There certainly are waterproofiing fabrics which are also quite breathable. But it does depend much on exertion levels. When wearing rain gear one probably needs to slow down a bit to control excertion levels so as to not overheat. But the same is true with every shell layer. Then again, one usually only uses a shell to combat cold so the overheating problem does not occur as badly. However fighting rain is a bit different.

Getting wet with wool can work, but honestly, I'd rather keep myself, my shoes, feet, underclothes, chamois and all that dry, especially if expeting a longer period of rains /dampness (of course depending also on temperatures). Getting into a tent with wet shell and dryish undergarments is so much better than getting into a tent when sodden wet, even if the wet stuff is quick drying / wool. Getting stuff dry when they are really wet can be a true challenge. In the military we had wood stove heated tents and clotheslines inside and still struggled to get all our (wool) gear dry during the night. Other fabrics than wool were just doomed to be wet for the whole trip to the woods.
Being wet for a week is not fun. Longer than that and it escalates pretty quickly.

And your cap breath very well at the back, on the arms and protect so well against splash from cars passing
Not talking about fashion when off the bike and windy days.

I would use a rain cap on long lasting downpours though.

I have a Souwester hat from the atlantic fisheman's garb https://www.rnrmarinestore.com/images...US21yellow.gif

Bought 1 size larger to wear a warm liner hat underneath it.

In my experience, there are no breathable waterproof fabrics. Before I switched to wool last year, just commuting 12 miles in 50 degree rain, I'd be soaking wet when I got to work. When it gets down around 40 I can put a rain jacket on. I can ride long distances in off and on rain without a rain jacket. If it's a continuous downpour, I choose not to ride.

I don't go so far as leaving the rain jacket behind. Once rainy season starts (and I'm in Portland, OR, so there are only a few dry months) I always keep a jacket with me. I just don't use it that often. I see people wearing them commuting in the summer-I'd get soaked if I did that.

I'd rather keep at the pace I want to ride rather than slow down so I don't overheat. I don't ride that hard, either, but I do tend to sweat a lot.

Same here. I ride with wool and use a waterproof breathable only when it's raining. There is no point wearing one when it's not raining.

Have you tried the new high end stuff such as Gore Active? I used to think like you but now with the active jacket I have I almost would like to use it as my primary shell. It's just that good.

Some people comment that rain capes can sometimes block a headlight mounted on the handlebar.

Gore's website has a wide array of jackets, I think they're all Gore's own products. It's a bit confusing, some of the "Active" products are among the lower (for them) priced products...plus they also have "Windstopper Active" which is apparently a little less breathable than 'regular' Active.

One poster liked their Gore Element jacket which is (at least now) Windstopper/Active: Amazon only had 3 reviews, 2 liked it but one reviewer said it was much less breathable than their older Gore jacket. I suppose one needs to check return policies & order a jacket right before rain storms are forecast to be able to find out comfort level.

https://www.amazon.com/Gore-Bike-Wear.../dp/B00MJZZ9FK

AFAIK pro racers used to use non-breathable plastic jackets; I suppose the idea being that they would be all sweaty anyway even in cooler temps. A mountaineering friend from some years ago used a Gore-Tex parka shell but he noted that backpack straps could wear the fabric in the shoulder area. Also, one is supposed to use special detergent for breathable fabrics.

Duh, dont mount your headlight there, put it on the fork crown and your problem does not occur..

some where I saw a cape with a clear plastic window in it to compensate for insisting the light location on the bars ..

The marketers come up with "new and improved" stuff all the time. Sometimes I'm duped into trying it, and I'm disappointed.

Here's the thing, I sweat more than you. I know this because you can use something like Gore Active and not get wet. I now use old wool sweaters when I ride, and now I don't get wet. And when you get wet when it's cold out, you get really cold.

My old wool sweaters are typically old gifts. That new fangled Gore Active jacket? Looks like a coupla Benjamins to me. Hey, I was a bike sales rep in the 80's, sold Goretex jackets and "Synchi" Italian "breathable windproof" stuff in my winter line. It's not like I haven't tried it.

I know of a guy who wrote a thing that I read, reminded me of my experience. He had a solution, I tried it, and it works for me. YMMV, but it worked for me. And I still have those coupla Benjamins in my wallet.

And note that this is the C&V forum. Wool is about as C&V as you can get!

Sooo, you haven't tried the new high end stuff? That's ok. I hadn't before I got the Active. I quite dislike the normal Gore Tex because it's too stuffy. Only really works as a standing still or light walking jacket. But the Gore Active really is pretty nice.

Usually it's engineers who come up with better products (Gore Active). Sometimes it's marketers (merino wool)

Also, this topic isn't in the C&V forum. It's in the Touring forum, where I believe staying dry under the rain shell is of utmost importance. I live in a part of the world where you get wet and get into an unheated tent afterwards and you die. Water decimates a sleeping bags heating properties pretty efficiently be it down or synthetic fiber.

