your rain jacket when touring?

alfine8
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby alfine8 » Wed Apr 15, 2015 6:57 pm

RonK wrote: They're on sale at BicyclingHub.com ending today.
My advice - err on the large side. To breathe properly there needs to be room for air to circulate, and if course you may want to wear extra layers under it in cold weather.
Thanks Ronk,
I ordered a medium this morning. Paid $200us with free shipping.
I just checked their site and the prices have gone back up again.

I will post a sizeing review when I get it and add my dimension's.

By the way. I think the Elite 2.0 had a trim fit, but the Elite 2.1 has a regular fit.
How much difference it makes I don't know. A lot of the earlier buyers on this thread have the Elite 2.0.

alfine8
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby alfine8 » Mon May 04, 2015 12:38 pm

Here is my fitting round up with the Showers Pass Elite 2.1, size Medium.

I am 5'8'' [172cm], weight 76kg, stocky build with approx 40'' [102cm] chest,
34'' waist which includes at least 4kg of fat that shouldn't be there.

The jacket fits ok. If I wear a shirt plus 2 light fleeces, then it is almost a snug fit, and I can still rotate my arms around.
I would definately not fit a small, but maybe a large would be ok, but without trying one I wouldn't know.
Ronk has mentioned a couple of times that to work properly, there should be extra room for air to flow inside the jacket.

The sleeves length is not too long for me, and fit fine.

But the shortness in the front cut plays around with my head,
tricking me into thinking the jacket size is too small, even though it is designed that way.

The link above to the Showers Pass Refuge jacket, that Aushiker supplied,
has that guy claiming to be the same height as me but wearing a small size.

I thought the medium size would give plenty of room on me, but not really,
and the front cut on him looks fine.

So all in all, I'm still confused, but not unhappy.

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Aushiker
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Sat Apr 23, 2016 11:32 am

I posted in the Bikepacking thread about sub 10oz/280g rain jackets which came about from a blog posting at Bikepacking.com. Here is another one to add to the possibilities list, the Berghaus VapourLight Hyper Smock 2.0. Not for me as it is not a full length zip but it might appeal to some.

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johnfordau
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby johnfordau » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:53 pm

Excuse me chiming in here .. but why would you need a rain jacket if you are touring in Australia?

If you get wet you keep riding and when it stops raining the forward motion of the rider will create the idea drying machine.

If it rains at night .. get a tent or seek that other well know establishment a motel.

The only place it rains for days on end is in Darwin or the tropical far north coast of Queensland and you certainly don't want to wear anything then let alone a rain jacket.

If you don't like the rain .. catch the next bus south.

Let's get real here.

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Tim
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Tim » Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:17 pm

johnfordau wrote:Excuse me chiming in here .. but why would you need a rain jacket if you are touring in Australia?
You've never toured in Victoria in winter?
Tasmania maybe?
Ever ridden a bike at all?
johnfordau wrote:Let's get real here.

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Aushiker
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:21 pm

johnfordau wrote:If it rains at night .. get a tent or seek that other well know establishment a motel.
Mmm some of the places I tour it is days between motels ...
The only place it rains for days on end is in Darwin or the tropical far north coast of Queensland and you certainly don't want to wear anything then let alone a rain jacket.
Really? Not heard of northern WA, the outback, south-west of WA, Tasmania, NSW, SA and so on ...?
If you don't like the rain .. catch the next bus south.
Small problem ... lot of places don't have bus services and it can be days of riding to get to one. Last time I had to catch a bus home, I had to ride a day, wait two days and then catch two buses. Not that smart an idea at all. Oh it rains in the south too, even in summer; funny that :roll:
Let's get real here.
Yep, which is why I carry and use a rain jacket ... If you want to experience hypothermia go for it, I will rather pass thanks having got to close on one bushwalk in the South-West of WA where I had gone with the weather forecast and left my jacket at home. Oh it rained all night and the next day and it was cold, seriously cold. No way to warm up and dry ... . Whoops someone forgot to tell the rain god it was not Darwin and gee I must have missed the bus service too :roll:
Last edited by Aushiker on Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:25 pm

Tim wrote: You've never toured in Victoria in winter?
Tasmania maybe?
Ever ridden a bike at all?
+ 1

I don't think one even needs to tour or even ride a bicycle to grasp the simple fact it actually rains ... something about plants growing should be a clue :)

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RonK
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby RonK » Sat Apr 23, 2016 2:14 pm

johnfordau wrote: The only place it rains for days on end is in Darwin or the tropical far north coast of Queensland and you certainly don't want to wear anything then let alone a rain jacket.
Really? Pretty clearly you have NO idea...
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

johnfordau
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby johnfordau » Sat Apr 23, 2016 2:26 pm

Wow .. such thoughtful responses ..

