AGU Takeaway Jacket

The Agu Takeaway fulfils my personal specification for a jacket that can be used for round town utility riding, wet mountain biking and the occasional rainy running session. It's a reasonably priced all-rounder top with well taped seams, a generously dropped back, good long sleeves plus a hood and waist pockets.

If you're anything like me you'll find it tough trying to decide on priorities when you need a new waterproof top.

First, you need to face up to the fact that very few of them achieve a level of breathability that comes anywhere near dealing with the outpourings of anyone who sweats a lot, however much you're willing to shell out on fancy materials and clever venting.

Even if you're one of the spoilt few who simply glow gently, there's no escaping the fact that waterproofs that are properly waterproof tend to get very hot inside if you ride hard.

This is before you even start thinking about whether you want something that doubles up as casual wear, in which case you probably don't want to go for the fluoro yellow uniform look that some will say makes you blend into the background much more than shiny reflective strips and decent lights.

If buying a waterproof is a minefield of conflicts, a £45 price tag makes things a tad easier in that you'll feel more willing to use and abuse a jacket like this.

It's generously sized, so wouldn't be an obvious choice for longer, faster road rides when it'll end up flapping annoyingly in the wind, but it packs up into its own little stuff sack that comes in one of the two pockets.

The draw-cord hood moves with your head so keeps visibility good when riding, and when not in use it rolls away using a Velcro collar tab.

The pockets are shielded by storm flaps but don't have zips so are not ideal for wallets and phones.

The high collared front is zipped with a storm flap plus Velcro and there's a single reflective strip running down the front, but nothing reflective on the back.

Our sample jacket was black, so not best for being seen, but there's a light blue option too.

The Poray 5000 material is what I'd describe as slightly breathable, in that the microporous coated material is less sweaty than most other sub £50 jackets I have tried.

The care instructions recommend against machine washes which is a big downside for those who want to do much more than local utility rides. Experience says that machine washing will soon compromise both the breathability and water resistance. So far I've just been rinsing it clean after mountain bike rides and runs and letting it drip.

For those who don't mind avoiding machine washes it's a good choice, well priced and generously cut as a slightly breathable but properly waterproof all-rounder.

Verdict

For the price, a decent option for casual riding provided you don't mind hand washing and you're not looking for fluoro visibility.