macteacher

I've been browsing online for rain jackets....reading reviews etc, Haven't had a chance to actually get out to the stores....but will soon.

Anyhow, can someone explain this to me.

How can two people review a jacket, and one person says "I cycled in the rain for hours and was dry" while another person would say 'got caught in the rain and i was wet all over'


So bottom line...is the jacket waterproof or not? Is it breathable enough to keep people from breaking into a sweat?

Any insights?

I was reading these reviews

https://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1221607261975

nubcake

i own a "lightweight, breathable, waterproof" rain jacket from pearl and its awesome, its lightweight and waterproof but not that breathable.

When i wear it, i wear it not to keep me dry because i am always wearing cycling clothes so im usually covered in sweat anyways but rather when its kind of cold and rainy it does a good job of keeping me warmer. If its hot out and raining i see no point in a rain jacket.

If your looking for something to keep work clothes dry get one of those cheap plastic jackets and ride easy enough you dont get covered in sweat

kk4df

It sounds like for most reviewers, it does not breathe well. Of course some people sweat more than others, some just ride harder/faster, and some may be in riding on colder days than others. But overall, it sounds like moisture gets trapped in this one if you sweat very much.

Now some of this can be avoided by the layers you wear under the jacket. A layer of merino wool, and you probably would not feel as wet underneath the jacket.

jbabic

I'm gonna guess there was a great difference in each reviewer's exertion and tendency to sweat.

BA Commuter

I wear a regular cycling jacket when it's a little cooler out. If it's a light mist, the cycling jacket does a good job of keeping me dry and not feeling overheated.

I put a cheapo rain jacket over it if there's a heavy downpour or during a steady rain. I wear work clothes on my commute and do not want to arrive dripping wet...

ItsJustMe

I sweat without wearing a rain jacket if I'm doing more exercise than a walk, so I will sweat like a pig in any rain jacket.
I have a vented J&G Cycleware jacket from www.bicycleclothing.com and I love it. It was $99. I wear it whenever it's raining and below about 60*F, plus every day when it's below about 40 as a windbreaker. It's 3 years old and doesn't show the slightest sign of wear, even where I have fallen (at very low speed) and scraped it on the pavement.

acline

I suggest Gore-Tex rain gear made for bass fishermen. Go to basspro.com. These suits are made to keep you dry in rain while traveling 50 mph in a boat. They work.

JayTee705

As a former fair-weather recreational rider turned hopefully year-round commuter, I'm as confused as the OP. And I've read a bunch of threads. It sounds like the choice 1) get wet from the rain or 2) get soaked from your sweat. Is that about right?

Is there no product that will keep you dry and comfortable while riding at a decent pace? Looking towards "winter" here, I'll be facing 45 low / 55 high average temps; sometimes it will bucket rain, but usually not.

My commute is 15 to 25 miles one way, so I'll be changing at the office. I'm confused at what rain gear to get!

mrbubbles

And I would advise against anything Gore-Tex, they simply don't breathe well enough for cycling.

GV27

Then you'd recommend against any waterproof/breathable fabrics, Mr. Bubbles? Most are less breathable, and the few that are more breathable are only marginally so. Gore-Tex XCR breathes better than anything I've tried.

I guess a lot of it depends on how cold is cold. 45 for a low is laughable (sorry - but that's summer here!) - right now it's about that in the mornings here. I wear a long-sleeve jersey over my seersucker and under an extremely light, extremely vented windbreaking vest. Shorts and knee warmers. A fleece headband and fleece gloves.

Now when it's actually COLD Gore-Tex is pretty awesome. I've been skiing, mountaineering, snowmobiling and riding bicycles in the stuff for decades. It's great. I work WAY harder backcountry skiing and summiting 14ers in the winter than I do riding to work every day (absolutely no comparison - those other things are sustained maximum efforts - more like racing a bike than commuting on one). At the same time I'm going slower doing that stuff than on the bike so less airflow. But I don't wear it unless the temps are in the 20's or below.

My favorite cycling jacket for 20's and 30s is an old all-wool cycling jacket I have that has nylon panels on the front to keep the wind out. It's fantastic. As long as you're moving forward in the rain and have fenders, the nylon keeps it reasonably dry and since it's wool it's warm when wet. I'm not sure anyone makes one any more. It was my Dad's and close to 30 years old! That's be my number 1 cold weather tip, though: wool.

Chris

VenturaCyclist

As stated above there is a lot of perspiration when you are bicycling and a rain jacket made of gore tex or any other breathable material is not enough.

I bought a gore tex jacket more than 10 years ago that is made with mesh in the upper shoulder and upper back areas. There is gore tex material covering this mesh but air can enter under the gore tex through the mesh. Air can also exit out the back through the mesh and under the gore tex. This jacket has an attached hood and I wear it under the helmet. This is the best rain jacket I have ever worn while bicycling and there is no replacement available.

Pig_Chaser

It has to be a pretty cold rain before i'll put on a rain jacket. For me it's a choice between drenched by rain or drenched by sweat. I'll take the former thank you very much. I just take a dry change of clothes in a plastic bag in my panniers (my panniers are only somewhat water resistant).

BBnet3000

i recently bought a raincoat and then returned it, i wore it in the rain once and got mostly wet. at first i thought it might be sweat but it was fairly cool out so i wasnt sweating much. my arms were soaked and so were my shoulders. my back being wet i could chalk up to sweat but even that was leaking a bit i think.

i had threw out my receipt already (eastern mountain sports) so im holding on to my store credit for bike accessories (going to be paying a bit more for them than i would if i got them elsewhere im afraid )

stevage

I wish there were better cycling jackets too. The point is, you only really need protection from the front and top - they could improve breathability by having massive gaping vents facing downwards. Which is a big difference from jackets for other sports or generally wearing around.

