Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Touring
Reload this Page >

The "Ultimate" Rain Jacket?

Search
Notices
Touring Have a dream to ride a bike across your state, across the country, or around the world? Self-contained or fully supported? Trade ideas, adventures, and more in our bicycle touring forum.

The "Ultimate" Rain Jacket?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 07-13-15, 01:26 PM
  #51  
Bike Butcher of Portland
 
gugie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,634

Bikes: It's complicated.

Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4678 Post(s)
Liked 5,795 Times in 2,281 Posts
Originally Posted by erig007
I agree with you regarding the advantages of wool (I wear wool from head to toes). I just don't see the point wetting my wool when i can stay dry using my air permeable jacket instead. I use my air permeable jacket only when it's raining so smell isn't so bad.
Maybe the air permeable jacket wouldn't make me sweat in 40F weather like every other rain jacket I've tried. If I were to go on a long tour where it was raining pretty hard most of the day, most every day, and was camping with a small tent, I'd definitely consider one. I just don't see the point of going on long tours where it'll be raining pretty hard, most of the day, most every day.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
gugie is online now  
Old 07-13-15, 02:52 PM
  #52  
Bike Butcher of Portland
 
gugie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,634

Bikes: It's complicated.

Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4678 Post(s)
Liked 5,795 Times in 2,281 Posts
Originally Posted by elcruxio
Hooo boy...

So I know these are novel modern ideas but umm... ever heard of water or detergents or washing machines? Also mid layers and top layers don't need nearly as much washing as base layer. And as base layer merino wool is pretty much the best stuff out there.
I mean depending on the time of year the only stuff that really needs frequent washing of any sort are the bibs and jerseys (nope, won't be shelling out near $100 for merino wool jerseys a piece)

I cannot see how this is so difficult. Summer rains is one thing and then you don't even need the wool stuff. But getting all wet with wool and then getting into a sleeping bag in the late autumn / winter / early spring is inviting trouble.
Ever heard of going several days without a laundromat or sink in sight? I get 2-3 wearings out of my underlayers before I need to wash them.

I stopped wearing jerseys. I also stopped riding for awhile, and when I started again, none of my jerseys would fit! Obviously they had shrunk in the closet...so rather than size up to my newfound, bigger, older self, I just started using what I had. I'm with you on those $100 jerseys.

I typically go touring where it can and does get cold now and then, and pack accordingly. My wool stuff dries out fine overnight, and I always have a second, dry set. And if it rains hard two days in a row? Did I mention that I don't go touring where that kind of stuff happens?

Everyone has their own style of riding. I'm just one of those guys that looks at the latest gear and see it as just another perceived barrier to entry in the grand pastime of bicycle touring. I'm sure there are situations where some new fabric will outperform my hoary old wool gear. I just haven't ridden where I've not been happy with what I've got.

I see lots of studies on the new air permeable fabrics versus, say Goretex. When I start seeing a lot of them comparing them to wool, I'll start studying that for awhile before I consider buying the new super-fabric.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
gugie is online now  
Old 07-13-15, 03:28 PM
  #53  
Senior Member
 
staehpj1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 11,867
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1251 Post(s)
Liked 754 Times in 560 Posts
Originally Posted by gugie
You have heard of the old adage, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me? You're fighting an uphill battle here.
Yeah, I took the bait too many times, but did stop quite a while ago.

Originally Posted by gugie
how does your synthetic gear smell after a few days on the road?
Generally as good as or better than the wool stuff that I have tried. Of my tech running shirts some tend to stink after a few days and some don't. On tour I take the ones that don't. Maybe I have weird body chemistry or something but wool never delivered the no stink promise for me. When I have taken wool on tour it was the stinkiest thing I had along and was slow to dry if it ever dried at all.

I come from a whitewater boating background that predated tech garments. I wore lots of wool, but was very happy when synthetics displaced it for me.

I tend to wear Nike DriFit or similar tech running tees that I find on sale for $6-12 at Ross or the Nike outlet. C9 stuff from Target is what I'd use if I didn't find good deals at Ross or the Nike outlet.

I find the tech tees to be easy to wash out in a sink (or a zip lock bag) and get them nearly dry quickly, so washing them can happen as often as water is available. I often take only one for a trip, so I take it off wash it out by hand and put it back on. There are time I wear them a few days without bothering to wash them though.
staehpj1 is offline  
Old 07-13-15, 03:44 PM
  #54  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: 6367 km away from the center of the Earth
Posts: 1,666
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by staehpj1
Yeah, I took the bait too many times, but did stop quite a while ago.