Water is difficult. If it's just cold, above freezing, easy peasy. Cold below freezing? Even easier! Cold down to -30 fahrehnheit, a bit more difficult but still pretty easy. Rain is never easy if it's not a nice summer rain.

New fabrics have nothing in common with the old one.

Outerwear 201: Marketing Wars, New Technologies, Paradigm Shifts | Blister Gear Review ? Skis, Snowboards, Mountain Bikes, Climbing, Kayaking - The most honest and in-depth reviews of outdoor sports equipment on the planet.

I feel the same way. After 25-30 years of wasting money on the latest stuff that is supposed to finally work I was pretty burned out on trying the latest breathable offerings and stopped. I lost track of how many times folks claimed that the new stuff was great and I found it to not work well for me.

I figure that since I stay pretty soaked with sweat, even just in a jersey and shorts, that even in a completely breathable garment I'd still be wet. That means that there is pretty much a zero chance that I will be dry no matter how good the fabric. Add that to the fact that you lose heat moving moisture through the barrier and that I don't really mind being wet if I am not too cold. So I don't worry about being wet and if it is above 55-60 F or so I just get rained on and soaked. Below that I want something pretty windproof but don't worry about it breathing.

And yet I find myself tempted to try the newer stuff. Then the price tag and my past experiences kick in and I skip trying them these days.

I already tryed so many rain jacket from 20 eur to 300eur and theres no one jacket that I can say this one is the best.On my last trip in Mexico I use a ultralight army poncho an under I were merino sleeave and this was the best.Of course I was wet but didn t get cold and I was riding 10hours with havy rains

I have a arc'teryx beta AR, a very high-end gore tex pro hardshell.

I bought this one because after 3 years of heavy use my cheaper coated jacket just simply died.

The main reason to choose gore-tex pro instead of gore-tex active is that I need durability over breathability.

On a steep climb I'll sweat anyways, so I prefer to stay warm-wet inside and dry as fast as possible after the ride.

If it's warm the pit-zips help me to stay cool, another plus is that I can use the helmet inside the hood.

The jacket have reinforced shoulders and arms, so in case of a fall, bushwalking or using a backpack the fabric does not wear so fast.

Regarding sweat, I always sweat no matter how cold it is, so that isn't the issue. For me, proper rain gear is for keeping warming and reasonably dry. In hotter weather, eg 70 F or warmer, I am going to get about as wet from sweat as I would from the rain. However, in cooler temperatures, breathable rain gear works reasonably well to excellent, depending on the temperature. A lot also depends on level of exertion. If you hammering it, you are probably going to sweat a lot no matter what you are wearing. However, if I am riding at a moderate pace, I do not sweat much wearing my Showers Pass Elite jacket in cold, cool and mild temperatures.

For example, I rode the GAP-C&O Canal trails in May with several friends. We had one rainy day when it was misting to light drizzle during most of our 60-mile ride, with temperatures in 60s F most of the day. I wore my SP jacket the entire day and was very comfortable. I wore a simple long-sleeve wicking synthetic shirt under the jacket and did not sweat very much. The jacket kept me warm and reasonably dry. We were also riding at a moderate 12 mph pace due to the trail condition and the loads we were carrying.

In the winter, I am comfortable wearing the SP jacket with a single long-sleeve wicking shirt underneath in temperatures down to about 20 F, and I add an extra layer for colder temps.

If you shop around on-line, you should be able to buy SP Elite jackets for much less than retail. Eg, Biketiresdirect.com often has them on sale for about $175 and REI sometimes does as well.

If you just need occasional protection the O2 Tyvex gear is cheap and effective. Not super durable but you can probably get 2-3 years out of it.

There's a hooded version but it's a bit baggier than the unhooded one and I have a rain cover for my helmet so I don't usually need the hood.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00G1XFFPK/

Sorry, I usually post over in the C&V section, forgot this was done in the Touring forum! That makes for a different answer! But only subtly so.

As far as the new high end stuff, I have what works for me. I don't ride, much less tour in -30 F weather. If I was touring somewhere that cold, I'm sure I'd open myself to thinking about the new fangled high end stuff, but, even then, I'd rather have several thin layers than one, special made piece of clothing just for real cold, rainy weather. The times I've really needed to stay dry and warm when touring is when I was caught in conditions (marble sized hail!) that I didn't plan for. A wool undershirt, thin nylon shirt over that, wool sweater, and Showers Pass rain jacket kept me warm and dry when it was around around 25F and hailing.

