Aushiker

I am in the market for a new rain jacket for bikepacking (packs small)/touring duties (and day-to-day riding), but it needs to tick the touring box first and foremost.

7MESH's SkyPilot would be very nice, but at US$450 + postage, it is likely to stay on the wish list.

Ground Effect's Rivet looks interesting at AU$305. Apparently, it packs down small and has good specifications. There is no hood, which is a nice feature to have in my experience.

The alternative from Ground Effect is the Storm Trooper, which has the same specifications as the Rivet but is heavier at 340 grams versus 260 grams. It does have an under-helmet hood, but I haven't found any details on how small it packs down.

Are there any other suitable options, particularly with bikepacking in mind?

L134 

GoreWear Shakedry jacket and cap. Very light, VERY waterproof (does not wet-out), breathes, windproof, packs way down.

Pratt

Amen.
They are cut trim to reduce wind resistance, you may want to go up a size for touring vs racing.
And it does shake dry.

Leisesturm

Or you can just get the Runners model of the same jacket. And get $100 off while you are at it. Cyclists are such $ucker$ ...

Steve B.

Cycling jackets often have much longer tails to keep you dry when hunched forward on the bars, thus are worth it.

Leisesturm

You got me <hangs head>. But <brightens> my cycling jacket does have a long tail, and did not cost $300USD. There's that.

djb

oi you down under feller, this year I wanted to get a new rain jacket and spent a fair amount of time looking at various options. The pricier ones seem to always have multilayer innards, 3 or whatever, and the less expensive ones have 2.
I have used a ShowersPass rain jacket for ages, and pretty happy with it but the seam tape started coming loose after X years of use and also I had never realized how important it is to wash a rain jacket once in a while to clean off the body oils, sunscreen etc that can mess with the breathing layers and the seam tape.

I ended up just going with another ShowersPass jacket, the Century. It is priced at under 200, I think mine was a bit lower perhaps due to a sale, cant recall, but the material is that Artex 2.5 stuff that other jackets use. Here is the sales job blurb for it:
I've only had it half a season, but like its weight, cut, the breathing flaps that really do work (my previous jacket had this too, makes a real difference for better breathing) and I really like the little details of that soft material around the neck, and easy cuff tightness flexibility (again, great for more or less air moving through)
One can see that it was designed by riders who live in a rainy climate.

I wasn't keen on spending way more for a jacket, and I hope that if I am careful with this one and not abuse it, the fabric should last a good time. It is also fairly light, lighter than my older one anyway, so fine with me.
No hood attached, but I'm not keen on those for the majority of my riding.
Anyway, another option to look at. They are designed in Portland, Oregon, a very rainy part of the states.

• Artex™ 2.5-layer fabric for waterproof-windproof-breathable performance without bulk
• Seam taped construction for maximum wind and waterproofness
• Core vents and back vent for flow-through ventilation
• Water-resistant zippers on core vents and chest pocket
• YKK vislon zipper with storm flap
• Compatible with our Rain Hood accessory
• 360° of 3M™ reflective trim for maximum visibility
• Chest pocket and large back pocket
• Cinch cord at hem
• Clean Color dyes and 44% Recycled Nylon fabric

Aushiker

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, they seem near impossible to buy here in Australia, and online is pretty scare as well. I am aware of a 7Mesh jacket in the material, but at US$400 it will stay on the wish list ...

indyfabz

My understanding is that they are being/have been discontinued for environmental reasons.

indyfabz

So what? Obsession with how others decide to spend their money is not healthy. And knowing you spent less on something doesn’t make you superior, although you might think it does.

But you do you, Carl Spackler.

P.S. The line is “So I’ve got that going for me.”

fooferdoggie 

I have the 7mesh shakedry got it on clearance at my local shop fo3 250.00 great jacket. I like it because it dries out before my afternoon commute back home.

fooferdoggie 

[QUOTE=Aushiker;23116919]I am in the market for a new rain jacket for bikepacking (packs small)/touring duties (and day-to-day riding), but it needs to tick the touring box first and foremost.

7MESH's SkyPilot would be very nice, but at US$450 + postage, it is likely to stay on the wish list.

I would hunt for this guy on clreance the same thing https://7mesh.com/products/mens-rebe...-hi-vis-1-sale

Leisesturm

Looking for a fight where there is none is not healthy. Lighten up, or put me on your ignore list like so many of your sourpuss colleagues.
P.S. If I wanted to use "the line", I would have. Why do I have to talk the way you want me to?

