metz1295

There isn't a forum for clothing, so I thought I'd drop this in here.

Is the screaming yellow version of this jacket worth the $60 Amazon is asking for it?

Amazon.com: Pearl Izumi Men's Elite Barrier Jacket: Sports & Outdoors

fietsbob

as a safety highly visible color the yellow is worth it .. PI is an expensive brand .. Rapha is more..

10 Wheels

Yes it is..

ricebowl

It's a nice jacket. Can be stuffed into it's own pocket, for a nice small package. I opted for the convertible elite barrier jacket because it was longer in the back, a better fit for my long torso. The convertible when stuffed was noticeably bigger than the regular, ~20% bigger. Also has more venting.

jsjcat

My wife and I like ours. Like the posters above said it can be folded up and put in one of your pockets. Many times we unzip the sleeves and make a vest out of it. It's great on cooler days when you are just starting out and as you or the weather warms you can unzip sleeves or take it completely off. If you think one is expensive I always have to buy two of everything. It's good kit.

jsjcat

no motor?

I just bought a screaming yellow vest from Performance for $35 (this one), and almost bought their new Transformer2 jacket for $60. Pearl Izumi products are usually much more expensive than other brands, so getting a jacket of theirs for the same price as the Performance jacket sounds like a good deal - even if it was hard to resist buying the Performance jacket (I really only needed a vest but...).

JohnJ80

We have this jacket, or at least the one similar that has the zip off sleeves. The material is super light weight, super packable and it is fairly water repellant. At the same time, it breathes very well and gives great protection from the wind. We'd recommend them.

J.

phughes

Yes it is, they make high quality jackets. I personally don't think $60 is a lot for a jacket that will last a long time. You can find a regular jacket for less, but the PI is cut properly for bicycling and is water resistant, and vents well.

I am of course a little upset at the OP though, I now want to buy one as well. Thanks for making me spend money.

MRT2

It is nice to have a cycling specific windbreaker. That said, if funds are tight, there are cheaper alternatives. I have been using this C9 by Champion windbreaker since last fall on cool and/or rainy days. Works reasonably well.C9 by Champion® Men's Windbreaker - Assorted... : Target

Is it worth it? Up to you. Just like a real cycling jersey will cost a lot, and you can get by with a wicking T shirt on a hot day, but still nice to have a real jersey.

mcmoose

I put off buying a cycling jacket for a while, but they really are nice for the visibility and the fact that they breathe better than most windbrakers. I did manage to find one on sale for ~$45 (which still seemed like a lot to me). I agree that PI is a good brand, and that this jacket is easy to pack away. I also envy folks who have the ones with zip-off sleeves.

cvskates

I'll see you $60, and raise you $175 https://www.amazon.ca/Pearl-Izumi-Eli...Barrier+Jacket

For my American friends who live in border towns, I appologize, but this is why we mob your stores.

Altair 4

Wow, the prices are really outrageous north of the 49th parallel.

JohnJ80

I don't think they make that one anymore. Too bad, great jacket.

J.

spare_wheel

i love my 2 black barrier elite jackets.

(i dont like the barrier elite with zippable sleeves at all)

rm -rf

I got this Elite convertible jacket this spring, and it's been great.

The back mesh vent, full width under the sleeve's back panel, keeps the jacket from inflating, and has great air flow if I unzip the front partway. So it's good on 40F days and also 55F or higher.

The one-piece sleeves and shoulders unzip and stow in a back pocket.

The jacket is a little too big to comfortably fit in a jersey pocket when it's rolled up, but I have crammed it in there. But as a vest, it's quite comfortable with the zipper halfway down, even when the day gets too warm for a jacket, so I don't have to roll it up very often.
....EDIT-- I was wearing it as a vest, with the sleeves stowed in the jacket back pocket, and the weather got even warmer. I rolled up the sleeves and the vest separately, and they fit easily in two jersey pockets.

~~~~~~~
Before the convertible jacket, I used the previous version of this PI P.R.O. barrier lite jacket.

It's main advantage is the tiny rolled size, maybe 1.25 inches x 7 inches, fitting in half a jersey pocket. The fabric is extremely thin and light, but very strong.

But it doesn't breathe very well at all. Surprising for such thin fabric. I now carry it for emergency use if unexpected rain could occur.

no motor?

Do you ever wear the jacket while wearing a backpack? I wonder how comfortable the zippers for the sleeves would be under backpack straps. I seems like it wouldn't be comfortable, but I've seen a number of jackets with the same feature so it can't be too bad.

jsjcat

The zippers are very small nylon type. Sometimes they're even hard to find with the velcro pasted down. I haven't had a camel bak on with it but don't think you could even feel them. Out of all of the above posts I only saw one person who didn't like the zippable sleeves. I'd buy another pair if the price was right.
jsjcat

eastbay71

That is a nice jacket. Seems odd the model is wearing Asic shorts. I'm pretty sure PI makes shorts.

I have a Performance HiVis jacket that was only $39.99 seen here > Performance Transformer Jacket - Cycling Outerwear/Raingear It fits well and its warm but I wished the sleeves were yellow after I bought it. It would be a lot more HiVis

mstraus

I have an older version of the convertible zip off sleeve PI Elite barrier jacket. I wear a backpack all the time when I commute, and wear this jacket frequently, often as a vest. The zippers are not an issue at all with the placement of them.

mstraus

That looks like a very good deal for a good jacket.

I have an older (i think 2012, maybe 11) version of the convertible elite barrier jacket. I love this option as I often wear it as a vest one way (or both) but have the option to use sleeves if needed.

While I like it a lot, I have some complaints about my 2012 convertible
1. The fit is fairly loose. I typically buy medium, I just feel there is a lot of extra room in this one. Small a bit to small. I would prefer a trimmer fit for it.
2. Venting or breathability could be better, but in fairness the main problem is my backpack while commuting doesn't let the mesh in back actually vent much.
3. The orange color I got on closeout isn't as bright/noticeble as the bright yellow, and could use some more reflective material.

I was looking at the latest version of the PI convertible and realized they improved it in many ways. The main one is they added a lot of great venting. Pockets with mesh inside can be opened to vent, the the sleeves can be partly unzipped in the front, and have mesh under, letting you vent under your armpits really well. The yellow is very bright, though a reasonable amount of material is back. There seems to be more reflective material. Fit is still a bit loose, but I am thinking of upgrading anyway if I can find it on sale later this year. Currently it is $120 retail and best price I saw was $110 at a local store. One vendor is selling it on Amazon, but charging almost $100 more than retail.

jjames2b

Sorry a little late to the party, but I have that exact jacket, but in the Green Flash color instead. I paid $44 last spring and it's my everyday jacket for commuting.

I get hot easily, so I wore it even through the autumn last year too, and these days, just in the morning. It's held up well, no rips or tears. All the zippers still work well. The little pocket in the back is handy for your phone, if you're using a GPS tracking app and don't need to look at it.

It fits me well - it's fitted byt not the tightest thing, but I'm using it for commuting, not for training.

At $44, I'd definitely buy it again. At $60, I could see myself buying it again also... but I'd probably hem and haw for a bit.

JohnJ80

The zippers are tiny. They are not even noticeable.

J.

Jseis 

Mines going on 2.5 years with a bit of road dirt of the kind that'll never wash out but it's a great jacket. I get compliments on the eye searing lime yellow. The Velcro tab on the rear pocket is too small. My version doesn't have the zippered sleeves, it does roll up into a stuff-able size and fits into a jersey pocket. I'm 5'10" & 46" chest & 198 LBS and it fits perfect in an XL size.