enigmaT120

I got a J & G rain cape a while back and tried it out on a rainy windy day. What are you supposed to do with the hand loops? I sort of wrapped them around my hands, but the wind still kept blowing the cape in between my hands back toward me uncovering my hands, arms, and allowing lots of rain over my mid section. Then it turned out that I sweated almost as much with it as I do with my breathable J & G jacket, with the drawback that with the cape on it was more hassle to carry my pannier (over the shoulder) and install and remove my bike from the bus racks. I've only used the cape two days.

Oh yeah, the cape covered up my mirror.

Rob_E

Yeah, I find a cape better than a poncho because it does have straps to keep it in place and often the front is a little longer than the back, but those straps don't make it a miracle cure for rainy, windy conditions. It can still catch the breeze, flap around, and affect handling. I use it for commuting, and haven't decided if it has a place in my touring supplies yet. Basically, if it rains on tour, and my plan is to be out on the bike all day, I figure I'm going to get wet, and any protection is just added weight and delaying the inevitable, but that's because when I'm riding, it's usually warm enough that wet does not equal cold. If it did, I'd worry more about rain protection. On an upcoming trip I'm thinking about rain gear simply because there are going to be several down days at campgrounds and visiting friends. I'm better with a long, wet bike ride then I am with a day just standing around outside getting rained on.

fietsbob

I hold the loop down with my thumb.. I use parachute cord with a knot .
so It is easier to find,

I run Trekking bars and an IGH with a grip shifter.. the German one.

As far as the wind, the frontal area of Me is not any different,
no matter what I'm wearing,
so the air resistance is not significantly different.

A head wind is still a head wind.

seeker333

I have hiking boots with eVent lining, and others with Goretex, and the eVent does seem to breathe better. However, my Goretex boots are completely waterpoof and my eVent boots are not.

The SP Elite jacket does appeal to me. I researched eVent years ago, and it did seem like the ideal material for a rain jacket with unsurpassed breathability for a waterproof fabric. I have since read reports of SP Elite jacket owners who claim their jacket lost waterproofness after some period of use. When I consider my leaky eVent boots, I must wonder if eVent waterproof claims are exaggerated.

The SP Touring jacket is made of waterproof non-breathable material. It relies completely on venting to keep you cool and dry, rather than expensive WP/B fabric. It breathes very well by being loose fitting, with a large back vent flap (like the Elite). The sleeves are loose fitting (Elite sleeve are tighter), and if you leave the cuff straps open you'll scoop air down your arms and pits and back as you ride. The pit zips are very long (45cm) on the Touring jacket, and the front zipper is a double slider type (like the Elite) so you can open the bottom and the top. The Touring jacket is a copy of the once popular Burley Rock Point jacket. Burley reorganized their business, discontinued apparel and recumbent bikes product lines, and SP stole the design, made minor modification and "created" the Touring jacket.

As the the Touring jacket's origin is in everyday commuting use, it is made heavier and more durable. When I ordered my jacket from the bicyclinghub.com, I was told that their employees wore the Touring jacket, and that it lasted longer than the racier-styled Elite jacket which I was also considering. With prices of $120 vs $210 at the time, it seemed to me that the Touring jacket would be a much better value, so I chose the Touring jacket over the Elite. Mine is still in good shape after four years and many rides. It is my only bike jacket and is worn whenever it's cold or might rain. The jacket is a little heavy and bulky to pack, but to my thinking this is a fair compromise for durability and good value. Also, I think the yellow Touring jacket is a little more conspicuous than the goldenrod Elite.

The only thing I can fault the SP Touring jacket for is fit. A Large is too big for me, a Medium too small, and the sleeves are too long on both sizes. So I have a big, loose fitting rain jacket, which is perhaps the best way for a rain jacket to fit, since it leaves room for evaporation and air movement. I have the sleeves rolled up 2" most of the time. The Touring jacket fits looser (it has to to work right) than the Elite, and I don't look as svelte in it as an Elite, but then again, to 99.9% of the observing population, I may as well be wearing a clown suit with big red nose and floppy shoes, since I'm a grown man riding a bicycle.

PS - The SP hood works pretty good, keeps you dry, universal model made to fit all SP jackets.

https://www.showerspass.com/catalog/m...touring-jacket

https://www.showerspass.com/catalog/a...ries/rain-hood

Aushiker

My first thought would be to take a look at the owner's washing and re-treatment regimes. This maybe contributing to the concerns being expressed. Like Gore-Tex, eVent material needs maintaining.

I always put my Gore-Tex jackets through the washing/treatment regime at the start of the season to bring them up to stratch.

One other thing to keep in mind is that Showers Pass don't recommend ironing their jackets as it may damage the seam sealing. If any owner's have ironed their jackets they may have inadvertently damaged the seam sealing.

Mind you not sure what the treatment options are for your boots; I doubt you have ironed them . Maybe worth checking out the eVent website or the manufacturers website for ideas?

Andrew

Andrew

fuzz2050

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.

seeker333

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.

Clarabelle

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."

krobinson103

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.

Doug64

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

fietsbob

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.

himespau 

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.

Doug64

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.

andrewclaus

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.

seeker333

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.

Aushiker

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

seeker333

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.

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

hilltowner

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

Aushiker

It was thank you.

Andrew

brentirvine

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

fietsbob

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..

djb

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

Aushiker

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

pacificcyclist

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!

yourboyblue

Check out the O2 rain jacket: https://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. https://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.