reynoldsarts

Just finished 8 months on the bike. Hit A few nice week long downpours. I have a gore 5 shake dry but it’s not great in cold, has no hood and tight. What’s your favorite rain jacket?

Tourist in MSN

Marmot Precip. Light weight and very thin so I am less likely to overheat. If it is chilly, it is roomy enough that I can put extra layers under it. Has a hood that I sometimes use in campgrounds but I never wear a hood while on the bike, instead I use a rain cover on the helmet.

They seem to use different colors over time, perhaps annually, but you usually can pick a color that is bold enough so the traffic can see you.

The photos are from different trips, different bikes and different panniers, but the same rain jacket in both photos.

reynoldsarts

Checked it out, great value but I’m lusting for a full hood. Last trip I had 5-7 days of full blast downpours and 20+ mph headwinds.

thumpism 

You might want to rethink the hood while riding. Chances are it will interfere with your peripheral vision. I also recommend a helmet cover instead of a hood, although I like having the hood for off-bike use. I've used various rainjackets for light precip but prefer a poncho for real protection in downpours.

dh024

I have a helmet rain cover and a jacket with a hood. I prefer using the hood most of the time. The helmet cover is OK when it isn't too cold or the rain isn't coming down hard.

I guess I am lucky - the hood has never impacted my peripheral vision, as I wear it under my helmet. The straps on my helmet keep it tucked in well, so I don't think this is a big concern.

Tourist in MSN

Nice thing about a helmet cover is it does double duty on chilly days. Yesterday I did a 25 mile exercise ride, temp was in the low to mid 40s (F), wore a polartec ear band under the helmet and a helmet rain cover. There was no rain, the rain cover was to keep the wind off of my head.

Three years ago when I did a month long tour in Iceland, it was chilly enough that I left the rain cover on the helmet for the entire month, some days also used an ear band and some days without.

niknak

The Shower's Pass Elite 2.1 jacket has the best design for cycling I've ever used. It has wide cuffs, front-biased zippered vents, and a rear vent to maximize airflow to prevent overheating, which is the scourge of most rain jackets. But you can cinch it down in cold weather. They probably make a similar jacket with a hood.

I wore out my Elite 2.1 jacket several years ago and have since used a jacket on the opposite side of the cost spectrum: The O2 Rainwear hooded jacket. It's dirt cheap, lightweight, compact, and it sheds water better than the Elite. It is more fragile and the fit is way oversized, but the billowy size does allow better airflow and excellent layering space. I'm normally a size medium and even the size small is roomy.

Miele Man

Do you find that water seeps through wherever there is bunching up of the jacket - say on the arms?

Cheers

niknak

The SP Elite jacket failed at the taped seams along the shoulders where the arms connected. At that point it became just a wind jacket. In my experience that's how all of my fancy two or three ply jackets have failed. The tape comes off and then the flood gates open. The tape isn't reliable in the long run.

I haven't experienced any water leaks with the cheapo O2 Rainwear jacket. I've taped a few spots where abrasion tore the waterproof layer but the jacket keeps on doing its job. The jacket is welded together like Ortlieb panniers so there is no tape to peel off. For $35, this jacket continues to impress me.

Tourist in MSN

On both rain gear and on tent flys when the taped seams start to become untaped, I tear off as much of the tape as is loose and seal the seams with Seam Grip. You should not have to do this, but in the end that is the simplist solution. I always try to let seam grip set for a week or more before packing anything away, it can take a while before it is no longer tacky.
https://www.rei.com/product/603034/g...ip-seam-sealer

meyers66

I agree the O2 does a good job as an emergency rain jacket without sweating a lot. On my second one. I’m in subtropical Taiwan and stash it in my saddle bag so I’m prepared. If there’s a better option please advise. I stuff the hood under the collar when not needed. But the hood has saved me a few times.

stardognine

I got a killer deal on a Marmot winter weight Gore-Tex parka, a couple years ago now. This one's bright orange, so very visible, and has nice big pit zips, for ventilation. 👍 For anyone not aware, Marmot was the first company to use Gore-Tex, and helped Mr. Gore ( I forget his first name right now) get his product some recognition. That's a pretty good reference. 😎

Tourist in MSN

I think a friend of mine in the 80s had a down sleeping bag with a Goretex shell.

reppans

You won’t be able to beat Gore ShakeDry for total waterproofness and near windshirt breathability, it’s fabulous stuff. I wouldn’t get an insulated version as that will reduce its versatility - just layer underneath as necessary. The C5 is tailored tight for the roadies aerodynamics/speed. For more room to layer underneath, and a good hood, I would advise The Northface Hyperair GTX ShakeDry... you can still find last year’s model at 50% off in all sizes.

schiavonec

A helmet cover works great for me in yhe winter. Keeps wind off (precip too), and I use different weight hat solutions depending on temp.

