I'd blame the construction of the boots rather than the eVent fabric. eVent (I'm starting to hate the name, it's hard to type and impossible to google) has a minimum hydrostatic head of 30,000mm, just slightly more than Gore-Tex, which comes in at 28,000mm. Of course, your average tent material is probably close to 10,000mm, and the standard of rain-proof is just 1,500mm. Any of them should be overkill in terms of waterproofness.

I read the same test report several years ago, alluded to in post #29.

Yes, you may very well be right about boot construction. Unfortunately I cannot afford to be a high-tech outdoors apparel beta tester. I am economically compelled to choose "the bird in my hand".

In the case of the SP jackets, I was fairly confident that several visible large holes would ventilate better than thousands of theoretical, invisible microscopic ones.

I have a light weight Gortex raincoat, but gave up on the rain pants. The pants are too hot and constricting. The lower half of me just gets wet while I keep telling myself, "What gets wet, gets dry."

On my motorcycle I have a nice lined and breathable rain suit. You don't sweat too much in it in summer. I've used it on training rides and its fine. Sure I sweat more, but I'm going to shower when I get home anyway. It wouldn't be as good commuting however.

It is made from breathable fabric.
http://www.rei.com/product/793727/sh...-jacket-womens

With Rain cape, a set of chaps is fine, bum breathes thru your brooks saddle..
I have an old toe and shin covering piece , open at the back, It works, too.

being open underneath , a coated fabric for the cape is fine,

and if not too dreadful cold, not wearing more than the Wool Jersey & Bike shorts
and some wool socks , is the HTFU solution.

My rain cape is too short (I'm 6'3 or so and it's the Campmor one) for me. If I reach all the way for the bars, I have to lean way forward and the back rides up. If I sit up more the cover doesn't reach the bars. Anybody have suggestions for a relatively inexpensive larger one? I have a windbreaker that the manufacturers claim is breathable and water resistant that works ok in a light drizzle (haven't tried more than that), but the sleeves aren't lined and any time my arms are up against bare plastic-type material of raincoats they get all sweaty/clammy unless I'm wearing long sleeves underneath. Still trying to work out the best solution.

Something I have learned about breathable fabrics as a ski patroller, mountaineer, and bike tourist in the rainy Northwest is the condition of the outer fabric layer is very important. Breathable fabrics depend on the difference in vapor pressure inside the garment and the outside to "breathe". If the outer fabric does not bead up the water, and lets it soak into the outer fabric, it can't breathe. the water layer on the outer fabric acts as a pretty substantial barrier. Keeping the outside of the garment clean and treated with a water repellent product such as "ReviveX" keeps it working as designed-well almost.

Exactly my understanding as well. The earlier statement about breathable fabrics working better in cold weather reflects this, too. Colder air means lower relative humidity, so the moisture moves out better. The fabric can also "wet out" from the inside from perspiration, sealing up the pores and turning it into a plastic bag. In extreme cold, this interior moisture can freeze and then you've really got a mess.

I only use a breathable coat in dry (and clean) conditions, when I'm not working too hard, and brief showers may be expected, like most of the time in the Rockies. Otherwise, I save my money and use cheap non-breathable garments. That's what I'll be carrying on my X-C tour this summer. The comments about staying warm and wet are spot-on for me, too.

Yes, it is, but no, not really.

SP ads claim their apparel made from Artex fabric is breathable, but in my opinion, based on a few hundred hours of use, it doesn't breathe to any appreciable extent. It is really waterproof, though.

My 3-layer REI Goretex parka breathes better than my Touring jacket on rides when all closed up, and it's still pretty darn sweaty. While Goretex is a "breathable" fabric, it is still not satisfactory to many users, thus subsequent modifications like GTX XCR, Active, etc. You'll probably not be comfortable in the Touring jacket in rain (or dry) with it all zipped up and cuffs tight, because it really doesn't breathe much.

