Commuting - Showerspass Elite Jacket review

Here's a link for the review. I put this here because we commuters are always looking for THE jacket. This might be a great commuter jacket. A bit pricey though. BUT if you only need 1 jacket this may be the one.
http://www.roadbikerider.com/producttests.htm

Awesome jacket. Its the one i recomend to people looking for one to wear in pacific northwest or anywhere else with hard rain

As I mentioned on the Winter forum, I've worn that jacket for 4 years (~10K mi). The seams are sealed so it's waterproof/windproof but paper thin. So you'll need to layer for cold weather. In hard rain, remember to layer, cuz that rain hurts :eek:

When comparing mine to a new jacket some of the yellow has faded slightly. But the reflectivity has not diminished at all. Reflectivity on the arms and back seem very good.

However: At night, riding on the drops, that back reflective stripe is NOT visibile.

Edited: If you do rain and snow, get the hood, it's thin and keeps your head and neck very dry without hampering visability.

Hmmm.... sounds more like is would be a portable sauna in our Florida downpours.

Hmmm.... sounds more like is would be a portable sauna in our Florida downpours.

Well of all the 'waterproof' jackets, this one breathes better than all other materials made, and has the most ventilation of any made with the same material. So it would be pretty much the best of any waterproof jacket.

But in florida downpours its also 100 degrees outside so just wear your coolmax shirt and get wet :)

i am not a fan of goretex or other waterproof fabrics. i ride maybe 3 or 4 times a year in serious rain. Other times i find i just put up with a drizzle, bc i generate enough heat to be ok. the reason i dont like waterproof cycling jackets is bc it collects too much sweat. you end up being wet at the end of the ride, and you just spent money on an expensive jacket. i would rate windproofness as being the most important factor, followed by venting and then water resistance. in the winter i use a windproof soft-shell from mec www.mec.ca with a waterproof/breathable section at the hood and shoulders only. the hood is big and expandable over a bike helmet. the shell also has 2 big vent/pockets at the front, but no underarm zips.

This and other rain jackets are not meant for warm rains in Florida. I agree with Jarey, just get wet. It's what I do in Maryland during the summers. Cold rain is THE issue...cold rain or warm sweat. I also agree with lxpatterson: venting. Now if this jacket vents well AND keeps the rain out then the best of both worlds. If not then you have an expensive plastic baggie.

Here in vancouver were at the 23rd consecutive day of rain and counting. The record set in the 50's was 28 days.

I spend over 1 hour each way in it. So to me waterproofness is important. Water resistant windproof jackets i also have, and prefer for anything up to about 30 min of rain. After 30 min of rain, I want waterproof :) When its in the 30's and low 40's its freaking cold if you get soaked.

Ventilation becomes key with waterproof layers. Both in the ability of the material to let some air/vapor thru and the amount of active venting thru zips etc.
Pearl Izumi makes a trifecta jacket. Costs hundreds of dollars, is made from the same eVent material, and they dont put in a single vent. That would be a sauna, anywhere.

Here in vancouver were at the 23rd consecutive day of rain and counting. The record set in the 50's was 28 days.

I spend over 1 hour each way in it. So to me waterproofness is important. Water resistant windproof jackets i also have, and prefer for anything up to about 30 min of rain. After 30 min of rain, I want waterproof :) When its in the 30's and low 40's its freaking cold if you get soaked.

Ventilation becomes key with waterproof layers. Both in the ability of the material to let some air/vapor thru and the amount of active venting thru zips etc.
Pearl Izumi makes a trifecta jacket. Costs hundreds of dollars, is made from the same eVent material, and they dont put in a single vent. That would be a sauna, anywhere.

23 days of rain!! No wonder y'all commit suicide so often;-) I figure if this jacket is well liked in you conditions it should do well in mine. We(mid-atlantic) get a harder rain than the NW, more annual rainfall than Seattle(dependent on what part of the NW) but not for as many days.
On a side note: there are some places in the NW that get over 100 inches of rainfall, that's a lot of rain!!