Attractive waterproof cycling jacket?

Qualitymark

What's a good-looking and very waterproof cycling jacket? And one that I can wash? And reasonably priced?
I was in the Patagonia shop and they had some niceish GoreTex jackets, but they seemed a little snug for cycling, and also my wallet went away for a quiet cry when I looked at the price.

Slydice

lidl have some at the moment

rollingscone

Brooks Criterion jackets look amazing but if Patagonia prices upset you....

OleRodrigo

DHB usually have something nice and inexpensive (EQ 2.5? ) Mind you, if you're a bit of an ugly b***x already, you cant make a silk purse from sows ear.

Qualitymark

OleRodrigo wrote: »

DHB usually have something nice and inexpensive (EQ 2.5? ) Mind you, if you're a bit of an ugly b***x already, you cant make a silk purse from sows ear.

I am that.

What's DHB?

jon1981

Qualitymark wrote: »

I am that.

What's DHB?

http://www.wiggle.com/dhb/cycling-waterproof-jackets/

Oryx

If i ever find a very waterproof cycling jacket ill throw a party. All the light shell types Ive tried leak within about two hours. Once theyre washed a few times the proofing seems to be lost altogether. Have I missed the obvious? Is there one?

G1032

Don't own either of these but maybe someone could add a review here

Galibier Tourmalet

Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket

sullzz

With 31% off the rrp you couldn't go wrong☺

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ie/en/castelli-pocket-liner-jacket-ss15/rp-prod87364

WillyFXP

sullzz wrote: »

With 31% off the rrp you couldn't go wrong☺

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ie/en/castelli-pocket-liner-jacket-ss15/rp-prod87364

Had to re-read the description, looked like "accordion like piss panels" at first glance....

Carawaystick

Oryx wrote: »

If i ever find a very waterproof cycling jacket ill throw a party. All the light shell types Ive tried leak within about two hours. Once theyre washed a few times the proofing seems to be lost altogether. Have I missed the obvious? Is there one?

Waterproof in which direction? Its very easy to get waterproof from in to out.

smacl

OleRodrigo wrote: »

DHB usually have something nice and inexpensive (EQ 2.5? ) Mind you, if you're a bit of an ugly b***x already, you cant make a silk purse from sows ear.

Have the EQ 2.5 myself, and reckon it is a great jacket for the money. Excellent value on their DHB commuter jacket at the moment if your size is XS. The only downside to the EQ 2.5 is that it is a bit warm for the summer, though still infinitely preferable to the LIDL or ALDI jackets which for me are strictly winter / cold weather.

tomasrojo

I use a Montane Featherlite shell. I just wear more layers under it in the winter. It's not all that waterproof after being in the rain for a while, but it does fold up nice and small and dries quickly. I just bring spare tops for wet weather. (This is getting-about cycling rather than training I'm using it for.)

I believe that washing with biological washing powder ruins the waterproofing of garments, so use soap flakes, if you can find them, or, second best, non-bio washing powder.

So I've read anyway. I don't know how true it is. You can make your own soap flakes from a bar of soap with a grater, but I haven't got round to doing it yet.

Qualitymark

Carawaystick wrote: »

Waterproof in which direction? Its very easy to get waterproof from in to out.

In. I'm not a fast cyclist. In fact, gardaí have sometimes measured to make sure I'm actually moving.

crazy_kenny

There's a guy selling a dhb 2.5 in bargain alerts size large for €40 if anybody is interested.

I recently bought the Galibier Mistral jacket. Might test it out this evening if this rain keeps up.

mossym

i bought the Sportful Hot pack no rain a couple of weeks back. Monday got caught in an absolute deluge and it got it's first test, passed with flying colours. was only 30 mins of rain though so i can't speak for 2 hours. i did however wear it walking around castlecomer park on sunday with the family as i cycled down to the inlaws and couldn't bring a jacket. it passed the looks good in normal clothes test as well, well my daughter approved anyway

i did read somewhere though that the waterproofing is excellent at first but fades

Luxman

mossym wrote: »

i bought the Sportful Hot pack no rain a couple of weeks back. Monday got caught in an absolute deluge and it got it's first test, passed with flying colours. was only 30 mins of rain though so i can't speak for 2 hours. i did however wear it walking around castlecomer park on sunday with the family as i cycled down to the inlaws and couldn't bring a jacket. it passed the looks good in normal clothes test as well, well my daughter approved anyway

i did read somewhere though that the waterproofing is excellent at first but fades

t
+1 on sportful. Hasn't let me down either but I tend to let it hang on the back of a chair to dry off. It's not dirty cause it's black😀. Would these soap flakes help protect it? Which soap would I grate?

nak

Use a tech wash and reproofer (if that's a word) - Nikwax ones work well and are easily available.

