Is a Goretex jacket far superior to a non Goretex one?

daniel_b

Guys,

I have a handful of jackets, my best one being a Berghaus Commuter jacket, a CRC bargain at £25, but serves me well, and is very comfy.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11931


I notice they have a Bergaus Goretex jacket for sale, for £49.99, and wonder if it is a worthwhile investment.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11883
What will it give me over and above the commuter jacket?

Many thanks

Dan

vtech1.5

Wont give a lot extra goretex just breathes better than aquafoil so gets rid of moisture
like sweat quiicker,worth getting if you get sweaty ( like i do :oops: i have two goretex jackets ) but if you are happy with the other one probably not worth it.

Andy

redddraggon

Chain Reaction do my head sometimes with the way they price things.

Goretex jackets £50, then look at the item and all the sizes are different prices. And only the ones that are too small are £50

jpembroke

Goretex works brilliantly in cold, dry climates (e.g. Alpine/Arctic environments) but it's ability to transfer moisture is seriously impaired in damp, mild, humid climates such as ours. To put it bluntly, it doesn't breathe well when it's raining. Years of Scottish winter mountaineering (and 4 Goretex jackets!) taught me that. Still, if you've found a bargain then it may be a worthwhile investment. It'll be waterproof and will certainly be more comfortable on cold days.

daniel_b

Thanks for that guys, I'll see how I go then, the Commuter jacket I am really impressed with, much more than expected.

Red - I know what you mean, I happen to be a slim build, so the Small would be fine for me, but yes it can be irritating, as sometimes the headline price only applies to the colour you don;t want, and the wrong size for you - sometimes you get lucky though, like I did with the commuter jacket, the only one for £24.99 (At the itme) was in my size!

Dan

redddraggon

Daniel B wrote:

Red - I know what you mean, I happen to be a slim build, so the Small would be fine for me, but yes it can be irritating, as sometimes the headline price only applies to the colour you don;t want, and the wrong size for you - sometimes you get lucky though, like I did with the commuter jacket, the only one for £24.99 (At the itme) was in my size!

Dan

I was lucky a couple of weeks back, I got a Nero Corsa frame for £450 in my size from CRC, when the other sizes were still £600. So I guess you win some - lose some.

daniel_b

redddraggon wrote:

I was lucky a couple of weeks back, I got a Nero Corsa frame for £450 in my size from CRC, when the other sizes were still £600. So I guess you win some - lose some.

And now they are all £600 again!

Dan

redddraggon

Daniel B wrote:

And now they are all £600 again!

They put them back up just a day after I'd ordered it aswell, so I got really lucky ordering it when I did.

alfablue

The one big advantage of Gore-Tex is that they are guaranteed to be waterproof for life. I have had several over the years, based on one initial purchase, when they do fail Gore-Tex have always offered a like for like replacement or when unavailable, a full refund, with minimal hassle.

Tony Universe

Thanks jpembroke, that's solved something that's always puzzled me. I was always a bit ambivalent about most, supposedly, breathable waterpoofs, but hadn't worked out that while they work great on skiiing holidays they are a bit rubbish at home.

Raph

"Goretex works brilliantly in cold, dry climates (e.g. Alpine/Arctic environments) but it's ability to transfer moisture is seriously impaired in damp, mild, humid climates such as ours. "

I couldn't have put it better myself. Unless you sweat very very little, Goretex is overkill and you'll drown in your own sweat. The waterproofness is irrelevant in all but the coldest climate, and the windproofness is superb, but is directly linked to the fact that it doesn't breathe enough for anything above about 5 degC. I've had so many soakings from within that I stopped using it years ago in favour of things that are less waterproof but more breathable.

The only times it's worked as it's supposed to have been well below zero - in a howling wind off Lake Michigan in minus30C it was perfect, the inside of my nose froze solid and I only had a helly hansen and one layer of fleece under a thin 2-layer goretex jacket and I was toasty warm, other times in the Pyrenees in January in temperatures between minus 20 and zero it was pretty good, but anything above zero and it started to give a greenhouse effect. I think you need a temperature difference between inside and out to force the moisture out.

Tony Universe

Same here. I have a waterproof (gore-tex as it goes) jacket for trundling to the train station in a suit, but ages ago I switched to an Assos mid-winter jersey and I think it's far better, even in pouring rain.

alfablue

I have not such a negative experience. Okay, I am a slow rider, but on my 20 mile commute at about 15mph average, I find my Pac-Lite maintains a comfy environment inside during the winter months. If I pushed harder, no doubt I would start to get sweaty, but for many uses (cycle touring, non-frantic commuting, hill walking) I am happy with the results. I do use appropriate base layers, as I am sure most do.

Tony Universe

I must admit, I'm a very heavy sweater.

campagchris

I find the gore paclite jacket to be great especially if you have a good long sleeve base layer underneath,like this one
http://www.prendas.co.uk/details.asp?ty ... =22&ID=367 and Im a good sweater :roll:
ps that good even my breathable waterproof hat gets wet,so any one know a good hat/cap to keep you warm and dry

jpembroke

I'm with Tony Universe on this one: i'd much rather have a good quality, well fitted, winter jersey (plus a gilet perhaps) than any supposedly waterproof jacket if out for a hard ride. Otherwise you just get drenched in sweat halfway up the first climb.

alfablue

jpembroke wrote:

I'm with Tony Universe on this one: i'd much rather have a good quality, well fitted, winter jersey (plus a gilet perhaps) than any supposedly waterproof jacket if out for a hard ride. Otherwise you just get drenched in sweat halfway up the first climb.

Agreed, but on a 9 hour ride whilst touring, sweat is less of a problem, but keeping dry and warm is important - this is where brethable waterproofs are more relevant.

geoff_ss

I've also found Goretex to be less than perfect for cycling but better for walking.

I think Goretex is fine for gentle commuting if you resist the temptation to ride harder but fails to be effective on longer rides. In practice, I find it's better to wear stuff that's windproof, warm enough, and dries quickly for longer rides; I just accept that getting wet is no problem provided I can stay warm enough.

I used to spend every Sunday wet through and warm (even hot) dinghy racing so staying dry isn't the main thing - just staying at the right temperature.

Geoff

aracer

To answer the question in the title: no, a Gore-Tex jacket is worse than an Event one. Have had various Gore-Tex jackets including Paclite which worked the best, but the Event one I'm using at the moment is the first where breathability is sufficient to make a noticeable difference.

alfablue

I have an eVent jacket to try out, first ride later today, so I am hoping to notice the difference over Pac-Lite. I'll report back.

campagchris

Is that the gill jackets that are made from event??
the beauty about the paclite is it rolls up into a nice size for your back pocket,for summer use too.

alfablue

campagchris wrote:

Is that the gill jackets that are made from event??
the beauty about the paclite is it rolls up into a nice size for your back pocket,for summer use too.

No, it is a "Technicals" (Blacks own brand) jacket that I got for a gift, I think it retails at about £150. It's not bike specific but seems to fit the bill apart from a lack of reflecive bits. It seems to be about 1/3rd heavier and bulkier than my Pac-Lite. The face fabric seems very similar weight, but it has a mesh liner. I will see how it compares for comfort.

jpembroke

Gill do jackets in eVent fabric. See Wiggle.

alfablue

So do Endura. (the Gill jacket is here)