Here's a question for the crowd.

Last year I bought a Performance commuter jacket to be my windshell/raincoat on cool days, with the option to layer a fleece underneath for the cold ones. My gripe with it is that it's nylon, and doesn't breathe very well...at all. I also wonder a bit how long the waterproof coating on it is going to last.

I should have bought Gore-Tex, I suppose. So I've been shopping for some, and then I came upon a Bellwether jacket made with "Exo-grid", which sounds in theory very similar to Gore-Tex technology insofar as waterproofing goes.

Does anyone know anything about the Bellwether, or should I just assume that nothing beats Gore-Tex?

By the by, it's a rotten deal that Gore bike wear doesn't actually make their "Function" jacket out of Gore-Tex.

From what I can find on Google, it seems that Exo-Grid is only water-resistant, not waterproof. So it'd make a good windshield but anything more than a drizzle and you'll get soaked.

It's not true that nothing beats Gore-Tex. Gore-Tex has the brand name power but eVent, for example, is 50% more breathable than Gore-Tex, with comparable pricing. It hasn't managed to penetrate the market much but there do exist eVent cycling jackets.

I used a similar jacket to your Performance commuter jacket last year. (A nylon wind proof / rain "resistant" shell) Although it kept the wind off of me, I found that it didn't breath well at all and I was soaked from sweat by the time I got to the office/home. After it had been washed a few times, (phew, sinky sweaty jacket) in the heavier rains, it soaked through. Someone did me a favour and stole it out of my car a month ago.

A hard core commuter friend of mine recommend that I DON"T buy a Gortex jacket. In fact, he said that he would give me his for free because he didn't use it. Accordingto him, Gortex is not as breathable as one may think and I would end up soaked with sweat like my last jacket. Under his recommendation, I bought a jacket that has a wind proof front with a breathable back. (probikekit had a fabulous deal) It's lightly fleece on the inside for warmth. I also bought a see through plastic "water proof" jacket as recommended too. It has vents on the sides & a back flap for ventalation. I keep it in the bottom of my pannier for those rare days it rains hard.

So far, so good. I've used the jacket in temps down to 32 degrees and was warm with a long sleeve jersey/base layer. It was really nice to not arrive soaked in sweat. I use a light thermal layer (i.e. long sleeve T-shirt) for temps colder that 32 and imagine that I will wear a light fleece once it gets really cold. The plasitc water proof jacket has kept me bone dry in heavy downpours. A nice change from getting soaked through. I got both jackets for 1/2 the cost of a Gore Gortex jacket.

Goretex is crap.

Its got 30 years and hundreds of millions of dollars of marketing sayings its the best, thats it. About half the alternate waterproof breathable materials beat it in breathabilty.

Search for "eVent" material which is the most breathable, propore as a good one although it rips, and there is a "toray" material that is used a lot also that works much better than goretex.

If rain is not that common, just get a really good softshell from material like schoeller dry skin extreme.
Beyondfleece makes nice custom ones

Thanks for the words. I'll research that e-vent, as well as some of the other stuff. Tequila, what you said about your nylon shell jacket is pretty much exactly my story, minus the part about theft. Hence my search for something better.

Back to the drawing board, I suppose. If anyone has further recommendations, I would love to hear them. You may save me from stinking quite badly under my nylon shell. Though my current jacket keeps the rain off, the quantities of sweat that can build up underneath are almost worse, in a way. The only way I don't soak myself in sweat is if I zip the front halfway down and open the underarm zippers...but at that point why did I buy a wind/rain proof jacket?

Evidently the US military has bought into those millions of dollars of advertising, since they're starting to go Gore-Tex with a LOT of stuff. (30 years after the fact, no less! )

However, the current love affair with Gore-Tex in the military is how the marketing has finally seeped into my brain.

Thanks for the alternate links.

I like my Burley raincoat:

https://www.burley.com/products/raing...int+Jacket&i=1

I'm not clear on all the ins and outs of variously breathable fabrics, but it has zippers flaps and other openings that manage to keep a *lot* of air flowing through while retaining enough coverage to keep me about as dry as I would be on a non-rainy day.

The black sleeves are nice for camouflaging grease stains that accompany the inevitable roadside rainy day maintenance...

I think "breathable" is a laugh. If it lets water out, it also lets water in, in my experience.

If the weather's warm, I just get wet. If it's cold, I wear cheap nylon to keep the water and wind out. I don't sweat much because...it's cold out! If it's very cold, I wear a lined nylon shell, and I wear fleece or even a cotton mid-layer to absorb and hold the sweat, while my skin and inner layer of clothes stay absolutely dry.

