"Waterproof" clothing - am I expecting too much?

[wafter]

An overspill from my Brompton thread and yesterday's damp ride to work.

In short, 40-ish minute ride in moderate to heavy rain wearing my Brompton (Endura) London jacket and Craghoppers Ascent over-trousers. Got to work not dry; the jacket apparently having let in a reasonable amount of water at the zip resulting in a large damp patch on my base layer from the centre of my chest to my waistline. I think this was because the jacket tends to fold across the front during use; potentially channeling water inside. After leaving the jacket hanging for an hour or so to dry I also noticed condensation on what it was hung on / that the inside was now damp to the touch.

Upon removing my over-trousers, my actual trousers were damp to the touch all over; the over-trousers apparently failing to fully keep the water out (the outer bits of my trousers were damp rather than those near my skin, so I don't think it was sweat).

Inevitable ingress at the margins aside (cuffs etc) am I being unfair to expect this gear to keep all the water out during a ride of this duration and rain intensity? I accept that nothing breathable is ever going to be fully waterproof, but I was expecting better. The coat is mid-range; I think multi-layered but with no specific waterproof layer component (like goretex). The over-trousers are fairly cheap but have good reviews and seem to be about the best value.

Tbh this level of water ingress was unpleasant yesterday in the relative summer warmth; and I can see it being totally unacceptable in the cold of the winter if I'm wearing thicker, more absorbant / slower-drying stuff underneath.

Interested to hear thoughts!

 

[rogerzilla]

Yes, you're expecting too much. Nothing waterproof really works in persistent rain because, if it's waterproof enough to keep all rain out, you'll get wet from sweat instead. On an e-bike with minimal effort you might get away with it.

Gore-Tex theoretically keeps rain out and breathes, but it won't cope with the sweat production of any strenuous ride. If your ride has no hills and you take it really easily or, as above, use an e-bike, maybe.

In pouring rain commutes, I pack spare kit for the return home!

 

[C R]

What 'e said ^

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Wot e sed x2

Plus, "breathable" fabrics rely on humidity gradient - they do not and cannot possibly work when it's raining!

 

[biggs682]

I found the decathlon trousers with built in shoe covers really good .

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I read ina walking magazine that a lot of breathable waterproof fabric work OK when they are static - but constant folding, stretching and creasing - such as happens when walking/running/cycling - changes the structure of the fabric and allows some damp to get through
In other words - if you stand still they work OK - if you are moving then the performance drops

Oh - and water pressure also causes a drop in performance

So - basically - they work but only so much - in heavy rain you either get wet from rain or sweat - your choice!

 

[Slick]

Well, if you spend enough you might get performance a bit closer to your expectations.

Goretex can be expensive but it does keep you dry.

Of course, I much prefer riding in shorts in the rain.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

At the end of the day bare skin and a towel works better than anything else I have tried for walking or cycling!

 

[wafter]

Thanks all - pretty disappointing but I appreciate the reality check!

To qualify the sweat angle the ride is typically very sedate - nearly all HR zone 1 / sub-60% of max / 120bpm, slow (mean speed yesterday was 11.8mph IIRC) and largely flat. I certainly didn't feel that I was over-heating.

Tbh I think I could just about live with it were it not for the water p*ssing in through the zip, which IMO is very poor. I've heard talk of waxing zips to improve waterproofing so might try this.

Since I'm managing to ride without the rucksack I'm wondering whether I should revert back to my walking shell; which I believe performed a lot better (waterproof zips so no direct ingress, seemingly better through-fabric performance too). Of course not really a fair comparison as that's proper Goretex and cost about 60% more on RRP than the one I'm currently using.

I'm also skeptical of DWR coatings over dedicated membranes given the susceptability to surface wear, and wonder if in the long-term something with a dedicated membrane offers better value relative to cost and useable service life.

I appreciate what people are saying about effectively taking the hit and drying off at the other end.. fine if I'm out on a recreational summer ride and I can shower / dry off at my leasure at home; however changing facilities are limited at work and I don't fancy getting soaked to the skin for the best part of an hour in the sub-zero winds of winter..

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I am surprised about the zip leaking
WHen cycling you are leaning over normally (or I am even with flat bars) so the zip doesn;t get much direct force of water

I wonder if the leak is at the top of the zip - up by your face - and the water is running down the zip and onto the clothes that way?

Oh - and I have read that backpacks totally screw up breathable fabric where the pressure is applied
(the stuff you read in dentists' waiting rooms !!!!)

 

[wafter]

I am surprised about the zip leaking
WHen cycling you are leaning over normally (or I am even with flat bars) so the zip doesn;t get much direct force of water

I wonder if the leak is at the top of the zip - up by your face - and the water is running down the zip and onto the clothes that way?

Oh - and I have read that backpacks totally screw up breathable fabric where the pressure is applied
(the stuff you read in dentists' waiting rooms !!!!)

I'm pretty upright (Brompton with medium bars). The jacket seals well at the top thanks to a decent collar arrangement, but as per the OP I think the water is getting in where the jacket folds at around the centre of my chest. There seems to be one point of entry that allows the base layer to saturate below it.

Makes sense about backpacks; I assume it probably knackers surface treatments on waterproof stuff too through abrasion. As much as I like one on a casual summer jaunt on the tourer / road / gravel bike, I'm happy to leave it at home for the commute.. even if I do occasionally panic when I consciously notice that it's not there and think I've forgotten it somewhere

 

[rogerzilla]

Gore-Tex is literally stretched PTFE so it very much relies on its physical structure to keep water out and to breathe. I can see how compressing or creasing it could mess things up.

 

[Kingfisher101]

What I've found is unless you spend a lot and get a decent goretex jacket then there will be some problem somewhere with it. The best jackets I've had for waterproofness have been Mountain Equipment ones. But these are walking jackets and not really suitable for cycling in. Well you can at a push but its not great with a massive hood blowing about.

 

[fossyant]

It will be sweat for some of it. My el cheapo Decathlon waterproof and Aldi overtrousers are great in hissing rain. I am damp under (I wear cycling kit under) due to sweat, but the trousers keep the heavy rain from entering the top of overshoes or winter boots. Light rain then I'll maybe use the jacket.

 

[Mike_P]

I have a Altura jersey that is reasonably rain proof but that then leads to the run off at the back soaking my shorts.