Chandne

Yeah, I definitely would not get more than a Large in the Pro/Spring Classic. In fact, a large may give me layering room. I run hot anyway (maybe it is because we climb so much here) so I will likely never need too many layers underneath. At 30-35 degrees, I usually wear a base layer, a thicker jersey, and a shell if I think it is going to rain or be windy. My feet freeze but my body gets warm fast. Those 7 Mesh jackets (Re:gen, for example) also look really good (except I wish it had a slightly longer tail/back, but I'm not sure how the sizing runs yet. I think to be safe, I'd go with a large in any of these.

wphamilton

Does anyone make a waterproof jersey?

Dirt Farmer

Or shorts? My balls sweat like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.

GeneO 

Another Showers Pass Elite 2.1 here for cooler temps. Good venting (except if you backpack, which I do often, then it is adequate if you let some air in the front). Decent windbreaker too.

I also have a showers pass transit I use as a shell for colder weather riding.

.

v70cat

I also have a Shower Pass jacket and really like it. It is light weight breaths better than any other rain jacket and is well made.

banerjek

There are such jackets, and the problem with your Gore-Tex jacket is that stuff designed for MTB is cut way too loose for road cycling.

I personally use the Gore Oxygen Active Shell. It's aerodynamic and fits me like a glove (I'm 5'9", 140 lbs) and never flaps in wind. If you want to go even lighter and more breathable as well as packable, the Gore One is just crazy light at 133 grams and is awesome all around. The Gore One is spendy at $300, but if you try one out, you'll see where that money went

DISCLAIMER: I am a Gore-Tex product tester and receive consideration for sharing my views, so you may want to take my comments with a grain of salt. But I spend way too much time in the outdoors to use stuff I don't like. Although I wear the Oxygen, I extensively tested prototypes for the Gore One in a wide range of conditions. It's the lightest and most versatile cycling jacket I've every tried.

Chandne

The Gore Oxygen is only available in black (an odd choice of color, if there only will be one) and I don't do all black since my tights are usually black. I'm surprised they only make it in black. It looks really good though. I'm still trying to figure it out and in the meantime, may pickup a stop-gap jacket rather inexpensively. This one is breathable and apparently very water resistant. A friend just got it in red and finds it too tight and hasn't worn it, so I'm going to try it out on Friday and if it fits, I'll take it off his hands. He says it appears that water keeps beading off it when under the faucet. For under $100, it will be a good one either way as long as it fits....can't have too much bike gear. I have a few more weeks to decide, while the weather still holds.

Specialized MEN'S DEFLECT H20 EXPERT JACKET | Cycling Jackets | ERIK'S

banerjek

You mean that the Gore One is only available in black. Gore Oxygen is available in colors.

I also think it's unfortunate that you can only get the Gore One in black. If that's a deal buster for you, you'll need to get something else -- I don't expect the Gore One to be available in another color anytime soon.

Chandne

Sorry, I got confused with the names. I was referring to the Gore One being available only in black. That's a seriously odd single color choice for a shell, that will likely be used in lower-visibility conditions. I also don't like the Grim Reaper all-black look much. I think we will get some cold rainy days here in the next few weeks, but the real cold does not come till Jan/Feb.

Seattle Forrest

I don't like black jackets because everybody has a black jacket. But everybody has a black jacket because, as Beth explains, "black goes with everything."

79pmooney

I completely don't get offering a rain jacket in just black. Basic marketing. Return customers. Those jackets are worn almost exclusively in poor weather conditions where the lighting is usually also poor. Every customer who gets bumped off by that car that didn't see him isn't spending any more money on Gore products not is he extolling their worth.

(And basic race training tenant: any crash that can be prevent must be. They cut into training hours and quality.)

Ben

Carbonfiberboy 

Besides that, with black you never need to use Shout in your laundry. It's always spiffy. Unfortunately, it's also the color of asphalt, with which sooner or later you may become one.

Seattle Forrest

I'm not sure if it's Gore One or some other fabric that's only available in black, but you have to remember Gore is a textile company, not a cycling company. Their stuff is used by hikers who don't go near asphalt, and runners who have better brakes, not just us.

banerjek

It's hard to know the exact reasons why companies do things. Whenever color choices for something strike me as both limited and surprising, I always wonder if it might be a function of the materials.

We tend to take color for granted, but some materials can only be produced in a limited range of colors.

seypat

I did not know that! I have learned something today. Maybe it has something to do with the breathability of the material. I was ordering a dry bag the other day. They seem to come in every color under the sun.

fietsbob

Woad, you just make your skin Blue..

[To the tune of Men of Harlech]

1. What's the use of wearing braces, Hats and spats and shoes with laces
Vests and coats you buy in places Down on Brompton Road?
What's the use of shirts of cotton, Studs that always get forgotten?
Such affairs are simply rotten; Better far is Woad!

Woad's the stuff to show, men! Woad to scare your foemen!
Boil it to a brilliant blue, And rub it on your legs and your abdomen!