Generally as good as or better than the wool stuff that I have tried. Of my tech running shirts some tend to stink after a few days and some don't. On tour I take the ones that don't. Maybe I have weird body chemistry or something but wool never delivered the no stink promise for me. When I have taken wool on tour it was the stinkiest thing I had along and was slow to dry if it ever dried at all.
To remove smell on wool wind and sunlight that's all you need. You can prevent stink even further by washing and soaking once dry into baking soda.
UV light is a well known germicidal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrav...al_irradiation

Last edited by erig007; 07-13-15 at 05:05 PM.
erig007 is offline  
Old 07-13-15, 04:04 PM
  #55  
Bike Butcher of Portland
 
gugie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,634

Bikes: It's complicated.

Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4678 Post(s)
Liked 5,795 Times in 2,281 Posts
Originally Posted by staehpj1
Yeah, I took the bait too many times, but did stop quite a while ago.


Generally as good as or better than the wool stuff that I have tried. Of my tech running shirts some tend to stink after a few days and some don't. On tour I take the ones that don't. Maybe I have weird body chemistry or something but wool never delivered the no stink promise for me. When I have taken wool on tour it was the stinkiest thing I had along and was slow to dry if it ever dried at all.

I come from a whitewater boating background that predated tech garments. I wore lots of wool, but was very happy when synthetics displaced it for me.

I tend to wear Nike DriFit or similar tech running tees that I find on sale for $6-12 at Ross or the Nike outlet. C9 stuff from Target is what I'd use if I didn't find good deals at Ross or the Nike outlet.

I find the tech tees to be easy to wash out in a sink (or a zip lock bag) and get them nearly dry quickly, so washing them can happen as often as water is available. I often take only one for a trip, so I take it off wash it out by hand and put it back on. There are time I wear them a few days without bothering to wash them though.
That's it, I know what's going on now. My wife often tells me that I need to take a shower, I just plain ol' stink, and it gets on everything.

Except my wool. Maybe I just prefer the odiferous smell of wool? Maybe I learned to like it as a kid, whereas I think Vegemite stinks, and my father in law (who grew up in Australia) thinks it smells just fine.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
gugie is online now  
Old 07-13-15, 06:09 PM
  #56  
Conquer Cancer rider
 
Boudicca's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 6,039

Bikes: Fun bike, city bike, Bike Friday, Brompton (also fun bikes)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I was blissfully happy with a Sugoi membrane hacker for a few years/rainstorms, and I liked it so much that inbought a second, better fitting one.

The first quite literally disintegrated in a heave storm, with the membrane peeling away from the mesh, and the second just stopped working after a couple of years. I now have the Showers Pass Elite, although It spends more time stuffed up in my panniers in case it rains than on my back.

Do jackets have a shelf life?
__________________
Zero gallons to the mile
Boudicca is offline  
Old 07-14-15, 05:31 PM
  #57  
Full Member
 
takenreasy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 435

Bikes: ’83 Bianchi Special ’96 Specialized Stump Jumper Comp ’09 Gary Fisher Paragon ’09 Surly Cross Check ’11 Surly Long Haul Trucker

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 71 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 50 Posts
"Breathable" equates to air flow. Shower Pass jackets offer a lot of ventilation. Thus, a lot of air flow. That's about all you can expect in rain protection and comfort.
takenreasy is offline  
Old 07-14-15, 08:54 PM
  #58  
Senior Member
 
boomhauer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 782
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 226 Post(s)
Liked 45 Times in 32 Posts
I'm out west now. A waterproof ski parka with long underwear is your best friend. After you get wet your primary concern is staying warm. Ski parka is loose. Very important .
Wyoming is brutal.
boomhauer is offline  
Old 07-14-15, 09:06 PM
  #59  
Other Worldly Member
 
Jseis's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The old Northwest Coast.
Posts: 1,540

Bikes: 1973 Motobecane Grand Jubilee, 1981 Centurion Super LeMans, 2010 Gary Fisher Wahoo, 2003 Colnago Dream Lux, 2014 Giant Defy 1, 2015 Framed Bikes Minnesota 3.0, several older family Treks

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 194 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times in 53 Posts
Lol, not here in the wet west (ok usually wet​), wearing a ski parka is like traveling with a portable sauna.
__________________
Make ******* Grate Cheese Again
Jseis is offline  
Old 07-14-15, 09:23 PM
  #60  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150

Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times in 43 Posts
Originally Posted by takenreasy
"Breathable" equates to air flow. Shower Pass jackets offer a lot of ventilation. Thus, a lot of air flow. That's about all you can expect in rain protection and comfort.
Forums seem to have lots of bikers endorsing Showers Pass--the Elite sounds nice--what about some of their lower-priced breathable jackets? ShowersPass.com has some lighter-weight jackets with "2.5" layer membrane, the "Storm" is only $85--anyone tried this? Price almost seems too low--$60 Performance Boroughs doesn't seem to work very well--I'd be inclined to go for the Elite rather than gamble again.
DropBarFan is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 03:42 AM
  #61  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: 6367 km away from the center of the Earth
Posts: 1,666
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by DropBarFan
Forums seem to have lots of bikers endorsing Showers Pass--the Elite sounds nice--what about some of their lower-priced breathable jackets? ShowersPass.com has some lighter-weight jackets with "2.5" layer membrane, the "Storm" is only $85--anyone tried this? Price almost seems too low--$60 Performance Boroughs doesn't seem to work very well--I'd be inclined to go for the Elite rather than gamble again.
When you look at popularity you also look at older products as the older the product the more people will know about it. Which is not the same things as the best or ultimate which is the title of this thread.

I wouldn't bother with the artex products as they don't seem to be very good. The elite seems a better choice.

2 artex products
Showers Pass Storm Jacket review | road.cc
Breathability is another matter though. To be fair to Showers Pass they don't make great claims for the Storm on that front. It scores two stars out of five on their own scale, which means it "provides some moisture vapor transfer, but if you're riding hard enough to sweat, especially in cold and rainy conditions, you will probably see some condensation on the inside of the garment."
Showers Pass Men's Double Century RTX cycling jacket review | road.cc
Verdict
Easy to pack with decent waterproofing though a relaxed fit and mediocre breathability means its price is hard to swallow.

Showers Pass Elite Pro jacket review | road.cc
Breathability is very good. In light rain when the water is still running off the fabric it's excellent, the performance degrades once the outer layer is wetted, as you'd expect. Regular treatment with a hydrophobic agent like Nikwax TX-Direct will help there. Even when wet the vents are well-placed to give you some ventilation without letting in too much rain.
Here is a review between the new gore tex light & fast and event which is what is used in the elite
https://www.wildthingsgear.com/blogs/...layer-gore-tex
The key data point to note is the Mullens Burst after DEET Exposure and this test suggests that eVent is more prone to contamination, impacting its ability to maintain waterproofness over time. When you compare GORE-TEX® Light and Fast to eVent, GORE-TEX® wins on weight and durability. GORE-TEX® is significantly lighter weight and more durably waterproof than eVent while sharing similar stiffness and breathability characteristics.
Adding my jacket in the process
Marmot essence jacket
https://www.gearinstitute.com/hiking/...marmot-essence
Weathershedding
In a pouring rain we slogged along on an epic mountain bike ride, but we never felt a chill. A great hood slid over our helmet and stayed in place, while the rest of the jacket kept us bone dry until the soaker moved along. Despite its superlight 12 denier weight, the fabric still cut a chilly breeze on a ridgetop hike.
Breathability
Like Mountain Hardwear's DryQElite and Polartec's Neoshell, Marmot’s NanoPro membrane uses air permeability to increase breathability. Essentially, the membrane’s structure allows fresh air to enter the jacket and soak up some of the humidity without impacting water or wind resistance. While the details of each system are proprietary secrets, we can say Marmot seems to have done it best. In the rainy ride we mentioned above we expected to be a sweating mess in minutes, but instead we were comfortable for an hour of wet XC riding. Another tester remarked on how comfy he was on a humid trail run. A contributing factor are vents cut into the jacket in the pits that noticeably sucked warm air out.
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Rain-J...Marmot-Essence
Water Resistance
This rain jacket kept us dry as a bone during our test in the shower. The large, stiffened brim on this model provides more protection for the face and eyes than others we tested, and the waterproof zippers up the front and on the chest pocket seal out all water. Both have a small fabric cover for their completety closed position. The ultralight wrist cuffs on this jacket cannot be cinched down around the wrist, but the elastic fit our lead tester's wrist snugly enough to mimimize water entry when raised overhead.
The DryTouch DWR finish that Marmot uses on this fabric's exterior performs exceptionally well. This model will continue to bead water a good long while before needing to be restored