50PlusCycling

I don’t know if you have Mont Bell clothes down there, but I’ve been using one of their Gore Tex rain jackets for a few years now. It’s light weight, has a detachable hood with a visor (great for cycling), and, what’s best, a padded down inner jacket which can be removed and packed very small. It is a great jacket for hot or cold weather. The price was under $400, and, considering the use I’ve gotten out of it, it was a good deal.

djb

Aus--what is your personal take and experience with multi layer fabric, 3, 4 vs the 2 layer stuff?
I find I'm a bit jaded about how much "better" the more expensive stuff is vs less expensive. What I do notice is that a jacket that has good venting flaps etc is for me, more comfortable in all kinds of varying temperatures.
I am not a big sweater, being skinny, so this helps a lot, but personally I can live with perhaps less perfect breathing if the jacket can air out as I ride, and thats been my experience in the last bunch of decades. Ive had disappointing results with goretex stuff, and find less expensive things to work well.

Will my new 2 layer jacket last as long as my older multilayer one? I dont know, but like I said, I do plan on taking care of it better, ie actually washing it, as it really seems this not washing rain gear is the kicker, the grease, sweat, oils and sunscreen really mess up the breathing layers and are bad for the seam tape.
I bought a big bottle of proper gear wash, so I figure it will help me do it maybe once a year or something, which should help.
I also tend to be careful with my gear, not squishing the crap out of all the time stuffing it into something, or leaning against rough stuff etc.
I also genereally only use my bike rain jacket for biking, and dont ride a ton in rain. I still have my old rain jacket and will use that for commuting, but need to do some seam tape repairs and or a serious seam sealing job.

I also find it daunting to order a jacket that I havent tried on, for fit, for actually feeling if the quality is there with zips, etc. I took a chance and ordered my ShowersPass jacket because I had been so happy with my previous SPass, and luckily was not disappointed. Very happy with it when I biked in Scotland last year and I was super glad to have a really well working rain jacket, it rains a lot there.

Yan 

I have an REI rain jacket that I got on sale for $60. I also have an outrageously expensive Assos jacket.

The expensive jacket is better but it's not great value. It's certainly not more than 10x better. I'd go for a cheaper one.

Robvolz 

question: What size are you?

Here in the rainy NW (and home to Castelli, which fills our co-op coffers like crazy) we get a lot of donated jackets.

Mainly ShowerPass, REI stuff and the previously mentioned Castelli.

I've been known to chase cyclists down and hand them one from my car.

Message me.

djb

Rob, very cool.
you will however have a very very long drive to do a car transfer with Mr Aus!

Robvolz 

That's why they created the mail system.

Besides, two words……

"Tim Tams."

djb

Just kidding, but what is tim tams? Up here we have tim hortons.
Ha, just looked it up, never heard of those. Yummy looking though

Aushiker

They help you go up a size real quick

79pmooney

Or ... pay $60 US for fenders and not need the tail. Drier and cleaner everything. (I ride fenders and Showers Pass jackets - with tails. I don't tour and don't know how well they stack up there. For commuting and road riding A+ superb. And I like the tails for winter low light visibility.)

djb

Appropriate timing as I've put on a spare tire with all the eating this holiday, including Tim Tam type things.

Oh, I forgot to mention that my rain pants are the same material as my new train jacket, 2 layer stuff, and I've always been impressed how well they work and breathe fairly well.
Washing them and reapplying of the dwr stuff this summer really got them beading up again and not wetting through.
Between them, my new jacket, rain booties and a rain helmet cover, I felt very prepared for the rain and cool weather I had in Scotland.

Steve B.

Nothing to do with crap off the wheel, the tail extends coverage down your butt, where a regular rain jacket cannot.

L134 

And this is a touring forum. SP may be good for a commute when you know it is going to rain and don't have to worry much about it wetting-out. I used SP jacket to ride to Alaska in 2022 and I was cold and wet practically the whole time and that damn thing got so heavy with water. One of the guys in our group had a ShakeDry and claimed he was never wet or cold. I was skeptical but so miserable with the SP that when I got home I put the SP in the trash, bought a ShakeDry and became a believer. After one week tour this past August, my three buddies on the tour all bought ShakeDry jackets after seeing how well mine performed compared to what they were very unhappy with. I bought a second when I read they were going to discontinue manufacture of the material due to environmental concerns. I'm a cheap accountant and will say if you are going to ride in real rain, they are worth the expense. Even for commuting, I find the ShakeDry far superior to SP because it is so light and compact. I don't have to decide whether to go with windbreaker or a heavy, bulky rain jacket. The ShakeDry performs better either way and if it winds up not being needed, it stuffs into a jersey pocket easily. I'm sort of embarrassed to be so sold on them.