Touring - Showers Pass rain jacket - worth the money???

The Showers Pass rain jacket seems to get nothing but raves, but I've noticed it'S 200 bucks. If you've got one, would you say it's worth it?

EDIT: I pulled the trigger, as they say, and I am so glad. The jacket is worth every penny, the perfect rain jacket!

Please search. There was just a discussion on this a week or two ago.

I did search, and I didn't find anything that answered my question.

This thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=356574&highlight=Showers+Pass) does not answer that question?

Only you are going to be able to answer the question if it is worth $200. If it is the jacket or eating then no it is not worth it. If you have $200 to spend and you want to stay dry then it is worth it.

I pulled the trigger, as they say, and I am so glad. The jacket is worth every penny, the perfect rain jacket!

I'm in the market for a new jacket. What is it that makes it so good? Go on, give us a mini review.

I've got the Century jacket, and it's worth the money, though not sure if the Touring jacket is $30 better or not. The century jacket keeps you dry without sauna-izing yourself, while being extremely lightweight. FWIW, the quality is great, and on par with rain jackets (for both cycling and mountaineering/hiking) that run from $200-$300.

I'm in the market for a new jacket. What is it that makes it so good? Go on, give us a mini review.

It pretty much sums it up in the thread above and the referenced thread.

Ok, spinnaker, we get the point. No more posting in this thread. We'll only post in the thread you gave. :rolleyes:

Ok, spinnaker, we get the point. No more posting in this thread. We'll only post in the thread you gave. :rolleyes:

I didn't say to only post in the other thread, There are already lots of rav reviews for this jacket. You gave your review yet he wants more. I really don't see what else needs to be said. It is a great jacket that keeps you dry inside and out and is worth the money, seems to sum up everyone's opinion.

People regularly seem to spend $100+ on a jersey, so I'm unclear why $200 for probably what is the overall best bicycling jacket ever made seems that much out of line. I doubt I'll ever have to buy a cycling jacket again.

I'm going to get the hood too one of these days.

- Mark

People regularly seem to spend $100+ on a jersey, so I'm unclear why $200 for probably what is the overall best bicycling jacket ever made seems that much out of line. I doubt I'll ever have to buy a cycling jacket again.

I'm going to get the hood too one of these days.

- Mark

I made the mistake of not buying a hood. But they are rather expensive, and the price on the new jacket is much more than I paid a year or so ago. If they threw the hood in at the current price it would make it a very nice deal. But if I damaged or lost mine I would pay the new prices hood or not.

I'm considering trying to make a hood.

The showers pass jackets I have seen look to be made a lot like the Burley I have (ie) similiar material and weight, taped seams and the like. I think they have a few more features like more pockets and stuff like that so if they are as good as my Burley then they should be pretty darn good. The Burley I have is as close to being completely water and windproof as anything I have ever worn. Works great when the temps are low and combined with a merino wool under layer. If its really cold (well at least for around here) I usually go with a single layer duofold base layer then a light merino wool second layer and the Burley with the pit zips open about half way its the best way I have found to be warm but not too hot on a cold morning. If I lived in a much colder area I think I would add a good Polartec fleece to the mix. Back to the orignal question my answer is always you get what you pay for up to a point then its just what extra things do I really need like do I really need a cell phone pocket? Do you want the *&^%$ phone ringing when you are riding? I don't thats why I take it and put it in the bike trunk or my backpack. But I digress

I was at my LBS when a showers pass sales representative came in to lay her schpiel on the the shop owner. I was a little bit more interested in the product than he was. The fabrics they use are really techy. I would have to say that it really is a great product, albiet marked up significantly (~100%). I'm almost positive you could find a comparable product for less money, but if you've got the money, and you want something you know will work, then buy one. The people who make them are from Oregon I believe, and us folks from the PNW know all about rain.

I probably have 500 miles on mine in the last 6 months since I bought it. Maybe there's as good at a cheaper price but if you can afford it, I say go for it.

