Our final piece of reviewed fat biking gear begins with a caveat: the winter of 2017/2018 in Park City, Utah has been a mild one at best. Very little snow and unseasonably warm weather are par for the course. This in turn makes the rare truly cold days feel even more bitter, and the type of days that the Adidas Terrex Agravic Climaheat jacket was made for.
In Adidas’ own words, they call the Agravic Climaheat a down jacket for harsh, cold conditions. But what is a claim like that without a little third party validation? Is it really the best jacket for those extra cold days? How about a good jacket for fat biking in the winter? And is it truly worth a $350 price tag vs cheaper competitors? That’s where Outdoor Gear Reviews come in. But before our thoughts below, please note that Adidas did sent a sample for us to test but this review was not paid for.
Down
The Agravic’s headline feature is the premium 800 fill Titanium Down. It’s very warm, ethically sourced and has been put through a hydrophobic treatment to keep things fluffed up even when it’s wet outside. The down is held inside large two-inch baffles up and down the coat, helping the Agravic Climaheat get up to warm temperatures quickly. More importantly, the down is able to maintain that warm temperature largely due to the two items below.
Heat Seals
Here’s where things get good. Around the collar and the cuffs are heat seals designed to keep the warmth from escaping. These areas of stretchy fabric are designed to fit snugly around the wrists and neck and completely seal up any area where warm air inside can vent out. It’s a critical part in helping the Agravic Climaheat maintain a warm temperature, and pulls double duty by keeping cold air out when moving fast (like on a fat bike).
Pertex Quantum® GL Shell Material
This outer shell of the coat keeps the down in and the wind out is high-end Pertex Quantum GL. It’s definitely built around wind resistance, which it does very well especially at quicker speeds while on a bike. It also handles internal moisture venting better than most other shell materials. As is the case with most outer material on down jackets, it doesn’t have many ripstop qualities, making the jacket prone to punctures by rogue branches and sticks. If you’re going to be riding any tight single track with bushes or trees, really be aware of your spacing to avoid branch rips.
Fit & Range of Motion
Despite the heat seals and windproof shell material, there’s very little on that coat that restricts a full range of motion. The fit is definitely on the slim side, as you’d expect, but the sizing is small. I will typically wear a medium in most coats, but quickly found a large would have done better. Regardless, when the fat bike required odd movements, the Agravic Climaheat didn’t get in the way.
Price
$350 from Adidas Outdoor. There are cheaper down jackets on the market. There are more expensive down jackets on the market. For just how well the Agravic Climaheat works and the environments it’s designed for, $350 is exceptionally reasonable.
Because what gear review is complete without a family outing. Hiking Bell Canyon with my son, Brody.
Final Thoughts
What I like most about the Adidas Terrex Agravic Climaheat down jacket (<— good hell, that’s a mouthful) is the bringing together of elements that work and avoiding the marketing and proprietary jargon. North Face’s Thermoball or Columbia’s Omni Heat dots both feel a little…drenched in marketing, perhaps? Adidas avoided pretty much all of that and just cooked up a jacket made from tried and true ingredients. 800 fill down? Check. Very good shell material for breathability? Check. Clever but simple things like heat seals? Check. Not of this feels like it has been vetted to death by a marketing department, but rather put together by a group of people who don’t want to be cold when they go to (or bike in) extreme environments where humans probably shouldn’t go.
It’s a great jacket, for when you’re biking in extremely cold weather or outside in general. Well worth the cost if you’re looking to not freeze to death in places where the temperature routinely stays below 20°. Any hotter and you’ll have the opposite problem- dying of heat.