Recommend Me A Good Bike Commute Rain Jacket?

[Cameron]

After having bike commuted in the rain/mist for the last few years with just a "standard" rain jacket I'm ready for an update. My regular rain jacket is great off the bike, but on the bike it bunches in front and is a touch short in the rear.

Right now, my benchmark for fit and function of a bike jacket is the Rapha wind jacket I bought a couple years ago. It fits great, functions on the bike great and I love it. However, while it's decently water repellent, it's doesn't provide adequate dryness for anything more than a lightly drizzly ride.

Ideally what I'm hoping to find is something comparable to the Rapha wind jacket for fit, finish, breath-ability but more rain compatible. I've looked at the Rapha rain jacket and I'm sure it's great but I don't know that I can bring myself to spend almost $300 on it. Plus really, I don't know that I want something that is super fully waterproof since I always feel like I'm wearing a plastic bag with the super water proof stuff since it feels like it holds sweat in.

Is there something out there you guys like that's somewhere about half way between the function of the Rapha wind jacket and the Rapha rain jacket? High water resistance but still breathable?

[sparky33]

Unicorn.

Anything that keeps the rain out also keeps the sweat in, in my experience.

My method is a wool jersey with a hi-viz rain vest (Gore), and I change on arrival if that matters.

[VoyTirando]

Showers Pass changed my commute entirely last year. The Elite 2.1 jacket, paired with this partially waterproof pants (on the fronts, but water resistant and breatheable on the sides) made me an all weather commuter. This and real fender, AND making sure to carry gear in a pannier so the mechanical venting on the back of the jacket can work.

This jacket is a 3 layer WP/B barrier. It's well made and fits closely, looks good, keeps me dry and breathes somewhat. I do NOT recommend their commuter "transit" jacket, which a friend has, and which is delaminating horribly after 18 months.

[alembical]

I have absolutely been loving the Gore Bike Wear. I have the Oxygen 2.0
http://www.goreapparel.com/gore-bike-wear/men/oxygen-2-0-gore-tex-active-jacket/JGOXYA.html?dwvar_JGOXYA_color=0899&cgid=gbw-men-geartype-jackets&prefn1=ingredientCategory&start=5&prefv1=GORE-TEX%C2%AE%20Products

[gasman]

Showers Pass

[brockd15]

I have a Showers Pass but don't remember the model. I've never owned Rapha so can't compare, but it's good quality, breathes well, and keeps me dry. I love it and would recommend it.

The only change I would make would be to have it in a more visible color than the black that I got.

[bcroslin]

I did a training ride in Seattle last year and everyone on the ride was wearing a showers pass jacket. Seems like that's the best out there.

[deechee]

High water resistance but still breathable?

Funny enough I got caught up in the rain the other day (usual end up on the trainer) and was super comfortable in my Craft Elite vest. I rode with that vest with some arm and knee warmers in the rain for a long 177km ride a while back and was super comfortable. I think fit and how quick it dries was more important than how well it keeps rain out?

[Cameron]

Anything that keeps the rain out also keeps the sweat in, in my experience.


Yeah, this is my experience. Right now I'd trade off some of the water proofness for breathability.

Showers Pass changed my commute entirely last year.

Showers Pass

I have a Showers Pass but don't remember the model. I've never owned Rapha so can't compare, but it's good quality, breathes well, and keeps me dry. I love it and would recommend it.

I did a training ride in Seattle last year and everyone on the ride was wearing a showers pass jacket. Seems like that's the best out there.

Nice. I've heard of the Shower's Pass stuff -- nice to hear some good consensus. Looks like a good option to check out! Thanks!

I have absolutely been loving the Gore Bike Wear.

Cool, I'll check that out too. Thanks!

[yummygooey]

I have a Gore Oxygen that is great, but the cut is very slim and cycling specific. For getting around town I use a Patagonia Super Pluma, which has more room for layers and pit zips. It has had a good and pockets and a normal cut so it's much more useful off the bike as well.

[KidWok]

I've used a cheap coated nylon one from REI for years...works great as long as the seams hold up, which for me was about 3-4 years. Showers Pass definitely has the best reputation. I use their rain pants will probably get a Showers Pass jacket when my current REI gore tex jacket dies.

Those cheap old-school vinyl rain capes work surprisingly well too. Gore fabrics require some upkeep. Nothing worse than riding for a few hours and having the outer fabric get waterlogged...then you're riding with a big heavy clingy thing. Never happens with the rain capes. I believe Showers Pass makes one of those with a more advance material.

Tai

[bikenow]

The gore bike wear active jacket does a good job. For me the fit is fine and if you get it on sale it isn't that pricey

[R3awak3n]

I like my showers pass elite 2.1 but I also agree with sparky33. You don't get wet by the rain but you will be a bit wet because the breathability sucks. This only happens on longer commutes, shorter commutes are ok and you will be less wet/ different wet. I like mine.

