rain jacket - alternative to rainbird stowaway

[brownbag]

Hi all,
My riding time to/from the station is increasing from about 6-7 minutes to about 15 minutes. So far on a wet day, the rainbird stowaway jacket and pants have done the job of keeping me relatively dry but when it buckets down, I do notice quite a bit of moisture getting through. So I'm starting to think that with a longer trip, I may need a better solution. Can anybody suggest any good alternatives that may suit - it's not a long distance ride but I do often have normal clothes underneath so can't get completely wet.

How about the rainbird trek vision?

Thanks.

[kenwstr]

I stopped using Rainbird about 20 years ago after buying one for my daughter that delaminated on the 1st day. My original one was great though. Anyway, these are a general outdoors item, bush walking etc. They are reasonably longish which is best as it keeps the top of pants dry or can be worn with rain pants without leaking at the waist. Short jackets are for style, not function. Anyway, I tried Team for a while, good lasting waterproofing but a little short. My current one is Husky brand which is a better length and great waterproofing. I will not go back to Rainbird, even if they fixed the quality issue, they are still too expensive for what you get. Have you looked at Outdoor Research brand? I have seen their light weight one pop up on massdrop a few times.

All that aside, these things are not cycling specific so the loose folds flap and drag in the wind (sap your energy). I would be looking for something close fitting for cycling. I wouldn't recommend the ones I currently use though. Rain is generally infrequent and light here (inland), except for thunder storms of course so riding in rain is usually avoidable which is why I haven't found a good cycling jacket yet.

Ken

[human909]

This was discussed here not too long ago. I'm sure somebody could dig up the thread. Any decent rain jacket should keep you dry from the rain. Personally stick with proper outdoor clothing brands if you want something good. 3 layer laminates are normally offer better durability and breathability.

I jumped on my bike during yesterdays intense storm in Melbourne, flash flooding everywhere. At my destination I took off my rainjacket and rainpants and 100% dry underneath.


More discussion here:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=96303

[Ross]

I recently bought a dhb Aeron Tempo 2 Waterproof Jacket from Wiggle that seems good. Only used it in the rain once, did the job of keeping me dry.

http://www.wiggle.com.au/dhb-aeron-temp ... -jacket-1/

edit: Price seems to have shot up dramatically, I only paid $69 in Novenber compared to $101 now
edit #2: Wiggle are showing the earlier version in stock in Xl only for a more reasonable $73.48
http://www.wiggle.com.au/dhb-aeron-temp ... of-jacket/

[brownbag]

Thanks for all the tips

[kenwstr]

As you have mentioned the Rainbird stowaway, I assumed you were only interested in cheap non breathable options. With these, they will all have a tendency to produce condensation inside. However, this can be mitigated somewhat by vents. There are some solutions that include zips in the sides or under the arms for that purpose. Some of the Outdoor Research products have a good reputation. However, vents can also let wind blown spray inside the jacket and are more suited to walking where the rain is falling vertically. The condensation issue is greatly increased by activity.

Breathable jackets are made from fabric that includes a membrane that allows water vapor to escape through microscopic holes but will not allow liquid water through. However, if the fabric surface becomes wetted out, the microscopic holes are effectively blocked so the fabric becomes none breathable. For this reason it is important to maintain the fabrics DWR (double water repellent) treatment. This is a wash in chemical that generally requires heat activation in a clothes dryer. The DWR cause rain water to bead and roll off without wetting out the fabric. So breathable fabrics such as Gortex etc, are much more expensive and require constant maintenance to be effective. There are several grades in these, the most waterproof are the least able to expel water vapor and are therefore suited only to a low level of physical activity. For cycling, you would need a grade of fabric that is designed for the highest level of activity and therefore is the least water proof in terms of membrane permeability. The waterproofing of these is much more dependent on maintaining DWR.

There is a 3rd option where the fabric is not in itself waterproof but is closely woven and relies entirely on DWR to shed rain. These are a sort of mid price option often refereed to as soft shell where breathability and maintenance is very high. These are not all equal, but are popular among day bush walkers.

Ken