Commuting - Rain jacket

So it's been pouring here in Atlanta.

Thinking about a few different jackets

North Face Trajectory Hybrid ($120)

bright green, good for visibility
extremely light weight (7.9oz), great for warm weather
front is HyVent DT (is this DWR coated material?)
back is knit mesh for breathability


Cutter Cyclical Jacket (~$90)

eVent, supposedly a VERY waterproof, VERY breathable fabric
Cycling specific


Marmot Atlas ($140-$160)

Gore-Tex
Pretty lightweight for a gore tex shell



So basically this comes down to a thread on what's better for cycling in a warm and rainy climate: HyVent, GoreTex, or eVent. Needs to be absolutely waterproof, but breathable.

I have an REI rain jacket I got a couple of years ago. It was absolutely great, but the DWR coating must be gone as it pretty much soaks up water. I've tried spraying it a couple times with Scotch Guard but it hasn't done anything. I like the jacket, but it's not water proof and it's not the greatest for riding...

If you want links, let me know and I"ll post them

eVent has a good reputation, better than Goretex on the cycling forums here. However, along with materials buying a cycling specific jacket is often recommended.

One manufacturer that I hear about a lot here is Shower's Pass - specifically, here's their less expensive and less breathable jacket - the Double Century, it does seem to have all their biking-specific features:
http://www.showerspass.com/products.asp?ManId=2206&ProductId=5&Product=Double+Century

Or their Elite 2.0 jacket is made with eVent, though it's $230:
http://www.showerspass.com/products.asp?ManId=1206&ProductId=6&Product=Elite+2.0

Has a pretty solid reputation.

For another manufacturer, Endura also makes an eVent jacket, this year they came out with another similar jacket which looks neat on paper:
http://www.endurasport.com/Product.aspx?dept_id=122&prod_id=354

Don't know anything about HyVent.

OK, here's a summary of what I view as the main consensus points from this Board on the topic.

1. For temps above 60F, consider just getting wet.

2. Many people, including myself, like the Showers Pass Elite with eVent, but its expensive. (I don't wear it above 60F.)

3. Short of that, just be sure to get something with pit zips.

I'm starting my third year of commuting everyday. Summer, Fall, or Winter. One word. Showers Pass. No matter what style you get. You can't go wrong.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3196559623_35bc08bc4b.jpg

Oh, just a heads up, the eVent cycling jacket I listed is made by Cutter, not backcountry.com. I'm not sure how Cutter stacks up among cycling brands

I have a $25 jacket from an LL Bean outlet. It works fine, but you're going to sweat in any waterproof clothing if it's not chilly outside.

I throw the bike on the front of the bus on really rainy days, then just ride from the bus terminal to school (<1 mi).

has anyone used the Showers Pass Touring jacket? $150 and looks to be very good.

I got the Touring when it came out a couple of years ago. It's a great jacket. Water proof and has a good ventilation system with pitzips and rear vent. I had originally gotten the Double Century, but returned it for the Touring becuase I think it would have been a bit fragile for touring and commuting and did not have a pocket, which I need for my ID. I fit well in a size L DC, which is about the same as a M in the Touring.

The REI jacket should be save-able unless it's ripped or water's getting in at the seams.

Before you try applying a second coat of DWR, you need to run it through the washing machine with some good tech wash like nikwax.

However, even before you wash with the nikwax, make sure that you run a full cycle wash with the machine empty to make sure all remnents of detergent are out of the machine. Also, if you've ever washed the jacket in the regular wash with regular detergent (which actually corrodes the DWR coating), you'll need to run the jacket through a few times without any detergent as well.

Once both the machine and jacket have been thoroughly rinsed, follow the tech wash and DWR instructions to the letter and your jacket should be as good as new.

I used to have problems reapplying DWR to my jackets and other gear. But once I started making sure that everything was rinsed properly, I finally had success re-waterproofing my gear.