Old enough to have pedalled more miles than most posting on here .. before the days when people bought $300 rain jackets or $3000 touring bikes.

If it's cold enough to get hypothermia what are your touring? Alternatively, you could leave Melbourne and live where riding is a pleasure and not a test of physical or financial endurance.

Enjoy

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Tim
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Tim » Sat Apr 23, 2016 2:57 pm

johnfordau wrote:Old enough to have pedaled more miles than most posting on here .
I doubt it. Maybe lots of laps around the block on the Gold Coast.
Most on these touring pages are well north of 50 years old. Most have been riding for a long time. I'd suggest there are few collectively as experienced groups of cyclists and tourers as those on here.Thirty five years ago I was riding 20-25,000 km's per year, I did that for close to 10 further years (admittedly racing not touring).
johnfordau wrote:before the days when people bought $300 rain jackets or $3000 touring bikes.
Really. 35 years ago I was riding a bike that was hand built in Melbourne by Kevin Wigham. Guess what, it cost $3000.00.
Gore-tex jackets had not long ago arrived on the scene. Retailed for around the $300.00 mark if I recall rightly. I'd have loved one for Melbourne weather, summer or winter.

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Warin
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Warin » Sat Apr 23, 2016 3:13 pm

johnfordau wrote:Excuse me chiming in here .. but why would you need a rain jacket if you are touring in Australia?

If you get wet you keep riding and when it stops raining the forward motion of the rider will create the idea drying machine.
If it is warm enough. Otherwise your 'ideal drying machine' becomes a very cold place.

I have been to Darwin, several times .. it rained each afternoon, December ...when it did not rain for weeks on end, August. Next trip there will be for 'knock 'em down' season.

The facts are it can get both cold and wet in most parts of Australia. And you can be some distance away from any homestead let alone hotel.
johnfordau wrote:The only place it rains for days on end is in Darwin
Let's get real here.
Tulley? Rylsone? Sydney? Melbourne? And many others that I have forgotten about .. all have rained for many days while I have been there. Personal experience, Really!

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Sat Apr 23, 2016 3:24 pm

RonK wrote:
johnfordau wrote: The only place it rains for days on end is in Darwin or the tropical far north coast of Queensland and you certainly don't want to wear anything then let alone a rain jacket.
Really? Pretty clearly you have NO idea...
+ 1 or trying to troll and sadly not very good at that either.

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Sat Apr 23, 2016 3:39 pm

Warin wrote:Tulley? Rylsone? Sydney? Melbourne? And many others that I have forgotten about .. all have rained for many days while I have been there. Personal experience, Really!
Plus most of the south-west of WA ... I have been riding between Pemberton and Manjimup in WA ... eight hours of it bucketing down ... next day the storm hit and whilst I had made a Munda Biddi hut before the worse hit it was so damn cold ... no drying was going to take place that day or the day before :)

Esperance ... bushfires in summer, cold and wet in winter and on it goes. I would not even ride this area in summer without a jacket. The weather can turn so quickly and it can get damn cold particularly at night ... close to the desert country.

Just two examples of WA areas where it can rain and rain and rain ...

Personally I will continue to take a rain jacket with me; real experience and frankly minimal intelligence has taught me the merits of doing so.

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby RonK » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:11 pm

johnfordau wrote:Old enough to have pedalled more miles than most posting on here ..
Once again - pretty clearly you have NO idea...
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:25 pm

RonK wrote:
johnfordau wrote:Old enough to have pedalled more miles than most posting on here ..
Once again - pretty clearly you have NO idea...
Or more likely a very pathetic attempt at trolling. The post in the tent thread seems to suggest. Best ignored or responded to with good intelligent advice. I think anyone coming here for good advice would or should ignore his posts for what they are anyway and see the clearly more robust considered responses from others such as yourself.

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Boombibit » Sun Apr 24, 2016 2:03 am

Hi Andrew

It looks like the jacket can be bought with full zipper too : :)


$150 (pullover style), $155 (jacket style)
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:58 am

Boombibit wrote:Hi Andrew

It looks like the jacket can be bought with full zipper too : :)


$150 (pullover style), $155 (jacket style)
Yeah found that out after doing the research I should have done first :oops: I think with a full zipper it looks much more promising. I would like a brim on the hood but guess one could use a cap instead. I know Outdoor Research do a waterproof cap, the Halo Cap which looks a like lot a cycling cap and weighs 53 grams.