I have the Rapha rain jacket and love it - got it on sale, still not cheap, but best rain jacket I have tried. 2 of us had Rapha jackets on for the Tour of Flanders sportive and managed to stay dry and not overheat.

Qualitymark

A lot of these, like the Rapha one

http://www.rapha.cc/eu/en/shop/women's-rain-jacket/product/WRJ02

seem to be purely for rain. Would youze think it's sensible to have one jacket for ordinary cycling and another as specific wet gear?

tomasrojo

Luxman wrote: »

t
+1 on sportful. Hasn't let me down either but I tend to let it hang on the back of a chair to dry off. It's not dirty cause it's black😀. Would these soap flakes help protect it? Which soap would I grate?

I'm going to use cheap Aldi soap, but I think a glycerin soap was recommended when I read about it. (E.g. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Soap-Flakes )

nak wrote: »

Use a tech wash and reproofer (if that's a word) - Nikwax ones work well and are easily available.

I tend to forget about them. I used Nikwax wash until the bottle ran out and then stopped because it exceeded my budget. It's not that expensive though. Austerity at home at the time.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

G1032 wrote: »

Don't own either of these but maybe someone could add a review here

Galibier Tourmalet

Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket

+1 on the Galibier gear, the tourmalet jacket keeps me bone dry in torrential rain and cuffs are well made to keep everything snug, fits well also.

mossym

at least Galibier are honest and admit that the waterproofing washes off

custom_build

mossym wrote:

at least Galibier are honest and admit that the waterproofing washes off

Except the mistral which doesn't have a coating, its a waterproof material which can't wash off.

mossym

custom_build wrote: »

Except the mistral which doesn't have a coating, its a waterproof material which can't wash off.

ah apologies, i misread, it says it is not a treatment which can wash off.

be interesting to see how warm it gets then.

ah i knew i read something on it about water getting in

due to the superior body stretch of the material, the seams cannot be internally taped, so in downpour, the rain will eventually get through.

Lumen

nak wrote: »

Use a tech wash and reproofer (if that's a word) - Nikwax ones work well and are easily available.

I have the Rapha rain jacket and love it - got it on sale, still not cheap, but best rain jacket I have tried. 2 of us had Rapha jackets on for the Tour of Flanders sportive and managed to stay dry and not overheat.

Qualitymark wrote: »

A lot of these, like the Rapha one

http://www.rapha.cc/eu/en/shop/women's-rain-jacket/product/WRJ02

seem to be purely for rain. Would youze think it's sensible to have one jacket for ordinary cycling and another as specific wet gear?

I don't know why but women in Rapha invariably look awesome and stylish, whereas men in Rapha invariably look awful.

An issue with Rapha clothing like this is that it looks like it would work both on and off the bike, but the high cut front/low cut back actually looks fairly awful off the bike.

custom_build

mossym wrote:

be interesting to see how warm it gets then.

Very, I got mine in the post the other day but haven't tried it out.
I ran water over it an it all ran off, held up to the light you can clearly see through the material so hopefully its breathable!

Qualitymark

custom_build wrote: »

Except the mistral which doesn't have a coating, its a waterproof material which can't wash off.

Ah, this is what I was wondering about the GoreTex jackets.

Damn, the Mistral doesn't seem to come for de wimminz at all, only in a male version.

The Rapha jacket is pretty, but if you're wearing it in streaming rain would that black-and-blue be invisible to myopic motorists with water streeling across their windscreens?

nak

Qualitymark wrote: »

The Rapha jacket is pretty, but if you're wearing it in streaming rain would that black-and-blue be invisible to myopic motorists with water streeling across their windscreens?

I use lights if it's raining heavily.

