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Old 03-30-17 | 02:27 PM
  #9  
jmeb
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 605
Likes: 11
From: Denver, CO

Bikes: 1966 Carlton, 197X MKM, 1983 Trek 620, 1988 Schwinn High Sierra, 1995 DBR Axis Ti, 1999 Waterford, 2016 DBR Release, 2017 Surly Travelers Check

Nothing truly waterproof will ever breath very well. The best breathing 3-layer waterproof membranes right now are Polartec NeoShell, eVent, Gore-tex Pro or Active, or Dermizax NX . Look for a shell made of one of those three if you want best-in-class true waterproofness and limited breathability. Pit zips will help breath. This is fine for low-intensity activites but if you're cycling very hard or very long you will build up a bunch of sweat from the inside. Right now, thats just a fact of where the fabric science is.

My preferred of those is Derminzax (very hard to find) and eVent. The breathe a bit better than the others in my experience.

Other options would be a hybrid or softshell material -- better breathability with a good DWR treatment.

Or the cheapest option would be re-treating your current jacket with DWR to see if it can be restored. This won't keep you dry in a downpour, but it would be okay in less intense weather events.

Riding in a puffy would make me sweat instantly. And most puffy's *suck* at breathing (because they are made to be relatively wind resistant.) Something like a Patagonia Nano Air or a thick fleece is the typically preferred insulator for higher intensity activities because they breathe far better.
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