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Bit the bullet and bought the jacket, despite reading stories of the waterproofing not lasting (come to that in a min)
Too early to tell how I get on with it, but seems ok for now. Venting is fabulous, fit is great, hood is a bit annoying
Used it yesterday - no rain, but plenty of splashes and the obligatory dirty 'tail '
How are folk cleaning post right mud off without the complications of a full wash?
I'll deal with the complexities of a full wash when the time comes
Also, what are folk using to top up the dwr? Are you doing this regularly, or just after a full wash?
Dry brush.
You shouldn't have to redo the DWR unless you wash it.
Used it yesterday – no rain,
I find that my cheaper Pertex type jackets work well here, saving the expensive jacket for real rain. I regularly wash and proof those cheaper jackets which helps.
Generally though on biking waterproofs - dry and then brush off.
You shouldn’t have to redo the DWR unless you wash it.
I read that people were re-proofing more often with the new eco friendly DWR etc
I find that my cheaper Pertex type jackets work well here, saving the expensive jacket for real rain
Just bought it and wanted to try it - and rain looked possible, but yeah won't be using it every winter ride.
I have an old Endura Stealth for when it's cool
Actually that's a bit tatty. What's the current Stealth equivalent? Maybe another thread incoming
I have a big rear mudguard so mine doesn't get that dirty. Hose or water bottle it at the end of ride is mostly all I need to do.
I just let mine dry then gently knock the worst of the muck off with a soft, dry brush. Not washed it yet. Still breathes really well.
The waterproofing is the material not a DWR coating. I'd just use a soft brush to remove any dried mud. Never washed mine.
For anything with DWR I use Granny’s Soap Flakes to clean. Much cheaper than NikWax TechWash - you just have to dissolve them in a jug of hot water and then pour them into the drum once it’s a bit cooler. If you never wash them the DWR gets too dirty to repel water and the more the outer wets out, the worse the membrane breathes. Eventually I reproof with TX Direct.
If you tend to use washing machine liquid rather than powder for your usual washing, then it all works fine. If you use biological powder then any lurking in the machine can strip the DWR which is annoying, so a hot-ish wash (empty or with non-bio liquid) is needed to clean the machine first.
The new DWR (like Nikwax has always been) is no longer poisonous and less durable - a bit like moving from asbestos to technically worse but less nasty materials. Sometimes progress doesn’t seem like it!
I hardly ever wear waterproofs for riding - a windproof is usually enough down the the south east.