as we are heading into spring and the weather is getting warmer (on some days), I'm looking for a breathable windproof that will take me through to early summer by layering and won't cook me from the inside.Â
Any recommendations?
I was looking at the GORE products, but have no experience of premium outdoor clothing before now (I'm a cheep skate), I'll pay up to £100, The GORE FRENFLOW is £115 with 20% on my first order.
You don't need to spent anything like that much on a windproof! I've got an Alpkit Arro which at full price is only about £50 but I got it cheaper (and if you're a medium then I've got one to sell as I moved up to a large after only a few wears...)
I have a Rab Borealis, which has probably become my most favourite piece of bike clothing ever. It’s so breathable that I tend to wear it when I would previously worn a normal long sleeve biking top (rather than a softshell). I think I paid about £90 in Go Outdoors. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
another vote for the Rab Borealis. whilst not wind proof, it's very wind resistant and packs down to small enough to fit in a hip pack / bum bag. they also do a bike specific one without the hood - used to be called brorealis velo, but now looks like it's bee rebranded as cinder so not sure if the same. it's a thin stretchy softshell, so can take a lot of abuse as it's not a delicate material. if you shop around you can normally find the hooded ones for c £65
Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll check them out. Apart from the Blueball branded ones, they all look good options.Â
I do have a gilet, but it's quite chilly on night rides and I end up wearing too many items under it which restricts my mobility, should have got the next size up. Â
this Rapha one is currently half price, at £67.50, in all sizes. I have one of these and it is really good, also packs into it's own pocket and is about the size of an apple. This one is a bit lighter and more packable than the one linked earlier in the thread, it is also a bit shorter and perhaps more roadie/gravel, though fit is very similar - I have both of them !
I've got a Rab one, but not the Borealis. Paid about £35 but think that was half price. Not biking specific, and has a good, but think there might be a non-hooded version. It's one of those bits of clothing that you end up using for everything because it's just so damn useful. Pockets, hood, etc. but packs down the size of a packet of crisps.Â
Someone else above has said that most soft shells are similar. I just want to say that this is not at all my experience. Breathability (and waterproofness) varies hugely. I recommended the Rab Borealis. But if someone is looking for warmth or waterproofness, then that wouldn’t be the best choice perhaps. Where the Rab wins is breathability.Â
I also have an Endura Convert, which is much warmer and more waterproof. It breathes less well, but the zip off arms mean that it works well when you get too warm (if you don’t mind unzipping and stowing the arms (which pack up tiny)).
I've got a Borealis Tour (sans hood). Not entirely windproof but enough to keep the chill off. Hugely breathable (because it's not entirely windproof).
If it's cold, merino underneath. If it chilly, nothing underneath. If it's warm, I take it to wear when I stop or just in case it cools off and I get chilly. It's well vented via some big mesh lined 'pockets' on the chest. The zips work wearing a rucksack.
The zip has just broken after 3 years and I'll happily buy another.
Doesn't come in the most exciting colors though. Grey or dull red/blue/yellow.
I bought a Marmot ROM jacket last year from SportPursuit - £80 or 90 down from £300-ish.
It's made of magic material which allows me to just wear a t-shirt under even in fairly cold winds, then doesn't let me get sweaty (which I do, very easily) when things warm up. The lightness/thinness of it is also magic 😉
I do have a gilet, but it's quite chilly on night rides
Obviously windproof isn't the same as warm but if it's windproof to just take the chill off I have the Carnac one posted above and it does the job perfectly. Plus it can be very easily and quickly stuffed into the back pocket of a jersey.
If it's single track cycling rather than road cycling that might be an issue though. I would expect it to rip fairly easily if snagged on branches. Although at 20 quid a piece it obviously wouldn't be a huge disaster.
The decathlon pocket packable waterproof is my windproof. Waterproof it isn't, at least not now, if it ever was more than showerproof, but IMO it makes a great budget windproof.
