the perfect winter jacket

jecooper

Hi guys,

This will be the first winter on my bike and the one bit of kit i really need is a decent jacket. All i have at the moment is a 'mac in a sac' or as it should be known, a 'boil in the bag'. I'm not a big fan of riding in the rain, I probably won't start a ride in the wet but i certainly won't stop one if it starts half way round, and not paranoid about getting wet, just want to avoid being soaked through and shivering on the train during my commute.

Basically i'm looking for an outer layer which will cope for both my short commute and also a long weekend ride. it should keep the chill and the wind out, be 95% waterproof and be breathable enough to avoid it being wetter inside than outside, does this exist? are properly breathable jackets a complete myth? if not some suggetsions or keywords to search for would also be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

MartAstur

This is a great top. Keeps the rain off, keeps you warm and so far seems pretty breathable.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sportful-fiandr ... cket-2012/

Hope this helps

amaferanga

jecooper wrote:

....are properly breathable jackets a complete myth?.

Yes. No jacket is breathable enough for even semi-rigorous cycling.

brucebar1980

I can recommend this jacket for winter periods.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/spiuk-team-jacket/

It keeps you nice and warm, is waterproof and breathable.

t4tomo

I've used one of these for the past 6 years or so, and swear by it.

http://www.foska.com/jackets/toastie/

For me its about as close to perfect as you get for winter. Vey waterproof warm (as its windproof) but also breathable. The inner/under bit of the sleeve isn't waterproof (for extra ventilation / breathability) so in an absolute thunderstorm I have occasionally got slightly wet arms, but my body stayed dry.

giant_man

You want a shell I would have thought, but as already stated, no jacket, 'winter' or outer shell, or 'fold up rain mac' is perfect. Such a thing, a single layer which does it all, hasn't been made as yet.

A compromise is both a good winter jacket and a light outer which will keep out the rain. For a winter jacket, there's just so many to choose from. I swear by Assos, although expensive, they have never let me down for warmth. Other people will recommend the Rapha Classic softshell, or the Mavic HC H20 jacket, or the Gore Phantom with the detachable sleeves, wiggle have a few left at the moment:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gore-bike-wear- ... cket-2012/

For the outer, in the latest C+ (Nov) put the OneTen Pioggia shell (rrp £110) at the top of their recent test for 'autumn shower' jackets. The Lusso 2XS Skylon at £39.99 won it for best value.

t4tomo

giant man wrote:

You want a shell I would have thought.

Is the OP a tortoise or a snail? They look very waterproof but a little inflexible for human use

amaferanga

t4tomo wrote:

I've used one of these for the past 6 years or so, and swear by it.

http://www.foska.com/jackets/toastie/

For me its about as close to perfect as you get for winter. Vey waterproof warm (as its windproof) but also breathable. The inner/under bit of the sleeve isn't waterproof (for extra ventilation / breathability) so in an absolute thunderstorm I have occasionally got slightly wet arms, but my body stayed dry.

Okay when it's below below zero degrees IME so pretty useless as an everyday winter jacket in the UK.

greentea

Hello

Welcome to the forums. I hope you are finding them easy to navigate and if there is anything i can do to help, dont hesitate to ask. I would only be too happy to help you.

Winter coats are hard to get right. You need something that is breathable, but keeps you warm, dry but doesnt make you sweat too much. You can get these features in a jacket but they tend to go up in price the more features they have. If you shop around you might find a good mid price jacket on Wiggle (www.wiggle.co.uk) and have a good look at the user reviews first. Some jackets offer wind protection and water-proofing but some jackets can reduce the ability of either part depending on price so have a think about what you really need and when you'll be wearing it.

Hope this helps, if i can be of any further help please get in touch.
Have a lovely day.
kindest regards
Greentea
x

brucebar1980

There's no need to be rude Greentea !

lotus49

brucebar1980 wrote:

There's no need to be rude Greentea !

I'm sure your comment may pass a few people by but it made me smile. Not everyone reacts well to feedback. Props to greentea for doing so.

navrig

Rather than go for the near waterproof/not really breathable route consider going for a soft shell jacket like the Gore Phantom II. It has detachable arms giving you an insulated gilet and the option of taking the arms in a rear pocket.

If the rain is not too heavy it will keep you mostly dry and if it tips down it will keep you warm but wet.

Just an alternative.

Bozman

Gore xenon and the Endura windchill are sound. The Windchill is cracking value for money and i'm on my second now after wearing the last one out, i tend to go a size down for a closer fit. The Xenon has a slightly better fit(high neck though) but personally i don't think that it's worth paying the extra over the Windchill.


P.S If you're out in all weathers you'll require a choice of 3, a good goretex jacket(breathable....ish) but worth the money, a softshell/shower proof jacket and my favourite a gilet, that'll cover you.

