Oxford Venture Jacket

The Oxford Venture Jacket is strong, stylish and comfortable, but unfortunately the waterproofing – at least on the sleeves – is a letdown, and badly undermines its usefulness.

There's a lot to like about this jacket, but as it doesn't keep you completely dry for very long, much of it is sadly moot. If you want a solidly built, packable shell for (brief) emergencies or urban commutes/shop runs, though, this will do the job well, so bear with me while I bang on about it all anyway.

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The 'Dry2Dry' fabric is 100% polyester and looks like ripstop on the outside, while there's a softer, smoother lining. It's rated 10k for both waterproofing and breathability, and, to start with the waterproofing, it mostly lives up to that.

You can expect this level to fend off heavy rain, and resist soaking through unless there's pressure too (like if you lean your elbows on a wet railing). I found the main body works fine, but the forearms don't.

Presumably it's because they're the least steeply angled part as you ride and water can't run away as freely, but less than an hour of intermittent rain (though constant spray) would leave my jersey sleeves soaked through. Once the fabric was soaked, the sleeves felt colder, too – perhaps draughts up the cuffs were chilling my soaked jersey sleeves, but the sensation was like having cold winds occasionally cutting through the jacket.

The shoulders don't leak in the same way, but then they're heavily ruggedised with thick black panels to withstand wear from backpacks. The seams are all sealed and don't appear to leak either... though it can be a little hard to be totally sure it's not all sweat.

That said, the Venture does better for breathability. While I found it sweaty and a little warm on climbs, it never got that runaway greenhouse effect that forces you to take these things off. It's certainly good enough for lower-intensity rides, and those rubbery shoulder patches don't seem to have any adverse effects either.

You get a phone-sized Napoleon pocket on the chest but no pockets on the back. Both zips are waterproof and have neat little garages, while the high collar fits well and is soft lined. It relies on elastic for sealing and it works just fine, as do the cuffs for the most part.

The hem has more of a struggle to seal, though, as the overall cut is pretty loose – in fact, I got muddy water splashed up inside the back as well as outside, despite the tail itself being pleasingly long. It's perhaps telling that it fits much more securely over winter civvies than cycling gear. This is a jacket for pretty casual cycling.

The substantial 'Nightbright 360' reflectives are impressive, as is this attractive yet very noticeable Fierce Red option. I must say, it's so fierce it looks to me like Actually Bright Orange. There's also a Cool Grey version should it all just be too much for you.

It scrunches down to the size of two fists, and though there's no pocket or stuff sack to contain it, it'll squeeze into most jersey pockets okay.

Value

At £99.99 it's a long way from being the most expensive waterproof out there – you can spend two or even three times that – and would be good value if it were a little more waterproof. Certainly the construction is impressive.

> Buyer’s Guide: 37 of the best waterproof cycling jackets

Unfortunately for the Venture, the Galibier Tourmalet 3 offers higher specs and performance for just £68, though that doesn't come in any bright colours. The Donda Torrential Jacket Orange does, though, and while it's a softshell it stays very warm and protective even if it does get very wet. It's £80.

Against other 'urban' type jackets, the Oxford seems priced fairly. The Chapeau City Jacket is £129.99, for instance, while the Proviz Classic Men's Tour Cycling Jacket is £99.99.

Overall

This stylish jacket is well made, reasonably breathable and promises to last, but as the waterproofing just doesn't live up to expectations – or keep your sleeves dry for very long – it's hard to recommend.

Verdict

Well built and very visible for town jaunts, but disappointing waterproofing limits its usefulness