Off With The Elements

January 13, 2014

The Niagara by Canari is my go-to, everyday commuting  jacket. I’ve also used it for long distance trips. The Niagara, in my opinion, is an on-the-road, everyday, 3-season (fall, winter, spring) jacket. Being both windproof and waterproof, it has everything you could ask for in a cycling jacket.

Here in Missoula, Montana, when summer ends, so do the long days of sun light. For a good 6 months of the year, I ride to and from the Adventure Cycling office in the dark or at least very low light. The Niagara is very visible via Canari’s famous Killer Yellow color and 3M reflective highlights on the body and piping on the sleeves. Did I mention that the Killer Yellow was bright? On a recent bike tour in the San Juan Islands, WA, we shuttled from island to island by ferry. On one particularly foggy morning, I was standing on the bow of the boat in my Niagara jacket when the captain asked that I move to the lower deck.  Evidently I was too bright, and was a distraction to him as he scanned the waters for vessels in the area. So it’s bright and very visible! And that’s an advantage most of the time.

An everyday commuting jacket needs many pockets for gloves, scarf, skull cap, and maybe some spare bike tools. The Niagara has you covered. It has two hand pockets, a chest pocket, and a large rear pocket. If you’re not careful, you may forget what you even packed away.

Finding a jacket that you can be comfortable in is always a challenge. One feature that I am impressed with is The Niagara’s ventilation. Two large side zips along the torso open to allow air in. In addition, there is a large covered vent across the back shoulders which allows warm, moist air to flow out.

The fit is what Canari calls their Comfort Fit. This means that it’s not super tight. It does not fit tight to the body, which allows for wearing layers. It has a drop tail for full coverage on the back and long sleeves for full coverage when in full reach over the handle bars. One thing I must mention is that I found the Canari Niagara to be generous in sizing. I typically wear a large, but found the medium a better fit.

Overall, the Canari Niagara is a great jacket that can withstand the everyday wear of shedding the elements and staying visible.

Canari is located in California. They offer a lifetime warranty on all of their products and stand by that promise. I have personally experienced their customer service and was very impressed with how they handled my situation with expedite and exceptional service.

Check out the Canari Niagara jacket in Cyclosource.

Photo courtesy of Geoff McMillion

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CYCLO NOTES is brought to you every Monday morning by Adventure Cycling's Cyclosource team — Teri, Patrick, and Geoff.