Ancient Britons never hit on Anything as good as Woad to fit on
Neck and knees, and where you sit on; Tailors, you be blowed.

2. Romans came across the channel, All dressed up in tin and flannel;
Half a pint of Woad per man'll Clothe us more than these!
Saxons, ye may save your stitches, Building beds for bugs in britches;
We have Woad to clothe us, which is Not a nest for fleas.

Romans, save your armor -- Saxons, your pajamas!
Hairy coats were made for goats, Gorillas, yaks, retriever dogs, and llamas!

So march on Snowdon with your Woad on; Never mind if you get rained or snowed on --
Never need a button sewed on! W-O-A-D, Woad!

Chandne

That Gore One must be a case where the material can only (or easily/cheaply) be produced in black. It makes little sense for a bike gear company to do that, so there could be a reason. Still, I avoid the Grim Reaper look, esp in the winter.

Chandne

So the Specialized Deflect H2O jacket fits well and is mine now. I did the faucet test and water just kept beading off, unlike my other ones where it starts to sit and penetrates after 5-10 seconds. When trying to suck air through the fabric, it resists far more too. It takes some effort to get air through, and it has WindStopper front panels, wrist seals, long sleeves, and a comfortable fleecy collar with an offset zipper. No hood though. I think it is going to be very water resistant. It appears to be breathable but I can't tell till I actually ride in rainy or cold conditions. The fit is good. I'm 5'11 and 175 lbs now. Chest is 41 and waist 34. I have long arms with a 6'3"+ wingspan. The Large gives me just enough room for a thick jersey and base layer on the body, but the sleeves are pretty snug too so they will not flap around. The front is long enough and the tail is a bit longer. I could maybe squeeze into a medium but I suspect it would simply be too tight and uncomfortable with anything on underneath.

It is not exactly a packable jacket since it has a mesh inside but it could be done in the biggest jersey pocket if you can stop and take a little time to fold it tightly. If I had a couple of thick rubber bands, I could swing it. My other shells are packable.

Anyway, I'll use this while watching out for the ones mentioned above. Knowing me, I will probably snag one on sale. In the meantime, I have my cool weather shells and my cold/raining weather jacket.

Chandne

Just a final update. I kept an eye out and picked up two more jackets...a highly water-resistant 7Mesh Resistance for the road bike and a waterproof 7Mesh Revelation for mtn biking, fat biking, and whatever else. I should have them next week.

fietsbob

the clear plastic ones to see the team logos thru dont breathe at all that what waterproof means to you?

the water resistant breathable shed rain as long as the DWR treatment holds out maybe 2 years

re apply DWR or buy a new one.



...

TimothyH

Please let us know your thoughts on these products. I'm especially interested in the Resistance Jacket. How packable is it?

I own a 7Mesh Strategy Jacket and a Callighan Jersey. Patterning, materials and performance are second to none. The are the Arc'teryx of cycling clothing.

If the Resistance Jacket is DWR then you can reapply McNetts after a while.

https://www.gearaid.com/products/dur...nt=28044140945


-Tim-

Chandne

The Resistance jacket is supposed to be heavy water resistant. I searched a lot for reviews. Two of the interesting reviews said that with the taped seams and high water resistance and high breathability, it kept the riders drier inside than their technically waterproof jackets. Plus it is the only one that packs down to practically nothing. I also contacted 7Mesh and they recommended that one for my road biking here- we climb and sweat on those long sustained climbs. Our rains are generally not heavy downpours but either sprinkles or short harder rains so it may work out extremely well. I'll keep you posted after I use them..prob in light snow.

TimothyH

Thanks @Chandne. Looking forward to hearing more about it.

A highly packable waterproof shell is something missing from my kit.

Whom did you speak with at 7Mesh? When I called them with questions about fit on the Callighan Jersey the transferred me to Ian Martin, VP of R&D. His advice on fit was 100% spot on.

Life is a Beautiful Detail has reviewed some of their products although I question the way the Strategy Jacket fits the model in their review. It seems way off to me.

https://lifeisabeautifuldetail.com/


-Tim-

Onyxaxe

I bought a 20 dollar Swiss Tech jacket from Wal-Mart that proved adequate in heavy downpours for about an hour or so. It's fleece lined so it's pretty warm too. Breathability is decent. I knew what to look for so I got a good deal, they have a lot of crappy jackets in the same line though. The only downside to the jacket is that I'm a woman, and it's a fairly bulky mens jacket. If it's windy out it acts like a parachute lol. Good luck.

Chandne

I emailed and I believe it was the same Ian who responded back. Glad he did actually. I have a couple of long rides this summer and rain showers zip in and out in the mountain passes. The packable breathable and really water-resistant shell was missing from my collection. I have two great shells but they can't hold up to much rain. The Resistance also has those fully taped seams that should help a lot.

I also go on long mountain biking rides through some remote passes and mountains so the Revelation will be helpful there. Get soaked at 10,000 feet when the temp just dropped from 60 to 30 and you will have a very painful and bad few hours after that.

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.