Winter Cycling - Anybody use marmot or MTN hardwear jackets?

Like the title says

does anybody use either company for cycling jackets?
Will be moving to Chicago and will need cold weather jacket for commuting in the fall/winter

I can get some AWESOME deals on these brands... Just wondering if I should just go with a cycling specific jacket or not.

I have a marmot jacket made from precip 2. Its better than goretex but not by much. For my energy level of riding, in the pacific northwest with temps wet and generally a few degrees above freezing, its way too hot.

Both brands you mention make great jackets. Its not the brand but what material they make a particular jacket from.

The Marmot ATV WAS a good jacket until they cheaped out on materials. Still a nice looking jacket. I checked out the hardware jackets and they seemed too hot for me.

If you're new to jackets shopping besides going down to Target and just trying one on. I'd say start out by looking at the weight of the jacket and then look at the materials. If the jacket is over 1.5lbs it may be too hot for IL, riding.

If it has pit zips, and you're an intense rider, the jacket will probably be too hot even with the zips open. Because of your winds, you'll need something with wind blocker at least in the front of the jacket. Both of those jackets do that well.

I wore a mountain hardware shell all winter and I have no complaints. The most I wore, even in -20F windchill, was a long sleeved wicking shirt and the bib from my snowpants with that jacket.

But I got grease on it and am trying to figure out how to get it off. :(

I wore a mountain hardware shell all winter and I have no complaints. The most I wore, even in -20F windchill, was a long sleeved wicking shirt and the bib from my snowpants with that jacket.

But I got grease on it and am trying to figure out how to get it off. :(

I've had good luck with Vanish.

I've had good luck with Vanish.

The toilet bowl cleaner:eek: I'll give it a try.

The toilet bowl cleaner:eek: I'll give it a try.

Um, no here it's a laundry stain remover. I remember seeing it in the States and assumed it was the same as it's made by the multinational Unilever....

Glad you replied. My jacket is looking pretty old and toilet bowl cleaner would have been the last nail in it's coffin.

I have a Mountain Hardwear Epic Jacket and Pant that I've used for cycling on numerous occasions. With the exception of being dark blue and black with no reflective material, they do reasonably well. They don't breathe as well as my Descente but the Descente will soak through in anything beyond a sprinkle. It originally had to be raining cats and dogs to soak through the Epic jacket. Its DWR coating needs to be renewed so right now it's still better than the Descente but will soak through eventually. That said, when used as wet weather gear for hiking or backpacking, the Epic is almost too breathable. I have to pay special attention to the layers I wear beneath it to ensure I have sufficient windproofing somewhere.

I have since bought a Showers Pass Touring jacket and it works better for cold weather commiting purposes. It's more waterproof and less breathable than the Mountain Hardwear and the "Yelling Yellow" color and reflective strips almost make it appear battery powered. Cold weather, wet weather, and riding in the dark generally go hand in hand here in the desert.

I've got a Mountain Hardware Alchemy "Softshell" that I use on the bike when the temps drop below about 20°F. I like it. Surprisingly warm for its lack of bulk. My commute is fairly short (~5 miles each way). I also have an Arc'Teryx softshell that works pretty well too. The only feture that they don't have is an inside chest pocket.

They are cut a little more generously then some of the cycling specific jackets.

I have a 10 yr old Marmot jacket that I use all the time. It has pit zips, which are a must in my book, but nothing reflective. It's the only jacket I've used for cycling so maybe I don't know any better, but I like it just fine. I don't know what it's made of, but it will keep out a light rain and is a great windblocker. I do really wish it had a long tail.

I have since bought a Showers Pass Touring jacket and it works better for cold weather commiting purposes. It's more waterproof and less breathable than the Mountain Hardwear and the "Yelling Yellow" color and reflective strips almost make it appear battery powered. Cold weather, wet weather, and riding in the dark generally go hand in hand here in the desert.

I just received my Showers Pass Touring jacket and was very surprised to find that it was made out of two different materials. One is a rather stout breathable fabric of similar look to either E-vent or Triple Point (front of the jacket and half of the sleeves), the other was a cheaper coated material similar to Gore-Tex (back of the jacket and the other half of the sleeves). Is your jacket made the same way?

great replies everybody
thanks!

i went ahead and purchased marmot jackets
the
superhero
minimalist
rush
also bought the precip pants
should be delivered soon.