Artex is SP's own proprietary fabric, and you won't to find any technical information about it anywhere on the internet. If you call SP and speak to a CS rep, they'll tell you that Artex is breathable, but not nearly as breathable as eVent, and not much else. Next they'll suggest you buy their flagship Elite eVent jacket, since it really is much more breathable. No independent tests of Artex breathability exist AFAIK, so you must rely on the seller's claim that their proprietary fabric breathes. I think Artex breathes enough to measure it in the lab, but the guy on the bike probably can't tell.

I have repeatedly noted that WP/B apparel that is sweaty here in the SE USA is not sweaty at all when I make summer trips to CO/UT/WY/MT. I attribute this to the great difference in RH (75->90% east, 10-20% west). I think this goes a long way to explaining the difference in individual perceptions of apparel breathability.

The point I was trying to make in #29 is that the Elite jacket is a relatively tight fitting WP/B jacket which is usually worn closed up and relies on eVent breathability, while the Touring jacket fits loose and relies on venting and air movement to accomplish the same goal, at lower cost. Describing the Touring jacket as nonbreathable is practically true and technically false, but it (could have) simplified the explanation and saved some writing. The more you write to explain something, the less likely anyone will ever read it, and you can only get so far with editing. I wrote #29 primarily for the benefit of Aushiker, who's looking to replace a lost Elite jacket, and I thought he could use an informed opinion on an alternative SP jacket - but I'm not sure he actually read down that far into the post based on his reply.

Thank you and yes I did read it fully ... I really didn't have anything intelligent or otherwise to add other than my comment about washing etc. Sorry if that came across that was not interested or didn't read it all or take it onboard because I did.

Regards
Andrew

I'm glad you saw it, and hope it was some help.

BTW, I noticed SP has their Mountain Elite eVent jacket on closeout, half-price sale for $130. Not the best colors for road riding, though. Order direct from SP, no one else has this deal.

http://www.showerspass.com/catalog/c...mountain-elite

I've been using Craft (wpb) jacket and pants for touring and commuting for a while now. I'm pretty happy with them. I use them year-round in New England weather.

jacket pants

http://thumb19.webshots.net/t/82/182...9uQIBhk_th.jpg

It was thank you.

Andrew

My Gore Tex coat keeps the wind from me, but I'm either soaked from the rain or from sweating. I have tried shoe covers but my feet are still soaked in the rain. Not that I'm a fan of riding in the rain, but as long as I have fenders to keep the muck off, and dry clothes at least to start, then I can pedal for hours.

Brent

Himespau,
Fwiw the Grundens one I got thru Riv Bike, is a thick PVC with a nylon backing.
so the fabric feel is on the inside.. It is a HD piece, not so light and compact.
I'm Commuting all the time with it and a Sou Wester in the Pannier ..

C.A.T., in Eugene sews a few sizes.. lighter fabric, interior coating.

Thinking : if you call and send a 3 layer fabric for them to work with,
those have a mesh lining surface..

I just had a pair of well used 3 layer Rain Pants de-laminate,
liner and coating separated from the shell . was my Fave pair.. :mad:

had to let you know that that got a guffaw here.

Well I decided to go with what I know and ordered a replacement Showers Pass Elite 2.0, in chilli red this time, from Bicycling Hub. Not a bad price delivered downunder. Hopefully I don't lose this one :)

Andrew

Wearing rain gear is basically to keep warm because it creates an ecosystem that keeps the elements out of your body at a specific cycling effort. The elements itself can act as a coolant, which can then reduce your body heat. Your cycling jacket is not an effective insulator, so you need to keep a specific cycling effort to prevent yourself from getting cold. But because you're cycling, you'll be sweating and then you will eventually get wet. You can prolong from getting yourself wet by maintaining a lower effort by not spinning so much. But then, when you tour most of your gears are low enough that it's hard not to spin so much and so fast. So yes, eventually you'll get wet from your sweat. I own 4 cycling jackets (1 Goretex XCR, 1 eVent, and 1 lightweight and breathable and 1 nylon) and 1 MEC cycle rain cape to reflect the conditions and cycling effort I'll be in. You'll just have to experiment with them to find what works best. If I'm in the tropics, I don't bother with a rain jacket anyhow. It's so darn hot outside that any water is a relief!