I have both the Burley and the Showers Pass (2 years old, few pockets etc.) I like the visibility of the bright orange, but i do get more of the sauna effect in the SP. I bought the SP as part of a fund raiser auction. Nobody really bid on it. I didn't really need it, but the money was going to a great cause and i'm glad i did. Now I have a loaner.

I made the mistake of not buying a hood. But they are rather expensive...I'm considering trying to make a hood.

$20 doesn't seem that bad to me. I doubt you could make it a whole lot cheaper.

- Mark

I have been using the Showers Pass Touring jacket every day for about two months now. Overall it's a great product and I paid about $120 USD for mine.

A few niggling points. The sizing is very large and I now wish I'd gotten a medium rather than a large. The two way zipper can be a little hard to get started.

But the most annoying thing is an extension flap at the back that's normally held up by two snaps. The snaps come undone easily and the flap comes down. It hooks the back of your seat so that you can't get off the bike at stop lights. I plan to add a big strip of velcro to hold it up. Jacket would be better without the flap.

Overall though - 9/10. One of the best pieces of cycling clothing I own.

The sizing is very large and I now wish I'd gotten a medium rather than a large.

+1 on the sizing. I had to send my large back for a perfectly fitting medium. I never buy a medium of anything. Something to keep in mind if you're ordering the jacket and don't have the opportunity to try it on.

Haven't had a chance to really use it in foul weather, so I can't comment on it's function and utility. It does however, have some very nice features (pit zips in particular—love whoever started putting those in sports apparel) and appears to be well made. Quality on par with my boating foul weather gear and I have some very nice pieces, the price of which, makes this jacket a fairly good deal.

I'm in the market for a new jacket. What is it that makes it so good? Go on, give us a mini review.

1. This jacket is the best-designed jacket I've ever seen. The double zippers are great. I like to put both zippers about 2/3's of the way up so that I get lots of air flowing onto my chest and under my arms, yet the jacket remains closed. The pit zips are a godsend for me because I suffer from axial hyperhydrosis (I sweat like a *******o). :o

2. It is incredibly waterproof. I put on a fresh clean white t-shirt, then the jacket and then stood in the shower for 5 minutes. I was still bone dry when I got out of the shower. Unbelievable. :D

3. The chest pocket is great for whatever item you might want handy, be it your key or your wallet or your cel phone (or all three).

4. The super big rear pocket can hold your hood, your bike gloves, and both your head- and tail-lights, and still have room left over.

I am super thrilled I picked up this jacket, and would find it very hard at best to use anything else. :love:

My wife and i recently both got Showers Pass Elite jackets -- the most expensive ones :( -- for our upcoming tour. Haven't really worn them enough to comment on them, but our purchase was influenced by all the good reviews we've read.

However: don't buy a Showers Pass jacket before trying it on first, unless you want to send it back in two or three times until you get the right size. Their Elites are sized small (i.e, I had to buy a Large, when everything else i've ever owned is a Medium. My wife usually wears Women's Medium, but it was too small; she settled on the Men's Medium). Their Touring jackets, on the other hand, are apparently sized large. And they have several other models which might be different, still.

We wrote to the company urging them to get their sizing right. On the other hand, it kind of requires you to buy local, so you can try them all on, and that's probably a good thing :)

-- Mark

I have been using the Showers Pass Touring jacket every day for about two months now. Overall it's a great product and I paid about $120 USD for mine.

A few niggling points. The sizing is very large and I now wish I'd gotten a medium rather than a large. The two way zipper can be a little hard to get started.

But the most annoying thing is an extension flap at the back that's normally held up by two snaps. The snaps come undone easily and the flap comes down. It hooks the back of your seat so that you can't get off the bike at stop lights. I plan to add a big strip of velcro to hold it up. Jacket would be better without the flap.

Overall though - 9/10. One of the best pieces of cycling clothing I own.

I've got the same jacket and same size. True, the large seems a little big, but I'm glad for that so I can add a fleece layer when it gets really cold. I wear it off the bike a lot too and the arms are a little long, but IT IS a cycling specifc jacket. :) Agree about the zipper--it's stiff. I haven't had any problems with the flap.

