Originally Posted by
TimothyH
I used the 7Mesh Resistance Jacket in a deluge three weeks ago.
1700 ft, 7 mile gravel descent in a thunderstorm. Temps were in the low or mid 80's. The rain was extremely heavy and the descent was rough and fast (and fun!) followed by an hour of paved riding in a steady rain. The Resistance jacket performed admirably but it did meet it's match and was thoroughly soaked through part way through the paved section.
Breathability is uncanny. The whole time it was venting nicely and I never felt like a water balloon. I guess that's the trade off. It did offer protection for my neck and arms against small rocks and mud slung up by the front tire.
Previously the jacket had been used in brief showers or light rain. This was the most intense test so far and clearly shows that it is not designed for all day wet riding or very heavy downpours. Still a great product for its intended use but just wanted to get my experience out there.
-Tim-
THanks for the data point. The water resistance performance seems close to any other Windstopper product. However the breathability sounds attractive. Still kind of an ehhh jacket. I'll only wear my Windstopper if its cold and I know there won't be much more precipitation than a light mist.
Another great breathable, waterproof jacket is the Attaquer Storm. It uses Windtex Storm Shield fabric, which has impressive breathablility and waterproof specs. That jacket is a bit hard to find, but another one that uses the same fabric is the Parenti Mossa. The fabric's combination of breathability, insulation, water resistance, and weight is very impressive.