thechemist

Are any of you who say wind stopper/ goretex is to hot riding in anything under 30f?

v70cat

I had the same jacket for a year and like it. I find it hard to connect the underarms once you unzip them. At $100+/- it seems like a good value not sure that I would pay full list.

lsberrios1 

good choice. Im a fan of gore. Not sure what you paid but u can get those for around 65 bucks if u look around. I have two and i wear them when it gets 45 and below. Great stuff

rm -rf

I have a Pearl Izumi Pro Barrier Lite jacket. It's extremely thin and lightweight, so it's very easy to roll up and keep in my jersey pocket.

But I normally don't wear it in the winter unless the temperature is below 40F. It doesn't breathe enough, so I get damp when climbing hills. I use my old cycling windbreaker jacket for 40F to 55F, which breathes much better. For both of these jackets, I use different layers underneath, depending on temperatures.

So, I expect that a goretex jacket would be too hot. It would be great for shedding rain, though.

The Pearl Izumi jacket:

banerjek

Yes. But it's not too hot for under 30°F. If you're moving, 20's and low 30's are great.

Depending on other weather factors such as wind and humidity, I start swamping out in the low 40's.

Long Tom

Well....... heh heh.... compared to $65 I was butt-***** by Mongol hordes.

In my googling I saw a few offered up that cheap, but in funny colors/sizes. Couldn't find a cheap yellow XL... I want hi-vis for my gloomy AO.

Long Tom

Oh yeah? Interesting. I've noticed those jackets out there, but since everything claims to be waterproof and breathable, you just don't know.

Its not my intent to ride in the rain; I don't enjoy it, and i won't be embarking on rain rides on purpose. There's no commute that has to happen come hell or high water. I'm more trying to gear up for rides where rain is possible.

I'll look at those jackets, and some booties as well. My new shoes are very ventilated...

banerjek

If that's the case, I would avoid anything that's waterproof since you can get better breathability on stuff that's just water resistant. A regular windbreaker is excellent even in sub freezing temps as well as light rain in the 30's.

Showers Pass is very popular in Portland and it dominates among commuters. In all honesty, I think all of it is too heavy and wouldn't wear it if it were free. However, everyone out here way overdresses so I think they like the protection it gives.

hhnngg1

Most commuters ride easy, like barely even break a sweat easy, so Showers Pass would work great for them.

As you, I wouldn't touch Showers pass with a pole for my sweatfest training rides. I'd overheat instantly on a climb even in 25F weather with that thing on. Breathable has to be taken with a huge grain of salt,

thechemist

My experience as well. The goretex/windproof jackets come out below 40F, above 40F and I am in a vest.

Duck tape all of the vents on your shoes for the winter

WhyFi

I have the same jacket, also got it at REI - it was on closeout at about 100 bucks. I like it. I don't usually like to ride below 20* F, but down to that temp, it'll do the trick with one layer of 150/200 gsm merino under it.

canam73

You are mistaken on what Windstopper is, which is the original Goretex gen 1 product. It is waterproof until it gets contaminated with dirt or body oil at which time it will leak (also, garments made with WS are not meant to be waterproof so they typically aren't seam sealed). Gore fixed this with their gen 2 product by adding a very thin polyurethane coating which keeps sweat/dirt/oil off of it but also stops the system from being air permeable. While Gore has introduced thinner, better breathing versions (XCR which was replaced by Proshell and Paclite which was replaced by Activeshell), a version of the original is still around. It was called Classic for a while and now Performance. This is same laminate used as Windstopper (sans PU coating) as it is the most durable and in fact thickest version.

But still, with Gore's approval, any of them can be implemented in any weight of garment which is why it is stupid to call one 'heavier' or 'lighter'. Better breathing perhaps, but I sweat to much to wear any laminate or PU coated type jacket when riding.

Somebody mentioned the Showers Pass jacket, which uses eVent laminate. This is similar to Windstopper, in that it is air permeable, but it is also waterproof as it's manufacturer figured out a way to get PU to soak into laminate instead of covering the holes. So if anyone really wants the best breathing laminate it is probably it. But personally I can soak myself with sweat while cylcing in an unlaminated jacket so it still isn't much good to me there. I do have an eVent back packing jacket and like it for that very much.

TrojanHorse

Booties also have the advantage of being easily washed whereas duct tape may leave tape residue all over your shoes.

bikepro

I have a cycling jacket with Gore Windstopper and it's the only outer layer I use in the winter. Depending on how cold it is, I add layers under it. I've used it to ride in temperatures in the 20's (F). Mine does not have removable sleeves but I wish it did. They are not cheap, but they last a long time.

WorldPax

I bought a Gore Oxygen jacket for this winter. So far I'm liking it. I rode a group ride the other day that started out around 46F and rose to 56F. I wore the jacket with a short sleeve jersey under it. Was comfortably warm once I was riding and didn't overheat as the temps rose. Good stuff.

Vintage One

That is a great jacket. I love mine (same color too) but I seldom wear much more than a LS base or LS jersey under it. So Cal does not get that cold, but it does get windy/cold. For me it breathes enough to do an hour long climb without dripping inside it and then plunge down into a wind with NO CHILL to the body/core. Worth every penny. Not very stuff able though although I used it mostly for mtb riding last year so I typically had a pack.

