I’m not usually a fan of budget-minded, multiple-layered riding gear, but Fieldsheer has done a far better than average job with their Adventure Tour Suit. The outfit is comfortable with good armor and has a number of well-placed reflective Phoslite panels for visibility, lots of useful and properly positioned pockets, good quality zippers, and some of the best venting around.

Waterproofing normally means an overly hot and sweaty environment for the rider, but Fieldsheer is using something new called Nanomax and Rainguard for its liners. In addition to being waterproof, what’s unusual is how well the material breathes. Even in our California sun it wasn’t unbearable.

I’ve tested the suit in rain, near-freezing temps, and blistering hot environments and it performed extremely well. Even in the heat, the venting does a surprisingly good job. Riding at high mountain altitudes in our “winter” conditions the thermal layer was effective, but it’s bulky enough to make the rider feel a little like the Michelin Tire man.

I’ve never been a fan of thermal layers, they’re usually too thick and it’s often more efficient to pack a jacket that serves double uses. Same with the pants, I’ll wear jeans underneath rather than use the thermal layer.

But when it’s really cold, where hypothermia is possible, the thermal layers are superior. The alternative is using far less bulky (but VERY expensive) electrically heated liners. By no means is that a reason to dismiss this suit, it’s just that depending on where you live, or where you intend to ride, the use of the detachable thermal layers will vary.

Fieldsheer has paid an impressive amount of attention to armor. In addition to generously-sized CE-approved inserts, there’s additional memory foam padding sewn into key abrasion points throughout the suit—in case of a crash or being hit by flying objects, you’re well protected.

But, one thing that’s missing, and this goes for almost all manufacturers, is chest armor. You can get around this, somewhat, by inserting hip pads into the breast pockets—a technique I use on all my riding jackets. I’m particularly impressed with the pants—they’ve become my go-to for most rides. Not only are they comfortable, but the design incorporates more and better armor than most. They fit well over bulky riding boots, too.

For added safety I chose the hi-viz jacket. Jacket color (and reflective panels) are a curious thing. Over the years we’ve gone from highly invisible black (because it was fashionable?) to this new and wiser trend of actually being SEEN! And it’s remarkable how the cagers react to such a visible object. It’s THAT noticeable! MSRP: Jacket $440 (black, blue, gunmetal or hi-viz) | Pants (black, blue or silver) $330 Fieldsheer.com

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