powderpiggy

I am looking for women's tour worthy cycling raingear. Any recommendations?

nancy sv

I'm wearing an REI rain jacket and it's holding up fine and has kept me dry.

I picked up a cheap pair of Coleman rainpants right before we left, but they lasted about three days before the seams split completely open - can't recommend them. I just ordered some new rainpants from J & G, but don't have them yet so can't comment.

cyccommute 

I've used the REI jacket too. It works well...better than rubber coated...but the fabric can be a little hot to ride in all day. That's something I've noticed on nearly all of my breathable fabric jackets, however. They are heavier than just plain nylon and a bit too warm for my tastes. REI makes a breathable pant to go with the jacket that's not bad either.

nancy sv

My general feeling on that issue is that I'll just get wet if I'm too hot in my raingear. If it's warm enough for me to get too hot in my rain jacket, then it's warm enough for me to risk getting wet. There are some exceptions to that rule though - if it's only warm for an hour or so and then I know the temps will drop, or if we're somewhere where I know I won't be able to get my clothes dry, or...

Roughstuff

I use plain and simple Columbia raingear, similar to (but better quality than) the rubber coated rainger ya had when you were an elementary school kid. I make it a few sizes larger than you would get for a basic fit. The bagginess adds airyness and ventilation to the jacket. Try and get a jacket that has BOTH zipper and snaps (most do these days). Then you can adjust the snaps and zipper to a great variety of wind and rain conditions. You can even snap it around your neck without your arms going into the sleeves, making a 'poncho' for when the rain is just misty and the temperature still warm. Tie the arms around your waist to reduce billowing.

Also...make sure the wrists are not elastic; use velcro instead. Again, when ya ride if your wrists are loose then air can flow thru the jacket and help with ventilation. You can still velcro them tight when ya choose during cold and wind-in-your-face rain.

In general, make sure the raingear has FEATURES that make touring simple, rather than looking for brand names.

In any case, don't pay a trillion dollars for Gore-tex. Breathability is NOT the primary issue when wearing raingear...your body (especially when going uphill) easily produces sweat at a rate evaporation can't handle. Use the money ya saved for clothing which is comfy even as it gets damp.

roughstuff

twodeadpoets

I have a Burley brand rain jacket that I got on recommendation two years ago and on my recent two week tour up to North Vancouver Island, I got drenched! It held up okay for about 60km in a light drizzle only allowing me to get clammy damp, but then the last 8kms it started to rain a bit harder and I started to notice very quickly that the front zipper was allowing a lot of water to get through. I also have a pair of the REI rain pants and they did better than the jacket but they were still a bit too clammy inside for my liking as well. That said I'll keep the pants but am again on the hunt for a better jacket.

antokelly

so is there a jacket that's 100% waterproof and dosen't make you sweat

twodeadpoets

I wasn't expecting not to get a bit damp, even expected to get a little wet but when I show up at the hostel so dripping wet from head to toe and front inside out and miserable (and the rain wasn't that terrible); what's good about that rain gear?

It seems to me that there has to be rain gear out there that can hold up a bit better than what I experienced... at least a little better.

Cave

No.

But something made from Epic or eVent, or something with lots of ventilation zips, will let the sweat evaporate a little faster.

jaypee

I have the Showers Pass Elite 2.0 jacket and pants, both being made from eVent. They're a bit spendy, but worth every penny as far as I'm concerned. I got a tiny bit damp when riding hard, but I noticed that any built up moisture would disappear within minutes after taking a break. When I started my June tour, it rained more often than not (for 2 bloody weeks!! ) but the Showers Pass stuff worked very well.

powderpiggy

I am glad to hear that. The showers pass elite 2.0 jacket was one that I am considering...my first choice actually, although the price has been making me a bit gun-shy and was perhaps looking for other viable alternatives.

I can't seem to find one around here and was considering purchasing online. Does it pack up small? or is it big an heavy. Do you think it could be used for other uses as well, such as backpacking?

twodeadpoets

I'm liking what I'm seeing/reading about the Elite and have put it on my wishlist. BTW Campmor sells it for $210 both in men's and women's.

BigBlueToe

I have a mix of Performance and Nashbar jacket and pants. I'm 6'4" and skinny, so I did a search for "tall" raingear, and this is what I came up with. It's good stuff, but I don't know if these particular items are still available.

I've heard excellent reviews of Showers Pass stuff.

spinnaker

I have to agree with you. I bought mine before they raised their prices and I am glad I did. The prices really shot up.


I have the Showers Pass jacket paired with J&G pants. You might want to give them a look too or split the difference like I did. If I had to order the pants over again I would buy a size larger, it would make it easier getting on and off the bike.

Booger1

If it's hot enough,no gear,skin works great.If it's cold out,I have and REI suit(jacket/pants)that works fine.I also wear gators to keep my feet dry.

splandorf

Hi,

There is a super-light version of Goretex called "Paclite". It is the lightest-weight and also the most breathable by far (significantly more than Goretex Pro, the new papery high-end stuff). It also happens to be the cheapest (you can usually get great Paclite jackets in the $100-ish range, from almost all manufacturers).

Just as a counter voice to the Goretex nay-sayers.... I would never recommend a full-weight goretex jacket for heavy long-duration physical activities like hours of biking in the rain. But I use a Paclite jacket for bike touring and it's brilliant! Very breathable, weighs 12 oz., and packs down to the size of a large apple, so it's easy to keep on hand for rain emergencies.

I use the Arc'teryx Alpha SL. It's full-length parka size with a hood you can fit either over or under your helmet (since it's so thin). I found one on EBay for about $150, but it's currently on sale in various online stores too, e.g.:

https://www.mountaingear.com/pages/pr...tem/209161/N/0

Very light, full-body coverage, very breathable... recommended!!
But any Paclite jacket from any manufacturer should provide the same benefits..

Sam

jeff^d

I have a GoLite jacket made from this Paclite material and highly recommend it. It was a chunk of change at the get-go, but it's been worth it. Layer underneath for winter commuting, doubles as a great jacket for hiking and backpacking.

If the rain is strong enough, you'll get wet regardless of what you wear. I find Gore-Tex to be slightly more comfortable in horrible conditions than cheaper materials. In better-than-horrible conditions, Gore-Tex easily outperforms other materials.