Breathability

The Marmot Essence distinguishes itself with the most advanced waterproof/breathable fabric we evaluated. Marmot's new NanoPro 2.5-layer laminate technology is plenty waterproof and provides better sweat wicking performance than any other we tested. The NanoPro fabrics are the first to provide dynamic air permeability, greatly enhancing this jacket's ability to keep you dry and comfy inside during high energy activities. This laminate is thinner and has more densely packed smaller pores than earlier generations

Last edited by erig007; 07-15-15 at 04:25 AM.
erig007 is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 05:13 AM
  #62  
Full Member
 
takenreasy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 435

Bikes: ’83 Bianchi Special ’96 Specialized Stump Jumper Comp ’09 Gary Fisher Paragon ’09 Surly Cross Check ’11 Surly Long Haul Trucker

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 71 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 50 Posts
Originally Posted by DropBarFan
Forums seem to have lots of bikers endorsing Showers Pass--the Elite sounds nice--what about some of their lower-priced breathable jackets? ShowersPass.com has some lighter-weight jackets with "2.5" layer membrane, the "Storm" is only $85--anyone tried this? Price almost seems too low--$60 Performance Boroughs doesn't seem to work very well--I'd be inclined to go for the Elite rather than gamble again.
Towards the end of the year SP has an annual 35% off everything sale. Call them up and ask for the specific date.
takenreasy is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 06:29 AM
  #63  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: 6367 km away from the center of the Earth
Posts: 1,666
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Just noticed that my jacket can pack into its own pocket. Haven't got the hang of it until now. This thread is useful

Last edited by erig007; 07-15-15 at 07:03 AM.
erig007 is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 09:02 AM
  #64  
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 22
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
Frogg Toggs.
Hiked the Appalachian Trail in them and love them.
todd92371 is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 01:12 PM
  #65  
Professional Fuss-Budget
Thread Starter
 
Bacciagalupe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,494
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 32 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 14 Posts
Well, so much for narrowing down research time

Thanks for the tips, I may have a few follow-up questions in a bit.
Bacciagalupe is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 10:09 PM
  #66  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150

Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times in 43 Posts
Originally Posted by erig007
Adding my jacket in the process
Marmot essence jacket
Marmot Essence - Gear Institute


Marmot Essence Review - OutdoorGearLab
Thanks for the tips. Marmot Essence sound pretty nice, only 1 pocket though I suppose that's not a deal breaker. Essence includes a hood which is helpful in downpours. Showers Pass Elite surprisingly has no hood despite being $50 more. Jacket could be 100% waterproof & 100% breathable but if rain trickles down the neck what's the use?
DropBarFan is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 10:22 PM
  #67  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150

Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times in 43 Posts
Originally Posted by takenreasy
Towards the end of the year SP has an annual 35% off everything sale. Call them up and ask for the specific date.

That's a great sale, thanks for the info. & colder months are when a good rain jacket can come in handiest.
DropBarFan is offline  
Old 07-15-15, 10:48 PM
  #68  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: 6367 km away from the center of the Earth
Posts: 1,666
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by DropBarFan
Thanks for the tips. Marmot Essence sound pretty nice, only 1 pocket though I suppose that's not a deal breaker. Essence includes a hood which is helpful in downpours. Showers Pass Elite surprisingly has no hood despite being $50 more. Jacket could be 100% waterproof & 100% breathable but if rain trickles down the neck what's the use?
The super mica is made of near but not exactly the same fabric (the updated version not the old one) and it has more pockets and is currently on sale 30% off
Marmot Super Mica Jacket - Men's | Backcountry.com
Not sure all the reviews are about the updated version. Not sure if it is a 2.5 layers or 3.
A review here
https://sunrisegear.blogspot.ca/2014/...ca-jacket.html
One little mistake in the review, the essence has always opened underarm openings. No underarm pit zips but it's pretty much the same.

Regarding the hood of SP elite some people prefer to add their own hood to have it at the right size.

On the essence my helmet is covered at about 90% though there isn't much room left to breath (joking, you can unzip to make more room)

Last edited by erig007; 07-15-15 at 11:06 PM.
erig007 is offline  
Old 07-16-15, 05:52 AM
  #69  
Senior Member
 
staehpj1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 11,867
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1251 Post(s)
Liked 754 Times in 560 Posts
Originally Posted by todd92371
Frogg Toggs.
Hiked the Appalachian Trail in them and love them.
I have used a Frogg Toggs poncho for backpacking and loved it as well. I haven't actually worn any Frogg Toggs products on tour though I did carry a poncho on one tour, but never needed it. I don't mind getting wet while riding as long as it is at least 50 F or so, but once in camp a poncho can be nice. At least that is my theory. I have not used one on a rainy tour though so I hesitate to give it a strong recommend.