As far as better products, I'm a steel frame, 3-cross spoke, rim brake, friction shifter kind of guy, mostly, and I believe that most of the new bike stuff that comes out every year is driven by marketing. Especially for touring, I wouldn't get caught dead on a carbon fiber or aluminum bike. Having said that, I have a Rohloff equipped custom frame on order. I am an engineer, and despite my curmudgeonly old ways, I'll spend money on something that has a track record. Come out with something new with a brand name and I'm leary. Gore Active? that's not an engineering product, that's a name some marketer put to it. Goretex is stretched PTFE, that's what an engineer would call it. Merino wool isn't a marketer's name, it's the wool from a Merino sheep, and they've been around for at least a few centuries.

And wool has been around before marketers were invented. I do carry a rain jacket, rain pants, and full winter gloves when I commute during the winter. the jacket and pants get used maybe 10 days/year here in Portland, where winters are typically mild, but wet. It got down to 23F a few days last winter. I don't have experience touring in cold climates, but if I did, I'd do it with what you might call old and "obsolete" clothing and technology.

Except that Rohloff, that's a fine piece of German engineering.

You said it yourself. 25-30 years of wasting money. You make the assumption that what was true in the past is still true today. It's not.

Me too I have had Goretex jackets that didn't breath any better than a plastic bag.

Air permeable jackets aren't like those old stuff. I have several wool jackets and when walking at moderate pace there is nearly no difference between my thick merino jacket and my air permeable jacket. I can feel wind go through the same way and stay dry nearly the same way. I only notice a difference when above 60F or during high exertion.
So if you plan to ride through desert an air permeable jacket won't do but it's no surprise.
If you sweat not too much an air permeable jacket like mine could even be ok for higher temps or more intense effort and could be worn all the time. If you sweat a lot you may have to use it only when it's raining and when temps and exertion are not too high.

The main reason I want a jacket is for it to be a wind barrier to keep from getting chilled especially on long descents. Because of that, for me, I really don't see being air permeable as a huge plus in a shell. I don't mind being wet until I am wet and cold. I think that I'll just continue to use a non permeable shell and use zippers to regulate the warmth. It works pretty well for me so I am really not looking for a solution, since I really don't find what I am doing to be a problem.

Fair enough.
I find that wind going through helps a lot at high temps. I believe it's the main reason why my jacket is comfy. It's the kind of waterproof breathable jacket that do well in warm weather but let too much cold wind go through in colder weather. When it's not too hot a WPB that is windproof can certainly do as good if not better.

You have heard of the old adage, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me? You're fighting an uphill battle here.

Why is the standard answer always "spend more money"? Now that I'm straight that this is the touring, and not the C&V forum (oops!), here's another question for you multi-day riders: how does your synthetic gear smell after a few days on the road? I'm sure someone will answer with the "hey, put in some micro-silver etc. stuff in the thread, no problem! And you're out, what, a coupla Benjamins?

I have a closet full of old wool sweaters. I can wear them for several days before they start getting a bit skanky. You can pick one up at the local thrift store cheap if you don't have one. Of course, they'll have the stigma of low price, and you won't look cool. Except here in Portland, where the youth gravitate to retro and grunge and retire.

I only wear wool socks when I'm touring, and use a thin wool t-shirt as a base layer. I've even started to go a bit Grant Petersen and am trying wool undies under a pair of "touring" shorts on my commute, so far so good.

So, even if the textile wizards were to come up with some new whiz-bang fabric that is "air permeable" and doesn't stink after wearing it for 3 days straight, how many grillions of dollars does such a thing cost? And will it be any better than my wool t-shirt base, thin vented shirt with velco pockets, then layer up with wool over that as necessary. If it gets damn cold, or pretty cold and rainy, I'll throw on a rain shell. If its going to be freezing and raining, that's either sleet or freezing rain, and I'll stay off my bike, thank you. I did make it through a hour's worth of marble sized hail at around 25F once, with just my wool layers and rain shell.

Me, I started following what this guy wrote, and am warmer, drier, and those Franklins are keeping warm and dry in my wallet, thank you very much.

+1

I agree with you regarding the advantages of wool (I wear wool from head to toes). I just don't see the point wetting my wool when i can stay dry using my air permeable jacket instead. I use my air permeable jacket only when it's raining so smell isn't so bad. Wind and sunlight can remove smell by the way.

Hooo boy...

So I know these are novel modern ideas but umm... ever heard of water or detergents or washing machines? Also mid layers and top layers don't need nearly as much washing as base layer. And as base layer merino wool is pretty much the best stuff out there.
I mean depending on the time of year the only stuff that really needs frequent washing of any sort are the bibs and jerseys (nope, won't be shelling out near $100 for merino wool jerseys a piece)

I cannot see how this is so difficult. Summer rains is one thing and then you don't even need the wool stuff. But getting all wet with wool and then getting into a sleeping bag in the late autumn / winter / early spring is inviting trouble.