mountain biking, offering useful portable protection against the elements. While it isn’t cheap, the price and quality are in line with what can be expected, and it’s a solid option to have in most mountain bikers’ kit bags. 
Price: $129.99 / £99.99 / €119.99
Website: Troyleedesigns.com
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