I have not used the Frogg Toggs pants or jackets on tour, but suspect they could work out pretty well for some folks. They are pretty light and fairly inexpensive. Anyone here tour with them?
staehpj1 is offline  
Old 07-16-15, 05:57 AM
  #70  
Senior Member
 
staehpj1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 11,867
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1251 Post(s)
Liked 754 Times in 560 Posts
Originally Posted by DropBarFan
only 1 pocket though
It never occurred to me that pockets were a plus on a rain jacket for bike touring. Mine has a couple pockets and I don't think I have ever put anything in them when on tour. Everything gets carried where ever it would if the jacket were packed away.
staehpj1 is offline  
Old 07-16-15, 09:40 PM
  #71  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150

Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times in 43 Posts
Originally Posted by staehpj1
It never occurred to me that pockets were a plus on a rain jacket for bike touring. Mine has a couple pockets and I don't think I have ever put anything in them when on tour. Everything gets carried where ever it would if the jacket were packed away.
True, the 1 pocket would be enough for phone & wallet.
DropBarFan is offline  
Old 07-16-15, 09:58 PM
  #72  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150

Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times in 43 Posts
Originally Posted by erig007
The super mica
AFAIK the Marmot Super Mica is not cycling-specific so tail-section is a bit short.

Regarding the hood of SP elite some people prefer to add their own hood to have it at the right size.

On the essence my helmet is covered at about 90% though there isn't much room left to breath (joking, you can unzip to make more room)
I now see that Showers Pass sells a separate but attachable rain hood so the hood-equipped Showers Pass Elite 2.1 would be $75 more than the Marmot Essence. & also it turns out that Elite 2.1 doesn't have side pockets (to warm hands), those are in the back, jersey-style.
DropBarFan is offline  
Old 07-16-15, 11:38 PM
  #73  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: 6367 km away from the center of the Earth
Posts: 1,666
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by DropBarFan
AFAIK the Marmot Super Mica is not cycling-specific so tail-section is a bit short.
Don't know much about the super mica but regarding the essence even with my arms completely up i still have 2 to 3 inches available below the hip. The angel wing movement feature prevent the jacket from going up too much.
Even if it was too short it's easy to make a tail with a few binder clips and a plastic bag. Doesn't need to breath there. With the cinch cord down there those binder clips will go nowhere.

Last edited by erig007; 07-16-15 at 11:44 PM.
erig007 is offline  
Old 07-17-15, 06:28 AM
  #74  
Senior Member
 
staehpj1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 11,867
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1251 Post(s)
Liked 754 Times in 560 Posts
Originally Posted by DropBarFan
True, the 1 pocket would be enough for phone & wallet.
That works if you want to carry a phone and wallet in the jacket, but I have never wanted to carry either in my rain jacket. To me the rain jacket is typically something that is not used every day (some trips not at all) and when it is will be probably taken on and off frequently as conditions change. Also when I go inside I am likely to take it off and hang it.

I have been rained on a bit most tours, but have almost never worn a rain jacket all day. When used, it typically goes on for an hour or two and then is taken off. All that makes rain jacket pockets a poor place to carry stuff at least in my typical usage. So, for me, pockets just add cost and a bit of weight with no real increase in functionality. I'd just as soon have none.

As far as pocket stuff goes...
I typically don't carry a wallet on tour. I trim down to a drivers license, health insurance card, a couple credit cards, a debit card, and a bit of cash. That all takes up almost no space in the 1 quart ziploc bag that holds my phone. It goes in a jersey pocket if I wear a jersey, if not it will be in a small light backpack or a handlebar bag. That ziploc doesn't even need to be very accessible when on the bike since I typically turn the phone off all day.

At home I carry a pocket knife, but on tour any knife is usually packed away.

The other pocket item folks sometimes list is keys. I typically either take no keys or only take one key and pack it away since I won't need it until I am either back to my car or back home.
staehpj1 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
chephy
General Cycling Discussion
34
04-06-18 06:11 PM
OneOldSeaDog
Touring
23
04-19-16 12:54 PM
illusiumd
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
10
04-12-15 08:41 PM
nightfly
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
23
06-28-13 07:24 AM
pwdeegan
General Cycling Discussion
23
10-18-10 05:54 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.