OK, so as I've said before, I've slowly come to the epiphany that I am the Imelda Marcos of cycling jackets. I truly have more than I need, but there is something satisfying about having just the right jacket for just the right conditions at just the right time. It would make more sense if I felt that way about cycling shorts, but pretty much all of them seem to work fine for me.
To me, the ideal jacket is waterproof, windproof, breathable, has a two-way front zipper, velcroed cuffs and pit-zips or some equivalent. Oh, and it is packable enough to roll into a jersey pocket or a seat bag, is bright, has reflective material and is made to last a long time. Oh ... and it can use a waterproof hood, but that hood must be removable.
So I'm curious what other people are using and what you think of it. Here is my embarrassingly large stable:
Showers Pass Elite
It has it all, but it is not packable.
Showers Pass Double Century
It has it all but is not made to last a long time.
O2 Cycling Rain Jacket
Amazingly breathable, waterproof, and cheap. But almost disposable, not packable, and has none of the features listed above.
O2 Primary Jacket
Waterproof, but not terribly breathable nor packable. No two way zipper. Integrated hood, but not removable.
Canari Eclipse:
Not at all water proof. No velcroed cuffs. Not all that packable. Nice removable sleeves though ... makes a decent vest.
Triple Crown: (Voler)
Two-way zipper. Not waterproof. Wind-resistant, but not windproof. No velcroed cuffs. No pit zips. But very packable and the side panels are made of jersey material. Quite breathable.
Gore Phantom O2: (sorry for the big pix)
Not waterproof. No two-way zipper. No velcroed cuffs. No pit-zips, but sleeves are removable. Very breathable.
Pace Windbreaker:
(so old, there IS no picture). Very light windbreaker. Open mesh all along the back side of the sleeve all the way to the cuff and a HUGE amount of open mesh at the back.
…. and probably 3 others too