Odd statement when you haven't worn any of the windproof & breathable materials that have been around for decades.

7mesh stuff is amazing. I have a pair of their mtb/gravel shorts and I've started wearing them literally all the time as they are so light and comfortable, yet tough as hell. It's like they've found some special alien material tech. They make all my other "lightweight" mtb shorts feel like potato sacks. So I have little doubt about their jackets being the business too.

I recently bought a Gore bikewear ShakeDry jacket. I brought it along on a few rides when it was forecast to rain, but it didn't rain. I gave credit to Gore for keeping me dry. e A couple days ago it started raining just as I left the house, and it rained the entire ride, a quick 20 miler. I had an Assos Spring/Fall long sleeve jersey on under the ShakeDry jacket, and I was dry inside that jacket at the end of the ride. My PI booties soaked through, my Assos rain hat kept my head dry, and I was impressed beyond belief at the performance of that ShakeDry! I fully expected to be sweaty and soaked inside, especially as hard as it rained at some points, but I was dry. Even the neck didn't leak. I was skeptical. I own, and have owned, tons of GoreTex and similar products from other manufacturers over the years. I expected the same old result from the ShakeDry jacket, but I was elated to find out that it worked better than I could have hoped. I'm sold.

Jackets-wise I only have experience with the Gore C7 Stretch Shakedry, which I think I bought on sale from Sierra a few years back. Sierra had a whole load of Shakedry products but not last time I checked, however Gore themselves discounted the C7 Stretch earlier this year so I would expect something around Black Friday or early in the new year.

There isn't an equivalent for pants or tights because there's probably too much friction from pedaling for Shakedry to last, but I think it's less of an issue and you can get away with less breathable options. I have Castelli Nanoflex Pro 2 and Pearl Izumi Elite AmFib bib tights, but I haven't worn them that often in heavy rain. Pants-wise a lot of commuters like Showers Pass and I've also seen Frog Toggs being mentioned as a decent budget option.

I have an older Columbia winter parka using Gore-Tex over Thinsulate. Still a terrific winter coat. I've stayed dry in wet winters on a motorcycle, walking and hiking. But it gets sweaty on bike rides.

I've tried a few cycling jackets and windbreakers that claimed to shed rain while passing sweat, but none of them work as advertised.

Gore-Tex Shakedry sounds great, but pricey. For around $30-$50 I've settled on a Pearl Izumi thin windbreaker that packs into a quart sized baggie or jersey pocket, soaks through in rain but stays warm because it still resists wind; and a Shimano Storm raincoat that works pretty well but is high maintenance -- it needs frequent cleaning and touch-ups with a warm iron or clothes dryer to restore the semi-permeable membrane performance, otherwise rain just soaks through but it still stays windproof and warm.

So I'm wet and warm on bike rides. Beats the alternative and costs a lot less.

If you're not looking to spend $200+ take a look at O2 rainwear. I have a jacket that cost about $30 and is totally waterproof, lightweight, packable and breathable too. What's the downside? -the material is fragile. But if you're looking for packable rainwear that you're only using on occasion, it may fit your bill.
One important factor I found was pack-ability. My first raingear set was a very waterproof jacket and Showerpass pants which were only good for cold days and when you knew it was going to rain the entire trip as you needed a backpack to stow them. They were also too warm and sweaty unless it was close to freezing. The O2 jacket easily stuffs into my jersey back pocket.

I dunno

I think the little holes are so small that water vapor can escape but wind cannot pass from the outside....how's that for a guess?

I have a couple other rain jackets. A strong wind will pass thru my ShowersPass Elite jacket and it will wet out. My C7 shakedry has never wetted out but.....disclaimer.....I have only been 5-6 straight hours in moderately hard rain. My Montbell jacket was subjected to very strong winds, perhaps 35-40 mph on the peaks.....very hard to walk type wind.

I understand these jackets are fragile. Mine is 2 years old and still fine. I am fortunate that I can afford to have such a jacket and also know that I put myself in risky situations in bad weather. These things are way too much money for the average cyclist who really does not get into bad weather.

I'm unfamiliar with the shakedry technology but about five to ten years ago Showers pass jackets were known to be the best and most breathable.

In cold wet rain, I love my Showers Pass helmet cover.

I have never found a pair of rain trousers that I love. The Showers Pass are pretty ok. The ones I have provide some stretch or give. I'm too fat right now to slither into them. I often just wear merino or yak on my legs even if I have the rain pants with me.

I like froggtogs https://www.froggtoggs.com/ Showers Pass is really good too.

I don't bike in wet conditions but for hiking I have a Neoshell jacket which is very breathable and waterproof. However it's so breathable that it retains heat poorly and can feel chilly.

When I used to work, I'd wear a shell jacket for rain only when it was cold.

If it was warm, I wouldn't really care how wet I'd get because you'd get inside your jacket anyways. So I'd have a garbage bag over my short sleeve jersey and shorts. Most cycling clothes are quick drying polyester anyways so when you arrive at work, just dry off with your towel to have there and hang your cycling clothes to dry. If you get soaked going home, no big deal. You're going to shower anyways.

If it was cold, I'd wear a shell jacket with lots of ventilation and long sleeve cycling jersey for insulation. I'd unzip the armpits and zip up only the top of the jacket but leave the bottom open. The front zipper is one of those two way zippers.

