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Like everybody else this winter I have frequently got wet and cold out on my bike. I have a decent heavyweight waterproof but it is far too hot when the temperature rises by only a small amount so I am looking for something lightweight and waterproof. Internet research has not clarified my thoughts , so
Are all 3 layer jackets more waterproof than 2.5 layer? Which breathe best?
Given that I sweat a lot is it even worth getting a summer waterproof and just wear a cheap windproof instead and at least stay warm when getting wet?
Do those numbers of mm a fabric will resist actually mean anything in the real world e.g. 10000mm static head ?
If they do , does that follow to buy a jacket with good numbers even if it is cheaper than other 'good ' brands?
And last what brands are worth looking at for a good compromise of price and function [ I am not paying 7mesh prices]?
Wot! No STW expert offering wisdom? I don't know what this place is coming to.
In further research, I have noticed a 2.5 jacket with 10000 hydrostatic head and a 3 with 20000. Is this typical? Surely this doesn't mean one jacket is twice as waterproof/breathable as another?
I personally go for warm and wet unless really bad weather.
As far as HH a higher HH will resist water more in situations such as high wind, pressure from straps etc but if the fabrics is the same but higher HH then it will be less breathable.
Imo pit zips are very good for improving ventilation, best big you don't have a bag on back but still worth it. Some very lightweight jackets do not have them due to weight a faith in materials breathability which always degrades over time.
I run hot and always have the issues off be dry or boil, I wanted something for the summer months for light showers or wet ground to keep the body warm and dry. I just picked up one of the new Fox Attack Fire Gilettes, its DWR and Windproof, used it twice in the last week and its been okay so far in one drizzle, wet ground ride and one cold windy ride.
Go for layers and a goretex shell outer. I have a good Gore gortex one. Keeps core warm and breaths well. Worked fine in Atlas mountains last week and in South Africa. Its more a function of layers underneath. If its really warm then I just get wet and dont bother or just have a base layer underneath. Winter in UK then layer up and be prepared to stop and take some off.
It's a bit 'how long is a piece of string'. There's a spread of performance across three-layer fabrics and 2.5-layer ones, you can't generalise that one type of fabric is better than another. Some 2.5-layer jackets will be more waterproof than 3-layer ones and vice versa. The difference is that 2.5-layer jackets have a print on the inside of the waterproof layer or membrane, whereas three-layer ones have a liner fabric. The waterproofing bit is pretty much the same. But 2.5-layer fabrics tend to be slightly lighter, though the lining can wear faster with heavy use.
As far as hydrostatic head goes, it depends. With expensive fabrics, a lower hydrostatic head is sometimes the price you pay for higher levels of breathability. Polartec's NeoShell fabric, for example, is pretty much the most breathable waterproof fabric out there, but has a lower HH - 10,000mm - than something like Gore-Tex Pro, which is about two to three times more waterproof in that test - a water column basically.
The downside to the lower HH isn't so much that it's immediately going to leak, but HH tends to decline with wear, so a year or so down the line you may reach a point where the fabric becomes more likely to leak.
HH and 'breathability' aren't necessarily related in that way, though as above, they can be. The problem with mountain biking in particular is that you often get a series of high intensity efforts interspaced with steadier output and most fabrics struggle to cope with that. Ime the closest you'll get is NeoShell, but hardly anyone uses it for bike jackets and it's not cheap - Upper Downs is the only one I can think off off the top of my head, but the design of the jacket isn't ideal, there's no hem-cord for example.
Gore-Tex Active is a reasonable compromise, but again expensive, and Gore-Tex ShakeDry is very breathable, but even more expensive and too fragile for mountain biking use with a pack.
Using a windproof is fine for short, sharp stuff in warm-ish conditions ime, not so great if you're out in bucketing rain for hours and end up stopping, when you'll get cold fast.
I doubt that's really answered your question because there isn't really a simple answer. There's quite a big spred in performance between waterproof fabrics, if you run hot, NeoShell is about as good as it gets.
Oh, and this thing from Rab is pretty decent in a soft and stretchy way.
Acre (mission workshop) have a neo-shell in their range but it's £300.
Nice though