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby johnfordau » Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:49 am

Aushiker wrote:
RonK wrote:
johnfordau wrote:Old enough to have pedalled more miles than most posting on here ..
Once again - pretty clearly you have NO idea...
Or more likely a very pathetic attempt at trolling. The post in the tent thread seems to suggest. Best ignored or responded to with good intelligent advice. I think anyone coming here for good advice would or should ignore his posts for what they are anyway and see the clearly more robust considered responses from others such as yourself.
Anyone who dares says different is trolling .. anyone who avoids the conspicuous consumption ideology is trolling .. if you are going touring why, for crying in the wilderness, would you elect to go touring in the rainy part of the year .. this is basic intelligence .. apart from the obvious discomforts where is the sense of personal safety .. I can understand the need of rain protective gear if you are computing .. but touring .. give me a break .. the best weather protecting if does turn inclement is the nearest motel .. bridges are pretty handy too .. and the money you save on expensive rains jacket will pay the night ..

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Tim
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Tim » Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:58 am

johnfordau wrote:if you are going touring why, for crying in the wilderness, would you elect to go touring in the rainy part of the year .. this is basic intelligence .. apart from the obvious discomforts where is the sense of personal safety .. I can understand the need of rain protective gear if you are computing .. but touring .. give me a break ..
A weak and uninformed argument.
Melbourne's lowest average monthly rainfall is 46.5mm in January, highest average is October with 66mm.
Every other month falls within this range.
There is no dry time of year.
Any intelligent touring cyclist would carry a jacket, and a decent quality one at that.
Only fools venture into "wilder elements" ill equipped, and frequently die.
Last edited by Tim on Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

johnfordau
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby johnfordau » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:02 am

Tim wrote:
johnfordau wrote:if you are going touring why, for crying in the wilderness, would you elect to go touring in the rainy part of the year .. this is basic intelligence .. apart from the obvious discomforts where is the sense of personal safety .. I can understand the need of rain protective gear if you are computing .. but touring .. give me a break ..
A weak and uninformed argument.
Melbourne's lowest average monthly rainfall is 46.5mm in January, highest average is October with 66mm.
Every other month falls within these levels.
There is no dry time of year.
I guess because Melbourne and the surrounding Victorian landscape is so wet it has devastating bushfires .. if you think Melbourne is wet don't tour in the tropics ..

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Tim » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:06 am

Once again.
You have no idea.
Subject closed.

BenGr
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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby BenGr » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:16 am

This is really a pointless excercise. Anyone with experience knows that a jacket is worthwhile, any time of year. I find even mid teens can become uncomfortable if you're wet.

If I avoided touring if there was a chance of rain I'd barely get a day or 2 out of town before the weather forecast forced me to turn around.

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:24 am

Tim wrote:
johnfordau wrote:if you are going touring why, for crying in the wilderness, would you elect to go touring in the rainy part of the year .. this is basic intelligence .. apart from the obvious discomforts where is the sense of personal safety .. I can understand the need of rain protective gear if you are computing .. but touring .. give me a break ..
A weak and uninformed argument.
Melbourne's lowest average monthly rainfall is 46.5mm in January, highest average is October with 66mm.
Every other month falls within this range.
There is no dry time of year.
Any intelligent touring cyclist would carry a jacket, and a decent quality one at that.
Only fools venture into "wilder elements" ill equipped, and frequently die.
Well said Tim. The more intelligent commentary in this thread the better.

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:32 am

BenGr wrote:This is really a pointless excercise. Anyone with experience knows that a jacket is worthwhile, any time of year. I find even mid teens can become uncomfortable if you're wet.

If I avoided touring if there was a chance of rain I'd barely get a day or 2 out of town before the weather forecast forced me to turn around.
+ 1

I have walked the Larapinta Trail in the NT in the "dry season". It rained one night and next day so hard the creeks started flowing ... and it was so cold! Couldn't even fire the stove up for hot food on the side of the range at lunch time due to the wind and rain. I am glad I carried my Gore-Tex jacket even though it was the only day I needed it.

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At the end of the day after the rain had stopped and we had re-treated to low ground due to visibility issues ...

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Re: your rain jacket when touring?

Postby Aushiker » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:41 am

Getting back on topic, if you are cashed up, the Zpack rain jacket looks interesting ... very light but US$275 so at the high end of the price range.

Rebeard a hiker gives a bit of an overview ...


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