Well I'm from the Pacific NW, so I basically have a Ph.D. in rain. Here's my take, after many years of commuting by bike.
I'm not a big fan of so-called waterproof/breathable jackets. They just don't live up to the hype. They don't breathe particularly well in humid environments, because there's not enough of a moisture gradient to drive water vapor through the membrane. Also, after a few years, the durable water repellent finish wears off, and while there are products that can help restore this, in my experience it's never as good as new. So don't get caught up in buying the latest miracle fabric. It's much more important, I think, to get a jacket with lots of ventilation options - pit zips, pocket zips, and a flap on the back. Burley used to make a good cycling-specific jacket, but has since stopped production. I've heard Showers Pass described as a sort of spiritual successor to Burley, but I've never owned one myself. Because of my frustration with modern waterproof/breathable fabrics I actually bought one of Riv's Ventile-ish cycling jackets when they came out last year. It's good - I like it. I am surprised at how well it sheds water, and I think it breathes better then Gore-Tex and the like. I wish it had pit zips, but I'm happy with the purchase. I think it will last a long time. For me, the real key to managing internally generated moisture is to not get too hot and sweaty in the first place. I usually wear a Smartwool t-shirt under my jacket, with no additional insulating layers. This means that I start my commute a little chilly, but within 10 minutes I'm warmed up enough to be comfortable. I rarely wear actual rain paints; I prefer a pair of very lightweight nylon pants that breathe well and aren't waterproof at all. But they dry very quickly and help keep me from overheating. Once I arrive at my destination I change into something nicer, if needed. I actually have an easier time staying dry and comfortable in the rain than I do when the weather is hot and humid. Jay Lonner Bellingham, WA On Tuesday, September 30, 2014 8:43:00 AM UTC-7, A CT Cyclist wrote: > > Hi, what does everyone wear when commuting in the rain? I'm looking for > something that I can wear with "normal" clothing. Something light that I > can layer under and not sweat profusely, ha ha. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
