Visibility is always in style, so I can always appreciate advancements that will help cyclists be seen better day or night. The new Blink RTR jacket offers the best of night and day visibility and has proven to be a great lightweight shell for morning mountain descents and occasional rainstorms.
Louis Garneau Blink RTR Jacket Features:
- Hex 02 fabric for lightweight wind/weather protection
- Reflective and glow-in-the-dark areas
- Lightly-lined collar for comfort
- Underarm mesh vents
- Standard fit
- Colors: Bright Yellow (tested), Steel
- MSRP: $109.99
Be bright. Be seen. Be warm.
Lightweight wind protection comes in many flavors, but the Garneau Blink RTR jacket is the “just about right” flavor since it ticks off many necessary boxes. For starters, lets talk about visibility. Typically, when a jacket is needed, so is extra visibility. It may be cloudy or early/late in the day when extra visibility is key. Luckily, Louis Garneau has designed the Blink RTR (#ReclaimTheRoad) for extra visibility, which comes in the form of highly-reflective, glowing dots covering portions of the jacket.
That extra visibility is awesome to have for bike commuters or early risers who are ascending narrow mountain roads (ahem, yours truly).
Admittedly, visibility it is a large part of the story of this jacket, but there are other chapters to this book. The cut of the Blink RTR is certainly “standard” as is stated above. Don’t expect this to be a race-fit unless you size down. For me (5’11” – 170 lbs.), the large was very generous and really flapped around on high-speed descents. On the uphill, it breathes well and doesn’t ever feel excessively bulky or oversized, but step on the gas and you’ll feel like a sail fluttering in the wind.
Wind and rain protection is good, but don’t expect this to be waterproof. In my experience, extended rain will saturate the fabric and overwhelm the DWR treatment. Light rain and cold wind will be just fine. When not in use, the jacket does stuff small enough to fit in a standard jersey pocket (about the size of a softball).
The rear zippered pocket is hard to access while in motion, but the silicone-lined hem is easily moved upwards to access pockets underneath. All touchpoints (sleeve cuffs and collar) are soft and comfortable next-to-skin with a collar that is borderline too tall and too wide. It’s nice for added coverage, but is honestly a touch tall. The front zipper features a nice pull, but is difficult to unzip one-handed.
And, as with most jackets, I gave this a whirl for running and the fit is awkward off the bike, so keep this one as a cycling-only jacket.
The Good
- Highly-reflective
- Breathes well
- Cut provides extra coverage
- Great wind protection
- Easily-stuffed in a regular jersey pocket
The Bad
- Fit is generous and flaps excessively at speed
- Collar is a touch too tall/wide
The Bottom Line: Louis Garneau Blink RTR Jacket
With a keen focus on visibility, the Blink RTR Jacket gets the job done. You’ll certainly be seen and you’ll enjoy excellent wind protection. On-bike fit is good, but the sizing is a bit generous, so keep that in mind.
Buy Now: Available at Backcountry.com
