Look, it’s a jacket! No, it’s a vest! Look again—it’s both! That’s Performance Bicycle®’s Transformer jacket in a nutshell, a convertible garment for those rides which begin too chilly for just a vest, but turn too warm for a full-fledged jacket. The Transformer’s sleeves zip off to reveal a vest, and the sleeves tuck away in the rear pocket. If the ride turns too warm for a vest, just fold the Transformer into its own pocket and buckle it around your middle with the included waist belt.

A windshell that converts from a jacket into a vest seems a great idea, but does it deliver, and is it worth the price? Read on…

 
Distinguishing Features  The Transformer is made from lightweight, wind resistant polyester fabric. It has a long back for complete coverage when in the drops, a zippered chest pocket, a high unlined collar, and a full-width rear pocket entered through a zippered on-seam slot. Here’s the big picture:

 

 
The photo above shows both sides of the jacket with sleeves attached. The sleeves and cape zip to the vest—the zippers follow the angled seam from neck to armpit. In the photo below the vest is hung up against a bright window to show how lightweight the material is:

 

 
Bright outside light passes through the fabric, reminiscent of an X-ray, and reveals the large full-width rear pocket and waist belt, which is sewn to the side seams inside the pocket. And no, that’s not a gaping hole over the upper back. It’s a mesh ventilation panel. When the sleeves are zipped in place, the cape covers the mesh panel but doesn’t compromise air flow. The upper edge of the cape is unattached to the vest, and the lower hem of the cape is “tacked” to the vest with a short hook-and-loop strip:

 

 
The photo above shows the top of the cape, while the photo below shows the bottom:

 

 
When removed, the sleeves can be tucked into the back pocket, which is accessed along the back seam on the right side of the vest:

 

 
The entire garment can be tucked into its own back pocket. Clip the adjustable belt across your waist and saddle up:

 

 
Reflective accents are welcome, especially against the black shoulders and upper back:

 

 
Other features include generously long hook-and-loop closures for the cuffs, a zippered chest pocket large enough for eyewear, wallet and cell phone, a thick plastic tab on the front zipper pull, and a zipper garage at the upper end at the neck. Finally, the arm holes of the vest are elasticized to help keep them from flapping in the breeze and to retain warmth:

 

 
Color  The Transformer is currently available in three colors—lime, blue, and hi-vis yellow. Mine’s hi-vis yellow, and the color is a hit with me. Sometimes it glows green, other times yellow, but it’s highly visible in full sun as well as under thick overcast. In fact, the color seems to get brighter as the light fails. On the downside, half or more of the jacket is black, which is fine as a fashion statement, but not so good when the object is to be seen by motorists. The extensive use of the color black is tolerable, but the Transformer has a potentially fatal flaw, and that’s the…

 
Front and Sleeve Zippers  The last thing you need when riding down the road is for a zipper to jam when you try to ventilate, yet that’s something that happens all too often with the Transformer. The front and sleeve zips are all major weak points with this jacket. They’re too small for the job. The sliders easily ride over the fabric storm flaps, jamming the slider and eventually damaging the coils. The only way to avoid jamming is to lead the slider with a finger or thumb, holding the storm flap out of the way, as shown below:

 

 
This requires two hands, making on-bike ventilation of the front zipper impossible under most conditions. Removing the sleeves while wearing the jacket is an exercise in frustration, and don’t even try to zip the sleeves up when you’re wearing the vest. The badly chosen zippers are hard to justify, especially considering the Transformer’s…

 
Price  I bought mine in late summer 2007 when Performance had it on sale, and I paid less than USD40. Now it’s listed at USD69.99, but a quick check shows it’s on sale for USD49.99. On sale, the Transformer’s price isn’t astronomical, but another consideration is the…

 
Fit  Put simply, the Transformer doesn’t fit me well. That’s not a surprise, since it’s designed for the cycling man, who presumably has no curves except, possibly, for the region engulfing his navel. Performance doesn’t offer Transformers cut for ladies, more’s the pity. Still, I manage, and can wear my Transformer over a long-sleeved jersey and fleece vest. I suggest that men considering buying a Performance Transformer read the size chart and reviews at the Performance Transformer page before choosing a size. Ladies, I can strongly recommend the Canari Barrier Commuter jacket for foul weather. If you are curvaceous and still are thinking of buying the Transformer, choose the size carefully and resign yourself to excess length in the arms.

 
Evaluation  Now that I’ve given the rundown on the Performance Transformer jacket, what’s my lowdown? That’s easy to summarize: The Transformer needs a transformation. Improve it by scrapping the current zippers and use better ones in their place. Keep the bright hi-vis yellow color, but make the entire garment the same color. Failing that, put reflective strips on the cuffs and arms to improve visibility when motorists see cyclists from the side and when they’re signaling. And offer a women’s model in a full range of sizes, with hi-vis yellow as one of the color options alongside the inevitable pastels and pinks.

I like the Transformer jacket in concept, and still use it when my Canari is too much jacket. The Transformer is lightweight, easy to stow in the handlebar bag, and the hi-vis yellow is very bright. It’s also convenient to have a convertible garment for changeable days when both a vest and jacket may be needed, and on rides which start chilly but end up warm or hot.

Would I buy the Performance Transformer jacket again? Possibly, on sale, if they offered women’s sizes. But the inconvenience of poor quality zippers is a significant downer, and would probably be a deal-breaker. Just ask Farwell. He has a Transformer jacket, too, and one of the sleeve zippers is shot. Oh well, at least he can still wear the vest—until the front zipper goes south, that is.

 
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