I plan on riding the Great Divide starting in July 09. Any recommendations on an all weather jacket? I want something to do everything. dry-warm-cool-and still be able to ride.

Your thoughts
RC

I am rather partial to my MEC jackets. Pit zips are a must.

Asking this sort of question is a bit like the CF/Ti/steel, Brooks/Others, Shimano/Campy, etc etc etc threads... there is no definitive answer.

Plus, you might help us out by telling us what you use already, what you consider its weaknesses, what amount of money you are prepared to spend, how much volume you expect it will take when not being worn, and how hot or cold you ride and how much you sweat...

The Marmot Driclime wind jacket is really good

https://www.ultracycling.com/equipmen...ther_gear.html

I would go with anything by Showers Pass depending on your budget

Take a look at the Marmot Prepip. I have never owned one, but they're very popular among backpackers.

Keep your eye on ebay for a Burley jacket - bought one new for my cross country last year - amazing jacket to bad no longer made

I wear a sweat shirt. (high desert cold not wet) Money 0-200 -- Sweat: yes more in the summer less in the winter. ?normal? Not into fashion for the sake of fashion I want good quality functional equipment.

RC

I'll take a look at it thinks
RC

I'll take a look at all the jackets on the post
Thanks RC

Marmot Precip, Marmot Rush Jackets both pack very well; keep an eye out for steepandcheap.com and downlaod their desktop alert. It may take a couple of weeks, but you'll save 50-70%.

I have a running jacket by Brooks that I think is awesome. Gore-tex, warm, hood with a little bonnet, flaps that can be unzipped to let out heat.

The OP's spec for a jacket that works in all conditions from warm and dry to cool and presumably wet is a difficult one to cover. The best rain jackets won't be good for warm temps and many cycling jackets either cling to the skin or just don't provide any warmth in cool temps. This is why I think it's best to look at the jackets used by ultralight hickers who need a jacket to cover a range of conditions. The Driclime shirt/jacket is good for light rain as it has a slick nylon outer and the soft interior is comfortable against the skin, wicks moisture very well and provides just enough insulation. I wear one with a long sleeve mid weight wool T-shirt riding down to freezing temps. If you add a 4oz O2 rain jacket you're set for eveything.

https://marmot.com/fall_2008/mens/out...irt/info/video

A wool sweater from a Goodwill type shop. $2 at most. Fashionable is not a consideration, but hey, sometimes you get lucky.

I rode GDMBR last summer (most of it) and it is the Most Demanding environment! I was rained on for 30 days straight!

It was common to climb into a rain - no surprise, mountain passes attract storms - and freeze on the way down. Let's not forget, riders get up in the morning, pack it up, climb like hell and summit when the afternoon storms are getting good, when the only desire is to get the hell off that summit. It was common to encounter ice storms on the lee-side of the passes. The other major problem involved climbing (you want lots of vents) with descending (you freeze) with camping (wish you had another warm layer).

I went with an REI rainsuit and survived.
I'm glad I didn't destroy a $200 rain jacket. Save that for Seattle roadies.
I don't think a wool sweater will cut it. Every now and then you'll just have to "go to ground" because the rains are so bad, and the road turns to sticky soup!
Your conditions go from freezing hailstorms to 90-degree floods to hiking up a river pushing a loaded touring rig. You can't really win this battle - instead, focus on change of clothes that dry quickly.

I learned to love laundromats - everything was wet all the time, it seems! That funky smell - ack -

I think you would be much happier with an effective layering system, than with a "do it all" jacket.

There just are no jackets that are breathable, insulated, waterproof, well ventilated, etc. My suggestion would be to get a nice, fairly windproof, but NOT waterproof jacket, a windproof vest, and a waterproof rain jacket. Between those three, a base layer, and a jersery, you'll have everything you need comfortably, without any excess weight.

I would try to find an inexpensive coated nylon waterproof jacket with pit zips and a vent across the back. Layer jerseys under it as required for warmth.

I used a cheapy with no pit zips or back vent and it was OK but some ventilation would have been nice.

I'll tell what NOT to get. Craft Layer (Lager) 3 "performance" jacket. Supposedly wind and waterproof, which I assumed was true until my current cross-country bike tour. First day of heavy rain, I may as well have had no jacket at all. May have been better off without one (at the least the rain would have dried). Even all "buttoned/zipped up" as tight as possible in the Craft, it let water right through the fabric and I soaked through to the bone and started freezing with an hour or two. Forced me to stop to warm up and change clothes (and jacket).

I agree with the layering approach. On tour my tops include 2x midweight long sleeve wool Ts, the Marmot Driclime and an O2 rain jacket. In warm weather it's just a wool T, if it rains I use the O2, if it goes below 60F the Driclime goes on if it rains lightly the Driclime can handle it, but for heavy rain the O2 goes on. If the temp approaches freezing I'll put both Ts on and the Driclime.

Thanks for all the feed back. I think if I do the layering I'm going to try alpaca instead of wool. In My opinion it's warmer, lighter, and it doesn't itch. I'll give it a try this winter before I leave next summer. I hope thats not too unconventional.
Thanks
RC

hey sandlizard, out of curiosity, did you ride north-->south? or south to north?

I agree with layers: merino wool layers. start going to goodwill - seriously. I pick merino stuff up all the time for a few dollars so that I have a variety of weights, and merino is very fine and non itchy wool that wont smell. I'm pretty preferential to the banana republic extrafine italian merino zip-necks i found a pair of. Basically bike jerseys without the silly back pockets. I think i paid 2 dollars each.

for a jacket i got a sierra designs nylon shell with vents for 5 bucks, that was a lucky find. but any cheapo thats light, and plastic and vented is your friend...

https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Wind-Jackets.html

Alpaca is an interesting idea, although your choice will be a lot more limited than with merino wool. The shirts made by Ibex, Icebreaker and Smartwool are all good. A simple mid weight merino long sleeved zip tshirt is fantastic for summer riding. I went running in 32 deg on Saturday and I wore a merino tshirt and my Driclime jacket. I worked up a sweat, but felt comfortable as the fleece in the Driclime wicks so well. It really is the closest thing I've found to the "do all" jacket

Alpaca won't be hard for me because we raise alpacas. I'll have a couple of shirts made for this adventure and see how it works.

RC