waterproofs...breathable don't think so!

Dannyboy95

Heres my question waterproofs are they worth it? they claim they are breathable but every time when wearing ''breathable waterproofs'' i've always felt wet when wearing them. So lets be honest would it be easier to just not wear any and get wet lets face it your constantly moving and keeping warm so why bother. Obviously when you stop you need to put something on to keep you warm as you cool down. Que the sarcastic comments!

Chunkers1980

Read the info on goretex about layering and how it all works.

Cheap shite won't breath. Needs to be washed right too.

Dannyboy95

Ive heard a lot about that but I just cant win Im either to cold or to warm hahah.

YeehaaMcgee

Properly breathable waterproofs are very, VERY expensive, and even then, they have their limits.
If you're cruising along, then they'll be able to keep up, but if you're working up a real sweat, then nothing is going to cope.

However, in bad weather, and especially cold weather, a waterproof jacket will keep the worst of if off you. You may get damp on the inside from sweat, but at least that's warm.
Get a Merino baselayer, and the most breathable (expensive) jacket you can afford, and you'll be fine for most things.

mrmonkfinger

Dannyboy95 wrote:

Heres my question waterproofs are they worth it?

for you, it doesn't sound like it

stubs

There is a fabric called Ventile its totally breathable windproof and waterproof but its very expensive, cycling specific jackets made from it are rarer than Hens teeth and its heavier than the nylon ones we usually wear. It was developed during world war 2 to make pilot immersion suits for the RAF and FAA and saved a lot of lives, the RAF and FAA still use it. If you have the money and were talking £250 + you can have a jacket tailor made it will last you a long time.
, Ventile wikipedia

prawny

Waterproofs are sweaty, end of. I've tried paclite goretex, event and something my Animal jacket is made out of (which is the best so far to be fair) but unless its really cold you'll swaet. Of course you'll sweat in anything if it's too warm, and sometimes I think people (I'm guilty of this too) expect you to not sweat at all in a breathable waterproof.

Dannyboy95

Looks like Im getting wet this winter hahah; nah i'll definitely consider getting something decent maybe on ebay or somewhere like that, somewhere where I can get it cheap.

cooldad

Best thing I have is an old, ugly roadie? jacket. Waterproof (totally) front, halfway down the back and front of the arms and a woven (might be wool) something or other lower back and back of the sleeves. Keeps me mainly dry as long as I stay moving, nice and warm and breathes.
Never seen another one, and probably not stylee enough for most people anyway.

omegas

For breathable fabric to work you have to get hot and you will sweat, its the only way the moisture can get out.

The other thing that cons lots of people is the buy breathable jackets which is very different from breathable fabric jackets.

YeehaaMcgee

prawny wrote:

I think people (I'm guilty of this too) expect you to not sweat at all in a breathable waterproof.

?
No, sweat is liquid water, which will not pass through a waterproof membrane (I can't believe I felt the need to spell that out ).
Breathable means that water/sweat vapour will escape through the jacket.

njee20

I've got a Gore Alp-X waterproof, I never wear it on the bike, just end up a sweaty mess. A windproof softshell does for me, stops the worst of the water getting to you, but doesn't cause you to sweat profusely, which in the end makes you cold anyway.

stubs

njee20 wrote:

I've got a Gore Alp-X waterproof, I never wear it on the bike, just end up a sweaty mess. A windproof softshell does for me, stops the worst of the water getting to you, but doesn't cause you to sweat profusely, which in the end makes you cold anyway.

I use a windproof top as well a Craghoppers is my current favourite, it keeps the drizzle out for hours. For when the rain gets heavy I have a Montane featherlite smock stuffed in my rucksack. I loathe that clammy sticky cold feeling a waterproof gives you and if its warm enough I dont mind getting wet.

YeehaaMcgee

njee20 wrote:

I've got a Gore Alp-X waterproof, I never wear it on the bike, just end up a sweaty mess. A windproof softshell does for me, stops the worst of the water getting to you, but doesn't cause you to sweat profusely, which in the end makes you cold anyway.

It's not the jacket that makes you sweat, it's the physical effort.

Dannyboy95

I've got a North Face jacket which is waterproof; what i could do is take it to a tailors and have slits sew into the fabric at ket points like under my arms and on my back so air can circulate around my body to stop that green house feeling under my jacket.

welshkev

personally i think it's down to where you ride - if you're doing trail centres you can afford not to wear one really as njee says. but i'd still have a back up one in your pack.

but if you're going out any natural type riding i'd put up with the sweat and stay as dry as possible, you never know when something bad might happen and you're stuck out there.

njee20

It's not the jacket that makes you sweat, it's the physical effort.