Their lightweight gilet is also excellent. It packs so small.Â
I wear a Rab Vapour-rise Cinder jacket. Spectacular in what it can do - windproof and breathable: keeps me warm from -2C through to 15C (yesterday's ride had me climbing 400m in the sun, before summiting into a bitingly cold wind).
I also have a cheap Ron Hill pertex jacket that lives in my hip bag. Good for those days when standing around at the start but it's a bit of a sweatbox when cycling. Pulled it over the Rab last night for cycling home from the pub.
I've got a Borealis Tour (sans hood). Not entirely windproof but enough to keep the chill off. Hugely breathable (because it's not entirely windproof).
If it's cold, merino underneath. If it chilly, nothing underneath. If it's warm, I take it to wear when I stop or just in case it cools off and I get chilly. It's well vented via some big mesh lined 'pockets' on the chest. The zips work wearing a rucksack.
The zip has just broken after 3 years and I'll happily buy another.
Doesn't come in the most exciting colors though. Grey or dull red/blue/yellow.
I have one of these spare, grey, large, worn once and hung in my wardobe for the past year. Happy to move it on at £35 posted if any use to anyone ?  iain dot clow at g mail dot com
Someone else above has said that most soft shells are similar. I just want to say that this is not at all my experience. Breathability (and waterproofness) varies hugely.Â
Yes there are two main types of thin wind jackets, the ones that are really breathable and those which block wind like plastic bags.
Latter ones are probably meant to be used like emergency shell or taken off as soon as weather permits. Rab Vital is one of these.Â
As above, windproof jackets are not created equal. I have a Goretex Infinitum jacket which is very windproof and breathable. However it is quite bulky and I tend to wear it in winter with decent layers. It's even pretty water resistant. I also have one of the Alpkit minimal jackets which is ideal for keeping in the pack or even pocket for when the temperature drops though it's not amazingly breathable. It's horses for courses!
I also have a cheap Ron Hill pertex jacket that lives in my hip bag. Good for those days when standing around at the start but it's a bit of a sweatbox when cycling. Pulled it over the Rab last night for cycling home from the pub.
That's because the windproof versions of Pertex and basically very closely woven to make them windproof, then calendared, which basically means being compressed through hot rollers. the end result is that a fair few windproof fabrics aren't actually that much more breathable than actual waterproof ones in the real world.Â
That Alpkit Arrow mentioned higher up the thread is much the same ime.Â
With wind resistant stuff, you tend to be trading wind-protection against breathability and everyone's 'sweet-spot' is in a different place. Fwiw, for cool weather use, I've been using a Mountain Equipment Arrow Hooded Jacket, which is very wind resistant, but also decently breathable and has a little bit of insulation value too. It uses a fabric called Storm Fleece, which is similar/the same as Patagonia's Tech Face 'fleece', but isn't really fleece.
Anyway, if you run hot, the Rab Borealis is a good call. The ME jacket above is too warm for milder conditions, but it depends a little on how warm you run.Â
That's because the windproof versions of Pertex and basically very closely woven to make them windproof, then calendared, which basically means being compressed through hot rollers. the end result is that a fair few windproof fabrics aren't actually that much more breathable than actual waterproof ones in the real world.Â
V interesting thx
And confirms my experience that "normal" softshells are way better than Pertex jackets for MTBing.
I always thought a softshell was like the softshell trousers I commute in - microfleece inside and well, softshell outer. Nothing like a "lightweight windproof" that the OP was asking about. Nor is a gillet unless you've got really hairy arms which never get cold
alpkit morphosis would be great (£52 on a good day) but is imho too fragile if you ride woods / bridleways where brambles grow. i've just got a second one after 3 years on my red one. friends dog jumped up on me second wear and put in a slight pull mark with its claw :0(
rab 4 way stretch is always good, as is gore windstopperÂ
I think of softshell as any softer-faced fabric, with or without backing. Not hardshell and not Pertex-type.
But maybe @badlywireddog can tell us if there are specific names for the different genres of softshell?