[estilley]

I like my showers pass! But only used for commuting so far and never anything over 45 mins. Wear it with a backpack and can get a little steamy.


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[yonderb0y]

I have a Marmot Essence that I've been very happy with, and that's coming from an owner of several pieces of Rapha gear. Fit & finish is great, it's as breathable as you'll find while still being waterproof, the fit works well for riding, and it even has some stretch to it. Much lighter-weight and more packable than most other jackets I looked at, too. I don't know how they make that black magic happen, but I like it.

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Rain-Jacket-Reviews/Marmot-Essence is what sold me on it.

[Kirk007]

I swear I've tried them all. IF its just drizzle then a somewhat breathable soft shell does great. The Castelli Gabba and its clones are pretty good. Showers Pass used to make one - its kinda warm - a pro or con depending on where you live. The Rapha classic softshell is outstanding.

If its a steady rain and you are going to be in it awhile, pick your poison. Anything "waterproof", even the magic fabrics is susceptible to sweat condensate.

I sprung for the Rapha commuter jacket and it is very, very nice. It breathes pretty well, has stayed nicely "waterproof" in over 1.5 hours steady rain and it doesn't scream "I'm a bicycle commuter" when off the bike.

If you want purely utilitarian, then a bright yellow Showers Pass, if it fits is a good choice - waterproof, gore like material, bright, reflective strips, lots of pit zips, not too expensive. I suggest you try them on though - I don't like the fit of many of their products as I seem to be in between their sizing. The Elite 2 fit either like a grocery sack or a sausage casing, which was one of the main reasons I ended up with the Rapha one.

[m_sasso]

Breathability and air permeability are not the same. Waterproof in the textile/garment industry is not a finite term!

Water molecules (liquid) are much larger than water vapor molecules (gas). Waterproof/breathable garments work by allowing the smaller gas to escape and preventing the larger liquid from entering.

Breathability in garments is driven by vapor pressure, all currently available waterproof/breathable garments require a minimum of 70% humidity within the garment to create this required vapor pressure.

Moist inside garment air (higher pressure water vapor) only moves through a garment, (H2O proof/breathable layer) membrane (Gore-Tex) or micro-porous coating PU (Polyurethane, Marmot NanoPro) by way of the difference in pressure, to an area of lower pressure outside the garment.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EM9REO-2jGI/U3bqogTfCJI/AAAAAAAAAPs/FU9AlmN4WmY/s1600/Micro+PU+picture.png

Humans respire/perspire around 60ml, 1/4 cup of H2O per hour at rest, until a garment builds a required vapor pressure internally, moisture is going to sit inside the garment, this is the cold, clammy, wet feeling you get when you initially start wearing in your H2O proof/breathable jacket. Once the internal 70% humidity is reached a H2O proof/breathable layer begins allowing water vapor to pass through it, breathability.

If you exceed with work, the breathability rating, gm/m2/24h (grams of H2O per square meter of fabric over a 24 hour period) the waterproof/breathable layer is rated at, you will get a moisture build up inside a garment. You get wet from your own sweat!

Air permeability is a measure of the velocity of air that is able to pass perpendicularly through a measured piece of fabric.

The garment industry standard to be called waterproof is 1.3k mm, not going to keep you dry in a driven rain or when you are riding and the rain is falling vertically.

If you want a high waterproof/breathable jacket look for a garment that has a rating in excess of 20k gm/m2/24h breathability and 20k mm (millimeters of water pressure) waterproof rating.

In general jackets with membranes (Gore-Tex, Teflon, PTFE) will be more expensive than coatings, more durable, more waterproof and more breathable. By the way Wilbert Gore, W.L. Gore was a plumber and knew some thing about water and Teflon tape before he started selling micro-porous membrane structures.

And yes, I am a tech rep for Marmot and Osprey so I have some understanding of how these thing work and what works and what doesn't work.

[vqdriver]

Ive had a few outer layers from north face, patagonia, marmot, rei and arcteryx. For something like commuting where theres steady airflow and a (more or less) static position, anything with pit zips will go a long way towards comfort.

[tmarcus1076]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=194953

[Cameron]

Thank you all for the info and recommendations! Very helpful, and much appreciated :hello:

I am a tech rep for Marmot and Osprey so I have some understanding of how these thing work and what works and what doesn't work.

Very informative post -- thank you for the insight! Helps a lot and gives me some real stats/info to look for!

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=194953

Saw that, but 6' tall me needs a size medium. So close!

[estilley]

Showers pass is having a garage sale sat. November 5 at their pdx office. Might be a good place to snag one.


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