I have tried two different bike jackets from REI that I returned because I found myself soaked after a ride in the rain. I have tried showerpass touring jacket and one other. I have decided that I need to spend some money to get breathable fabrics. I am not sure if I should be looking at Gor or eVent. I tend to run hot. I often wear summer gear over 50f. Right now my commute is fairly short 35 min each way. Although for a while I was riding 2:45 round trip every day.

The two jackets I am focusing on are the showerpass elite 2.0:
https://www.rei.com/produc...0-event-bike-jacket-mens

And a Taiga Cyclopede what I like about this jacket is that the back opens up. Although I am not sure that this isn't just a gimmick:
https://www.taigaworks.ca...product_detail&p=546

Thanks for your help

Oldsport

I have a suspicion that most if not all rain gear will allow some moisture to develop. So keeping that in mind I picked up a cheap rain jacket from Performance Bike that lists at about $20 on sale a month ago for about $ 16. I had it out today on a 5 hour ride (admittedly at a sedate pace ), at the end of which, I was fairly dry. The jacket is vented under the arms, and I kept the velcro closure in front opened about 50 % for ventilation as well. Todays weather was around 45 degrees a with light rain falling all of the time.

few options:

1. Expensive gore-tex that makes you sweat more moisture than it could possibly prevent in the form of rain -- because being bathed in your own sweat is manly.

2. Dump your entire paycheck at the bike shop on an expensive plastic jacket making all kinds of marketing claims. The more "dueschey", the better here.

3. Make sure the jacket in #2 is 1-2 sizes too short so it rides up and your lower back boobs and ass crack are hanging out for all to see.

4. As a last resort, wrap your entire body in a black 33 gallon trash bag. Do not cut yourself a hole for your head and arms. Just look through the bag and ride more slowly since it will be a little harder to see.

Oldsport, you don't mention where you live, how hard you ride, or the temperatures. For the most part, if I ride in the rain, I get wet. It'll either be rain or sweat. The exception is rain below about 40-45 F, and that's cold, nasty rain. I don't believe there's a fabric that'll shed moisture as fast as I can sweat at 50 degrees or up.

I believe Goretex and its ilk may work well if it's cold and dry, and the person wearing it isn't working too hard. Some people believe otherwise -- I think if you draw a line from northern Vermont to central Colorado, then through the Sierras and up to the Oregon coast, most of these people live north of that line.

I look at the design of the jacket to see if it'll help shed heat, not moisture. Pit vents, back vent, adjustable wrist closures, double-ended front zipper. If I need to stay dry, I'll have to slow down when it rains. Or get wet.

I live in NoVA not too far from TurbineBlade. This "Winter" has been worthless and I haven't needed much. I am planning on taking back the Showerpass Touring jacket that I have. After one good rain I was completely wet and cold from sweet even with the vents open and front partly unzipped. Soon I will be spending some time in the Mountains for work and hoping to get some riding done there.

Here, here fellow NOVA cyclist! Yeah, this is by far the most tame winter I've seen since I moved here 4 years ago. I guess I can't complain though -- commuting has been really easy.

I have a couple of purpose-built rain jackets with gore-tex, and my commute bike has full fenders. The truth is, though, during a hard rain you still end up like a drownded rat. I don't even try to dress for hard rain anymore, I just wear a cheap poly-xxx vest that stays warm even when soaked. I don't think about it much, I just get wet.

Hey Old'. I'll weigh in on a theme upon which others in this thread have stated opinion. "Breathable" is a fantasy...an expensive one. Fact, it's a wet world out there. Fact, the wetness arrives from the environment AND on our own skins. Fact, if you exert yourself on Earth, you will be wet. Again, you WILL be wet. Rather, concentrate on wetness that poses a threat...hypothermia.

That's one of the reasons I am attracted to that Taiga jacket. It has a giant vent in the back.

Turbine, I lived near the Pentagon until a few weeks ago when I moved outside the beltway. I started working out west and the 19 mile each way commute was killing me. I needed to move to get it down to a manageable distance. I was hoping to find a place with a 12-15 mile commute each way, but mine is only 7 right now.

It is impossible to keep totally dry, but if you can keep cool and reduce sweat, you stand a better chance of staying warm. I wear a gore jacket, which will keep me mostly dry except in an all out downpour and I wear a smartwool long sleeve top, with arm warmers, if need be. Buffalo, NY