Stolen Goat Apparel: At The Finish – by Guitar Ted
Last month we introduced the range of Stolen Goat apparel we received to test here on the site. In this Long Review conclusion, I will give you my impressions and tell about the experiences I had while wearing the Stolen Goat apparel. These items are from their new gravel oriented range and you can see more of those items here: https://stolengoat.com/product-category/gravel/
Gravel Shorts: So, let’s kick this off by giving you my take on my favorite piece of the range sent to me, the ‘Gravel Shorts’. First of all, I expect a couple of things from any ‘baggie’ short made for gravel. That short must not snag! Moving back on the saddle, standing, or when sitting down, baggies must be unobtrusive and not cause snagging issues. Secondly, baggies must have pockets. The more the better, and those must be done well. Without pockets, why even wear baggies? I don’t know the answer to that. I just know that baggies must have well done pockets.
The ‘Gravel Shorts’ covered both of these points excellently. In fact, they were the best baggie short I have used to date in terms of being ‘out-of-the-way’ while riding. Furthermore; the slightly stretchy fabric worked with my legs and hips to allow excellent freedom of motion, even though I was wearing bib shorts underneath, because, as you may remember, these shorts do not come with a padded insert. In fact, I think this is a key component to their success with me, at least. This allows the rider to choose the most comfortable insert they have and match it up with the Stolen Goat Gravel Short.
Getting your favorite shorts/bibs underneath the Gravel Short is one thing. But if the Stolen Goat Gravel Short doesn’t stay put, that becomes a big hassle. Some baggies don’t play well with second party inserts. They slide, slip, and the waist band is uncomfortable. Not so with the Stolen Goat Gravel Short. In fact the waistband is very well done, easily adjusted while riding, and doesn’t dig in while keeping the Gravel Shorts right where you want them.
Pockets? They are very well done. At least in my opinion. Perfect front slash pockets held my keys, money, and credit card wallet without any fear of losing those items and without discomfort while riding. The back pockets are great as well, although I used these less. The huge ‘leg pockets’ are zippered for security and would hold spent gel packages, maps, or larger, flattish items well, but I didn’t use them because I find them uncomfortable when riding if things are on that part of my legs. That’s my personal dislike coming through though. Nothing to do with the pockets themselves.
Gravel Jersey: The Gravel Jersey, in my opinion, is not a jersey. It is a t-shirt. A ‘proper’ jersey has pockets, is zippered at least a little bit, or it has buttons for the same purposes of venting. The Gravel Jersey from Stolen Goat has none of these things. I would liken it to a mountain biking trail jersey in that sense then. If you are a rucksack/hydration pack user, you may find the Stolen Goat Gravel Jersey to be perfectly fine. It fits well- not too loose as to be flapping in the wind, but loose enough, (at least on my body), to be very comfortable to wear while riding. Very well made, breathable, and soft to the touch. It does a lot of things well.
However; I miss having a zipper to vent with, and pockets….. Where the Gravel Shorts made me very happy, the Gravel Jersey let me down. A jersey has to have pockets to be useful, or at least more functional, as a riding tool. Had the Gravel Jersey been outfitted with rear pockets my outlook on this piece would be much better, but I have to knock off points here for the lack of pockets. In almost every other way I loved this piece. As a casual cycling piece? Excellent. Maybe if you are bike packing and have 20 something places to put things anyway? Great. But for long, self-supported rural riding? Give me some pockets.
Orkaan Water Resistant Leisure Hoodie: This piece was not originally going to be part of this review, but Stolen Goat sent it along anyway. Man! Am I glad that they did. This is by far one of the most used pieces of kit I have tested in a long time. The reason for that is because the Orkaan Leisure Hoody is super versatile. I use it for everyday outdoors use when it is cooler out. I use it for the work commute. Plus, I have used it on rides where weather plays a part in my gear choices. For instance, we recently had a cooler, heavy mist day where I was itching to go ride. It was a day where typical rain jackets were just going to make me as miserable wearing a rain jacket as not wearing one might have been. I put on the Orkaan Leisure Hoody and bam! Perfect for that ride. Not too sweaty inside, but dry and warm.
The fit is slimmer too, not bulky and loose. The fabric is stretchy, so it moves with you, even while using a messenger bag or backpack, which I did use on a few commutes. The Orkaan Leisure Hoody also lives up to its ‘leisure’ billing as it is super comfortable for just kicking back and lounging around.
Oh! And it is fully zippered, which means you don’t have that awkward moment pulling off a non-zippered hoody and having your shirt get dragged up over your soft under-belly, exposing yourself. I hate that when that happens! Plus this has zippered slash hand pockets, which are generously sized and secure to hold things within while riding. Yes- I like this hoody. If I could improve one thing it would be that this jacket would have a slightly dropped tail for a better fit while riding. Otherwise, well done!
Accessories: You may remember we also received the Stolen Goat socks, cycling cap, and water bottle. All did what they were supposed to do and have lived with me well over the test period. The socks and cap are as comfortable as any high quality cycling gear should be. The bottle has a weird cap, but works okay. The softness of the plastic used to make it renders the bottle easy to squeeze while drinking and the top does not leak. Can’t ask for much more than that.
At The Finish: The Stolen Goat apparel and accessories were a nice surprise from a brand that was unknown previous to their contacting us at Riding Gravel. The gear for the gravel segment is very good, but there is some room for improvement, especially in regard to the jersey, which has a limited appeal due to its lack of features.
The hits were definitely big here though. The standouts being the Gravel Shorts and the Orkaan Leisure Hoody. By the way, that Orkaan fabric does a great job of beading up and shedding water in misty conditions. I wouldn’t say it would keep you dry in a full-on rain, but a light shower? It probably would be great. More than that though, the sheer versatility in the Orkaan Leisure Hoody makes it worth the price here. It is not ‘just for cycling’.
I suppose the same could be said for the Gravel Jersey. However; if you are labeling a product as a ‘jersey‘ for gravel cycling, well I think a zippered vent and rear pockets are kind of necessary to have to be in that category. Call it a “Riding Shirt“, and then I get it. But for solo, self-supported gravel travel? This jersey is leaving me somewhat wanting. Out of all the gear we were sent, this piece is the only ‘near-miss’. Close, but no cigar.
The Gravel Shorts are a highly recommended piece though. These are the the best baggie shorts for gravel travel I’ve yet tried, and I have tried several brands. They stretch just enough, are not snaggy, and feel great against the skin. Pockets are perfect. Waistband is awesome. I have zero complaints here.
Overall I give Stolen Goat’s efforts here a solid “B” grade. The Gravel Jersey pulls this grade down, not because it isn’t a quality piece- it is- but from a lack of features standpoint. Otherwise I can highly recommend Stolen Goat apparel for your gravel travels and adventure riding.
For more on these items and the rest of Stolen Goat’s offerings, see teir website here: https://stolengoat.com/
Note: Stolen Goat sent over several pieces of apparel and accessory items to Riding Gravel for test and review at no charge to Riding Gravel. We were not bribed nor paid for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.