This has been my experience to. You can make it breathe and get wet, or you can make it water proof and sweat, still get wet but now stink to.

Wool still takes the prize, it breathes, it repels small amounts of moisture, if it does become saturated it retains a fair amount of warming ability. I have had my wool sweater get soaked and haven't even felt a chill from it while biking.

I have a nylon shell which is useful on the windy days, but I've also managed to stay warm on some pretty cold/wet/windy days with just a layer of silk underwear, a synethetic t-shirt, and a wool sweater.

Take the money you would spend on a high tech jacket and get a good pair of gloves and a collection of thick wool socks.

There is an interview posted on the net talking to the head of the us army material testing lab. (google it) He was asked why the army uses goretex when his very lab found it only a marginal material with many products showing a clear performance advantage, some 2x as much. His answer was 'momentum'. The army started using it years ago when it was the only choice, trying to steer the army onto anything new is a apperently a challenge.

Dont take my word for it though, there are posts on here from hundreds of different people talking about how goretex does not work well enough for them when cycling. Then compare that with how many complain that eVent doesnt work for them. Although there is a clear number difference between users.

you are SO right...i'm going to start weating a PVC rainsuit...the cost about $2.00, and if i ruin it, i'll just get another...no, wait...I actually LIKE my breathable jacket and pants, and rain has never gotten me wet. just my opinion

I've got the wool socks...and the gloves. During the deep of winter I have a wool fleece jacket that I love...but it still needs a windshield. The wind cuts clear through it, taking away all the warmth from my chest, and if it gets wet that problem can be exacerbated.

But on the days when it rains, and is too warm for a full up wool jacket, yet too cold for no jacket, particularly with the moisture, well, that's what my query is about...that, and the difficulties with that stifling nylon job.

I'm strongly considering, after all of the comments here, the Pearl Izumi Vagabond jacket. I can also put my wool under it in winter, and zip the sleeves off in cool weather. Anyone use this jacket?

Based on what I've read on here I'm about to order a Showers Pass Elite jacket. It will likely work for what you're asking for, wet and cold weather.

+1

It's what I have. Doesn't matter if it does not breath because it has big zip pits. Lickbike.com has the best price.

I just bought a J and G Taslan wind jacket. I haven't worn it in rain yet, but the claim is that "it repels light rain".

https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Wind-Jackets.html

It's got a place to attach a blinkie. It also bunches up into an attached pouch - great for touring. It's designed for cycling, and it seemed like a good buy for $50.

For all you Burley lovers, you might want to buy another jacket soon. Sadly, Burley has gone under. After a series of unprofitable years, they have been bought out, are reorganizing and will ONLY be making trailers. So act now while the old stock is being sold off.

There was a thread a week or so ago for a Gill Adreneline jacket for about 90 bucks with pit zips and made from eVent. Unfortunatly none of the buyers had experienced rain yet, so no reports. But the price is decent, it was either nashbar or performance. Would be a good wind/rain shell.

I don’t know if anyone here has checked out jackets made from Propore ™ https://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...HP_CYCLING_TOC but for me they seem to be less of a sauna when it’s warm and actually feels like it insulates when it’s cold.

Try a bicycling rain cape. However, in order to have this option work, you need a full fendered bike to keep the road spray at bay. I rode across Europe with one and it worked great on rainy days. It breathed, kept one dry, it's cheap, and the fit was no problem. The disadvantave was it was not aerodynamic, but when one is touring-who cares?

MotoMan

Hey, I did ride in with my Gill in the rain a few times. They are $130 at Performance, but I got mine on a 20% off sale (plus 10% Team Performance), so it was about $100.

Mostly I'm pleased with the jacket. I'd recommend it. Only niggle is that I wish the cuffs were bigger to funnel air through the sleeves. The times I've worn it, my forearms have gotten sweaty. The rest of me is fairly comfy; I regulate with the pit vents.

It keeps the rain out; it's seam sealed and all. Drawcord at the neck and waist.

Also, it's grey on the back which is kind of lame for visibility. So you might want to put a reflective mesh vest on over it. Or run a blindingly bright rear blinky...

Yea one of them was me. I am still on the fence. Without the back vent of the showerspass I can forsee the Gill being a bit warm for me (I tend to get pretty hot in general). I have a century ride next weekend that looks potentially cold and wet. It may give me the chance to give it a test.

-D

Ya the showerspass has wide cuffs so airflow goes right up your arms and out the back vent. Lemmee know how the Gill does on that century, i'll pray for rain for you

Gee thanks.

-D

Watch "The pentagon wars" and you'll lose any respect for what the military deems worthwhile equipment.

I usually just throw on my leather jacket on the cooler days.