The Ultimate Riding Jacket?

the **Showers Pass Elite 2.0 **is actually considered to be the "ultimate riding jacket" here in the states.

It's the benchmark to which all other jackets are compared. It's waterproof, but heavily vented and reportedly completely immune to the accumulation of moisture either from rain or sweat. I wouldn't believe normally crap like that, but I hear so many good things from so many different sources about this jacket.

here is a fairly colloquial review which seems to give a practical opinion on the jacket from a guy that has experience with these things.

i've been looking at the showers pass thing.....

There gettin em in at urban munter

http://www.urbanhunter.biz/shop/catalogue.php?item_id=1000

£175 for a rain jacket? For the love of god.

Here's some startling news just in, if you ride in the rain you're going to get wet. Wrap up warm and it's fine, try and stay dry and you'll fail. It's just not possible.

cough
rapha

if it's not in your budget, then fine. It's in plenty of other people's budgets.

It's not a question of budget, it won't keep you dry.

i'm going to cover myself in lard for the winter.

A fully water proof jacket is NOT breathable it's a sliding scale. A breathable jacket will keep you dry for a while, but you will get wet eventually given enough rain, that's why it's all about staying warm and keeping the wind off. Depending on the condition you take your choice and takes your chance or what ever the phrase is.

Fully waterproof =

@damo watch out for hungry people then, could be tricky at traffic lights.....

I've got an Endura eVent jacket. Had it for three years and it works fine for all conditions from summer rain through to -4 degrees and snow. Just vary the base layers.

Also, it's managed to survive a couple of bad crashes. Worst damage it sustained was a small hole similar to a cigarette burn. My skin, on the other hand, looked like I'd been attacked with a cheese grater. Still not sure how that worked.

+1. and layer up.
have friend that swears by the sheep method, i.e what do sheep wear on the hills?
wool, he wears a wool long sleeve in all weathers, its gets soaked but he stays warm, but then he is hard as fuck.

Wool will continue to keep you warm even when it's wet and will wick sweat away so is perfect as a base layer. Add a windproof shell and you'll stay warm in most conditions.

Ah nothing like a good old Gore-Tex vs eVent/hardshell vs softshell debate! I get this all the time on hill walking forums too!

I think the golden principle is, if it's fucking it down (cheers for that J), go hardshell of your choice - prob eVent edges Pro Shell, but not much in it really. if it's merely fair to piddling, go softshell....it's surprising how dry you can stay when you're working hard in a softshell

Of course, you could always go for the Paramo/Pile and Pertex/Pertex lined garment - Rab Vapour Rise or Furtech or Paramo - the Paramo Velez Adventure Light smock would be good for cold persistent rain in the UK - not very stylish it has to be said, but it will keep you dry and breathe like a mutha.....just might be a little too warm, but then you can't have everything

+1 wool + windproof layer FTW!

Early mountaineers wore layers of wool silk and a water / wind proof canvas layoer.

Dylan

for a lot of situations you are wrong

I would rather be warm and wet in something like a rapha winter jersey than sweating my arse off in a proper waterproof

yes for a short hop in pouring rain a full waterproof is good but for anything over 20 minutes it wouldbe counter productive

if you want waterproof just wear a bin bag

subtle product placement....

Gonna get me a silk vest - SUPERB!!

i love how these arguments are always "this is the way to do it" or "hey lets look at what the sheep do". Clearly, it's a matter of having the right gear for the right conditions. theres no one jacket to do everything. Obviously being warm and wet works well if you're riding 45 miles at a good effort. But if you're rolling to the grocery store, arriving warm and wet might be a bad move. If it's not wet out, obviously a soft shell is a good move. If it's pouring, I'm gonna take an eVent jacket and open all the vents on it. Do the best i can.

There are good products in all categories, and i happen to have the opinion that for "waterproof" shells, the Showers Pass appears to be the best designed.

bet the sheep dont have these debates when they are standing around in the rain...

sheep also don't wipe their arse

i love how these arguments are always "this is the way to do it" or "hey lets look at what the sheep do". Clearly, it's a matter of having the right gear for the right conditions. theres no one jacket to do everything. Obviously being warm and wet works well if you're riding 45 miles at a good effort. But if you're rolling to the grocery store, arriving warm and wet might be a bad move. If it's not wet out, obviously a soft shell is a good move. If it's pouring, I'm gonna take an eVent jacket and open all the vents on it. Do the best i can.

There are good products in all categories, and i happen to have the opinion that for "waterproof" shells, the Showers Pass appears to be the best designed.

I'm not really arguing, just making the ellipitical point that there is no such thing as the ultimate riding jacket.

That said, if you're going to spend £175 on a rainjacket to roll to the grocery store in then you've got more money than sense. I've a £30 Descente one that performs that task perfectly adequately.

sheep also don't wipe their arse

go to Kinder Downfall and there are sheep so used to walkers and tidbits that they will eat the crisps out of your hand!! dont look into their eyes though whatever you do.........

bet the sheep dont have these debates when they are standing around in the rain...

Wrong, I spent some time as a sheep this year and it's an on going debate, they keep bleating on about it....

now, andyp, you're just being argumentative. I ride everywhere and in a range of conditions. I get on fine with wool swseaters, and either a soft shell or an eVent shell depending on the weather. It's really that simple. I personally don't own the showers pass jacket, but I have a ton of ski gear that i use for riding.

I have a rapha fixed jacket. It's great, I love it. Not waterproof though. For rainy days i pack a Gill eVent jacket which is super breathable and waterproof. Also great but not warm.

I have a rapha fixed jacket. It's great, I love it. Not waterproof though. For rainy days i pack a Gill eVent jacket which is super breathable and waterproof. Also great but not warm.

literally the end of the thread. buy one soft shell and one eVent jacket in your price range. Before riding, choose appropriately and layer appropriately.