Winter MTB jackets/shells/whatevers...

MarcusFenix

Hi Lads,

So i made ****e of a "cycling" jacket i had and now I want to splash out and get something proper, thing is though there seems to be a bit of confusion on my end as to what I should be looking for!

Looking online there seems to be two types of good cycling jacket; mainly breathable, waterproof yolks and then the 200-300 euro hobbies that to me seem to be just more expensive versions of the first.

What should i be looking for in a winter MTB jacket for use in and Irish context?
If I get a warm base layer will a cheap soft shell do? This way I'm thinking I can use it for our Irish "summers" also.

Why would I (money being no obstacle) go for this as opposed to this?

For what it's worth I am considering this at the moment.

Don't Chute!

I bought the Altura Mayhem over in the Lake District last year was about 100 sterling i think. I find it perfect for our weather, but i bought a very light North Face jacket a couple of years ago not even rain proof more of a wind cheater think its for running and i wear that most of the time. I've been caught in some dreadful downpours and been fine. I find heavy jackets too warm sometimes. Hope this helps.

Raam

Hooded jackets seem a bit pointless for a bike. If you have the hood up your are really restricting your field of vision.

reallyunique

Although I've MTBd I'm not sure what constitutes an MTB jacket so I'll not weigh in on what you should choose.

On the broader question of why the MT500 costs more than the Shimano soft shell, there are quite a few factors. In no particular order:
The MT500 is made with the most breathable waterproof fabric around so it'll dry out quicker.
The MT500 is waterproof.
The MT500 has a hood (surprisingly this is always good for at least a €25 uplift)
The MT500 has pit zips
The MT500 is a hard shell which will be expected to be long lasting.
Enduro fancy themselves a decent brand so they price accordingly.
€200 is not really out of the ordinary for hard shell jackets (try great outdoors or Patagonia for higher prices).

With most waterproof gear you get (nearly) what you pay for. Higher prices mean more waterproof, more breathable, better fabric, better build quality and more features.

Having said all that, the Shimano soft shell looks great.

petethedrummer

I think you should buy clothes with one purpose in mind and mix them in layers to suit the conditions. I wouldn't bother with a rain jacket that is warm and has a hood. Or trying to buy some compromise.

Buy a hat for your head. you can get waterproof ones but they are not necessary. Any old hat will do. it rarely actually rains very heavily for very long in Ireland.
If you want to keep warm, buy some base layers.
If you want to keep water of your body, buy a waterproof jacket with no hood and no padding. I'd buy the most minimilist good quality one I could find so it can be rolled up stored it when you're not using it.

My favorite piece of cycling clothing is my waterproof gilet.

SomeFool

I have a Gore bike wear Gore tex shell, I commute in all weathers and find it excellent, it is starting to fail in really heavy rain at one seam but after a couple of years of abuse I can't really complain.

FirstinLastout

petethedrummer wrote: »

I think you should buy clothes with one purpose in mind and mix them in layers to suit the conditions. I wouldn't bother with a rain jacket that is warm and has a hood. Or trying to buy some compromise.

Buy a hat for your head. you can get waterproof ones but they are not necessary. Any old hat will do. it rarely actually rains very heavily for very long in Ireland.
If you want to keep warm, buy some base layers.
If you want to keep water of your body, buy a waterproof jacket with no hood and no padding. I'd buy the most minimilist good quality one I could find so it can be rolled up stored it when you're not using it.

My favorite piece of cycling clothing is my waterproof gilet.

Agree with regards to the jacket & base layers but I have to ask... where the hell have you been living the last couple of months??? :pac::pac::pac:

MarcusFenix

Cheers for advice lads, hopefully I can use it to pick to right thing. I'll go for the base layer light rain jacket combo I think.:eek: