Rapha Stowaway vs Gore Xenon

primalcarl

I'm in a bit of an expensive dilemma. Get a Gore Xenon windproof jacket for £120ish that will be breathable but not waterproof, or spend a considerable amount more and get the Rapha Stowaway which is completely waterproof and breathable like a windproof too so very useable.

Any owners of either here got any feedback? Is the Gore water resistant and quick drying enough in foul weather?

gkerr4

if the stowaway is within reach then get it - they are such a nice jacket.

I nearly got one at a sample sale at a nocturne event - tried one on, loved it but then hummed and hawed and when I went back to get it - was sold out :-(

It was 'only' £75 in the sample sale too - I didn't realise at the time what the full retail was else I would probably have bought it straight away.

richardvaltos

Or wait a week or two and get the all new rapha rain jacket!

http://www.rapha.cc/rain-jacket

gkerr4

richardvaltos wrote:

Or wait a week or two and get the all new rapha rain jacket!

http://www.rapha.cc/rain-jacket

so - do you think that will replace the stowaway then?

primalcarl

'A more robust version of Stowaway', gotta be over £200 then!

it is my birthday at the end of the month so I could possibly go for the Rapha.....:)

GemmaAtkinson1

I have one and just to let you know the stowaway isnt fully water proof, only 'water resistant' (clever marketing!) meaning in the heaviest of deluges it will eventually soak through. Its nice and breathable but it will get wet after an hour in heavy rain, if its waterproof your after id look for a fully waterproof one, maybe a goretex one or something....

the rain jacket does look like it will be more waterproof but again the fact its not described as waterproof but 'water resistant' rings a little alarm!

primalcarl

Cheers for that Gemma. I was going on the Cycling Plus review this month, maybe they didn't try hard enough. Pansies

guilliano

Or spend £80 on the new Endura Helium which is light, waterproof and bloody comfortable

GemmaAtkinson1

no worries. its a lot of money if you think your getting somethign your not. Dont get me worng, takes a MEGA heavy downpour to soak through, and on the plus side it dries v fast and is a lovely cut.

Also if you do go with the rapha you can buy the grangers spray on waterproofer solution to give it a bit more of a repellance, i use that to top up a softshekll i have and it works well...

primalcarl

Gem, so would you go out in this jacket knowing the forecast is pretty wet? And can you wear this jacket as a windproof comfortably? I got cold today and am more determined to sort something out as I don't have my Assos Intermediate Evo anymore, which even so probably wouldn't be as useful as the Rapha

GemmaAtkinson1

if its was super heavy rain for hours on end - no. If it was light-moderate showers for anything upto a couple of hours yes id venture out in it defo. Its also pretty windproof, i usually wear on the coldest days a base layer and long sleeve jersey with it, but in the weather at the moment probably just a decent base layer would suffice (wiggle have the excellent craft ones for £11 at the mo).
Bear in mind it takes quite a bit for it to wet through the membrane, and even then it does dry quickly and can be topped up with grangers waterproofer.....

hopper1

GemmaAtkinson1 wrote:

no worries. its a lot of money if you think your getting somethign your not. Dont get me worng, takes a MEGA heavy downpour to soak through, and on the plus side it dries v fast and is a lovely cut.

Also if you do go with the rapha you can buy the grangers spray on waterproofer solution to give it a bit more of a repellance, i use that to top up a softshekll i have and it works well...

Gemma, does that not affect the breathability of the garment?

Monty Dog

The new Gore Xenon has taped seams so should be even more weather resistant - it has a bit more of a 'racier' cut and has plenty of reflective panels too - tried both on in Condor the other day - Gore quality of materials and construction is always top notch, whereas I alwaysfeel that with Rapha you're paying a hefty premium for the brand, not necessarily the product.

primalcarl

Thanks again. I'm now looking at the Gore Xenon II AS which can be found for around £100. As the Stowaway isn't as waterproof as I thought I can keep my Altura Reflex for when it's really wet. With the money saved by buying the Gore I can invest in some other much needed stuff

GemmaAtkinson1

hopper1 wrote:

GemmaAtkinson1 wrote:

no worries. its a lot of money if you think your getting somethign your not. Dont get me worng, takes a MEGA heavy downpour to soak through, and on the plus side it dries v fast and is a lovely cut.

Also if you do go with the rapha you can buy the grangers spray on waterproofer solution to give it a bit more of a repellance, i use that to top up a softshekll i have and it works well...

Gemma, does that not affect the breathability of the garment?

can't say it has no, still v breathable. I'd thoroughly recommend it for topping up water resistant jackets. It's v easy to use and only about £6. I also emailed rapha and they said they thought it would be fine to use on the jacket.

hopper1

GemmaAtkinson1 wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

GemmaAtkinson1 wrote:

no worries. its a lot of money if you think your getting somethign your not. Dont get me worng, takes a MEGA heavy downpour to soak through, and on the plus side it dries v fast and is a lovely cut.

Also if you do go with the rapha you can buy the grangers spray on waterproofer solution to give it a bit more of a repellance, i use that to top up a softshekll i have and it works well...

Gemma, does that not affect the breathability of the garment?

can't say it has no, still v breathable. I'd thoroughly recommend it for topping up water resistant jackets. It's v easy to use and only about £6. I also emailed rapha and they said they thought it would be fine to use on the jacket.

Interesting... Thanks, Gemma

mrushton

If you are going hard then no jkt. is breathable as your are generating moisture faster than the material can move it. The Stowaway is excellent but yes it lets water thro'. Assos make a point of saying their rain jkts are water resistant for only a certain amount of time. ShowersPass of Oregon do some nice stuff. The idea of a rain jacket is to keep the wind and rain off you but once the water gets thro' you still remain warm as you don't get chilled by your body heat being conducted by the water and the wind cooling you down even more. Depends on how far you are going, how fast and how bad the rain is.

volestrangler

I have both, and I wear the Gore more often than I wear the Rapha, though it cost a lot less.

The Rapha is more waterproof but more sweaty. It does a pretty impressive job. I have worn it in an absolute downpour and the small amount of water getting through to the base layer was the least of my worries compared with my drenched head, hands and feet, so I can't see any advantage to being more waterproof unless you are doing a century ride. It dries very quickly and it is windproof but very light, so it needs an extra layer or a thicker base layer compared with the Gore.

The main reason I wear the Gore more often is breathability, I ride fairly quickly and I find I get hotter inside the Rapha. However, the Rapha is unbeatable for the volume it can be packed down to, and is ideal for unpredicted showers.

The Xenon is a terrifically versatile jacket, fully windproof, but I have found it less waterproof than the Rapha and it takes longer to dry once it gets wet. Breathability is great, I have worn it from 20 degrees down to 4 or 5 with the same light merino base layer. By zero I will probably wear a heavier base layer and a hat under my helmet. In the Xenon, I can ride hard and stay warm and dry in all but a deluge.