Only use the rain jacket if it's raining - mostly lives in the bag I use for commuting along with my overshoes. Have the softshell for winter - that looks ok off the bike (even my Mum commented on how nice it was, she usually hates my clothes) and a Specialized winter jacket (fits more like a jersey) for faster spins. Most of the time here in our one season climate, a jersey and gilet is enough.

nak

Lumen wrote: »

I don't know why but women in Rapha invariably look awesome and stylish, whereas men in Rapha invariably look awful

Awful you say? Any excuse.

OleRodrigo

I think the only time a proper rain jacket is needed is when its wet and cold.

Getting wet when its relatively warm is OK. In this instance, a light wind/ rain jacket is enough for commuting or short spins. Mudguards will be a greater benefit. Or, like Naks says, a gilet and a jersey will also be fine.

For cold wet days, mudguards along with a heavier jacket will be ideal. On those days its good for the jacket not to be highly breathable so that when you do get wet eventually, it will retain some heat

Ive been using a DHB wisp for milder weather, along with a jersey and base layer has been fine through showers.

In winter and on overnights, a DHB windslam does the business, but to be honest, I rarely take it out ( but am glad its there when needed ).

Qualitymark

So… creeping the thread a little, any recommendations for non-rain ordinary (but extraordinarily gorgeous) cycling jackets for women?

Bloggsie

I picked up a waterproof jacket in the outdoor store in Blanchardstown SC beside ldil (cant remember name of shop) for about 25.00yoyos.
its as fugly as fcuk, but arent they all?

I also have one of those paper thin yokes that acts like a parachute & makes the most annoying noise!

nak

Qualitymark wrote: »

So… creeping the thread a little, any recommendations for non-rain ordinary (but extraordinarily gorgeous) cycling jackets for women?

winter jacket?

Qualitymark

I suppose yes, winter. My current winter jacket is a flinchworthily ugly purple puffa jacket, awful enough to make drivers veer and swerve, but very warm.

mossym

ignore the sportful i mentioned above so, it's only a light waterproof layer

Bloggsie

Bloggsie wrote: »

I picked up a waterproof jacket in the outdoor store in Blanchardstown SC beside ldil (cant remember name of shop) for about 25.00yoyos.
its as fugly as fcuk, but arent they all?

I also have one of those paper thin yokes that acts like a parachute & makes the most annoying noise!

I should also add its a womans jacket! size 12!

eeeee

nak wrote: »

Awful you say? Any excuse.

Quoting this pic for max Bernie

Every lady in Rapha I have seen looks great, they're cut properly and look good.

This might take your fancy Qualitymark, they're quite elegant and stylish and you will be seen! The bike shop on the street off the millennium bridge into Stoneybatter have them I think:
http://www.georgiaindublin.com/ (there's a cycling section)

Pricey though but an Irish company and reports are good!

Qualitymark

I like the Georgia in Dublin jackets, but am saddened that they're made in Poland.

Lumen

gadetra wrote: »

Quoting this pic for max Bernie

OK, forgive the off-topic, but this is important.

Pick your Bernie...

Fred Bernie:



Pro Bernie:



See what I mean?

pinpag

Qualitymark wrote:

What's a good-looking and very waterproof cycling jacket? And one that I can wash? And reasonably priced? I was in the Patagonia shop and they had some niceish GoreTex jackets, but they seemed a little snug for cycling, and also my wallet went away for a quiet cry when I looked at the price.

Gore_tex a must for waterproof clothing gloves shoes everhthing else a waste of money.

Oryx

I still like Fred Bernie

eeeee

Lumen wrote: »

OK, forgive the off-topic, but this is important.

Pick your Bernie...

Fred Bernie:



Pro Bernie:



See what I mean?

Fred Bernie. Although all Bernie's are good Bernie's


Back on topic (there will be no further OT Bernie quoting sorry), I didn't know the Georgia in Dublin stuff was made in Poland. I know she makes some of the gaiters out of old bicycle tubes. I suppose it's better than a totally foreign company though?

Otherwise you're just left with Spin11 and VeloRevolution but their stuff isn't made here. There is practically no clothing industry in Ireland anymore. It's not economically viable here anymore I suppose. Our club kit is VeloRevolution and the quality is fantastic. They have a good rain jacket I think.

