Waterproof waterproofs.. are there any?

[GrumpyGregry]

My adventures the weekend before last, written up elsewhere on a noticeboard somewhere in these hallowed virtual corridors, led me to the conclusion that the opposite of waterproof is "Scotland".

Does anyone own a cycling jacket that is really, truly, honestly, waterproof, as in all-day-riding-in-the-rain-cos-I've-got-to-be-somewhere-and-my-bike-is-all-I've-got waterproof and which does not cause chronic dehydration/overheating via the boil-in-the-bag route when worn?

Altura Night Vision though good, and good vfm, failed the Scotland test.

(Leggings I'm not so fussed about, but that is just me)

 

[vickster]

Assos or Gore not do anything? I know someone who lives in Inverness and cycles a lot - he swears by Assos kit. I guess it depends if you want to spend £150+

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Altura Night Vision though good, and good vfm, failed the Scotland test.

What happened - not waterproof or boiled-in-the-bag?

 

[Melonfish]

i honestly thing you will not get a jacket that is both waterproof and not boil in the bag.

most fabrics which claim to be waterproof are things like gore-tex and ventile, they are tight weave with repellant washed in so they shed most water but eventually allows it through, because they're weave they allow air through.
absolute waterproofs are usually sealed with pvc lining or are made of sutch and thus don't allow ANY air through as they're properly watertight.
the trick is to find something that is breathable but lets you get a bit wet whilst keeping you warm, i mean if you're cycling in driving rain i think you'll find that even pvc stuff will leak around the seams and collar anyways.
pete

 

[GrumpyGregry]

What happened - not waterproof or boiled-in-the-bag?

boil-in-the-bag-ness was pretty good, if you leave the cuffs unvelcro-ed and pitzips open and use the front zip as a valve; down for climbs, up for descents or torrents of rain.

the sleeves gave up the waterproofing ghost early doors, I think because the water pools on them, and then wicking took care of the rest, possible a case of wearing short sleeves or no arm warmers underneath.? The back panel leaked across the shoulders after a couple of hours.

 

[Fletch456]

I've got an Endura Event Jacket and in horizontal stormy rain I was dry - was £140 about 5 years ago. It looks like it's been modified a little, gone up in price to £165 - now called Venturi eVENT jacket this is it on their site ..link

The zips are very well done and can't recall having any water in the pockets. I can recall a little water getting in but a very small amount and can't remember where exactly and may have been due to how I fastened something like the collar - how do you fasten it tight enough in pouring rain but still breath comfortably.

It's not cheap but it's my go to jacket for keeping me dry. I wouldn't be without my race cape for convenience but anything that is £40 to £80 is only ever going to be good for a shower or two I think.

Endura are based in Scotland and say they make for our weather. Perhaps it's reflected in some data they display eg water proof to 30,000 mm and breathability of 20,000 gms for this jacket. Though how they measure and what exactly that means I don't know. Two mtb reviews gave it 9/10.

Has some good visibility piping though colours arent the best with a pale blue and a drab grey.

You pays your money and takes your chance and kind of agree with Melonfish re breathability though I think I've got very efficient sweat glands..put it that way.

The horizontal rain by the way was cycling about 1Km from Italian mainland to Venice across a very exposed bridge. It really was bucketing it down and literally blowing the rain sideways - I thought we might get blown off - on the train running over the bridge people were taking photographs of us! That I had to be told as I was too busy focussing on the guy in front and looking for the other side to be visible in the downpour.

 

[Crackle]

Don't know if you'll find such a beast. All the Gore-tex ones I've had were waterproof, even in Scotland but over the course of a day, you'll build sweat inside that the jacket won't get rid of. Especially when it gets older and the fabric wets out, breathability goes downhill rapidly then. I think I've always been damp after a day's cycling in the Scottish rain and I've had a few of them. My current jacket is a Gore Cross, very breathable but I've been lucky enough not to test it in prolonged heavy rain. Good fit, nicely made and probably as breathable as you'll get on the bike. Has worked very well the few times it's been called upon.

 

[Fletch456]

It depends what you need and probably my favourite reviewer Dave T (surname I don't know) at thewashingmachinepost.net recommends the dhb Waterproof Cycling Jacket. To access it you need to go via the clothing link at the top of the page and quickest is to use ctrl and f find function for dhb.

