There was a pretty extensive discussion on rain gear back in September here's the link: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topicsearchin/rbw-owners-bunch/rain$20jackets$20rain$20gear/rbw-owners-bunch/IBOM1NYLOzY
I used to work in the outdoor industry and have to say that after testing everything from Marmot to Patagonia and mountain Hardware I really never found anything that would keep me dry in sustained rain. Most of the membrane type fabrics work on the principle of pressure differential between the outside and the inside, so if it is hot and humid and raining and you are naturally hot inside the fabric will only breath if the outside pressure is less than the inside. This kind of rules out warm weather use and explains the clamminess felt inside a jacket while riding or running or even walking. So if you are like me and you sweat prolifically at just about any temp then membrane s don't work well over time. The other issue is most of them have DWR (durable water repellant) coating applied during manufacture which helps the water bead, but that coating doesn't last and will wear off depending on use and storage. It can be reapplied with Nikwax but I have not seen much success with its' durability. Laminated membrane fabrics really excel as wind barriers that's why they are the material of choice for climbers and others. Laminated membrane based fabrics work fairly well in light rain in cool temps, like winter in Oregon and Washington, but as soon as the air inside of the jacket starts warming and the difference between the inside and outside starts to increase outside the jacket the membrane can't breath because there is to much pressure outside to allow the moisture on the inside to pass through. I've found for me (the sweat king) the best solution is either fleece or wool mid layer combined with a thin base layer under a well vented semi breathable jacket, as long as I have air flow that can help dissipate the moisture wicked by the other layers I can stay relatively dry and warm as long as those fabrics wick well. Finally, the other thing to remember is that laminated membranes do delaminate making them pretty much useless. Most companies will replace delaminated garments as long as they haven't been abused. It is also possible for delamination to occur when a garment is stuffed in bike bag or left in a hot car. Based on the info in the September discussion it looks like the rain jackets made by J&G Clothing <http://www.bicycleclothing.com/Waterproof-Rain-Jackets.html>might be a good option. On Thursday, May 9, 2013 2:14:18 PM UTC-5, Deacon Patrick wrote: > > I have a single layer ventile jacket. It's great for rain/wet snow 2 hours > or less, but soaks through after that (like yesterdays 6 hour ride). I'm > looking for ideas that meet these criteria: > > -- Highly breathable. No less breathable than ventile. > -- At least as hearty against brush, briers, and branches as ventile. > -- Hood option, ideally removable/stoable. > -- Shell only for year-round use. > > I"m considering Hilltrek's Greenspot Double Ventile, but it is pricy. > http://www.hillgear.com/acatalog/copy_of_Cycling_Double_Ventile_Jacket.html > > Other ideas? > > With abandon, > Patrick > > *www.MindYourHeadCoop.org* > *www.OurHolyConception.org* > > -- 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 [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