Steve

KrisPistofferson

Some people live in Canada, some in Florida, and some sweat more when they ride. I live in Tennessee, and a rain jacket would be good about two months out of the year, so I stick to a poncho, which breaths a lot better. In summertime, I simply go without because you will be soaked no matter what you wear, and rain feels good when it's 98 degrees.

sciencemonster

Made in the USA, so it won't leak or fall apart like the chain store crap:

https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Water...n-Jackets.html

Jarery

First, you need to realize that NO jacket in the world will prevent you from sweating. People sweat pedaling a bike in the middle of a summer day when climbing a hill wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Climbing that same hill in the winter in the pouring rain, you're still going to sweat, but now you don't have air blowing over your skin to evaporate the sweat, its trapped in a waterproof bag.

ALL waterproof jackets are waterproof. Every one of them. Some start to leak after a few hours of pouring rain, and some have crappy seams that leak. But all waterproof materials are just that, water and wind proof.

What makes a good waterproof jacket (besides workmanship) is material and venting. the more venting, the more air you can get passing over you to evaporate the sweat. The more venting, the more the built up mini climate in your jacket can escape.

And the biggy...the more breathable the material the faster it will clear the heat/steam/humidity/sweat from the jacket and get the air inside the jacket back to a clean air. Gore-Tex is midlevel and not really very good for cycling. Great for fishing, walking to the mall, anything except aerobic activities like cycling.
Currently the most breathable material is event which rates at 2x the breathability of goretex.

The problem with goretex and many others is they have a drw coating, which is the same as the old style nylon windbreakers with a waterproof coating that didn't breath for crap.

So in the end, if you want a waterproof shell instead of a waterresitant one, look for lots of venting, and preferable event material, or at least a material without a drw coating. Mesh layers on the inside of a jacket is also a giveaway for a material that will plug up and stop being breathable of it contacts the oils of your skin.

CliftonGK1

Breathable or waterproof, pick one. Spend enough time cranking along in the rain, and you'll sweat under the jacket and get wet.

I'm a big fan of Merino wool. Soaking wet in 36 degree weather, and it's still warm.

coldfeet

The negative reviews were from Vancouver and other "warmer" locales, the positive ones were from the Northern Territories and East Coast. Where are you located? I would guess this jacket doesn't do to well in "warm" rain.

tjspiel

I suspect that you and your wallet may be happier with a more realistic goal of staying warm rather than staying perfectly dry.

I have some packable rain gear from Columbia. It's not high end stuff. The jacket is vented and keeps me reasonably, although not perfectly dry as long as the weather is not too warm. The pants are not vented and feel clammy almost immediately. I skip the pants unless it's pretty cool outside.

There aren't any days when I stay completely dry anyway since I tend to work up a sweat.

nashcommguy

+1 here. Have checked out a variety of raingear over the years and have decided to get the breathable jacket, pants and helmet cover @ https://www.bicycleclothing.com. All for around 200.00. There's a validity to having been designed in Portland and being shaped by the cutomer's input. I like the attitude of the owner and the style of the clothing line. The jerseys look pretty good as do the shorts. Was able to snag several Italian made 100% merino wool tight knit seaters at a thrift store for 3.00 per, so I'm set w/base layers up top. Found a site that has 100% merino wool tights @ 115.00 per. I'm looking in the thrift store again. That's a LEETLE pricey. The socks were 13.00 per pair which seems reasonable. Have plenty of 'hard winter' garb, but need that 35-60 degree, rainy, wet weather gear when cycle commuting isn't so much fun as it is a chore. Good gear goes along way to change that.

ncscott

It looks like its been pretty well covered, but what the heck, I'll beat the dead horse.
No jacket is perfect. Rain jackets work best in, well... rain. Rain jackets and wp/b membranes work better in cold weather. Even when it rains, I'm fully unzipped (front zipper and pit zips). Bending over the bike keeps the rain from reaching my chest and it allows air to flow through the jacket and out the pit zips. Am I bone dry, no, am I better than not wearing a jacket, yes. When it warm/hot, do I care, no. When its cold do I care, very much so.
Conventional wisdom states you need mulitple jackets. One that is somehow waterproof (wp/b or just wp) for downpouring days, and one that is windproof and breathable for dry and slightly damp days. Cycling makes its own wind, so some kind of windproofness is useful for cold weather. Not only do you have to own the correct jacket, you have to use it correctly.
Scott

jbabic

I disagree with your definition of 'conventional wisdom.' To me, it is wiser to spend money on something that is high quality and works well. Buying multiple jackets for different conditions might be a less expensive way to go if you buy cheap gear. I have done that myself and found my money wasted when I have to replace those items often. Nowadays I prefer to buy something more durable and functional.

That's why I got a Showers Pass suit (jacket and pants.) My Marmot Precip wasn't up to the task and flapped in the breeze more than I liked. My Showers Pass Elite jacket and pants are built better with better material (eVent) and are sized for cycling (less flappage.)

stevage

I definitely have two jackets: one superlight hi-vis windproof one that packs down to nothing, and a bigger one that actually keeps rain off. I really doubt one jacket could do both. No matter how much you $pent.

Steve

ban guzzi

My two cents...

If its waterproof, you sweat so much it defeats the purpose.

As others have pointed out, your best bet is wool. Clean it regularly with NikWax for woolens and thats all you really need. Get used to carrying a change of clothes in a dry bag.
In winter I get to work with sweat frozen to my jacket and it is usually 0-20 degF. I just use the jacket for warmth and a bit of water repellency. Thats all it is good for really...