New Commuting Jacket
After almost 15 years of bicycle commuting, wearing a serial assortment of jackets of varying quality, I finally bought a Showers Pass "Syncline" jacket (see the Showers Pass web site). I've had it for about three weeks, and am very happy with it. Why?
1) It is completely waterproof. All the seams are taped inside. It has an attached hood, which fits easily under my helmet. I've ridden in some heavy rain and arrived at work (or home) dry.
2) It is bright and visible ("Firecracker Red"), with reflective tabs on the sleeves and reflective piping on the front and back.
3) The zipper is sturdy and works smoothly. There's a storm flap that keeps water and cold air out.
4) There are two side pockets with waterproof zippers; these are mesh on the inside. There are also inside mesh pockets which overlap the side pockets, but they do not connect.
5) An elastic cord around the bottom of the jacket allows snugging to fit; there is a dropped tail for... tail coverage.
6) There are "pit zips" for ventilation, which probably work well in combination with the front zipper if this is left slightly open. I commute with a backpack, which pretty much eliminates air flow inside the jacket. It's said to be breathable... but like someone said earlier, if you're working even moderately hard there's going to be some moisture accumulation.
7) The sleeves are long enough that the cuffs overlap my gloves (even thick winter gloves) easily. There are Velcro closures if I need to snug them up.
Down-sides? I can't report any except maybe that the jacket doesn't quite cover my insulating layer(s) in front; I have to tuck my fleece liner into my rain pants. This is a minor nuisance. The dropped tail covers the top of the pants with room to spare, so the net result is that I stay dry. The price (~$125) isn't terrible, though I don't think I've spent that much on anything I've used in the past.
Hope this helps.
Steve