Vaude Women’s Tiak Jacket 2015
Reviews / Jackets
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At A Glance
Vaude have a reputation for high-end mountain sports clothing, and with an entire range of snowsports and mountaineering technical products you would have thought a ‘simple’ biking waterproof to be pretty good. As expected the Women’s Tiak jacket doesn’t disappoint! Not only is it a great looking little number, but it comes with Vaude’s Green Shape guarantee for products that are environmentally friendly and made using sustainable materials. Don’t let this give you an image of tie-dyed fabric, knitted cardigans and chanting hippies – far, far from it!
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The jacket is made with a 2.5 layer waterproof and breathable fabric, it’s super lightweight and packs down neatly into the carry-pouch that comes with the jacket. Perfect for chucking into your backpack for those days when the sky threatens rain. It has a really nice feel to it and a stylish matt finish. The fabric is Bluesign certified, meaning it meets very stringent environmental requirements throughout the manufacturing process, another nod to Vaude’s ecological conscience.
A decent storm flap with a rubberised coating behind the main front zip ensures driving rain is kept at bay, and the adjustable cuffs, and drawcord around the hem also combine to give a good seal against the elements. The two chest pockets and underarm zippered vents also have a water resistant coating. That’s almost all areas covered when it comes to downpours, the only thing left to the elements is your head. This normally isn’t an issue as you’re wearing a helmet, but on the occasion you find yourself at the side of the trail fixing a puncture or refuelling in the pouring rain, a hood would be incredibly welcome. Vaude do sell one as an optional extra, and there is a Velcro attachment point at the neck, should you remember to take it with you and connect it.
On The Trail
The fit of the Women’s Tiak jacket is spot on. With a stylish feminine cut, articulated sleeves, dropped tail and a neat collar it looks great, is comfortable and allows decent movement around the bike. The lightweight fabric, combined with it’s breathable properties, mean you hardly notice you’ve got a jacket on – other than the fact you’re nicely dry underneath!
The chest pockets are a useful addition for a few small items/snacks that you want to keep handy, and the water resistant zippers did their job keeping everything dry. The zipper pulls are also a decent length with a handy tab on the end, making their use with gloves on a doddle.
The underarm vents gave some welcome airflow into the jacket on longer climbs, and also helped get rid of moist, sweaty air. (Yes, girls do sweat, sorry to burst that image boys!)
Being able to quickly squeeze the jacket into a small pouch is a bonus. Taking up hardly any room in your back-pack, you’re more than likely to have it with you at all times, so when rain showers do come over mid-ride you’re prepared and haven’t even noticed any extra weight in your pack (there isn’t any, it’s so light!) You will need to remember to put it in your pack though – it’s such a nice jacket, practical and good-looking, that we found ourselves grabbing it as a go-to wind and waterproof for much more than just biking. An integrated and stashable hood would be the cherry on the top in this regard, and make it a true all-rounder.
Overall
The Tiak comes with a very reasonable price tag, especially when you consider the build quality, technical fabrics and minimal environmental impact that has gone into its production. A comfortable and functional jacket that is incredibly lightweight, yet will stand up to the harshest of downpours. Stylish and feminine, you will find yourself grabbing it for wearing off the bike, just as much as on it. A definite hit with our test team!
Buy Jackets onThis review was in Issue 32 of IMB.
For more information visit VaudeRelated
By Mary Booth
Mary Booth has been a keen mountain biker for decades; she grew up on the Purbecks in the South West of England and has spent thousands of hours on the trails in that area. She moved to the South East to work in the IMB office and regularly gets out to the Alps and the Surrey Hills where she loves to ride the more technical trails…
