Sympatex - best cycling jacket??

jerry3571

According to this website, Sympatex is the most waterproof and breathable jacket out there. How come we're not all wearing it?
The figures are very impressive, can it be true?? :shock:
https://www.montania-sport.fr/membrane- ... ste-vaude/

cougie

There's a few sites where they test Fabric and compare it.
There may be a whole host of reasons why manufacturers prefer one fabric over another. I can't easily find any sympatex cycling jackets. Get a shakedry instead.

mercia_man

I once had an Altura Sympatex cycling jacket. Waterproof and breathable when it was new. Started leaking after about a year. Gore Tex seems longer lasting in my experience and works well with Nikwax Tech Wash and TX Direct to restore waterproofing.

jerry3571

I can't afford a posh jacket in case it's pants. These companies are so opaque on how waterproof and breathable they are.
I was going to try to buy an ebay sympatex jacket but as above mentioned, it may well be knackered by the time I buy one. I've done this with a hire tex proshell and the dwp was shot :?
Sympatex has an RET of 0.5 which is extremely breathable in a head of 40,000 is bonkers!
I'm a sweaty boy so sweat is a problem. :roll:

cougie

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/group-tes ... her-139198

jerry3571

cougie wrote:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/group-tests/cycling-jackets-wet-weather-139198

Thanks for that. One of their jackets is an Eundura Jacket to which I got an older fs260. Tried all those tricks to revatalise it yesterday but it wetted out last night. :?
I think Vaude use this Sympatex material a fair bit on mountaineering gear.
There is a theoretical issue about staying dry underneath when it's sopping wet outside. It's like putting your washing out on a foggy day and expect it to dry. The internal moisture and humidity needs a dry outside so the moisture can escape. If it's 100% humidity outside then the inside of the jacket will get wet whatever through sweat.
I think this is where these materials works better for mountaineers it's because freezing weather is very dry so any internal moisture can manage to evaporate out through the material. You need the difference between low humidity and high humidity for the moisture to travel out of the jacket. In the uk we're pretty damp.

webboo

Yes mountaineers only wear their wet weather jackets when it’s dry and cold. So they won’t know how they work in the wet as no one ever goes out on the hills when it’s raining.

joey54321

https://www.velonews.com/2019/01/bikes- ... ing_482636

I seem to remember this podcast talking about breathability and waterproofness in cycling equipment.

jerry3571

Webboo wrote:

Yes mountaineers only wear their wet weather jackets when it’s dry and cold. So they won’t know how they work in the wet as no one ever goes out on the hills when it’s raining.

Think these jackets were designed for high altitude climbing, that's what I mean.

You need to have 2 different environments for moisture to cross through a barrier: like a breathable membrane. Hot and humid atmosphere to a cold, dry atmosphere.
A bit like osmosis (remembering my cse biology :roll:)

I know sport and cycling is full of duff info. I think Nike made shoes with padding in the heal without any science behind it. Tried to get runners running on their heels rather than the toes as nature intended. Nike made a fortune and runners ended up with bad knees and hips. :evil:

webboo

jerry3571 wrote:

Webboo wrote:

Yes mountaineers only wear their wet weather jackets when it’s dry and cold. So they won’t know how they work in the wet as no one ever goes out on the hills when it’s raining.

Think these jackets were designed for high altitude climbing, that's what I mean.

You need to have 2 different environments for moisture to cross through a barrier: like a breathable membrane. Hot and humid atmosphere to a cold, dry atmosphere.
A bit like osmosis (remembering my cse biology :roll:)

I know sport and cycling is full of duff info. I think Nike made shoes with padding in the heal without any science behind it. Tried to get runners running on their heels rather than the toes as nature intended. Nike made a fortune and runners ended up with bad knees and hips. :evil:

No people wear down suits for high altitude climbing as it tends to be dry and cold in the very high mountains. The Alps and Patagonia which are lower at lower altitudes tend to be wetter which is where these garments are supposed to be worn as well as in the good old UK.
As others have stated try a shakedry. I have found when I have worn mine I’m no sweater than I would be if I was just wearing the clothing I had on underneath.

crescent

Endura Pro SL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oButOAiogGY

I bought one last year, I wish I had found it years ago - keeps me bone-dry and sweat free. Beats every other jacket I have owned hands down. I've had various offerings from Castelli, Gore, Altura etc but the Pro-SL is the only one that has kept my top half totally dry in a torrential downpour. I bought mine from Tredz for about half RRP, but even at full price I would have considered it a good buy having seen how it performs.

jerry3571

Crescent wrote:

Endura Pro SL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oButOAiogGY

I bought one last year, I wish I had found it years ago - keeps me bone-dry and sweat free. Beats every other jacket I have owned hands down. I've had various offerings from Castelli, Gore, Altura etc but the Pro-SL is the only one that has kept my top half totally dry in a torrential downpour. I bought mine from Tredz for about half RRP, but even at full price I would have considered it a good buy having seen how it performs.