All my cycling clothes are cheap and not necessarily name-brand or cycling specific. Same with the shell jacket.

Hi all,

Please continue a thread that appears to share much good experience and suggestions :thumb: ... but personally I have decided to go with the shakedry suggestions and am currently trying to find such a jacket close to Denmark. Thanks again for your helpfulness in this! - Cheers Jesper

I used to have the kind of disposable income it takes to try out $300 rain jackets. That hasn't been the case for 30 years though. In that time I have easily crossed the country several times 7mi (each way) at a time. When it rains I get damp. Not wet, but quite damp. I'm ok with that. I got damp in the Gore-Tex. I suspect one gets damp in the Shakedry. Unless you invest in enough base layer and thermal layer .... etc. What happens to a $300 jacket if you low side (it's raining after all) a corner and slide for 15' on your back?

Here's what works. J&G rain jacket w/ pit zips ($45 15 years ago) J&G rain pants or RainLegs rain chaps (nice) OR soft shell (fleece) water resistant cycling jacket. Mine is made by Gore and was $69 on sale. Sleeves zip off so useable all year round. I hate a wet head and wet hands and feet more than a wet torso. More to the point, I hate cold rain on my head and hands and feet. If I put a shower cap over my helmet there is going to be AS much sweat as there would be rain but it will be warm. Warm is good.

To criticize the OP here a bit, I'm always mystified by this type of thread. So many people post here without doing even a basic amount of research into what is usually an obvious or very frequently asked question. It's baffling to me. I can understand coming in somewhat informed and looking for confirmation of what you believe to be true, but posting in complete ignorance is just strange given that the internet exists.

In this case any basic Google search on this topic would reveal that the most recommended cycling rain jackets are clearly jackets made out of Gore Shakedry material. This has been the case for several years. The same Google search would reveal that anything made out of Shakedry is rather expensive, which again is a very well known fact about Shakedry. The OP appears to:
1. Not have heard of the Shakedry
2. When told about it, was surprised at how much it costs and is now asking where it can be found on sale.

Gah.

At least the OP updated the thread. Kinda crappy when a new member asks for advice and then goes completely dark.
I am always amused though on any forum when someone is looking for a specific, high quality item but ofc at a discount.

Some of us rather "talk" to real people on forums rather than asking our great Google overlord for answers.

It's not actually that crazy to ask about Shakedry discounts. Like I posted earlier, both Sierra and Gore themselves have heavily discounted some Shakedry jackets not so long ago. I didn't see any major websites that reported on those deals, so a web search wouldn't necessarily be better than asking on BF.

To defend the OP my understanding of the real value add for a forum like this is to ask the community best practices and look for solutions to problems. We all know Google manipulates search results and a vast majority of responses are nothing but advertising. Reviews in most of the cycling websites are literally cut and paste from the manufacturers marketing pieces. The problem is many posters respond with nonsensical responses and negative past experiences of 30 years ago, filtering through all of these old men yelling at clouds gets frustrating.

Just for fun I Googled on this topic and found no such thing. There were some lists of random good jackets but no mention that shakedry was the best (or that it added significant $$ to the price).

Also the fact is that any such thread is an excuse to discuss a topic which can always have interesting tangents. Such as random people like me not having bought a rain jacket in 30 years who can learn a bit.

So to the above poster: Gah.

I'm going to defend mysef on a thread about rain jackets. I never even ride in the rain, but ok let's do this.

First non-ad hit on Googling "best cycling rain jacket":
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...cling-jackets/

First jacket in that review, a $295 Rapha jacket made out of... Gore Shakedry.

First line of that review: "Not one to miss a trick, Rapha has joined the Gore-Tex Shakedry crowd with its Pro Team Lightweight jacket."

At least three other jackets on that list are also made out of Shakedry.


Second hit on Googling "best cycling rain jacket":
https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buy...-for-cyclists/

First jacket in that review, a $400 Casteli jacket made out of... Gore Shakedry

First line of that review: "Hitting five stars in a face-off of ten waterproof shell jackets, the Idro Pro 2 has a racer’s cut and is made of Gore Shakedry fabric tempered by panels of equally waterproof Gore Topo to add stretch at the sides, shoulders, elbows and wrists, for a skin-tight fit."

Again, at least three other jackets on that list are made out of Shakedry.

So, in maybe five minutes of looking at stuff a reasonable person might think, "hey, looks like Shakedry is good", but then think "gee, it sure is expensive though." And then come here and say something like "I've read that Gore Shakedry is highly recommended, but it's, like, super expensive. Are there any other cheaper good options?". Now THAT is a good question.

My point stands.

Your point was the question was not framed how you feel is the most precise way? In the meantime we have responses everywhere from plastic bags, just get wet, to surplus ponchos from the Vietnam war. Just can’t get how you fault the OP for putting up a simple question regarding best rainwear to which you added nothing of value. If you had nothing to contribute move on to another post.

Rain cape and fenders is a breathable combination that will keep you dry, from neck to knees. Unless it's windy, that is. With wind, it's more like neck to mid thigh.

I think the most breathable rain setup would be a bicycle cape attached to the handlebar and saddle via breakaway fastenings, plus full fenders with mud/rain flaps.

Cheers

Something like this?

https://www.treehugger.com/tired-rid...answer-4857408