I have an older Illuminite jacket with a zip off hood that isn't made anymore. I rarely ride in the rain, but like the idea of adding the hood when I'm resting and it's windy. YMMV.

A helmet cover is the answer( J&G) paired with a showers pass rain jacket.

I believe a hood would blind you (peripherally). mine has a high collar to keep the rain out. I use a cheap clear motel style shower cap over my helmet, works perfectly.

photos?

this one looks really good!
http://www.racycles.com/product/gior...in-hood-jacket

A hood will block your peripheral vision IF you place it over your helmet.
If you place it UNDER your helmet and properly fasten the little strings, it will turn with your head and allow you to see fine. Additionally, hoods are thinner than hats or other head covers and fit under most helmets whereas hats do not (not in a way that allows the helmet to rest on your head as intended, anyway). When it's cold out and/or pouring, I wouldn't trade my hood for anything.

Hoods are fine if they adjust properly. My old Eastern Mtn Sports jacket and current Helly Hansen jacket both have strings to cinch the hood down and a rear strap adjustment that keeps the hood in place. I should also mention my commuting helmet is a Bell Citi with a rounded back;I have found helmets with a more aero/pointed rear tend not to fit under most hoods properly.

Cycling and hoods is a vexed question.
They reduce your peripheral vision and you will probably overheat. A waterproofed helmet is more effective in the winter. Hoods are useful off the bike, esp if you go touring or mix cycling a hiking or want a multi-purpose waterproof for utility riding.
Hoodless-ness in the design of cycling jackets is a badge or signifyer saying "This is a cycling jacket", much like those little zipped back pockets which are useless.
Lightweight multi-activity jackets now ALL have built-in fixed hoods with a roll-up velcro tab. This is seen as an essential feature because Mountain Marathon rules demand a fixed hood and velcro rollup reduces weight. Rollup hoods are not comfortable or useful on the bike.

If you are a cyclist and want a hood for off-bike use, the sensible options are a removable hood OR a hood that folds into the collar. Neither of these are widely available because they fail the signifyer test. A hooded cycling jacket is not for serious cyclists or for serious mountain-runners and everyone has to be serious. The magazine reviewer mark a M/A jacket with removable hood as lacking features and a hood folding into the collar as a heavyweight.

The only model I could find was Vaude and the cut is really weird with the arms being too long for my long gibbon arms

I Recall a design of a hood with clear 'side windows' to see through.. but don't recall where..

Interesting to see everyone's points from their experience and tastes on this.

Since I am need of a regular rain jacket anyway (to wear outside in general not just when cycling) I think I'm going to go with this: http://www.rei.com/product/844639/re...in-jacket-mens
I tried it on in the store a few weeks ago, but didn't buy it.
It's got a removable hood. And I definitely want a hood for non-cycling use because if I'm out walking the dog in the rain I can't not have a hood, etc. But since it's removable it's best of both. I guess I can test out the hood-while-riding scenario at some point.
It packs down into it's own pocket for compact storage, and isn't a heavy/insulated one.

I miss EMS. We lost them when we moved to VA, TN, and now TX. All REIs down this way. My EMS Ascent series winter jacket is mega.

We've only got one around here,and it's so small it's almost a boutique.

I would've replaced the old jacket with a new one,but they no longer make them in yellow,and they moved the pockets further down so they're regular handwarmer pockets. Mine had mesh lined chest pockets that made perfect vents when riding.

I've biked with a hood a few times and found them annoying as the hood (1) would blow back off of my head and (2) wouldn't turn when I rotated my head so I was just looking into the side of it. I currently use a hat to keep the rain off of my glasses.

For anyone interested in other options, I think the following type of sun/bug hats would keep water from running down the neck. Since they are attached to your head they should solve the vision issues and you can get some non-bike specific use out them too.

Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap

ExOfficio BugsAway Cap Hat

Showers Pass also makes this helmet cover with a rain guard in the back
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You can use a waterproof helmet cover without this disadvantage to keep the rain off your skull.

http://www.amazon.com/Showers-Pass-H...wers+pass+hood

...and the detachable flap keeps it off your neck :-)

I use a Shower Pass Elite 2.1 and a helmet cover but use the cover only in the daytime as I have a helmet mounted light. Some day I will buy the optional hood for the times I am off my bike.

The absolute best rain jacket I use is the Patagonia M10. This jacket puts my Shower Pass to shame. This one is not cycling specific but keeps me from getting soaked. This one has a hood but I don't use it cycling. It also was double the cost of the SP.

Looks very cool, but I wonder how breathable it is. What some companies call breathable is for hiking or less strenuous activities. I used to use my Columbia jacket and would sweat like a pig!

Happened to have one - hood's under helmet over balaclava

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=356390

I'm not too worried about it. I don't plan on doing a lot of riding in the rain. I'm not hardcore, and I'm more of a fair-weather biker. I don't do much commuting anymore since I, uh, don't have a job...and if it rains for the MS150 I'll have it. And I'm not a bike fast and hard kind of guy either.

Any cheap (sale) rain jacket that allows transpiration of body humidity. If it says:

breathability (10 000 g/m[SUP]2[/SUP]/24 h) a water resistance (10 000 mm H[SUB]2[/SUB]O), or better, it ought to be OK.

Some ideas:
http://www.huskyeu.eu/mens-outdoor-j...red-d1948.html

http://www.huskyeu.eu/men-softshell-...lack-d915.html

I own Endura Luminite jacket. No hood designed. Breathability at 10k units is a quite poor. It's ok only for not very intense ride. Water resistance? This year I came across large a downpour. Jacket gave up. I use only cap with a membrane under a helmet, and only when it's getting cold outside (winter, late autumn, early spring). Membrane is dense enough.

Did you just say "commute"? 10k or better - whichever one can afford. Works.

Yes. It works, but sometimes people want to "commute" with 30 km/h on the speed meter. Some people expect that jacket for over $100 makes miracles.

Whatever you like. OP said he doesn't ride regularly in rain, see no point in going for expensive 20 g/m2/24h stuff.

I sweat A LOT and 10k stuff works OK on my 10 km + commutes as long as I keep a moderate effort. When going faster, even the expensive stuff doesn't help sweating and I see no big difference.

My distance is about 25 km (or 13km shortcut), Endura Luminite works fine. Average is about 18km/h (including traffic lights stops). I try not to push so hard and not to go too lazy. But I have noticed that I must let go of some parts that normally I could do faster. Endura is a good option especially in his-vis version.

That's quite long. Anything over 15 km takes really serious clothes for bad weather - especially if you don't get to shower and change all the clothes when you arrive.