Originally Posted by
pdlamb
Excuse me if I start sounding crotchety, but this kind of focus on the breathability of a jacket's fabric reminds me of the endless debate on which material makes a better bicycle. After a manufacturer gets through waving a material specification around, there's still the matter of designing and building the darn thing. Some jackets feel like sheets of rubber, or plastic wrap, against your body. In a cool (not cold) light shower, the rider gets to choose whether they're going to get soaked from rain or from sweat. Euch. Some manufacturers take a nice fabric, add thoughtful features like two-way zippers, adjustable sleeve cuffs, pit vents, etc., and make a jacket that's comfortable to wear and which seems to minimize rider dampness at the end of the ride. Or perhaps the design goal is something that will block the wind on a brisk ride in low humidity to prevent evaporative cooling leading to hypothermia. It seems difficult to meet both design goals with a single jacket, unfortunately.
For the record, I think the best bike frame material is the one a knowledgeable and skilled designer uses to make a great bike.
+1 I didn't study the field. I heard good reports from local riders re: the jackets of the local Sowers Pass. 15 years ago; an unlined jacket. I was new to 'breathable" jackets, didn't treat it kindly enough and started ripping the vapor barrier (doing things like putting it on over wet clothes, wearing gloves while riding). Bought the much more substantial lined jacket as a daily commuter. That jacket has been a rock and is still serving very well. Bought a third, unlined, as a good ride jacket. It is and I plan to treat it with respect. The original is still my everyday non-rain jacket. It will need a new zipper soon but that is the first anything I have done for it and it has many hundreds of rides.
Showers Pass jackets work really well as jackets for riding. They are designed and made by people who ride year 'round wearing them and it shows. (They also incorporate a feature I consider a must - a double zipper. I nearly always start the bottom and climb hills with the zippers meeting and sleeves pushed up.)
(For frame materials - I love the ti ride and ride two ti customs but I trust the builder to spec the right tubes for the job. I don't say it has to this tube, this alloy. Or go to another builder because he uses this tube.)
Ben