Rain/snow Jacket
 

I'm in the market for a new jacket and will be looking for something for wintertime use for rain, snow, fifty degrees to zero degrees for commuting and long rides in wintertime.

Anyone have any ideas or experiences with what is available?

I like softshell winter jackets with pit and side zip based vents. My favorite winter jacket for bad days is the Endura Stealth combined with the appropriate temp range Craft base layer. When it get really cold you can add a mid layer.

First one I bought was on sale @ Performance: Paddington yellow, zip vents and while it is scary-thin, that thing is toasty and soaks up all the sweat. I never feel a drop. +1

I bought a size too big though as I do the first time I buy any new type of function-specific clothing. I recommend getting one that fits. The bigness gets in the way and impedes shoulder+arm freedom of movement. So I use:

I don't know where you live but I have had the best luck at local thrift stores, namely Deseret here in Shoreline. Found a stellar shell in neon turquoise, lined, zippered and adjustable in all the right places...fifteen bucks. Has no tag on it so I cannot ID it for you. I visit them, Goodies and VV's regularly. Found all my underlinings--silk tops, long-johns--plus my REI bike shorts...everything less than ten bucks a piece.

+1 the side/underarm zips.

Yep. And that's a very wide range of conditions you want to use it for, so do yourself a favor and lose the idea of a one-jacket-fits-all-situations silver bullet. Anything warm enough to ride a bike in at 0 degrees is going to be way too warm at 50 degrees, and vice versa. You solve that problem with layers. The jacket itself should keep the wind and water out, and "breathe," but warmth should come from your layers. You don't want any insulation in the jacket at all, because that limits its versatility so that it's good for really cold situations, but not for moderate ones.

I love my Accelero and Beta AR jackets. One is a wind breaker, and the other is a goretex shell. Which one I wear on any given day depends on the conditions: is it going to rain heavily, how much wind is there, and what's the air temperature?

Merino wool makes the world's best base layer. It should be very thin, an athletic fit, and work immediately next to your skin. Cashmere sweaters are a wonderful mid/insulating layer. Cashmere has a very wide comfort range; it'll keep you very warm when you need it, but it'll lose most of its insulating power when you begin to sweat, which means you're not likely to overheat. And that means you won't be cold later on as you stew in your sweat in the freezing temperatures. Also, these two fabrics, especially together, move sweat away from your body and make it vanish like magic.

I concur with the layers approach and specifically the combination of a windbreaker and a warmer goretex jacket. I also vary the layers under that depending on ambient temps. Right now I am favoring a Wintersilk medium weight pullover over a wicking base layer. This is amazingly warm under my Primal Wear breathable jacket: http://www.primalwear.com/p-2069-tea...gm-jacket.aspx. My only nit with the Primal Wear jacket is the single rear pocket is small and clumsy to get into while on the bike. I use my hydration pack for the bits n pieces when I wear this jacket which means I need to stop to get into it which is OK.

I have a tried and true REI goretex windbreaker I've worn for some 10 years now. It's lightweight, packs into a pocket or my hydration pack. it really stops the wind on colder days and totally blocks the rain.

Riding in winter in and around Seattle is all about adaptability. Dress in layers and be prepared to adapt on the fly. And don't let the rain keep you off the bike!! Seattle Drizzle is actually quite pleasant to ride in. It keeps me cooled down. Anything more than that though can at times be challenging. My wife and I have ridden in downpours and laughed our asses off about how brutal that ride was!!

YMMV

Check out Lou at FoxWear. He custom makes cold weather jackets at prices that are less than off the rack jackets.

Give him a call and he'll take your needs into account and recommend a material and jacket.

877 756-3699

http://foxwear.net/

Pearl Izumi 3X1 Softshell
Great jacket! Holds up well in the rain and breathes well. Comes with a liner that you can easily take off once you warm up. It kept me warm in 30 degree weather. A bit pricey but worth it. I bought mine through Amazon.

http://www.pearlizumi.com/publish/co...-11131010.html

+1 Beta AR best jacket I've ever owned
I think the best way is to specialize your layers, a thin but very water/wind proof shell with no insulation at all is extremely versatile riding in Seattle. Then add/drop insulation as you need them. It keeps the rain/wind out and wont over heat you whenever that can be a problem. The idea of a water-proof jacket with insulation for biking simply doesn't make sense to me, what do you do when your riding in the rain and getting too hot?

I have the Showers Pass Touring jacket and just can't say enough good things about it. Wind & waterproof, it's very comfortable.

If you decide to get it, I would strongly encourage you to try it on. I went to a store and wound up getting the small even though I'm 6' and ~170lbs!