Agree with the 9/10. I love the jacket and very happy with it. Not one regret.

I've owned a SP Elite 2.0 for over a year now and used it for some really foul weather. Here's my observations:

1) Sizing: I wear a large in Pearl Izumi Gavia jacket, and the large SP Elite fit me fine. The sleeve length is perfect and there's room for layering. It's not a trim roadie cut, but not a baggy commuter cut like the venerable MEC microft jacket. My advice is to consider your layering need, then pick size. I can run LS wool shirt + vest under it down to -5 and be comfortable.

2) The Elite is worth the extra $$ just for those handy pockets. I used them all the time of keys, phone and cards.

3) The biggest knock again this jacket is that it won't pack as small as say a PI Zepphyr or similar lightweight jacket. If you want something to fit in a jersey pocket in case you get caught, this isn't it.

4) The pitzips work really well and it's a get design with the eVent. Headphone/iPod consideration was a nice touch.

Yes it's pricey, but it stands up to wear and tear and does what it's designed to do.

I have both the Burley and the Showers Pass (2 years old, few pockets etc.) I like the visibility of the bright orange, but i do get more of the sauna effect in the SP. I bought the SP as part of a fund raiser auction. Nobody really bid on it. I didn't really need it, but the money was going to a great cause and i'm glad i did. Now I have a loaner.

I love my burley coat, surprised how perfect it is.

200 on a rain jacket?? wo wo wo wo!!

200 on a rain jacket?? wo wo wo wo!!

Think about it. I've spent more than twice as much on Musto foul weather gear for sailing. I've also had a no name Gore Tex jacket for sailing that cost $80+. One year and the zips on the no name refuse their duty. Can't get the unzipped ones zipped or the zipped ones unzipped. The pockets are ratty and won't keep anything dry. My Musto gear is five years old and performs like new—no problems at all. So... let's see. For all intents and purposes the no name cost a bill and didn't last a year. The name brand cost a bit over 4 and has been on the job, performing admirably for 5 years with at least that much more time left in 'em. Which is the better value?

The showers pass jackets I have seen look to be made a lot like the Burley I have (ie) similiar material and weight, taped seams and the like.

As I always like to compare features and such, can anyone point me to an online source for men's Burley rain jackets? I Googled and got a bunch of listings, but none that actually had such online. Thanks!

I recently got the SHowers Pass Club Pro Jacket, I have yet to use it though (will this friday thouhg ^^, can hardly wait) as for getting a hood for it, I doubt I will. helmet cover/ shower cap (on your heltmet) works just fine for me.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GXHMppAZBuA/TOZXAxbtcgI/AAAAAAAAAI4/ft8cz8mS_wQ/s1600/Old%20Thread%20back.jpg

Thread was started by someone posting from Germany ,
the cost there is relatively higher
than those buying the Oregon sewn Jacket in the US..

EU made stuff costs quite a bit in the US,
part of that is the currency exchange rate.

I have a SP Touring Jacket, and separate hood. Works pretty good and is durable. Probably worth the price.

http://www.showerspass.com/catalog/men/mens-jackets/mens-touring-jacket

I tried numerous jackets before this one, and none offered the waterproofness, breathability (via numerous vents) and durability (worn >50X, still looks like new) of this jacket. This jacket is not intended to be tight-fitting, it needs a loose fit to vent properly, so it's a good jacket if you don't mind looking silly-er than normal. It relies upon numerous vents to breathe, as opposed to the expensive, proprietary W/B fabric of other jackets that can fail or require special maintenance treatments.

I got my SP Touring jacket and hood for $145 three years ago, while the more popular, racier SP Elite eVent jacket cost $220 at the time with no real added benefit. I have some other eVent garments, and although they breathe better than Goretex, they don't breathe enough for high-humidity conditions like we have in the SE USA all the time. The vented sleeves, pits, back flap and neck provide better breathability than eVent IMO. SP Elite jackets probably work a lot better "out west" in the low humidity climes than here in the East.