His reviews can be a bit wordy and he distinguishes himself by not using capital letters but they are always worth a read in my opinion. He lives in bonny Scotland, where you got drenched so I think he must be used to those downpours. I reckon a lot more of us, including me would go there for hols if the weather was better and less random.


At the mo its on Wiggle for £35.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It depends what you need and probably my favourite reviewer Dave T (surname I don't know) at thewashingmachinepost.net recommends the dhb Waterproof Cycling Jacket. To access it you need to go via the clothing link at the top of the page and quickest is to use ctrl and f find function for dhb.

His reviews can be a bit wordy and he distinguishes himself by not using capital letters but they are always worth a read in my opinion. He lives in bonny Scotland, where you got drenched so I think he must be used to those downpours. I reckon a lot more of us, including me would go there for hols if the weather was better and less random.


At the mo its on Wiggle for £35.

I want a new jacket for when I go back.

 

[yello]

Outside of the aforementioned eVent fabric, I've recently been reading good reports of Montane's Atomic DT Jacket. Not cut for cycling and I'd personally find the hood of no use and probably in the way, but it may be worth considering.

For eVent, I'd look at Pace's eVent 3x3 jacket. The simplest, and so cheapest, of the eVent jackets that I know of.

 

[psmiffy]

I am told that jackets made out of Event are very waterproof and breathable - however Ive never tried one - 20 something years ago I bought a Freestyle Goretex that kept me dry for around eight or so years through deluges* in various parts of the alps, New Zealand et.al - this was replaced with a Gore bike goretex due to being a bit shabby and a little on the small side as I had got older - the gore bike kept me dry for another eight or so years through deluges* on another New Zealand trip, more Alpine French adventures - Spain and Norway in the spring and Autumn before I finally replaced it with my present Goretex which has done stirling work through deluges* in France, Scandinavia the Baltic States et.al etc.

One word - Goretex - proper 3 layer jobs- the superceded jckets still hang in the wardrobe and after being put in the washing machine and freshened up with some silicone spray still keep the wet out and me reasonably comfortable

As to being boil in the bag when climbing - you are always going to put out more heat than any garment other than a string vest will happily disipate - the balance is are you going to get cold if you dont wear the waterproof - climbing in the alps in the rain I generally strip down to just my bib shorts under the jacket and open as many zips as I can

* rain in excess of 30mm/hour generally of duration greater than 4 hours

 

[Fletch456]

* rain in excess of 30mm/hour generally of duration greater than 4 hours

Do you know what water proof to 30,000 mm and breathability of 20,000 gms means, as quoted by Endura?

 

[totallyfixed]

Do you know what water proof to 30,000 mm and breathability of 20,000 gms means, as quoted by Endura?

Are you sure that is not meant to read 3000mm? Anyway it means as far as I remember a column of water pressurised to the equivalent of 3000mm on the material. I have a Gill eVent jacket I got about 5 years ago, totally waterproof and more breathable than my Gore windproof, been out in all conditions and never let me down.

 

[Fletch456]

Are you sure that is not meant to read 3000mm? Anyway it means as far as I remember a column of water pressurised to the equivalent of 3000mm on the material. I have a Gill eVent jacket I got about 5 years ago, totally waterproof and more breathable than my Gore windproof, been out in all conditions and never let me down.

Definitely 30,000mm and 22,000 gms for breathability - I just checked. Two other jackets state 10,000 and 12,000 mm. About the same time I posted on here I emailed them so may be they will reply and if a mistake and they spot it they will let me know and I will post it here.

 

[Globalti]

When I learned to ski in freezing rain in Aviemore about 30 years ago, somebody lent me a pair of ski gloves that had vinyl palms and Goretex backs. I realised on that day that Goretex really does work; my palms were sweaty and soaked and the backs of my hands stayed dry and warm all day long.

On a more recent climbing holiday in Torridon I wore a new Goretex jacket and over trousers in heavy rain storms and stayed comfortable and dry all the way through.

Unfortunately Goretex doesn't work so well once the water repellent coating has gone and the fabric gets soaked.