Recommend a rain jacket please!

[Alembicbassman]

The Polaris folds into its own zip pouch in the rear of the garment which can be used as a standard pocket when wearing.

I'm a 40 chest and the large is OK, the medium was a bit short in the body for me, but I do have a long torso.

 

[Globalti]

Well I went to Halfrauds and bought their last Polaris Aqualite jacket in grey. It's very lightweight and scrunches into its pocket to about the size of a ciabatta sandwich. The cuts is snug so it shouldn't flap too much, while it looks more waterproof than just proofed Pertex. Unfortunately that was the last one; that model is discontinued now.

 

[yello]

about the size of a ciabatta sandwich

A what! How very metropolitan

Sorry, Globalti. It just made me chuckle. I have no idea how big that is!

I hope the jacket works for you. For me, a waterproof for cycling is perhaps singularly the most difficult item of clothing to get right. A balancing act, one that - ime - you have to make compromises one way or the other.

 

[byegad]

I use Montane Featherlite, I have both the smock and jacket. New they are shower proof but if you wash and reproof with a wash in re-proofer regularly they get better, my smock withstood a thunderstorm for 45 minutes before I got a small leak or two and I was still relatively dry after an hour and a quarter.

For solid rain I have a good Goretex jacket which I bought 4 years ago for £110. It was an end of line sale and the RRP was £250 so I got a bargain. The longest period I've worn it was 8 hours of January rain with no leaks.

The problem with asking for a recommendation is related to how individuals feel about getting wet. I seize up if I get cold so prefer to be a bit sweaty under a waterproof rather than allowing the rain to get through. Others prefer to be cool even at the cost of some rain getting through their outer layer.

 

[bauldbairn]

...about the size of a ciabatta sandwich.

A what! How very metropolitan
I have no idea how big that is!

That's about 7" X 3" in pounds shillings and pence or 180mm X 76mm in Euros or a half sub(ish) in "Subway" terms.

 

[yello]

The problem with asking for a recommendation is related to how individuals feel about getting wet.

Absolutely. Also our different tendencies to sweat, run hot, etc.

Others prefer to be cool even at the cost of some rain getting through their outer layer.

That's my preference. I can tolerate rain much more than that clammy sticky feeling I get from a jacket that doesn't quite breath enough.

 

[Globalti]

I still have my old Freestyle jacket; I bought it about 17 years ago and it's Goretex. The first time I wore it in anger was for a 35km yomp in pouring rain in Canada, at the end of which my bottom half was drenched and my top half still warm and dry. Since then it has been through some real adventures with me and it is now smelly, filthy and patched and stiff from being reproofed with Thompson's water Seal but it still keeps the rain out. It's too heavy and bulky for road riding though and too disreputable.

 

[JNR]

I'm in the market for one of these as well. I was thinking about an Altura Night Vision jacket for the winter, for a bit of warmth, or would I just be better to buy something more light weight and wear a base layer?

I don't know what to buy.