I'm fairly certain that the SP Touring Jacket is simply a rebadged Burley Rock Point Jacket. The BRP was a highly rated jacket for years. Burley quit selling apparel and recumbents about the same time, and a short time later SP debuted the Touring jacket. The BRP pictured in the link below is identical to my SP Touring jacket in nearly every detail (the SPT jacket added collar velcro to attach an optional hood).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcbomb/page319/

Got a Burly jacket, good , but though I can use the pants, the jacket, an XL, is too large for me .

any 6'6"ers out there? made from the premium waterproof-breathable fabric.

Burly the worker owned cooperative, was put out of business,
and filed for bankruptcy, so they are not around to be rebadged.
rain gear production ceased.

the private buyer of the name, here, for the trailers, are made off shore , now.

I bought five different rain jackets last year and tried them all out then returned four. The one I kept was the showers pass elite. Second runner up was the showers pass mountain. The SP mountain would have been the keeper if the collar did not keep rubbing my chin annoyingly. For me the showers pass won mostly on fit for my body. It seemed about the same a soothers for keeping you dry. The SP and all others still left me with unevaporated perspiration on my arms after a hilly twenty mile ride. I have left product reviews at the REI site and the backcountry site if you are interested in a lot of detailed comparison of showers pass to other jackets. Again mostly fit and comfort of the SP jacket got my purchase and about the same as other jackets for dryness.

I've been using the Showers Pass Touring jacket for a couple of years now. Although it's been one of the most reliable pieces of gear I own, there are a couple of things that were minor annoyances.
First, and the biggest pain in the neck, is that although the collar is lined, the seam tape is laid over it. After some miles the taping starts to chafe my neck in a few places. I wish they would have taped first, then laid a felt lining over that. I eventually added a small strip of my own.
The second issue I've had is with the breast pocket. There is a hole that leads inside the jacket, presumably for headphone routing. While this pocket is also waterproof, when I have my phone in there, steam/moisture builds up in the pocket from that "vent/routing" hole so much that my phone is soaked at the end of a ride. I ended up taping that hole closed, and have much better results now.
All in all, one of the best jackets I've had, and I'd buy it again. I just wanted to give my two cents. Others have mentioned the storm flap at the back. I've never experienced a hangup with it, myself. I do like how it folds down to prevent soggy butt if I'm not wearing waterproof pants during lighter rains when the seat still gets soaked.

Way to much money. I bought a rain jacket from http://www.bicycleclothing.com/ for $99.00. Great product.

I use th same goretex jacket for hiking, skiing, bicycling, and walking around town when it's raining. Generally I avoid all these activities when it's raining, especially bicycling and skiing, but sometime one can't help getting caught in rain. I find that one jacket works well for all.

I received a SP Touring in the mail. Does anyone here can actually zip-up the collar completely? The only way I can is by choking myself. I've tried a larger size in store and it's still extremely tight.

A number of riders in our local club wear SP jackets. They seem happy with them but to me the jackets always look too bulky and flap too much in the wind. Do other riders find this to be the case or are my friends buying the wrong size? I note they now sell an elite pro jacket with a high performance fit. Maybe that is what I want?

http://http://www.showerspass.com/catalog/men/mens-jackets/elite-pro-jacket

My wife has been a fan of SP jackets for a long time as she finds that they are one of the few companies that design a cycling jacket that fits her rather curvaceous form properly as not all women are built like 12 year old boys... :)

She now has two SP jackets in two sizes as she likes to use a slightly larger sized (men's) jacket for winter riding in PDX when she wears more layers beneath.

For me, I love my Columbia Omnitech which is not a cycling specific jacket but has served to keep me dry and warm in the wet winters of PDX and serves me well in the frigid and usually dry conditions I experience here... since the shell jacket compresses so well it always comes with me on summer rides and tours.

I got to use my Showers Pass Club Pro alot recently and I'm really liking it.