If there is one thing that you don’t want to do whilst it is cold and dark it’s ride your bike. The wind, the rain, the smug motorists all add up to a pretty miserable experience. Foska want to help change that with their Bones training jacket.

Our quick take

Overall, look at the images - the Bones jacket is simply the coolest thing on the road and when caught in the headlights of a murderous 4x4, at least you will look cool before you get splattered. I guess the medics can use the anatomically correct jacket to assemble the pieces as they scrape you off the road.

Joking aside, you won’t be missed in this jacket. Performance-wise, all the boxes are ticked. The fit is exceptional, perhaps a little on the small size as road bikers tend to have it, so we’d suggest you try before you buy. Overall, you get a lot of jacket for your cash. At £80/$141 this stands up against other technical garments on the market.

Foska Bones Training Jacket - 4.5 / 5

FORAGAINST
  • Fit and construction excellent
  • Zip a bit stiff

Finding the right jacket is a key part of putting in a decent winter ride - too many solutions just don’t fit the bill. As far as biking goes, you really do need to look towards the specifically designed jackets for the job. From the outset, Foska have done a good job here.

Constructed from 100% polyester with a “respira” membrane, the jacket has all the properties you demand from modern sportswear - it breathes, it’s waterproof and importantly, it’s windproof. It ticks all the boxes for physical protection from the elements. It is also warm, with polyester pile on the inside, but not insulated as such, as you will be doing some pedalling to keep you toasty.

As is the way with biking kit, it has three pockets on the back for your essentials and they are deep enough to keep whatever you put in them secure for the length of your ride. I’d have liked a zip on at least one of the pockets, but you can’t have everything. The middle pocket has a secret flapped compartment inside which might take a small mobile at a push, or just look after your keys.

Construction-wise is where the merits of this jacket really come into their own. The front, back and sleeves of the jacket are made to be tough, whilst the sides sport a flexible connective panel, which means that as you reach for the handlebars, the jacket stays put; this is a point that cannot be over-looked, as it makes riding in the jacket supremely comfortable.

The jacket also has a slightly longer tail, so as you reach forward, your butt crack is not exposed to the whole world - and on a cold day, this is something you truly appreciate. As for fit, you can put a bike jersey underneath with no problems - the jacket is close cut in a sporty profile so you don’t have to worry about it bloating in the wind or flapping around on fast descents. Alternatively, a base layer would also suffice.

The other part of the construction that needs looking at is the zip. I was not so impressed with the zip that seems a little tough at times, although it does have a full-length baffle on the inside, and most importantly, a fold at the top that will protect your neck from chafing. If only the zip would run a little smoother, I’d be totally satisfied.

Moving on, of course, to design. This is where Foska are turning heads, because as the name suggest, this is the Bones jacket, and the “bones” are printed on the jacket in hi-viz Reflec, so they are reflective - perfect for night riding. Of course, you have to make a decision when riding at night whether you want to be reflective, like in the Bones jacket, or seen from a distance, like in a hi-viz yellow thing.

To recap

A well-designed jacket that performs on all levels