pwdeegan

If i wanted a jacket as good as my Showers Pass Elite 2.0 jacket (and was willing to pay the same hefty coin) bit did not want to buy a Showers Pass jacket, who else makes such a jacket?

I'd like to spend my money with someone else...

TurbineBlade

Weatherproof while cycling? No such thing. I don't know what your current jacket is (never used that brand), but I've used many simple Goretex shells from cabelas/REI/etc. (with long tail coverage and long sleeves) and a "Dri-duck" high tech jacket on my wet commutes.

Neither keeps you completely dry (weatherproof), and are really only useful in cool/cold weather, since in warmer weather they both will make you sweat so much you'll be wet anyway.

Plus even a great hood wont keep water from flowing into your shirt after a long time in the rain.

Sometimes I just wear wool shirts and a polartec shell, knowing I'll be wet but still insulated pretty well.

In the summer I'll just allow myself to get wet and plan to change, while I keep my items in ziplocks in panniers -- which stay dry.

The same is true of similar pants, socks, etc.

YMMV --

rumrunn6

I bought a Novara cycling specific rain jacket on sale at REI last year that I am very happy with!

pwdeegan

@TurbineBlade
yeah, here in the PNW it is both cool and wet, so the Showers Pass is spot on; i've even worn mine skiing at 9k feet with excellent results. If you haven't tried a successful weather proof rain jacket, these jackets come closer than any i've ever used (there is also a hood available for the jackets, just as you describe). They are amazing jackets; certainly better than simple G-tex shells (i've used the REI and Cabelas generic shells before). I'm just trying to find any that are as good, or better.

and yeah, wool is pretty much the ideal inner layer. i'm with completely with you; it also helps my "stink control." poly-fabric is instant stink death for anyone around me post-ride; probably why i keep riding!

@rumrunn6
thanks. i'll have to take a look at that one from REI.

safariofthemind

No such creature exists as weatherproof. For a downpour, a poncho or cape is good. For the pissy stuff, I use a Marmot PreCip with an undergarment that stays warm if wet. Many folks use a wool mid-layer.

https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Rain-Capes.html

pwdeegan

since vocabulary seems to be a stumbling block, how about i rephrase to the expression "weather [highly] resistant" to the likes of the Showers Pass Elite 2.0 jacket. I'm glad if a cape works for you (they're quite popular all over the world for good reason), but it's not a jacket and therefore not what i need.

I want to know if there are other manufacturers building clothes close or at the spec of the product mentioned in the thread topic.

abdon 

For the most waterproof jackets you can find, look at full zipper kayaking jackets, with Velcro on the cuffs. Those two things are crucial; with the zipper and the cuffs open, you can control how much ventilation you get. I have an old Patagonia one that I take kayaking, hiking, snowboarding on late spring, and of course cycling. A current equivalent seems to be the NRS full zip sea tour jacket, which also has ventilation zippers under the arms. Well worth the $200.

ahumblecycler

I like my Capo rain jacket (transparent) and I would love to get the Assos jacket and/or vest.

pablosnazzy

if you need something completely weather proof, i mean you show up dry head to toe after riding in the hardest rain, wear a motorcycle rain suit

https://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/acc...son/index.html

pwdeegan

lol. had the motorcycle gear once. just need the jacket, thanks. i'm no stranger to riding in rain, and sweating, and getting wet; i just want to find a replacement for my jacket.

some other options i came across, but haven't field tested:
Louis Garneau's Massimo 2 jacket; it looks light it might be heavier than the Elite 2.0 (which is just a shell, albeit a very good shell); but i've had good experiences with Garneau's products, which are also made in the US (the Elite 2.0 is made in Thailand).

saw an ad at Jenson for a Mavic Creek jacket; seems like the same kind of shell jacket, but the colors aren't bright enough for my taste (tastes vary, i realize); i also have no information about Mavic clothes, and figure this is just rebranded BTO/OEM stuff from some SE or E. Asian country, but i could be wrong.

@ahumblecycler
good call; those jackets do look a little warm for me, but right on the money quality and performance-wise. i almost grimace writing "on the money" because woo-wee that Assos jacket is pricey!

the Gore Bike Wear Fusion jacket looks spot on as well, as well as pricey.

good to know that options exist. i knew there had to be some somewhere.

@abdon
i had a Patagonia kayaker jacket; yes, very well-made and very waterproof---definitely let me swim while riding! i think i have to have the vents, even if it's a bit of a compromise. even in the worst of PNW downpours my Elite 2.0 has kept my upper body nicely dry.

slowandsteady

I use a Sierra Design shell. It is very thin, and quite packable in it's own pouch about the size of a small saddle bag. It has been essentially water proof and very breathable. I also wear Triflex tights which are breathable as well as waterproof.

xtrajack

What about the J & G rain jacket? I have used mine daily ,except for part of July & August, since last December. I think it works well.
Just out of curiosity, what is your issue with Showers Pass? I have no experience with them or their products, I have heard good things about them, however, which is why I am asking something that really isn't any of my business.

TurbineBlade

Damn, that's better!!

fietsbob

Went Outside the Bike /REI jacket sources last winter, got a parka from a shop that sell work clothes,
Waterproof breathable fabric, neon Lime, with broad reflective stripes , ANSI safety gear pattern.
has a vent across the back so excess heat goes out, while riding..

