Spidi Frontier jacket in green

 

In terms of armour, the elbows are Level 1 rated; the shoulders are Level 2. There's a Velcro strip for carrying the back armour. And we would always go with a D3O one rather than the protector that Spidi recommends.

 

Comfort and breathability is what the Frontier is all about. And indeed the outer chassis is very stretchy. And so what this means is that it will lend itself well to layering. Particularly so as the volume in the waist can be adjusted by means of a BOA-style, ratchet mechanism. You also get a drawstring at the hem.

 

As the fabric is lightweight, has no membrane attached, and is backed only by a mesh liner, the Frontier will flow lots of air making it ideal for hot weather; and conceivably a bit of proper, off-roading. But to flow even more air there are two, large chest vents behind a pair of curved zips. These can be held open with magnets.

 

Spidi tell us that the Frontier has seven external pockets. Well, if I count the vent panels as pockets I can get to five. But for the life of me I cannot find the other two. There are no pockets on the inside of the jacket. 

 

The main YKK zip that runs up the front of the jacket is a bit novel. It curves around the neck at the top; and the idea is that you can fasten the collar, and then lower the zip for some added airflow. It's different, but kind of works.

 

The Frontier is going to be very comfortable. And the BOA adjusters will allow it to work really well with layers. It will flow air very well, particularly once the vents are open. And it's as protective as a jacket like this is ever going to be, especially once you've added a back protector.

 

Of course, we are Klim Marrakesh fanboys, but if you fancy something similar, but a bit different, the Frontier fills that space.

 

As with the Klim jacket, you are still going to need to layer. So you will want the Klim Zephyr. You will need a good mid-layer for when the temperature drops. And you will want a Scott waterproof for when it rains.