Showers Pass out of Portland makes an excellent biking jacket. It's eVent technology and is regarded as some of the best breathable, waterproof stuff out there. Is pricey though ($240) but worth it in my book. I own two of them. You'll have to wear layers though as it isn't made for really cold temps. But that's a perfect combo in my book because I can adjust to my body temp. It's especially all good if you have panniers to put stuff in.

I've been extremely happy with my Shower's Pass Elite 2.0 jacket, so I'll add another recommendation for them. It's made from the excellent eVent fabric, but much of the performance comes equally from the design.

Its got great venting, pit zips, two-way waterproof main zipper, vent across the back and cuffs that can scoop air up the air. These would go a long way to keeping you dry (and thus warm), even if made from a lesser fabric.

The jacket is tough. I've had spills and consequent slides on the road that have torn and damaged other jackets, that didn't leave a mark on the Shower's Pass.

That its basically an uninsulated shell means it can be dressed for sub-zero temps all the way up to cool summer evenings.

I own 2 of these and I can't think of a better design/jacket. I'm with MrTibbs!

http://www.amazon.com/Showers-Pass-T...0791746&sr=8-1

Don't know if OP has made a decision yet, but I stumbled across this...
Showers Pass Touring jacket is on sale for $99 at Amazon right now.

I have an older version of the Touring Jacket and for commuting it is fine; works as advertised. For longer rides I personally find softshell based rain jackets to be much more comfortable. They conform to your body, have less flap at higher speeds, and don't make the crinkly noises when you move your arms or bend over.

Do you have a brandname you can recommend jness?

Endura Stealth is my favorite. It is spendy but you can find them on sale if you have time to shop. I have two, bought one at a Beaverton Bike Gallary sale in 2010 for $150 and another in 2011 for the same price.

The Stealth has both side and pit zips. Here is video showing the features.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SswGHDjZhoA

Thanks. I can back the Showers Pass Elite jackets though. Terrific biking jackets. As for Endura -- nice jackets as well but i have some sizing issues w/ them.

I like my SP Elite in concept but not clear on the execution. The interior is delaminating. I stopped using the shockcord thing to tighten the waist and it hasn't gotten much worse since then.

Anyway, the SP elite as far as I can tell is patterned after an old Burley design, w/ some improvements. When it was new I definitely preferred it to my old Burley (which I only demoted because I was not convinced it was visible enough, but even the SP is not as hi-viz as it could be, although it does have a lot of reflecto on it). But then the bottom started peeling apart and now I am somewhat on the fence.

If it were half the price I'd still be happy with it at this level of durability. But it is only 2 yrs old. It was pricy enough that I want it to last more than 2 seasons, probably more than 3 seasons, before really recommending it or buying another. But I do know that, visibility aside, my old Burley will outlive this SP.

SP from what I can see is good company ran by bike type people. Have you contacted them about the de-lamination? I have had good results in the past re-mediating bike stuff quality issues by contacting the company. They may tell you to take it to their local dealer.

I have found that Performance Bikes for example is pretty good about taking back or replacing anything that clearly fails to live up to reasonable expectations.

I had one jacket that literally fell apart after a week of use due to poor stitching (touring jacket IIRC), one that de-laminated at the pocket after a few weeks (Elite 2.0), and a pair of rain pants that split at the pocket seam after about a year. In my experience the quality of SP products is rubbish. There is an old thread with photos that I started if anyone wants to dig it up.

I've moved on the Taiga Works for rain gear and couldn't be happier. The initial cost is a bit higher, but both the quality and design are far, far, superior than SP. Even my cheap $60 summer rain jacket from Taiga is excellent quality. And they are made in Canada, not in China like SP, so there is actual oversight at the factory. https://www.taigaworks.ca/Cycle-Clothing-c10

For cold weather gear I've found that Lou at Fox Wear is simply fantastic. All his stuff is made to order, and usually costs less than similar products off the shelf. I can't say enough good about him. http://www.foxwear.net

Showers Pass will likely replace a jacket that fails as you're describing. Worth contacting them.

I'm still riding my old Burley. This thread is useful, as I will need a new jacket someday.

To go with a jacket, depending on temperature and rain/no rain, you'll need insulating layer(s), gloves, rain pants, booties or other footgear, and headgear. For the headgear, I put a baseball cap under my helmet (keeps my head semi-dry) and keep a thin balaclava in my pocket, it comes out around 35 F.

What does everyone like for rain pants? My old Burleys are leaking badly now. The Showers Pass rain pants seem a bit too full in the lower leg, in my opinion. I don't much care about breathability, I just want the material to be impervious, with pocket access zips that I can open for venting. If someone made zipper vents under the inside of the knee that would be great. Lots of reflectivity is a big plus too.

This is for bike commuting in Portland, so rain is a bigger issue than cold most of the time.