Cyclist0383

Once again I'm on the hunt for the ultimate commuter jacket. I have a long list of jackets which for one reason or another just didn't work out for me. I ride in rainy, windy, and snowy conditions a lot, so a jacket that can take that abuse is a must. I'm out of ideas at this point. Do you have any suggestions?



Here is my list of requirements:
Pit zips
Pockets
Water/wind proof
Excellent ventilation
Highly breathable (Please avoid starting a discussion on how breathable fabrics don't work. I choose to use them. Thanks.)
Dark color so it doesn't show a lot of dirt and grime.



The jackets I've already tried:

Showers Pass Elite 2.0 - The new material they are using for the cuffs absorbs a tremendous amount of water, soaks my shirt cuffs underneath, and takes over 12 hours to dry.

Showers Pass Touring Jacket - Received a defective jacket which fell apart after two weeks. Replaced with the Elite 2.0 above.

Lowe Alpine Cliff Jacket - Zippers on two different jackets broke in the exact same place within two months.

Teva E-Vent Jacket - Zipper died. Not fixable.

Fox Stormblock Jacket - Lousy ventilation.

J&G Waterproof Breathable Jacket - Poor breathability. Only comes in yellow.

Castelli Jacket - Old and no longer waterproof. No pockets.





Thanks for your suggestions!

Z.

meanwhile

These definitely don't work! Sweat isn't that directional - it would have to squirt like water from a hose for pit vents to work better than a front zip.

Some breathable fabrics DO work. Google some reviews on Montane Jackets made out of "Event" and Paramo clothes. Unlike Goretex Event passes lets water vapour out while it is vapour, instead of making it condense on the liner, and the Paramo stuff is just weird - it's hydrophobic and pumps water out. The Montane Event will pack smaller and suit warm weather better; the Paramo is ultra tough and great in cooler weather - it's what British military types often buy for Arctic warfare. A great thing about is that small rips don't matter; water that gets in is pumped out again. Bizarre.

scoatw

Wow! You've just about tried them all. I've had the Showers Pass Century for a year now. And it does all that I want it to. It was great in the winter, and does good in warm weather rain. The pit zips could be bigger, but I'm not complaining. I don't think that you're going to find the "perfect" jacket out there. J&G would've been my second choice. REI has a nice jacket I saw, for about $79. Maybe you could buy that and give us all a review on that too. What about Performance or Nashbar.

slowjoe66

No offense here, but the coat is probably the least important clothing article for a commuter. It's still important, but far more important is what's underneath (layering), and what is on your hands and feet. You will be sweating, your core will be the warmest thing, hence the coat takes only a supporting role, not the primary.

meanwhile

Probably not for the OP: "I ride in rainy, windy, and snowy conditions a lot, so a jacket that can take that abuse is a must." Even the best base layer is useless if soaked in show and robbed of heat by wind chill.

Also conventional layering is on its way out among "power users" - mountaineers, Arctic warfare soldiers, and similar types, although this change might be slower in the US. Paramo and Buffalo make clothes that are often used as single layer in below zero conditions. The advantage is that sweat goes straight to a garment that can wick it to the outside. This works because the fabrics use can pass sweat as moisture, unlike Goretex.

noteon 

I couldn't quite bring myself to spend this money, so I got the Showers Pass:

Cyclopede

Cyclist0383

Please respect my request and take this debate elsewhere. Thanks.
Having commuted for many, many, years I know what I want and what I need. In my climate a good jacket is paramount.

Cyclist0383

Thanks for the suggestions. I guess it's just bad luck that both Showers Pass jackets I've had are defective.
I've had bad luck with the Nashbar brand stuff I've bought; it seems okay for casual use, but it's not rugged enough for serious every day commuting.
Thanks for the suggestion. (It is damn pricey though, isn't it?)

Jarery

Pit Zips are not for sweat to pour out of. Wtf were you thinking? Pit zips allow ventilation, they allow the hot air that builds up inside the jacket to vent outside without having to pass through the material.

In your spiel about event material, you failed to actually read he already has 2 event material jackets.

-------------------------------------------------------

Very unfortunate you got poor quality from showerspass. Are they replacing your elite with one with better cuffs? One other suggestion would be to go for a softshell instead of hardshell. Try https://beyondclothing.com/products/jackets/soft-shell/ and look for schoeller dry skin extreme, like the coldplay jackets. Pricey though. Good luck.

Lalato

Pricey, but how about something like the Mountain Hardwear Quark...

https://www.mountainhardwear.com/Prod...1277&prod=1907

noteon 

Extremely. But it also looks reeeally nice.