Mikey41

I don't think there's any such thing as a perfect jacket Anything fully waterproof will be "boil-in-the-bag" even if you're just walking, and anything breathable will get wet. The best we can do is something water resistant and windproof so that if it does get soaked, it keeps you warm.

I've picked up a cheap waterproof jacket today that might be vented enough to minimise the "boil-in-the-bag" effect, but I won't know until I get to try it. It would be fine for my commute though

Sprool

Mikey41 wrote:

I've picked up a cheap waterproof jacket today that might be vented enough to minimise the "boil-in-the-bag" effect, but I won't know until I get to try it. It would be fine for my commute though

OK don't keep us in suspense....what is it?

Mikey41

Sorry, it's this one

It's thin, reasonably light, has venting at the back and zipped vents at the sides. It's certainly going to be visible

For £35 it's worth a go even if it goes no further than commuting.

alihisgreat

I don't see the need for a full on 'jacket' unless its raining and its a waterproof one.

Surely windstopper jerseys such as the Endura FS260 pro jetstream are enough when combined with different combinations of baselayer?

Melter

I keep checking back on this thread, waiting for Greentea to lilnk the perfect Winter jacket...

Slack

Unfortunately the perfect winter jacket does not exist due the variations we have in temperature range and precipitation. The perfect solution is to have an array of garments.

The main priority is to stay warm. Therefore consideration should be given more to wind proofing than full on water proofing, as you can still stay warm even when wet. A mid-weight soft shell jacket with wind proofing on the front should do the trick, as well as carrying a flimsy rain jacket (one that fits in a jersey pocket), just to put on in case it lashes it down.

ShutUpLegs

Disappointed no Rapha mention on this thread. Or a windchill gilet with roubaix armwarmers.

jecooper

Cheers guys (especilly you greentea, as soon as i hit submit i was looking forward to your response, i feel a little let down that i wasn't worth a full on rant)

Sounds like a good windstopper (like the gore phantom) is the best place to start, as i said its not so much the wetness, more the chill that comes with it that was anoying me. then a thin shell in the pocket to keep out the full on downpours, although i'll probably be looking for the pub by that point anyway.

now off to look for this 'wiggle' place......

giant_man

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Disappointed no Rapha mention on this thread. Or a windchill gilet with roubaix armwarmers.

erm I did actually, on page one

amaferanga

jecooper wrote:

Cheers guys (especilly you greentea, as soon as i hit submit i was looking forward to your response, i feel a little let down that i wasn't worth a full on rant)

Sounds like a good windstopper (like the gore phantom) is the best place to start, as i said its not so much the wetness, more the chill that comes with it that was anoying me. then a thin shell in the pocket to keep out the full on downpours, although i'll probably be looking for the pub by that point anyway.

now off to look for this 'wiggle' place......

The Phantom will be too warm on all but cold winter days (less than 5 degrees) even with the sleeves removed so not ideal IMO.

keef66

depends on how hard you're working. I wore my Phantom for an all day ride back in september; twas bloody freezing when I set off so I was glad of the insulation and windstopper-ness. Mid morning the sleeves came off, and after lunch I unzipped it a bit for some ventilation.

You'd boil in one if you were really going for it!

greentea

jecooper wrote:

Cheers guys (especilly you greentea, as soon as i hit submit i was looking forward to your response, i feel a little let down that i wasn't worth a full on rant)

Sounds like a good windstopper (like the gore phantom) is the best place to start, as i said its not so much the wetness, more the chill that comes with it that was anoying me. then a thin shell in the pocket to keep out the full on downpours, although i'll probably be looking for the pub by that point anyway.

now off to look for this 'wiggle' place......

Youre welcome. I hope my info hel..oh f*ck it, i cant do this nice sh*t anymore..

Man the f*ck up! Winter jacket, what are you Gok Wan? This is all i wear

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003M98UFS/r ... nkCode=asn

jecooper

seems very breathable

lotus49

greentea wrote:

Youre welcome. I hope my info hel..oh f*ck it, i cant do this nice sh*t anymore..

Man the f*ck up! Winter jacket, what are you Gok Wan? This is all i wear

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003M98UFS/r ... nkCode=asn

At least this time you were actually funny .

dai_t75

greentea wrote:

jecooper wrote:

Cheers guys (especilly you greentea, as soon as i hit submit i was looking forward to your response, i feel a little let down that i wasn't worth a full on rant)

Sounds like a good windstopper (like the gore phantom) is the best place to start, as i said its not so much the wetness, more the chill that comes with it that was anoying me. then a thin shell in the pocket to keep out the full on downpours, although i'll probably be looking for the pub by that point anyway.

now off to look for this 'wiggle' place......

Youre welcome. I hope my info hel..oh f*ck it, i cant do this nice sh*t anymore..

Man the f*ck up! Winter jacket, what are you Gok Wan? This is all i wear

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003M98UFS/r ... nkCode=asn

Brilliant!