Qualitymark

gadetra wrote: »

There is practically no clothing industry in Ireland anymore. It's not economically viable here anymore I suppose.

I don't know; doubt it, somehow. I queued up for dole with many textile workers in inner-city Dublin in the 1980s - their factories, ranging from two-woman shed-behind-the-house jobs to big places with rows of machines and cutting tables, had been shut down as chain stores systematically drove the prices down.

The skills must still be there; it's an awful pity that we couldn't produce enough that everyone could even buy a quarter of their clothes locally made and send the money back into the economy.

I don't really blame GiD for sourcing their stuff in Poland; they apparently found a great little factory with a speciality in turning waterproof seams. But I'd buy their lovely jackets etc much more readily if they were made in Ireland, dear though they are. I particularly like their Mondrian hi-viz gilet: http://www.georgiaindublin.com/product/d1-style/ though the price is insane; I think it's €40, but maddeningly they don't have the prices on the product page. (It's a terrible, terrible website as far as shopping is concerned; I tried to check the price by adding a product to the "shopping basket", but couldn't see how.)

eeeee

Agreed. I think those skills are dying out though. I have taught many of my friends to sew, I was one of the only ones my age in college who knew how to sew properly. I am the 4th woman in my family to have a Singer sewing machine, we all have/had one's from our respective eras. Mine looks like a space ship beside my great granny's fully manual hand machine. She wore the handle off it, it's turned with a rusty nail. Then my granny's table singer with huge built in foot pedal, my mother's electric machine from the 60's then mine.

I will say that I know less than my my mother, who knows less than her mother, and so on. It's a handy skill to have and I enjoy the work, alterations are a challenge sometimes and it's nice to have that as a skill but it's awkward work, it's harder to alter something than make it, you're going in the back door all the time if that makes sense. There isn't full time work out there in a clothing factory or the like, there's no piece work even (on a side note piece work is a great industry. Work from home, pick your own hours as long as the work is done. Monotonous though. Oh and the crap pay!).

There isn't an appreciation for the craft of making things by hand now. A few will but the majority won't, as most people have completely lost touch with production. The fashion for making your own clothes that's sprung up in the last few years has been brilliant for that, a rediscovery of sorts, but it's not on anywhere near an industrial scale. What people expect to buy clothes for and how much they cost to make are so at odds now that indigenous clothing industry in Ireland is gone for good.

Re your winter jacket it's going to have to be foreign made I think!

youcancallmeal

I'm also in market for a good jacket I can wear commuting and causally. Came across this brand called Vulpine, looks interesting. Anyone any experience with them?

smacl

@Qualitymark, cheers for the link. One of the big blocking factors to my girls not cycling more is the fugly hi-viz gear that their mum would have them wear. If something stylish but functional got them out on the bikes more it would be money well spent.

Manchegan

youcancallmeal wrote: »

I'm also in market for a good jacket I can wear commuting and causally. Came across this brand called Vulpine, looks interesting. Anyone any experience with them?

Worth every penny - I have the Harringtton: a meticulously designed and good looking jacket. Yes the arms feel a tiny bit long, but that's form following function. Well ventilated, so with layering it can be used in a wide range of temperatures. The rain proofing, they say, is good for 200 washes. No complaints here.

OldBean

I've seen them get good reviews on the LovelyBike blog.

mathie

Altura Varium all the way!

crazy_kenny

Bought the Galibier Mistral jacket a few months ago on special offer. I'm 170cm tall and 64Kgs and purchased size medium which fits perfectly. Taught I'd give it a trial yesterday as the weather was so bad. Here are my thoughts. I just put a short sleeve baselayer underneath as this is the way Galibier recommend. I wasn't long into my spin when it started raining. The rain seemed to run straight off the jacket which I was impressed with. Around 15 minutes later it stopped raining and the sun came out. At this point I felt a little too hot and took off my gloves and opened the jacket a little. A further two showers were encountered along the way and the jacket performed exceptionally well leaving no rain through. I was quite sweaty throughout the cycle but I'm putting that down to the weather being milder than I initially thought and also my baselayer being too heavy. I would have no hesitation recommending this jacket for rainy windy days but maybe when the weather is a little colder.

terrydel

My Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Cape kept me dry in the biblical rain tonight.
Pretty happy with that myself.