To the orig question, tnf mtn bike shell I coat with silicone, in the warmer to early winter and late spring months; I use a heavier patagonia rain shell for the switch seasons with liner as needed; and in the teens or 20s commuting, i use a mtn hardware lightly lined shell when i know it will snow.

stardognine

Mine's not really insulated, other than a thin lining, it just has a much thicker & sturdier version of Gore-Tex. 🙂

I might have jinxed myself, talking about it though. I did laundry yesterday, & messed up the zipper, in the dryer. 😩 At least the velcro strips still hold it shut pretty good, but I kinda need a new one now. 🤔🙁

Cougrrcj

My first tour 40 years ago - I had a cheap nylon windbreaker. On the two days it rained out of the eleven riding days, I used the cheapest raincoat known to man - a plastic garbage bag, cut in the proper places for neck and arm holes. yes, it was Summer - August in fact - so chill was not an issue.

Now that I'm older and wiser (and haven't gone on a 'tour' in 35 years), I try to not ride on rainy days. If it looks like it might rain on a riding day, I'll take along my breathable rain jacket from J&G Waterproof Breathable Jackets from People Who Really Know Waterproof Breathable Jackets! . I also have a pair of rain pants and helmet cover from the same company, but as I said before, I tend to pick my cycling days...

TiHabanero

Another thumbs up for the O2 jacket with hood. The pants are just as effective. Our shop sent many people out on tour with their original jacket and pant. Very waterproof, slightly sweaty, baggy enough for layers. Just about perfect.

KenCT

I recently picked up a rain cape from J&G Cyclewear. Used it and a helmet cover during a light rain last week, kept me dry and I did not over heat like I would in a jacket without a vapor liner.

Rain Capes from People Who Really Know Rain Capes!

TiHabanero

Who wears a rain cape when it is not raining? They need new model images to show it in use!

thumpism 

That's how well it works. By wearing it you keep the rain away!

Vintage_Cyclist

I bought one of those at REI. Within 2 years, the white, inner coating began shedding off, rendering it no longer waterproof. It wasn't even wearable as a wind shell, because of all the white dust coming off it. After taking off the jacket, I'd look like I jumped into a vat of baby powder. I was out of warranty with Marmot and REI and got no play with either of them on reimbursing. It was disappointing, because I've had Marmot stuff before and was generally happy with it.

Tourist in MSN

I have only once had a warranty claim with Marmot but they were quick to approve replacement. You might want to try it again, tell them that the coating has a delamination problem.

REI, yeah I am pretty unhappy with them. They got so big that they pretty wiped out a lot of their competition so there are not many other options. They stopped selling some stuff that did not have really high profit margins. And now they seem to put customer service way down their priority list.

Chr0m0ly 

I have an Eastern Mountain Sports back country hiking rain jacket with goretex lining I bought around 2000. It's hugely oversized so I could layer under it. That's made it an awesome commuting rain jacket! Huge pit zips, and a stowaway hood make it really adjustable to conditions.

Being so huge I can wear it with the pits open, and unzip the from the bottom and get tons of ventilation in the summer. When it's cold I can cinch the hood, waist, and hips of the jacket and make it pretty tight.

The best part is I can wear it OVER a mountain Smith lumbar pack or a small backpack, keeping everything dry and warm. No wet gear, and no frozen cell phone.

I think a well oversized rain jacket takes the best qualities of a poncho and a jacket.

balrog687

I still have an arcteryx Beta AR. It's a hardshell, probably overkill in most situations, but totally trustworthy on really bad weather, I've used it in Alaska, Canada, Chilean Andes, Carretera Austral and the Chilean Patagonia.

Totally recomended for strong winds, cold weather, hail and rain.