Anyone here who has real commuting experiences on this stuff? Not that it helps me anymore, I gave in last Friday.

We had several days of really bad weather during last week (lots of rain, windy). It was cold enough that I dug out my supposedly waterproof and breathable jacket & pants. Turns out they're neither anymore. Breathability was never so great to begin with, but now the waterproofing is going too - about 40 mins into my ride home, I could feel the cold water trickle through many spots.

I went to the local sports clothing specialist store and asked if they have anything worth trying, seeing that I've had GoreTex eons ago, and many cheaper breathable shells since then. None of them breathe enough for me. The salesperson claimed this "new" GoreTex Active breathes as well as the old Windstopper but is completely waterproof.

I tried them on (brand was Haglöfs, respectable enough), compared them to a couple of options... the good thing is, they're well cut for biking and very light. Lightness is mostly due to almost complete lack of any insulation lining, which is a good thing in my books. I can always wear whatever is needed beneath the shell. No zippered vents though. The saleslady said, "vents are supposedly not needed", with a hint of a dry smile.

We'll see about that. I paid dearly (almost 400e) after all possible discounts for the jacket & pants combo. This had better be good, or I'll take GoreTex up to their "Guaranteed" promise that to my surprise includes breathability.

--J