Holy Grail of clothing waterproof and breathable

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Darren Gregory

Rides a Pinnacle Arkose 3 and a Trek Emonda SL6
Hello all.

The past week as been pretty hellish on the bike and Thursday in particular was horrific in the wet.

I find I run very hot and have mostly riding in sportful base layer and short sleeve jersey with arm warmers and gilet if necessary.

I also have the Sportful No Rain top which I have found to be very good although the lack of pockets is annoying

When it rains like it has done the past week though the no rain top is struggling to cope so I have been considering a proper waterproof jacket. I get paid next week and hopefully I might be able to save enough cash this week to have somewhere in the region of £150 for a jacket.

Does anyone else find they struggle with keeping cool and been in the same situation?

I am currently looking at the Short sleeve version of this that comes with arm warmers:

http://road.cc/content/review/172677-sportful-fiandre-extreme-neoshell-jacket
 

Archeress

Veteran
Location
Bristol
I have the Altura Night Vision and it coped very well with heavy rain on the club ride today, I stayed bone dry. It also has long zips under the armpits that can be opened to allow airflow. I have yet to feel too hot wearing it.

Hugs
Archeress x
 
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Darren Gregory

Darren Gregory

Rides a Pinnacle Arkose 3 and a Trek Emonda SL6
I have the Altura Night Vision and it coped very well with heavy rain on the club ride today, I stayed bone dry. It also has long zips under the armpits that can be opened to allow airflow. I have yet to feel too hot wearing it.

Hugs
Archeress x

Thanks for the comment, just been reading up on the Altura this comment int eh Road.cc review is a bit worrying though:

"This jacket will also keep warm, which means - as with any jacket of this type - you'll sweat more, and will get damp on the inside of the jacket, especially if you're pushing hard, but overall the breathability on the Night Vision is very good. You'll probably need to wear less kit than usual under the jacket to keep your body temperature at a comfortable level. - See more at: http://road.cc/content/review/99241-altura-night-vision-jacket#sthash.OhPRWdVX.dpuf"

Similar comment on the Bike Radar review.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
Paramo Quito jacket or Velez light smock.

http://www.paramo-clothing.com/en-g...tributes=FCBDB5D3-90B7-4766-871F-389AF483A8BE

Benefit is that being a non-cycling specific you can wear it down the shops, hiking the moors, camping running whatever. Multi purpose.
It's pricey* and relatively bulky, but it breathes very well and it's waterproofness is fabulous. Furthermore you keep warmer if you have to stop to fix a puncture on a cold wet day compared to a single layered material. I also find that I can wear it over a fair range of changeable conditions when others are constantly adding and removing layers.
I prefer the smock design, but the Jacket provides a little more flexibility. @User uses the jacket. Both of us are smugly dry after some torrential night rides.

*Prices can be good if you shop around.
http://www.e-outdoor.co.uk/193313/p...currency=GBP&gclid=CIv2uLOIoMoCFSsOwwodClcO5w

EDIT: Just seen they now have a Cycling specific jacket:

http://www.paramo-clothing.com/en-gb/explore-range/product/?pk=C8DCF532-31CD-46F7-A4C3-761713C24AAB
 
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Darren Gregory

Darren Gregory

Rides a Pinnacle Arkose 3 and a Trek Emonda SL6
Paramo Quito jacket or Velez light smock.

http://www.paramo-clothing.com/en-g...tributes=FCBDB5D3-90B7-4766-871F-389AF483A8BE

Benefit is that being a non-cycling specific you can wear it down the shops, hiking the moors, camping running whatever. Multi purpose.
It's pricey* and relatively bulky, but it breathes very well and it's waterproofness is fabulous. Furthermore you keep warmer if you have to stop to fix a puncture on a cold wet day compared to a single layered material. I also find that I can wear it over a fair range of changeable conditions when others are constantly adding and removing layers.
I prefer the smock design, but the Jacket provides a little more flexibility. @User uses the jacket. Both of us are smugly dry after some torrential night rides.

*Prices can be good if you shop around.
http://www.e-outdoor.co.uk/193313/p...currency=GBP&gclid=CIv2uLOIoMoCFSsOwwodClcO5w

EDIT: Just seen they now have a Cycling specific jacket:

http://www.paramo-clothing.com/en-gb/explore-range/product/?pk=C8DCF532-31CD-46F7-A4C3-761713C24AAB


Thanks, certainly different to what I have been looking at. How "flappy" does it get being no specific for cycling? Also how do you find the arm length?
 

Lilliburlero

Pro sandbagger
Location
South Derbyshire
Just a quick look at one of their jackets, looks interesting.

I manged to get the Elite Pro Jacket (bnwt) for £50 delivered from a seller on ebay last year. The 3 vents are great for keeping you cool and after a 10 mile ride home from picking up an old Raleigh Winner in heavy rain I can vouch for its waterproof capabilities

I also have their Roadie Pants.... Awesome bit of kit.
 
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Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
They have had feedback on that jacket. It was mostly along the lines of "if there has to be a hood, could it not be detachable and, while you are about it, fluro yellow is an abomination, there is nothing wrong with black you know."
That's good .... and why is it heavier than the Velez light too .....
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
Thanks, certainly different to what I have been looking at. How "flappy" does it get being no specific for cycling? Also how do you find the arm length?
Hi
I find the arm length fine and if it warms the sleeves are readilly rolled-up too. The back is long enough too (and I'm ling in the back).
I don't find it flappy at all. I'm no racing snake but it was fine at 40mph down Chain Hill today. Just wore a cheap long sleeve Decathlon base layer underneath.

That's me today, the man in black in the middle to give some idea.

12494900_1111567812189425_875414840129105617_n.jpg
 

Kajjal

Guru
Location
Wheely World
The problem is in heavy rain no jacket will breathe, the water running off it stops this happening. I wear an older gore alp-x jacket which works well for me with just a base layer. It is fitted but not overly so and has zip off arms. There are quite a few jackets in the sales at the moment.
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
Another Paramo fan. I have an old hoodless Velez, and a Vista, which is cycling specific (and black....) But be warned, they are a bit warm. The design is such that you can wear it poppered rather than zipped for ventilation, and roll the sleeves up. My favourite off road jacket is a windproof smock, the Fuera. Worn with a directional base layer it does a good job of keeping most of the water off, and I have a Halcon as a general walking and shooting jacket. I've been out in some serious downpours in it, and it doesn't let anything through. Paramo fabric doesn't depend on a membrane like goretex or pertex, and as long as you keep it washed and reproofed its warrantied for life. It ain't cheap though.
 
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Darren Gregory

Darren Gregory

Rides a Pinnacle Arkose 3 and a Trek Emonda SL6
Lots of love for the Paramo on here. Despite my intense searching I had never heard of them, bit worried that they would be too hot for me though.
 
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User6179

Guest
I tried a few waterproof jackets on the bike and found them to warm , I also run hot , I found a cheap waterproof jacket with pit vents worked better than a £200 goretex jacket but was still a tad to sweaty on the arms , gave up on waterproof in the end but if I ever went for another one it would be goretex with pit vents .
 
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