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PEDAL NORTH REVIEW
MAINÉAR WINTER JACKET
'We are in awe at the presentation, design and quality of this jacket' - 4/5
My initial expectations of the jacket were a bit of an unknown, due to the youth of the company; but these were all put to the wayside when I opened the package from Thomas McLaughlin, owner and managing director of the company, and a keen cyclist himself from the email exchanges.
He's designed clothes for international design houses and has also been involved in the London Fashion Week - good credentials then. When the kit arrived it was as though I’d placed an order with a high quality store such as Harrods or Harvey Nichols; it was packed in such a way that it seemed a shame to open it and destroy all the effort that had been made in the packing of the jacket. If a company take this much time in showing their garment, they must be proud of it; and, as the review discovered – they should be.
'We are in awe at the presentation, design and quality of this jacket'' - Pedalnorth.com
The cost of the jacket is €175.00 (£129.00) which can seem expensive, but is in line with other brands of the same quality. You get what you pay for. It’s a jacket that with good care and attention would last at least a good 2-3 years, so will become an investment. On sizing, the cut is a bit on the small size, as its an Italian cut.
'kit arrived it was as though I’d placed an order with a high quality store such as Harrods or Harvey Nichols; packed in such a way that it seemed a shame to open it' - Pedalnorth.com
However, I'd recommend going a size or two up, and if you contact the company they are very friendly and available to help, and exchanges are very easy to deal with. Another good point in the positive.
Tadáias have partnered with industry experts to bring all of their kit to the cycling market using Thomas’ experience in design and their experience in the cycling world. The comfort of the jacket is sublime, and it gives a hugging feel like a second skin; and, when used in cold weather it’s like having your warm duvet on. I’ve been caught out in the wet weather a couple of times and the jacket has kept me very warm and dry whilst the Dales has tried to batter me. I haven't really fully tested the waterproof pocket for valuables, as I didn’t fancy chancing it with my phone, due to the standard looking zip and the small hole for headphones. This is thankfully one of a very few points that I'd change myself.
I’ve been using the jacket with just a base layer underneath, as it's been that type of weather when you’re not sure what to wear it performed very well indeed. Never too warm or too cold, so the breathability is also very good – useful in the changeable UK climate. The material chosen by Tadaias for their jacket is Plastotex, which its very similar to the cloth used by some Italian brands a few years ago, as it uses a fine wind protection and waterproofing layer but is not too warm to ride with, as highlighted. It's a quality cloth that is also tough enough to last the rigours of a season or two in the hills.
All in all if you’re looking for a jacket and other kit to perform well under all weather conditions ,then I'd happily recommend Tadáias for their jacket. It gets a 4 star review as the price may not suit everyone, but that would be the only issue, and you get what you pay for in the end. As a final strapline, here's the thoughts of the home office when everyone saw the jacket themselves:
''we are in awe at the presentation, design and quality of this jacket ''
Enough said.