Check out the O2 rain jacket: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001KU4TMY

It's terribly unstylish, but very light, more breathable than anything I've tried before (though I've never had an eVent jacket), and very cheap.

I personally don't worry about covering my legs unless it's less than 50F or I'm on a crazy extended decent, my legs just don't get cold when I'm riding and your uncovered legs will dry very quickly.

Feet are a little more difficult. I've tried waterproof socks, but the sweating is just too intense to make it worthwhile. I wear a very lightweight shoe and thin wool socks that will dry completely in a couple hours.

One piece of gear that intrigues me is a pair of waterproof chaps. That seems like the best compromise of breatability/weight/protection in chillier weather, but I have no experience with them. http://www.rainlegs.com/en/home

For me, the rule of thumb with raingear is to go with the least I can get away with. Be good about checking the forecast, and duck under cover if it gets too intense. Trust your body's ability to dry itself when you're exercising strenuously. A wool baselayer can usually take care of the rest.

This was one of the first "WP/B" rain jackets I tried. I liked the color and price.

Mine proved to not be waterproof - I got wet in rain. It also tore up very easily, not durable. But it was cheap, and I think this is a case of "you get what you pay for".

I see no one has mentioned it yet so I'll add my rain jacket --> Marmot Mica. I weighs 7.4 ounces, it's waterproof, and breaths pretty well. If its warm summer weather I forgo the jacket and just get wet.

Definitely a cheap item, but has been waterproof for me so far. I'm sure it won't last forever though.

I've been using Showers Pass for five years now. In the cold months, that's almost daily. I'm on my second jacket, the elite 2.0. The first one was their "Century" jacket. It wore out after three years. The zipper malfunctioned and the DWR was wearing out.The second one I received in Dec 2010 and already the zipper on the MP3 pocket is shot, doesn't work anymore. Other than that they're excellent three season rain jackets. But they're not perfect. The other day I rode into work in a torrential downpour that lasted about 30 minutes, you know where it feels like someone is holding a firehose on you. After that time, I had water leak in along the length of the zipper and some leakage in the arms. Just dampness. But in a steady rain the jackets perform admiralbly. This jacket is one of the reasons that I'm able to commute everyday in frigid temperatures. Excellent wind and cold blocker.I've had two of them now and when the second one wears out I'm going with the J&G jacket next. Just to see how they compare. But it gets good reviews too.
For the feet, if you're riding everyday, you can't beat the Showers Pass Touring shoe covers. Built to last. You can go to war in these things. Last I looked they were on sale at the SP website. They'll keep your feet dry thru the worst that Mother Nature throws at you.
For the record I use the Rainshield O2 pants. the black ones. I've had them for five years and am very happy with them.

Are these the ones you are referring to? The Showers Pass Club Shoe Covers? I couldn't find any reference to touring shoe covers.

http://www.showerspass.com/sites/sho...t/9025-639.jpg
Regards
Andrew

The Mountain Equipment Coop shoecovers are also good.http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=247609

My mec's have lasted probably 15 years, and very versatile, great for when it gets colder as well.

Can either of these handle minimal walking around in mtb shoes? I've heard a lot of shoe covers don't last too long when used with spd shoes if there's much walking.

I will try to take a photo of my pair sometime to show you how they have stood up to years of mtn bike spd shoe use. I would say that I have always been careful of rough surfaces and or taking them off so not to wear them out. The mec ones are however a rather tough material, most likely heavier than the others shown.
They are pretty tough wearing, and with common sense have held up well over the years, which really has been well over 10 yrs. I do use them often in spring and fall, for wind cutting for cold when it gets below perhaps 6 or 7c. For 2 or 3c and less, I stick some old fleece over the top of my shoe for insulation before putting on rain booties.

For me, good rain booties are an extremely useful thing to own to help with riding comfort, wet or dry.

Ps, just so you know, I commute a lot, so they do get walked on regularly.

Thanks, I was thinking in terms of commuting (not that it'd be easy for me to get MEC ones). The ones I have now I've only used a couple of times in the cold (and maybe once in the rain) in part because I wear 48/49s and the covers aren't quite big enough but also they seem a bit fragile.