Well true, but the lack of airflow etc mean that a waterproof leaves one hotter/wetter than a softshell does.

Unless it's cold I just get wet, I don't get how anyone can wear a waterproof in summer!

YeehaaMcgee

njee20 wrote:

It's not the jacket that makes you sweat, it's the physical effort.

Well true, but the lack of airflow etc mean that a waterproof leaves one hotter/wetter than a softshell does.

Unless it's cold I just get wet, I don't get how anyone can wear a waterproof in summer!

If a softshell is waterproof, then you'll get wet with that as well.
Best thing I've found are the Endura waterproof leggings - they're a skintight fit, so even though they're only as breathable as any other (moderately expensive) gear, you do actually get the benefits of evaporative cooling, since water on the outside of them will behave similarly to the sweat on your skin.
It stops you needing to sweat as much on the inside, if you see what I mean.

Dannyboy95

Its probs just easier if I get wet and when I stop have a waterproof jacket to wear so that I prevent my self from getting cold, yes I know even though im wet but when I put the jacket on when I stop the heat off my body will keep me warm at that point but not too warm.

njee20

If a softshell is waterproof, then you'll get wet with that as well.

It's not, that's my point. You get wet from the rain eventually, but they're far more comfortable the rest of the time.

YeehaaMcgee

njee20 wrote:

If a softshell is waterproof, then you'll get wet with that as well.

It's not, that's my point. You get wet from the rain eventually, but they're far more comfortable the rest of the time.

If it's waterproof, then your sweat will be trapped inside them as well.

njee20

Think you need your eyes testing old spice - it isn't waterproof.

In summary:

Despite owning an expensive waterproof I choose to wear non waterproof soft shell jackets. Whilst they let rain in eventually they are less sweaty and more comfortable than any waterproof garment.

Dannyboy95

njee20 wrote:

Think you need your eyes testing old spice - it isn't waterproof.

In summary:

Despite owning an expensive waterproof I choose to wear non waterproof soft shell jackets. Whilst they let rain in eventually they are less sweaty and more comfortable than any waterproof garment.

Yh ill second that no matter what waterproof clorhing i wear i always feel damp and soggy bloody awful feeling.

YeehaaMcgee

njee20 wrote:

Think you need your eyes testing old spice - it isn't waterproof.

In summary:

Despite owning an expensive waterproof I choose to wear non waterproof soft shell jackets. Whilst they let rain in eventually they are less sweaty and more comfortable than any waterproof garment.

Oh. I see. My softshells are waterproof.

njee20

I see! I've got two Assos 851s, a Gore Oxygen SO and a Gore Phantom Plus, none of which are waterproof, and far prefer them all to my waterproof!

YeehaaMcgee

njee20 wrote:

I see! I've got two Assos 851s, a Gore Oxygen SO and a Gore Phantom Plus, none of which are waterproof, and far prefer them all to my waterproof!

Ah, fair enough.
For what it's worth, unless it's torrential rain, I also prefer my North Face softshell, it's a slightly looser fit than my "big weather" Endura waterproof jacket, and all I need most of the time is to keep the worst of the weather off me, so I have it half-unzipped.

concorde

Buy one with a big zip and undo it once in a while, works fine.

prawny

I prefer a decent base layer to a waterproof tbf, as long as I'm warm and wet all is good, I don't tend to stop when I'm out so don't get chance to get too cold.

ddraver

To the OP - noting will enable you to stay totally dry, but you can help your waterproof by being a bit pro active:-

Keep it clean by hosing the mud off it after a ride and let it properly, don't shove it in the washer every time, When it needs it, give it a proper clean/reproof. Endura Jackets seem to be reborn if you iron them on a low heat every now and again!

To help it out, Take it off at the bottom of a hill if necessary or open the pit/front zips BEFORE you get hot and steamy. If you re racing then just forget about it, you ll be going fast enough to stay warm anyway...

A good base layer/merino top will help...

We re in that annoying time of year when it starts to rain, but it's also not that cold - to be honest I think being wet from either rain or sweat is an inevitability at the moment...

welshkev

on a different note, waterproof shorts are a great investment imo

YeehaaMcgee

ddraver wrote:

Keep it clean by hosing the mud off it after a ride and let it properly, don't shove it in the washer every time, When it needs it, give it a proper clean/reproof. Endura Jackets seem to be reborn if you iron them on a low heat every now and again!

Let it what properly?

It's not just Endura (and actually, not all Endura) jackets that benefit from a cool iron. That's only for eVent materials, I believe.
On anything else, you'll just ruin it.