Cyclist0383

Thanks for the suggestion. It looks like a contender.
It does look nice, but I wonder how the rear vent works in real life use. I searched, but I couldn't find any reviews of it. Have you seen any?

Showers Pass offered to look to see if they have any other stock with the old style rubberized cuffs. It seems that they used a new material on the cuffs to better scoop wind for ventilation without actually testing if it repels or absorbs water. D'oh! They also offered a refund if I return the jacket.

I'm not sure that soft shells would be able to repel the driving rain that we get here, but I'll check them out. Thanks.

noteon 

I thought I had, but I don't see them now either. Maybe I'm just remembering the blurbs the manufacturer has up at their site.

Jarery

Those jackets with the rear vent are sold at a Taiga store here in Vancouver. I used to meet up with one commuter who wore one and he loved it. I found them very thick/heavy when compared to my elite. It would be a winter jackt only instead of a 3 season jacket for me.

ken cummings

Could we have some second thoughts about selecting a dark colored jacket? When commuting being seen is more important to me then looking spiffy. I would love to get a Showers Pass jacket in a color-saturated hot pink with masses of 3M bright silver reflective tape.

Cyclist0383

Thanks for the heads-up. I definitely need something rather light for autumn and spring use. I'm one of those people who is always warm.
I've found that when I have a light colored jacket it gets filthy and covered in grease rather quickly. As my work takes me into some rather formal situations, and I always cycle there, I'd need something dark to look presentable. I can get away with the helmet and panniers just fine, but I'd rather not push it by showing up to meetings in a jacket with black smudges all over it.

MichaelW

Ive been using a Paramo Cuzco multi-activity jacket for the last 3 or 4 winters. Mine lacks pit-zips but the current version has them. The pockers are high chest, not rear and are well placed for carrying wallet, keys, gloves and a map. The collar is quite high and the cut is excellent with a dropped tail and long arms.
I have nothing but praise for the system and not a single bad thing to say. I'm a former Gortex user and Paramo is just so much more comfortable in the dry or wet. The material is as breathable as any windproof with no membrane to prevent the flow of moisture. It is not strictly waterproof but it handles water sufficiently well for professional outdoor use by mountain rescue teams, climbers etc in UK and on expeditions further north. ("Everest: good training for a Scottish winter").
The material will dry within 1/2hr, it needs reproofing once or twice a year and washing in the machine every month. 10yr old jackets are still in daily use.
The only downside of Paramo is the amount of in-built insulation. It is similar to a thin fleece and there is a max cutoff temp which differes. For me this is at 16C but I feel the cold. It is also bulky to store in a bag compared to some goretex (about the same as winter-weight, lined jacket) but when I have it Im always wearing it.

My jacket is due for some maintenance and after-sales service is really good. They replace zips, tags etc and reproof to original standard.

HardyWeinberg

I like my burley rock point which is no longer made but still pops up on ebay from time to time:

https://cgi.ebay.com/Burley-Mens-Rock...2em118Q2el1247

I think it meets all your criteria.

no motor?

I can't recommend the Performance Illuminte Commuter jacket for you, even though it's a great coat that has some of the features you're looking for. It doesn't breathe that well in the arms, and it's going to be too warm for you in the autumn. I've worn mine in the low 40's at night with only a long sleeve base layer underneath, and been toasty warm. Plus, it's high vis, so all the dirt is going to show.

old_alfie

Oh fer crying out loud, just go to WalMart and buy a jacket with a beer logo on it.
alf

Cyclist0383

Does anyone have any opinions or thoughts on this jacket?

https://www.taigaworks.ca/html/outdoo...opede-162.html

stringbreaker

+1 on the Burley. Mine rocks. I do wish it had a hood though but other than that its perfect.

Jarery

Thats the one I mentioned earlier. Compared to my showerspass elite (without sponges for cuffs) the Taiga seemed very thick and heavy. Like its old style goretex weight, not the new paclite, xtr or other new goretex varieties.

It seemed well made, and well thought out, but as I said previous, more of a 1 season only jacket wheras my elite is more of a 3 season shell.

Bekologist

Have you seen the Endura shells? Scottish, one of their cyclings jacket is tougher than all get out.

Do you use only a W/B jacket, or do you also want to use a softshell? some of these are more versatile for active wear in mixed conditions.

chipcom 

Are you looking for a rain jacket or an all-around jacket?

For an all-around jacket, you can't go wrong with the the J&G Wind Jacket.
It's been my main commuting jacket for a couple of years at least.

For a rain jacket, I love my Burley Rockpoint, but they are not made anymore.

You might check out some of MEC's jackets too (Whoosh, SuperMicroft), the people I know that have them give them rave reviews.