Ever since I bought my ebike, I knew the day would come when I would need a real cycling jacket. When the weather is decent and warm, I didn’t really need one, but I knew that I needed something to make me more visible. I tend to wear darker colors, which isn’t always a great idea on a bike if you want to be seen. I toyed around with a vest in a slime green or bright yellow, and I even thought about making my own jacket, but when I saw the Kara Active Jacket on the Tonik website, I knew that this was the jacket I wanted to wear.
The Kara Active is well made – the fabric is a poly/spandex blend, and is actually pretty heavy. The information on the Tonik website describes the fabric as wicking, with UPF 50 fabric – hopefully the sweat produced riding up a steep hill will be wicked away so you don’t get chilled from it! The jacket has six pockets; two on the inside, two zippered exterior front pockets, and two back pockets. The princess-styled front seams are curved, with reflective trim sewn into the seams, and is also sewn into the back princess seams. The sleeves are cuffed, with thumbholes that are bound. This is a great feature to keep the wrists and top of the hands warm. The fabric is a blend of bright yellow, and black/gray stripes, which is a great combination. The construction overall is really well done. Finally, the back seam is a longer length, for good rear end coverage. Sizing for this jacket runs from XS to XXL, for a range of six sizes.
I think this jacket is going to be well used, and probably not just for cycling. It will be perfect for walks in cooler weather. I wear plus sizes, and it’s not always easy to find well-made athletic clothing for someone with curves. The XXL is equivalent to size 20. This is a very trim-fitting jacket, and I will admit – I am IN this jacket! But, with the stretchiness of the fabric, it is a snug fit, but I can move in it, including raising my arms. One of the issues I always have in ready-to-wear clothing is the length of the sleeves, and I was a little concerned that the sleeves would be too long. They are a tad too long, but not so long that I would need to shorten them. That’s a win-win for me, because I get very tired of shortening sleeves! As far as cost goes, this jacket is comparable with other cycling gear I’ve looked at, and frankly, I am willing to pay for clothing that is well made. This is definitely a 5-star product!
Since moving to the Richmond area a little over a year and a half ago, I have been lucky enough to travel to Shenandoah National Park multiple times. It is a stunning park with so much to offer visitors. I have explored several of the trails (though there are so many more I haven’t hit *yet*). Here are a few of my stories and some tips for hiking in Shenandoah:
I would like to share a bit about my visits with my favorite person to hike, walk and just enjoy life with - my now 43 year old daughter. My daughter is a HS History teacher and lives some 1200 miles south of my home here in western NY. Some years ago...
I can recall walking in the Texas desert with my grandma while she searched for rocks to put in her rock polisher so she could make us grandkids necklaces. Just walking and wondering what’s on the other side of the next hill was one of my favorite childhood...
Ever since I bought my ebike, I knew the day would come when I would need a real cycling jacket. When the weather is decent and warm, I didn’t really need one, but I knew that I needed something to make me more visible. I tend to wear darker colors, which isn’t always a great idea on a bike if you want to be seen. I toyed around with a vest in a slime green or bright yellow, and I even thought about making my own jacket, but when I saw the Kara Active Jacket on the Tonik website, I knew that this was the jacket I wanted to wear.
The Kara Active is well made – the fabric is a poly/spandex blend, and is actually pretty heavy. The information on the Tonik website describes the fabric as wicking, with UPF 50 fabric – hopefully the sweat produced riding up a steep hill will be wicked away so you don’t get chilled from it! The jacket has six pockets; two on the inside, two zippered exterior front pockets, and two back pockets. The princess-styled front seams are curved, with reflective trim sewn into the seams, and is also sewn into the back princess seams. The sleeves are cuffed, with thumbholes that are bound. This is a great feature to keep the wrists and top of the hands warm. The fabric is a blend of bright yellow, and black/gray stripes, which is a great combination. The construction overall is really well done. Finally, the back seam is a longer length, for good rear end coverage. Sizing for this jacket runs from XS to XXL, for a range of six sizes.
I think this jacket is going to be well used, and probably not just for cycling. It will be perfect for walks in cooler weather. I wear plus sizes, and it’s not always easy to find well-made athletic clothing for someone with curves. The XXL is equivalent to size 20. This is a very trim-fitting jacket, and I will admit – I am IN this jacket! But, with the stretchiness of the fabric, it is a snug fit, but I can move in it, including raising my arms. One of the issues I always have in ready-to-wear clothing is the length of the sleeves, and I was a little concerned that the sleeves would be too long. They are a tad too long, but not so long that I would need to shorten them. That’s a win-win for me, because I get very tired of shortening sleeves! As far as cost goes, this jacket is comparable with other cycling gear I’ve looked at, and frankly, I am willing to pay for clothing that is well made. This is definitely a 5-star product!
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