By Jeff Pamer
Living in Arizona to some may seem like a year-round riding eutopia, but staying cool and finding lighter riding gear is the only way to get the most out of May through October. It gets hot. The heat comes from all directions. Sun beating down forces the temp up to a sometimes indescribable 115 plus degrees. When it gets that hot, it then gets amplified, radiating off the tarmac at stoplights, sometimes so hot you can feel it through the bottom of your boots. The heat is also shedding off all the cars around you, running hard to keep the people inside cool. Then, the final blow is being betrayed by your beloved bike, engine heat coming up through the inside of your thighs. In those moments. In the worst of it, you’d do anything for a light, breathable jacket that will also save your skin if the worst happens.
I believe I first became aware of Tobacco from an Instagram ad that came up on my feed about 5 years ago. I visited their site and immediately wanted a pair of their riding jeans. They were the first riding jeans that I had ever come across that seemed to actually be designed to look good, and also be protective. Good looks are obviously in the eye of the beholder, but all the riding jeans that I was aware of at the time were loose fitting. I’m not a super skinny jean guy, but I need something that rides a line in between. At the time the price of the jeans was a little out of my reach, so I put a pin in it. I kept an eye on the company as it grew and expanded its collection. One such item that caught my eye was the California riding shirt.
Tobacco says they’re on a mission to “make the best looking, most protective gear you can get”. I love this mission, and it seems I’m not the only one, and it also seems like I’m a little late to the party. In 2014, Tobacco launched its first moto jeans on Kickstarter. 501 people believed in their mission and the company was borne. They don’t shy away from those beginnings either, adorning their headquarters in dog tags stamped with the names of everyone who has ever supported them. Tobacco calls these people BLDRs (builders), and it is a community in and of itself. Customer service is also high on the list of tenants for the company. I can attest to this. I have hit them up a few times on Instagram through DM’s, and they always get right back to me. You can read more about Tobacco’s story and check out their gear, on the Tobacco Motowear Website.
At the 2022 Front Row Moto Show put on by Eleven 10 Motorcycle Garage in April, Tobacco happens to have had a booth. So, when I finished my shift working the show, walked over to check out what they had. I was excited to be able to take an up-close look at their product and maybe (probably) try a couple of things on. Andrew from Tobacco was working the booth and I started to chat with him. I tried on a pair of jeans, which I loved, but I wanted my next pair of riding denim to be black, so I passed on the indigo to wait for the black versions to come back into stock. I noticed some of the riding shirts that I had been looking at on their site there as well. I tried on an olive-green version and was hooked. Bought it right then and there.
The California Riding Shirt’s shell is made of a 12oz raw canvas, that as I’ve had the jacket for a few months, is wearing in beautifully, especially then inside of the elbows. It’s light enough, but also feels substantial, and sturdy. With that said, there’s zero break-in period. Right off the rack, it feels like it was made for you. Protection comes courtesy of a Dupont Kevlar lining hugging your elbows, shoulders, and back. You can also up the protection, as I did, with D30 elbow armor, that doesn’t change the profile of the shirt, but adds a ton of confidence out on the road. The shirt’s design is inspired by old-school prison shirts, and the outlaw theme is continued with a banana liner that matched the color of the jacket. The lining also serves to form two large pockets on the inside of the shirt that can fit more than you think they will. The other night, I had my glasses in a hard case, in one pocket, and a medium-sized moleskin notebook in the other. In the outside pockets, that happen to be perfectly placed for putting your hands in, which is weirdly rarer than I’d like, I had my keys and garage door remote. On top of that, there are rubber snaps to not scratch your paint, and the collar snaps down to avoid that high-speed collar thwapping on helmet, or worse, neck effect (if you know, you know). All this to say, the shirt is well-engineered, and I appreciate that. I like it when smart people create something they’re excited about. It’s not only built to sell, it’s built to work.
I do have a couple of things I wish the shirt had. The list is short, and since I’m no clothing designer, take these with a grain of salt. I’d love some pockets for optional slim shoulder and back protection. I’m not even sure if the shirt could work as well as it does fit-wise with this addition, but it would be cool to have the option. I’d also like some low-profile vents for especially hot days, just to up the already good airflow coming through the light shirt. These are nitpicking. I know it. Still though, would push an already wonderful piece of riding gear even higher than it already is on my usability graph.
I honestly can’t get enough of this shirt. It’s made by a company that is driving fashionable protective gear in the US. There are some comparable companies out there, but a lot of out of Europe and England. Riding gear that’s made and designed by people who love what they do. You can feel that when you’re chatting with them or scanning the website. I don’t care if you’re cooking fresh pasta up at an Italian restaurant, designing and building furniture, or making riding gear. A good product made by a passionate team sells itself. Or, at least, allows the marketing team to sleep better at night.
P.S. Patches are sold separately and sewn on by yours truly.
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