azza_333

How compact are Goretex rain/wind jackets and pants? and how warm are they if I wear them over a T-shirt and a pain of lower full length skins?

staehpj1

They tend to be kind of bulky, but it probably depends on what material the membrane is bonded to.

I personally have not had much luck with Goretex. I find that when exercising I am still soaked from sweat and am colder with a breathable fabric than with a fully waterproof one. For touring I use either a coated nylon shell or a DWR coated one depending on the expected conditions.

Rowan

I use the Ground Effects Stormtrooper with hood. It's comparatively light, compacts down well and has generous pit zips.

My other other rain jackets are MEC, but they are heavy duty and consequently warmer. Their bulk makes them less suitable for extended three-season touring... and the Whoosh model isn't made anymore.

nun

I like Ground Effect stuff....everything I've bought from them has been well thought out and well made.

The weight of Gortex garments varies greatly as it depends on the other fabrics used along with the Gore Tex membrane. Clothes using "Gortex Paclite" will be pretty light. But there are lots of lighter options. I've found that a really light weight rain shell combined with a second lightweight insulating jacket is a nice combination. I currently use a Marmot Mica jacket as my rain shell and combine that with a Marmot Driclime Catalyst jacket for 3 season insulation. The Mica is a great rain jacket, but has a peak on the hood that limit's visibility which is not good when riding so I fold that down so I can see better.

fietsbob

The ones that use single layer + the membrane are able to be thinner than the 3 layer with the Mesh inner layer .. (mesh protects the Membrane surface inside)

Gore tex is just the PTFE Plastic layer applied on the fabric, the fabric it's applied to is in accordance with the specifications of the company ordering the It.

OP and Rowan , Both in Down Under summer, will know what brands are sold down there , so I leave that to the Auzzies.

bikenh

One other option, probably, quite possibly, not available down under is Never Wet. It's made by Rustoleum(sp?). It's a spray on coating you can apply to pretty much anything to make it waterproof and it is still a breathable coating. Look for videos on youtube that show the results. I tried it with cotton cloth at the end of last fall and was totally amazed at how waterproof it is. I plan to make a cotton bivy and coat it with Never Wet this summer and use that instead of a tent. It will pack smaller and possibly weigh less as well and I tend to think it will be much more waterproof as well. I'm debating, and good chance I will try, somehow, to coat the insides of my cycling shoes with it as well. I get quite sick and tired of how long it takes for shoes to dry out once they get wet. I think with Never Wet they will dry in no time flat. Yeah, I ride in pretty much everything. I rode into the library this morning to get online and it was snowing outside and only 7 degrees F.

Doug64

My experience with being comfortable in a garment made from a "breathable" fabric is to wear some type wicking layer between your skin and the fabric. Regardless of the fabric, it will feel clammy if in direct contact with the material. That is why a lot of GoreTex parkas have an inner liner as well.

I wear my breathable cycling jacket every day during the winter, even when it is not raining, for my morning ride down to the gym. The same jacket I wore as a wind breaker when I was commuting. I'd wear a long-sleeve wicking T-shirt or fleece, depending on the temperature. During weather warm enough to make you sweat, the jacket will collect some of that moisture, just like any other garment; it just does not allow the wind to evaporate it.

When we experience wet weather during warm periods my wife wears a very light weight long-sleeve, wicking T-shirt. It is also good for sun protection. It makes the rain jacket much more comfortable.



It also can be used for a little additional warmth when needed. Do you think she practices that pose

prathmann

As already mentioned, it depends on the material to which the Goretex membrane is bonded. I have a Goretex hiking jacket that is pretty bulky, but I also have one made for cycling that easily stuffs inside one of my jersey pockets when no longer needed. Unlike most raingear I find it comfortable to wear on dry days as a windbreaker or for a bit of added warmth so it's nice on tours where it serves both functions.

Rowan

There is more to this statement than meets the eye. Admittedly the GE Stormtrooper does have a clammy feel when directly against the skin, but I can wear it on windy days and feel comfortable, and more often than not, I am wearing long sleeves anyway.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the capacity of Gorre-Tex or whatever other coating is used to evacuate moisture when riding at higher intensities than just tootling along.

The jacket spec, in my opinion, should include generous sized pit-zips to control body heat, and maybe even a back vent. And a good fit around the butt is required.

As mentioned, the Stormtrooper has a hood which actually does work well without impeding peripheral vision.

As to wicking fabric, I am a keen fan of polyupro under another thin or thick layer... and I have found light polar fleece particularly effective in drawing the moisture through the polypro so it remains dry to the skin, and depositing it on the surface. The most effective demonstration of this layering set-up was looking down at my shoulders on a sunny but below freezing morning, and seeing frost formed on them; I was still toasy warm, however.

As to trousers, I haven't found any that really work to evacuate moisture to keep legs dry. I have a French pair and an MEC pair, and I have used cheap Rainbird ones in the past. If I was doing a single trip and was looking for compactness and cheap, I would opt for the Rainbird ones.

In my book, protecting shoes with good raincovers is a greater priority. They do need to be large enough to cover shoes adequately, but not so large to be a nuisance on the bike.

gregjones

Goretex is the trade name of a type of membrane, there are others equally effective. And they all, lumped in with Goretex, are limited to the fact that when is raining and warm your sweat won't evaporate out of your garment. That's the job of vents. A back vent, pit zips, two way zippers and other openings provide the ventilation to keep you cool and dry. Let layers underneath provide the warmth.

You'd do well to pay more attention to recommendations of jackets that are made by companies that understand making a bike rider comfortable than a specific brand of membrane used.

Rowan

I should add that even cheap rainpants have been valuable off the bike and in camp in dry but cold winds as well as rain. Keeping the wind at bay and thereby reducing the cooling effect of evaporation of sweat or rain goes a long way to warding off hypothermia.

Machka 

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