Long Tom

Thanks for all the great posts.


The removable sleeves were a big selling point for me; I figure I got a jacket and a vest, and I needed a vest.


I am a little concerned that an XXL might suit me better (no pun).... The XL fits me nice and trim, and the arms are long enough, it's just a little snug at the armpits. Maybe that's a good thing; I'm still getting used to how cycling clothes fit.

Long Tom

Hi all. Went out and did ~35 miles today with the jacket. Temps were upper 40's at liftoff. I wore a short sleeve running shirt against my skin, and a long sleeved mid-weight REI copy of Capiline over that. It never rained but it was certainly threatening to the whole time. Had midweight polypro stuff on my legs and MTB shorts over that.

The route I did had a number of good climbs. During the warmup phase- the first 5-6 miles- I had the jacket zipped up. It kept me warm. Once I did the first big hill I unzipped it to my belly button and opened the pit zips. It stayed that way the rest of the ride.

This ride was, I guess, a test of this jacket at the upper end of its useful range (at least with the sleeves attached). To that end, it did very well. Air moved through the unzipped openings, and out the non-windproof panels on the back of the jacket. My back never felt wet.

I'd call it a success for these conditions, with a lot of performance held in reserve if it had been colder and/or had rained. So far so good! Can't say this is the BEST way to spend (gulp) $179 on a bike jacket, but it does appear to be a very useful item.

Was also trying new pedals (Speedplays), new shoes, and new full-finger riding gloves so it was a fun ride. The pedals and shoes (Giro Trans) are much lighter than what I had been using, and I could really feel the difference as I was spinning up or climbing especially. I bet I was spinning a half-pound less per side. And the toes on my left foot didn't go numb. Yay!

I think I'm going to buy a cheap crushable rain shell for emergencies, some booties, and some bike tights and I should be GTG for my winter conditions now. And fenders for the bike. Then when my new bike arrives in a month or two I'll have it be my fair-weather bike and my current bike will be my winter bike.

john.b

If it makes sense, I don't mind riding in cold weather but I don't like being cold. There is a tipping point.

I bought the PI Elite Barrier Convertible jacket similar to rm's picture, but with removable sleeves at the expense of some of that pack-ability. It seems to be good to about 45°F with arm warmers, maybe 40°F. For anything colder, I'm looking at something warmer but still vented, maybe one of the heavier Gore windstopper fabrics or that Showers Pass jacket may fit the bill. Obviously, YMMV.

If it makes anyone feel better, I paid close to full retail for the jacket the end of August, which now turns out to be last year's model.

Long Tom

Two more rides in the bank wearing the Gore jacket, both with the sleeves zipped off. Yesterday was 40 very hilly miles, and it was colder. I wore just a mid weight Capilene long sleeve top underneath it. There were a couple times- when I was doing the 10 or so miles on the flats- that I was half considering putting the sleeves on. But worn in a vest format it does a great job of holding warmth while moving enough moisture through the thing to not ever feel soggy underneath.

I'm really liking it. That said I can't compare it to any other windproof vest; maybe it's just vests in general I like.

Long Tom

Hey folks! Thought I'd update this now that I have some miles on this jacket.

I've used it a bunch now on rides in the 30's on up to the 60's. At the lower end I've worn a midweight Capilene and expedition weight shirt under it. At the upper end I've used it as a vest. A couple days ago I got caught out in the rain in it with temps in the mid 30's and it did GREAT; I was never cold and never felt wet.

The designers did a great job with it making it vent very nicely through the back panels if you open the neck and/pit zips up.

This is an expensive jacket, but I'd buy it again in a hot second. Love it.

Jed19

Exactly my experience with two Gore jackets I bought. I had to return both of them.

Long Tom

I used my first Gore products in the late 80's and am frankly not a fan. You won't see me pimping it in general as I've been disappointed for the reason you mention, and/or found it to leak in the PNW drizzle. But what you mention as a problem is NOT my experience at all with this CYCLING SPECIFIC jacket. I've done at least... I dunno... 10 rides in temps in the 30's. My rides are pretty much all hills all the time with some 15+ % climbs. In other words there's sweat happening. I've stayed nice and toasty. When I am a long downhill or doing the 4 mile flat section of my hill ride I just zip it up, if necessary, and I'm warm.

Tunnelrat81

Some of the ~$65 options for waterproof/breathable jackets are actually very highly reviewed and very decent quality. I happened upon this brand (linked below), sold only at wiggle, in December when i was shopping for a rain/low temp jacket. It was listed in the top 10 rain jackets on a bikeradar article. I ended up buying the EQ2.5 model instead of this Minima S model and the fit/quality is very good. The one I bought has pit zips and back venting so the breath-ability should be better, it's just less packable. I paid $77 for it on holiday discount.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-minima-s-waterproof-jacket/

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-ladies-e...rproof-jacket/

Both are extensively reviewed on the site, so I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting.

-Jeremy

Seattle Forrest

Not for me. Wind Stopper doesn't breathe very well so it's not suited to cardio activities, and forces weird designs like around the assumption that your body only wants to dump heat through your back. I overheat in it unless it's either very cold or I'm being kind of sedentary. It's also not very flexible, not a big deal but definitely not as comfortable as it could be.