Fully lined , so Its adding warmth also .. Chinese made [people forgot how to sew over here, I guess] for the Lacrosse brand.

Its good to be seen in the dark wet season, don't you agree?

Carradice is using a much brighter fabric for their pro route cape these days ... Neon Lime is In..
red firetrucks are last century..

OP is in Eugene , go to CAT,(1st, by the Butte) and check out their Cycle Rain Capes , made there ,
they are trying to retain some sewing skills
got a bunch of stuff from Burly's demise , the CoOp made good rain gear.,

their XL jacket I got is Way big , but that was all that was left on the rack [local dealer] when Burly CoOp declared bankruptcy. use the pants more.. also XL, but thats oK

stapfam

Only one thing to say


GORETEX

Booger1

If you want high tech stuff,look up Canada Goose.

safariofthemind

Wow. Blast from the past; had one like this one ages ago
https://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/acc.../photo_10.html
made me sweat like a pig. Yuck.

fietsbob

I have a one piece water proof motor cycle rain jump suit , any one want it?
need Gauntlet gloves as the arm seems kind of short in spite of the [German] XL sizing.

tsl

I'm in my third year with an Endura Gridlock jacket. It's never leaked, breathes okay, vents well (pit zips and rear shoulder vent) and is has a zipper pocket in the front for wallet and keys, and a rear pocket like on jerseys, but zippered and with a flap to keep the rain out.

Oh, and it's half the price of a ShowersPass.

abdon 

The NRS does have vents.

I'm curious, what was wrong with your Elite 2.0?

pwdeegan

@Booger1: can you give a link? Unsurprisingly Googling "Canada Goose" really just links you to a lot of down.

@tsl: Endura is Scottish. i like that. it'll make sipping scotch after a winter ride that much more on-target, and the product looks good. Did you buy yours in Rochester?

@fietsbob: i am completely in favor of bright colors. you know how the rain in the PNW settles in and anything grey, green, black, or brown just fades into puddles and streets. i like yellows, fluorescents, and all kinds of fashion faux pas that improve my chance of not being run over. I know CAT has some good things (and i love their mission), but i really do want a jacket---something i can where everyday, and across all kinds of rides, from commuting to weekend rides (and i think this year a winter ride to the summit of MacKenzie pass on my Nokians, before the snow is too deep).

...

i think Showerspass makes some good products, but their corporate attitude bothers me enough to wonder, what else is there? I know they're based in Portland, but beyond that they're no different than many other producers in that they use Asian overseas laborers and off-site produced plasticized fabrics. Having a corporate headquarter in Portland just isn't enough. I mean, Chris King makes they're stuff on-site in PDX, so the premium makes more sense to me (well, for this reason and other reasons i have).

so if the stuff is made elsewhere, then i may as well see who else is making equivalent stuff. i'm happy to see that this thread has brought out a number of viable alternatives (and i'm sure there are more).

as for the Elite 2.0 in particular, it has weathered the last 12 months well enough. I use mine almost daily, and I’ll feel good if it lasts another year (this is not a fault).

There has been some discoloring of the exterior fabric by the interior lining. at least i think this must be the case because it has occurred on the bottom of the back neck, where nothing touches it (i have short hair, my helmet doesn't touch this area, no packs or bags touch this, and the discoloration is black but not dirty-black, the same as the lining). It doesn’t come out in the wash.

While the design of the jacket is quite good (the vents, the zipper locations, the Napoleon pocket, the cuff and waist tighteners), i've seen these same elements elsewhere. The fabric is absolutely like a bunch of other high-zoot fabrics; and you have the requirement of retreating it with water-proofer (spray-on, launder-in, some other kinds maybe?). Mind you, this same water-proofer can be sprayed on most any other fabric to make it waterproof too (i did a pair of my kids fabric walmart boots to excellent effect), so no, the fabric itself doesn't impress me at all. In fact, if you forget to re-treat it, the jacket will be as effective as a thin porous poly shell (when my jacket was new it retained it waterproofness for about 4 months before beginning to leak; now I need to retreat it roughly every 1.5 months).

And never mind asking about Showerspass' warranty. I had my LBS call corporate in PDX, and the rep said "it's a case by case basis." For $230ish I'd like to know that it's more than a spoken warranty of case-by-case. I mean, at least have the courtesy to print it out (in case they want to cut and paste it): "We'd rather not say, but if we were forced to say something because you called us, then it's case-by-case." In short, it's a good-enough product, but i think the sum total could be much better.

Booger1

You'll have to buy a 3-1 jacket from Canada Goose,in order to get a rain shell.They are not cheap,but they are as good,if not better than Showers pass stuff.

I like Rei,Seirra Design,LL Bean stuff mostly on my bicycle,works well enough for that.

tsl

Yes. Three LBSs here carry the line. There's a link on endurasport.com to find stocking dealers in your area. They're also available online at places like Ribble Cycles UK.

oban_kobi

This is what I use: Performance Jacket
I have yet to use it on a bike, I just bought it a few weeks ago, but I have walked to the bus stop, and didn't feel confined once on the bus, which was quite warm. In the case that I do get warm, it has a zipper in the back, and under the arms. My favorite part is that it folds up into the back pocket, which is great because most of the times I'm on my bike I'm going to school and back, it's quite easy to store.