Originally Posted by threephi
The other issue I've been struggling with is gear. I've almost gotten almost everything I will need, the biggest exception so far being a nice breathable/waterproof jacket. I'm disappointed in the cycling jackets I've been looking at so far. They're all cut for a road-style low profile while on the saddle, which makes them supremely uncomfortable while standing, or sitting mostly upright as I do on my hybrid. I'd like the jacket to be a high-vis color though, and I'm having trouble finding a non-cycling jacket like that.
fwiw, i'm using a mec jacket that's waterproof and most definitely NOT breathable fabric, and doesn't even have zips or eyelets to compensate. like you, i'm having trouble finding whatever would turn out to be the Perfect jacket. i'm also all about visibility and i come home in the dark, so this has been my final top layer for 95% of my rides so far because of the scotchlite strips and the eye-bleed yellow colour. course, it's been easier to decide on using it because we never seem to get a day between october and may that doesn't have some rain in it
anyway, my point just being that layering the right wicking/warmth stuff underneath it has made the search for breathable waterproof gear much less urgent for me. it still doesn't breathe, and i still sweat into it, but to be honest i just don't notice it while i'm riding. the layers keep my skin dry so i stay warm, and usually i strip the jacket inside out when i take it off, and leave it to dry while i'm showering. if your'e in a hurry you can wipe it down, provided you don't mind the gross factor.
what i wear underneath: powerdry t-shirt from taiga, fleece layers as needed and/or standard silk dress shirts (silk just rocks for warmth even when wet, and you'd be amazed how much of it is in goodwill stores). this has got me through with no problems at all so far, in temperatures anywhere between 10 and 0 C. as it gets colder i'm planning to keep adding silk rather than fleece if i can. the jacket probably isn't exactly what you're looking for because of the cut, but the non-breathability info might be worthwhile to you.