I think I'm on to a loser here as I don't want to spend out on a potentially duff jacket and buy instead a good jacket on ebay for a lot less. Trouble is they're knackered by the time they're on ebay with the dwr not being able to be revived or the pores blocked up by years of grime and sweat. I got this Endura fs260 which is old tech and knackered. Tried hair drying it, tx direct, granger and all that. Boiled in the darn thing last night. Also got a knackered Gore tex proshell which is dead to the world, no resurrection possible.

Not sure I'm good in the rain and I find my asthma is terrible. Think it's mould spores procreating in the air. Arrr...
Been funny as I been looking on sailing forums and climbing forums too to see what they got.
Need more RET, MVPR and hydrostatic head info to compare.
Also these jackets are fine brand new but the dwp seems to wear out in a few years if used a lot. It's a bugger :roll:

daniel_b

As already said, shakedry has your name written all over it, and no treatment to wear off.

Bargains crop up on ebay, both new and used.

cougie

I got my shakedry from Millets of all places. And about half price too.

daniel_b

cougie wrote:

I got my shakedry from Millets of all places. And about half price too.

Yes true enough - I bought one with a discount code for a litle over £100 - admittedly I did return it, as I personally was not happy with the dark finish, but have recently tried again with Vis version.

Quite tempted by the insulated version too, as should have a longish commute requirement in aboout 6 months time.

webboo

I have a spare medium shakedry medium jacket. First model it’s too small for me so it’s never been worn if anyone wants one.
It’s small for a medium as I’m 40 short in suit jacket.

luv2ride

Daniel B wrote:

As already said, shakedry has your name written all over it, and no treatment to wear off.

Bargains crop up on ebay, both new and used.

Also look at the 7Mesh Oro (?) jacket. Intrinsically the same (uses the same Shakedry material) but sometimes come up a little cheaper on eBay as probably not as widely known about as the Gore versions. The 7Mesh is very race-fit by all accounts...

jerry3571

Thanks for that. As above, if I could get a high viz version of Shakedry then that would be great. Drivers around here need every chance to not run me over, unless they're aiming for me :shock:
My proshell was supposed to have one of the lowest ret on the market but the finish has gone. The Shakedry does get good reviews though.
Also, there is the added confusion of how much I sweat. I got a mate who buys a £25 jacket from Sportsdirect and he hardly sweats, big bloke too. I tried it and I'm wet in it.
It is a bloody annoying scenario we're in as the manufacturers are pretty opaque on how good their products are. Also each of us sweat at different rates too which adds to the confusion by having recommendations. Recommendations are of value though so I've noted the ones recommended here thanks.

crescent

Rightly or wrongly, I have decided I am not going to wash my PRO SL in the normal way, although it does come with washing instructions on the label. So far, when I have worn it, I hang it up in the shower and hose it down inside and out and let it drip-dry. Time will tell, but so far so good. Any other 'waterproof' garment I have had has been washed according to the instructions and never managed to retain its waterproof-ness long term.

jerry3571

Crescent wrote:

Rightly or wrongly, I have decided I am not going to wash my PRO SL in the normal way, although it does come with washing instructions on the label. So far, when I have worn it, I hang it up in the shower and hose it down inside and out and let it drip-dry. Time will tell, but so far so good. Any other 'waterproof' garment I have had has been washed according to the instructions and never managed to retain its waterproof-ness long term.

I wash my stuff with soap flakes or nik wax stuff but even after treatments the surface is still knackered on these old jackets.
My Folks have got one of these machines so might try this to heat the fabric with this and maybe it'll help. I haven't got a tumble dryer. https://www.amazon.co.uk/CLEANmaxx-Iron ... 007KI9L7I#