It's fast approaching rainy time here in Oz. I'm looking for a decent rain jacket that ticks all the above boxes. Even though it rains it's still fairly warm so it needs to be really breathable and ideally with pit zips. It doesn't necessarily need to be a cycling specific jacket either. Something maybe a bit tougher than Pertex but not as heavy weight as Goretex.
Gore-Tex Shakedry is about as breathable as you're going to get, but expensive and relatively fragile - there are two versions, the one designed for hiking use is tougher than the original. Has the advantage that the membrane is effectively the outside surface so it doesn't wet out. Or, more conventionally, something made from Gore-Tex Active.Gore-Tex comes in a bunch of weights from very light to quite heavy btw.
Failing that, something made from a lightweight NeoShell or The North Face's new Future Light fabric, which is supposedly similarly very breathable, though I've not used it. Or, Outdoor Research's own-brand fabric Ascent Shell.
I do have an ex army waterproof which is essentially Goretex but the arms are fraction too short in order to get the right body size as they run large, intended as over jackets really. It's super breathable but doesn't have pit zips and the hood is hoooooj. Plus it's desert cam so you look a bit of a wall walking round with it on.
I do like Keela kit but not stocked anywhere over here and I'd need to try things on. Kinda medium body but long arms.
Has anyone tried any of the newest tech?
I've found "breathable" jackets 100% sweatboxes.
from my experience Keela aren't exactly cutting edge...
Has anyone tried any of the newest tech?
I’ve found “breathable” jackets 100% sweatboxes.
Yes. All the stuff I've referenced apart from Future Light. It's significantly better than older Gore-Tex and similar fabrics, but it's not magic. If you work hard, you will still sweat, but it'll clear faster and at lower to medium levels of exertion, you don't get that horrid, clammy feeling. So maybe 50% sweatboxes 😉
Kinda medium body but long arms.
Rab stuff, the longest sleeves on the planet.
That's worth noting, cheers.
Nothing is breathable in heavy rain such as we get in the north of Oz.
I found it best to simply wear something either quick drying or properly waterproof with vents.
I’ve found “breathable” jackets 100% sweatboxes.
Genuine, stupid question here. What does breathable actually mean?
I presumed it meant that sweat vapour would pass out through the jacket and not condense on the inside. However, you would still get a sweaty body and under layers, under exertion. You can hardly expect to be less sweaty with a breathable jacket on, than no jacket. The chunkier the jacket, the warmer you get. And yet, people I know expect to be sweat free if they’ve got a ‘breathable’ jacket on.
Edit: I type so slowly, pretty much covered above now.
Try Rab Spark. Done a full Enduro in the rain wearing it! Think it’s meant for climbing rather than MTB but the hood goes over helmet and back is long so basically perfect, waterproof and good mix of waterproof / breathable.
I do have an ex army waterproof which is essentially Goretex but the arms are fraction too short in order to get the right body size as they run large, intended as over jackets really. It’s super breathable but doesn’t have pit zips and the hood is hoooooj. Plus it’s desert cam so you look a bit of a wall walking round with it on
It’s cos the hoods go over helmets 🙂 but must admit one of my better waterproofs was one of these and at the time bang per buck was unbeatable and it was an unissued one.
I've got a Madison Flux Lite and it's the only waterproof jacket I have ever had that doesn't boil me to death on the bike and I generally run quite hot . I think they are about £140 these days . It also packs up the size of a pertex windproof jacket .
It’s cos the hoods go over helmets 🙂 but must admit one of my better waterproofs was one of these and at the time bang per buck was unbeatable and it was an unissued one.
LOL yeah I know but how big are the bloody helmets? Mine was an unissued one off ebay. First one I ordered was utterly massive. Stick a tent pole in it and 4 people could fit. It's a great jacket no doubt 30 quid iirc. But not really ideal for cycling.
I’ve found “breathable” jackets 100% sweatboxes.
More breathable than a non-breathable jacket, provided you have the right clothes on underneath.
Genuine, stupid question here. What does breathable actually mean?
Right. Breathable jackets don't do much on their own, they need to be part of a clothing system made of layers. Each layer has a different job and they all need to be working well to transport the maximum amount of sweat out of your clothes.
The first layer is your base layer. This wicks sweat away from your skin like a paper towel. Because your body is warmer and damper than the surroundings the moisture is pushed through the fabric away from your skin via capillary action. The base layer will feel damp still as this does not happen instantly. Cotton is to be voided here as the fibres actually absorb the sweat and keep it next to your skin which can make you cold. To pick up the sweat this layer should be skin tight.
The optional middle layers are for insulation. They trap air, but must not hold onto the swear but keep transporting it outwards. Fleece is really good at this, and cotton is bad again because it absorbs the sweat. Anyone who's put a fleece and a cotton sweatshirt through a wash and spin will know this. Again tighter is better.
The waterproof shell is the final part of the process. With most fabrics* e.g. Goretex, the membrane is polyurethane and air tight. The moisture vapour has to condense on the inside of the membrane where it soaks in. Because the outside is dry, the moisture from the wet inside gets sucked through the membrane to the outside. This is why you need to apply water-repellency to the outside of the jacket; if you don't then rain wets the outside and the moisture does not go through. Then the condensation collects in the inside of the jacket, where it's cold because it's next to the outside. People notice cold dampness on the inside of their jacket and assume it's leaked.
The colder and drier it is on the outside, the better this process works, which is why it's far less effective in the UK where it's not that cold and humidity is high. If you remove your water proof you should be able to see water droplets on the outside of your next layer where it's been sucked away from your skin. If you do all this right then water IS being transported away from your skin, but all the clothes will be somewhat damp, because this is the water that's on its way out. In the same way that a pipe transporting water still has water in it.
You absolutely will not be dry if you are exercising to any intensity with a waterproof layer, as this transport is never instant. But if you have more breathable kit then the process works faster and you will be less damp. You will be warmer and less wet than if you had no waterproof on though, because rain is cold and comes into.your clothes from the outside.
If you do not have a waterproof layer on but still wear wicking fabrics the transport will be much faster, and if it is only raining lightly and you are riding hard you may still be better off as the wind will evaporate water from the outside of your clothes. Hence roadies not wearing waterproofs very often.
If you are still though, your skin is always emitting a small amount of moisture vapour and this will be transported well enough that you will feel dry. If you were wearing a non-breathable jacket even sat still you'd still get wet eventually as all this moisture would condense.
* The exception is eVent fabric which actually has tiny holes in it to let the air in. This lets damp air escape directly which does not depend on it being cold and dry outside your clothes. This means it works far better in the UK but it also means that you can feel the air coming through in windy weather or in a fast descent. It also needs re-proofing more often and is more susceptible to dirt so it needs more washing, not sure exactly why.
I'll be buying Shakedry once I can afford it, speaking with a much, much faster riding buddy than me (not that that is especially relevant) who wears his Shakedry even as a windproof, he even wore it on a sunny hillclimb event in Argyll where it was still a brisk wind but still in the sun.
We've found OMM Kamleika jackets work well in heavy rain. They have pit zips and adjustable cuffs so you can maintain airflow. They seem reasonably hardy too - TuscanyTrails in 2017 was epically wet the first 2 days and we were basically riding in marble based grinding paste.
For faster more road oriented riding I like the PedalEd Nachi jacket which is slightly stretchy, or the rapha Classic Rain jacket.
