Hein Gericke Concord Jacket
HEIN GERICKE CONCORD JACKET
EVALUATION
FOUR SEASONS' COATING
MOTHER NATURE'S A REAL CARD, with the soul of a practical joker. If you don't believe it, just ask some touring riders; they'll know. They spend a lot of time in her company, and make handy targets for her flights of whimsy. And one of her favorite pranks is to bounce temperatures up and down like a super ball, so that frigid mornings give way to furnace-like days, which then turn to teeth-chattering nights. Sooner or later she catches a rider out, too, shivering away in summer-weight gear, or sweating like a Trojan in a suit fit for arctic exploration.
To help long-distance riders keep their sense of humor while Nature is exercising hers, Hein Gericke offers its Concord jacket (distributed by Intersport Fashions West Inc., 201 W. Bastanchury Road, Suite E, Fullerton, CA 92635; [714] 738-6262). Indeed, Hein Gericke designed the jacket expressly for American tourers and the broad range of temperatures Nature finds so amusing. The result is a traditional-looking bomber-style cowhide jacket, but with some special touches.
For instance, “full-figured” tends to describe many American longhaul riders, so Hein Gericke tailored the Concord to suit, while adding elastic to the waist so the jacket would fit other builds, too. On a slimmer rider, though, the elastic can’t keep either the waist from creeping up, or air from leaking in, and the tailoring gives him a prominent paunch. Still, the blouson cut affords excellent freedom of movement, and that’s something any rider can appreciate. Likewise, the array of pockets ought to find widespread approval. There’s seven in all: two with zippers, two with snap-down flaps, two handwarmer pockets on the jacket’s exterior, and one interior breast pocket.
But it’s how the Concord copes with Nature’s friskier moods that’ll endear it to the touring crowd. For example, with zippered cuff's, an adjustable twin-snap mandarin collar, a windflap under the front zipper and another snap-down windflap above it, the Concord stops most drafts cold. And for warmth, there’s Hein
Gericke's snap-in Thermoliner, polyester-backed, perforated, aluminum-plated polyethylene film inside a nylon taffeta shell. The plated film (similar to a space blanket) reflects enough body heat to let you get away with wearing only a sweater and heavy shirt when the temperature’s above 40 degrees. When Nature puts frost on the pumpkin, though, you’ll need multiple layers or an electric vest to stay snug and warm. But thanks to the full-figured cut, there’s plenty of room for a sweater or vest.
And don't sweat it if Nature tries turn up the heat. The Concord offers a variety of ways to dial in air flow to match, such as the four zippered vents in the jacket’s torso—two 9inch-long ones in front and a pair 10-inchers in back. Plus, the Thermoliner unsnaps to expose the ventilated nylon lining, although the liner breathes so well that you proba-
bly won’t notice it’s there until Nature begins to bear down. When she does, you can also unzip the jacket and fasten it with just the snap-down windflap. Mind you, no amount of air flow can keep you really cool through the shimmering heat of a summer afternoon, but the Concord lets you be more comfortable, longer, than conventional garments would.
That ability to maintain a degree of comfort even at extreme temperatures is central to the impressive touring credentials of Hein Gericke’s Concord (available in antique brown or black in men’s sizes 38-52 and women’s 36-48 for $226). Within the roomy confines of its deliciously supple leather, a rider can shrug off quirky temperature shifts with near impunity. He might even learn to appreciate Nature’s sense of humor, too. Because he can have the last laugh.
