We believe the best brands are born from a desire to solve a problem. For Yvon Chouinard, the problem was insufficient climbing equipment. For Phil Knight, the problem was low-quality running shoes. And for John Barbour, the problem was Britain. Or more precisely, Britain’s weather.
We’ve talked about Barbour endlessly on here. On how John Barbour travelled to South Shields to flog his rainwear to the perpetually wet fishermen and sailors. How the brand stitched itself into Britain’s history books. And how it’s one of the few labels that will never not be cool.
But what we’ve not focused on so much is Barbour’s individual products – and how each one was created as a wearable solution. The Bedale’s shorter cut existed so it could be worn comfortably on horseback. The Beaufort’s large rear pocket was designed to transport game while shooting. The Spey’s extreme crop was so it could be worn over waders when fly fishing.
Every single Barbour product – and every design detail – is made to make someone’s life easier. Most were born for classic British middle-class pursuits. But one exists purely because some bloke wanted to tear through muddy hills on his new mountain bike.
Pre-2000, most Barbour customers travelled about the country via the four legs of a horse, or the four wheels of a Landrover. But a small handful rode bicycles, overlooking the lack of cycling-specific design to take full advantage of the Barbour’s top-notch weatherproofing. And while they were dry, the long, waxed coats picked up every piece of dirt, grit and grime that flew overhead from a fast-spinning rear wheel.
If you wanted to ride a bike in a Barbour jacket, you had two choices. First, the purpose-built Beacon Cycle Poncho – a long, non-breathable sheet of waxed fabric that covered you and most of your bike. Or second, a jacket like the Beaufort – waterproof and hardwearing, but not optimised for life on two wheels.
Neither option was ideal. But Barbour-wearing cyclists didn’t have a choice… except for one, who happened to work in the brand’s design department.
Gary Janes joined Barbour in the 1980s and, by the early ’90s, had become a key member of the design team. His approach was pragmatic and hands-on, shaped by years of living – and getting soaked – in South Shields. He understood, instinctively, what worked and what didn’t.
That understanding was tested when he got hold of an early Muddy Fox mountain bike. It didn’t take long to realise that while Barbour made jackets for the elements, it didn’t make one for cycling.
Gary began tearing around South Shields in a Beaufort. The two-way zip offered more mobility than most, but everything else felt cumbersome. The cut was wrong. The pockets were impractical. The sleeves ran long. And worst of all, every ride ended with him coated in road spray. The Beaufort wasn’t a cycling jacket – he knew that. But he also knew it could become one.
The first issue was length. The Beaufort hung too low, draping over the back wheel and restricting movement. So Gary did what any hands-on designer would do: he took a pair of scissors and simply cut it in half.
Next came the pockets. Wrestling open bellows pockets mid-ride was awkward at best, dangerous at worst. They were replaced with simple side-entry handwarmer pockets.
Finally, there was the filth. To stop road spray soaking through, Gary added an internal skirt – borrowed from other Barbour designs – that buttoned closed to block debris thrown up from the rear wheel.
In the space of a single afternoon, Gary single-handedly redefined Barbour’s relationship with cycling – and the Transport Jacket was born. More than thirty years later, it has remained largely untouched. Until now.
For this season, Barbour has revisited the Transport and given it a considered update. The silhouette has been slimmed for easier city wear. The traditional waxed finish has been replaced with a lightweight synthetic shell, the storm skirt removed, and unnecessary bulk stripped away. The result is a lighter, more streamlined jacket built for cycling, walking, and navigating the everyday.
Keen to understand this latest chapter in the Transport’s story, we teamed up with SEVEN STORE and sent Henry – our resident cyclist and countryside native – north to South Shields.
There, he sat down with Gary to talk origins, evolution, and what Barbour means to him today.
Find out more about Henry’s journey tracing Barbour’s Transport Jacket at SEVEN STORE
