Full review of the Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0
Hey guys and welcome back to Cycle Gear Guide! I’m Rene, this is the gear, let’s get to it! Alright! The Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0! Who doesn’t love a great looking jacket that performs really well and only costs about three Ulysses S. Grants! Those are fifties by the way. Pretty good combination right! Joe Rocket continues to improve on a great existing platform with the five point oh.
Now, we are going to go through all of the great features but I always like to start with the base that everything else builds off of. The Atomic five point oh uses a waterproof treated and really rugged six hundred dee Rock Tex chassis for outstanding weather protection and abrasion resistance. But, if you look at the shoulders and elbows you will notice they have added Hitena reinforced panels that the four point oh did not have. You can also see these patches have external zippers that let you access the C E approved armor panels and since we are mentioning removable armor, you can also remove the spine armor from inside the jacket. There is an available spine armor upgrade from Joe Rocket called the Speed Master two point oh which is rated C E level two point oh. It will run you about seventy bucks but a pretty significant upgrade to what comes standard with the jacket and who doesn’t like a little extra spinal protection?
Still focusing on the jacket shell, all of the zippers are waterproof. And specifically on the front you can see it has four rubber tiped zippers. Two here and two here. This is the front end of what Joe Rocket calls their cross linked ventilation system. When all four are unzipped and the two middle vents snapped together like so these air intakes help create the “wind tunnel” cooling effect along with these two rear exhausts unzipped and open here. I have rode quite a few miles with this jacket and I can say that this system works exceptionally well!
Now if we move to either side of the back of the jacket we see the “full flex” accordion style expansion panels in the lat area which is one of the nice comfort upgrades from the previous generation. Extending out to the sleeves and waist area we see the six point sure fit adjustment system which gives you plenty of adjustment on how loose or how snug you want your fitment to be. Also, at the end of the sleeve we see another upgrade with the zippered neoprene cuff and the neoprene also makes its way to the collar for added comfort.
The last couple of highlights on the outside are the three pockets, two hand warmer style in the front and one large padded cargo pocket in the back which is ideal for stowing your liner or similar items. Last we have the three hundred and sixty degree reflective panels on the front, back , shoulders, and sleeves. A few toned down logos are tastefully located in several spots.
Ok, let’s crack this shell open. Right away we see the internal waterproof storm flap which I found to also be an extra layer of wind protection on cooler rides. The Atomic also comes with the removable full sleeve insulated liner which also worked beautifully on those brisk evening rides. You have one internal chest pocket here which is where I tend to stash my phone and smaller items neatly and I never feel them while riding which is fantastic. And the liner does have another side pocket located here. The jacket also has a standard eight inch zipper and two belt loops for linking up to pants if you want to.
Time for bonus nuggets! The five point oh has a more current, sleeker cut to it, less like a square box. This might be something you like or something you don’t. I personally liked this but I recommend trying it for yourself. You have a good selection on sizing, small through five ex el and also tall sizes medium up to three ex el. There are six different color options to choose from but the black on black is the only color available beyond three ex el. This is an awesome three to four season jacket that fits great and looks super sharp and I would easily recommend to anyone looking to get a high quality jacket at a great price.
Thanks for tuning in today, I always welcome questions or comments and would love to hear from you about what other gear you would like to have reviewed. Before you go, hit the like button and subscribe to the channel and I look forward to seeing you guys soon.
