it's probably safer to have warm sweat against your skin, rather than cold rain. in the summer, what a reflective cycling jacket offers, maybe more that rain protection, is visibility

I did a lot of research, and was willing to spend a ton of money, and ended up also buying a Showers Pass raincoat.
I haven't had an opportunity to use it yet, so I can't personally say anything aabout it. My choice was based solely on on-line reviews.

I don't know about some of what I'm hearing in this thread re a shell not being needed above 65° or not being beneficial in the summer.

Core temperature can drop quickly even when it is very warm out and I've been on summer rides where people are shivering after a rain shower. All it takes is a little shade or maybe a long descent.

I bring an ultralight shell whenever there is a chance of rain even in the heat of summer. It doesn't have to be worn all the time, only to keep the core dry during a rainshower and then it packs down and easily fits into a jersey pocket. Today's ultra-lightweight garment technology is amazing.


-Tim-

Mine would be the same weight as the rain runs off the 2.0 Showers Pass Jacket. Like others have said the best bet though in the rain is to keep your feet dry. This helps if you have portable fenders on with a mud flap on the bottom. I did this on a really cold ride last spring and put the front fender on the night before. I was the only one to finish the metriC ride. I WANT TO BUY SOME RAIN PANTS.

Zman

I have seen this. Riders are sweating and loving a rain ride, but as soon as they stop and stop pumping out all that wattage, they start shivering because they are soaked and using whatever body temp they have heating and evaporating water, not staying warm.

I'd say the most important hing if you are riding distance in summer rain is what you wear right off the bike. breathability isn't such an issue of you are stopped, but heat loss is.

While exercising your body produces all the heat you need.

I used to live in New England and have gone running in snow in shorts and a short-sleeved sweatshirt. Absolutely no issue ... except if you stop, you die.

The current benchmark for waterproof breathability (yes, it actually finally exists now) is the Gore One (Active Shakedry) material. You can use it even in warmer weather and not sweat out inside. It's really amazing stuff. And right now 7mesh is just miles ahead of anyone else in fit and construction, they make Gore, Rapha, Castelli seem poorly made. The 7mesh jacket using this material is called the Oro, a sub-100g jacket that folds up tiny.

I sweat a lot more than normal people - so this has been my experience as well. In the winter I'd rather be a little bit cold, than sweating, since the moment I stop it gets very cold - unless a change of clothes is possible. Often riding in just a T-shirt and a sleeveless vest.

As for the summer, unless riding in very high mountains, I have no problems being soaking wet - our summers are very hot.

Neoshell and event breathe better than goretex active. Goretex active barely breathes at all

Hi Danny, I used that video as a reference once upon a time too. However it is deeply flawed. Membranes don't operate with anywhere near that kind of pressure differential. A much more appropriate test would be to heat a cup of water to the point it's steaming, then cover the glass with the fabric and see how much moisture accumulates on the inner face fabric.

Even Goretex Active works very well for cycling. However this new stuff is completely different in that there's no outer face fabric, the membrane is directly exposed. I haven't sweat inside it yet. It's a game changer, shame that they didn't give it a unique name to avoid such confusion.

Good luck in your search for a rain jacket.

Best,Vig

PS: the membrane itself isn't the end all. My experience has been the face fabrics significantly affect the performance so be aware of this when shopping.

Thanks. I've read around about the 7mesh jacket and it looks promising. I think I read that DWR on the new Goretex active doesn't have to be renewed, which is a huge plus. However I already ordered a Louis Garneau Neoshell jacket. Retails for $280, though Backcountry has it at $210. I was able to pick it up for $80, so I couldn't pass up the deal. If it doesn't perform the $80 damage isn't too bad and I'll look further into the 7mesh Oro.

That's a great deal. I've heard good things about Neoshell and Louis Garneu stuff is solid so you're probably set.

Yes, hard to turn that that deal!

DWR coatings are applied to the face fabric so in the case of the Active fabric with Shakedry there is no face fabric so no DWR at all that needs to be re-applied. Hope that helps

The Resistance is the one I have been using the most on the road bike. It has been solid and breathable enough though when I climb thousands of feet, I almost always have to take my jacket off and even unzip my jersey in 40+ weather. As soon as MTB season starts in the high country, I'll take my Revelation along. I probably have too many jackets and 7Mesh jackets in particular. The Re-Gen is a bit redundant but probably better for colder conditions on the road bike. I have another one (more of a soft-shell) and I forget the name but I uses that more for running/hiking/casual. It is untested but is probably more water-resistant and warmer so may also be good for winter rides.

I used the 7Mesh Resistance Jacket in a deluge three weeks ago.

1700 ft, 7 mile gravel descent in a thunderstorm. Temps were in the low or mid 80's. The rain was extremely heavy and the descent was rough and fast (and fun!) followed by an hour of paved riding in a steady rain. The Resistance jacket performed admirably but it did meet it's match and was thoroughly soaked through part way through the paved section.

Breathability is uncanny. The whole time it was venting nicely and I never felt like a water balloon. I guess that's the trade off. It did offer protection for my neck and arms against small rocks and mud slung up by the front tire.

Previously the jacket had been used in brief showers or light rain. This was the most intense test so far and clearly shows that it is not designed for all day wet riding or very heavy downpours. Still a great product for its intended use but just wanted to get my experience out there.


-Tim-

THanks for the data point. The water resistance performance seems close to any other Windstopper product. However the breathability sounds attractive. Still kind of an ehhh jacket. I'll only wear my Windstopper if its cold and I know there won't be much more precipitation than a light mist.

Another great breathable, waterproof jacket is the Attaquer Storm. It uses Windtex Storm Shield fabric, which has impressive breathablility and waterproof specs. That jacket is a bit hard to find, but another one that uses the same fabric is the Parenti Mossa. The fabric's combination of breathability, insulation, water resistance, and weight is very impressive.

Folks, so what do you wear on your legs when weather calls for such jackets as Showers Pass (topic is Rain Gear, not Rain Jackets )

Leg warmers down to about 50°, then PI Thermal tights over shorts down to about 45°, then PI Barrier tights over shorts on down to 36°, below which I've never ridden in the rain. Never wear "rain pants."

I live in central Texas. When it's "raining and hot out" (I don't internally ride in a hard rain on purpose but we all get caught in rain from time to time) nothing-well nothing other than shorts and jersey. At that point the rain, if not a bad thunder storm, is a relief. The problem isn't the rain but the wind during most of our summer storms. I don't ride on the road in the rain when it's cold or even cool weather. I ride the trainer instead. So I don't use special rain gear. I think to some extent the answer to your question depends upon where you live. Summer in central Texas is brutal and we're not riding down Colorado Rockies at high altitude.