It's always been slightly confusing tbh. I think initially it was called 'soft shell' to distinguish it from 'hard shell', ie waterproof fabrics. But that leaves quite a wide spread of stuff and a lot of confusion. I think the biggest distinction is between membrane and non-membrane soft shells.Â
So, stuff like Gore Windstopper is a membrane-based fabric, that uses pretty much the same base technology as their waterproof stuff, but without seam taping. It's 100% windproof and the fabric itself is functionally waterproof, at least as new. The downside is that you lose breathability / moisture vapour transfer / comfort when hot. Also, if you tape a membrane-based fabric like Windstopper, it's effectively a waterproof, maybe with a softer feel to it than a conventional layered waterproof fabric.
The other end is non-membrane soft shell, which generally uses what are known as 'double weave' fabrics. They don't have a windproof membrane, so are less wind and water resistant, they have various levels of stretchiness according to the elastane content - basically rubber, so more elastane can feel clammy. The double weave bit is, as I understand it, so the outer and inner fabric have a different structure to make for faster wicking of moisture.
Stuff like the Rab Borealis and myriad other outdoor brand soft shells use this sort of tech. It's more breathable, so broadly better for high termpo, high output activities like mountain biking. But less outright protective because there's no fully windproof barrier in the middle of the fabric sandwich.Â
Then there's various softshells that use some sort of lining to add insulation value - stuff like Rab's VapourRise kit, maybe Buffalo pile-Pertex if you class that as soft shell, some people won't because it has no built-in stretch, but it's all semantics really. You could argue that Paramo is sot of soft shell.
Anyway, it's a very broad term, that means sort of, it's not a full waterproof (mostly) and not a Pertex-style windproof, but pretty much anything else goes. You can argue that dense fleece is sort of 'soft shell' for example.
I look at it as continuum between highly weather protective at one end - mostly membrane fabrics - and more breathable, but less protective - mostly double-weave' materials at the other. The trick is to work out whereabouts on that spectrum you fall and what conditions you'll be using it and what expectations you have. Different fabrics work for different people doing different activitites.
And now I've bored everyone witless, I'm going for a ride. Probably on a gravel bike and probably wearing some Gore Windstopper thing as it's absolutely bloody freezing and blowy here 🙂 🙂Â
The original definition has nothing to do with how the fabric feels, it's about the protection it offers. A "hard" shell (eg Goretex) will fully block wind and water, whereas a "soft" shell compromises protection slightly in favour of performing better over a wider range of conditions. If it's not actually raining, a breathable softshell like the Borealis is so much more comfortable than a waterproof!
Because Gore's whole marketing relies on membranes, they hijacked the term softshell by convincing people that a soft feeling jacket with a membrane was going to be a good solution. Except they don't breathe well and they're not fully waterproof, whoops 😬.
as we are heading into spring and the weather is getting warmer (on some days), I'm looking for a breathable windproof that will take me through to early summer by layering and won't cook me from the inside.Â
Any recommendations?
I was looking at the GORE products, but have no experience of premium outdoor clothing before now (I'm a cheep skate), I'll pay up to £100, The GORE FRENFLOW is £115 with 20% on my first order.
Any others to look at?Â
Why not use your Singletrack Rewards discount code? Makes it £69..
That's because the windproof versions of Pertex and basically very closely woven to make them windproof, then calendared, which basically means being compressed through hot rollers. the end result is that a fair few windproof fabrics aren't actually that much more breathable than actual waterproof ones in the real world.Â
That Alpkit Arrow mentioned higher up the thread is much the same ime.
Very useful info! Inspired by this I did some hunting and found a Borealis Tour half price in my size and it arrived yesterday. The stretchy fabric solves the shoulder/back/arm space I’ve been having and it’s a great fit.
It’s a very different garment to the Arro - over twice the size and weight when packed down but it still packs small compared to my winter/commuting windproof (Paramo Enduro - huge hood, loads of zips and Velcro, bombproof fabric).
I assumed I’d sell the Arro but I think it still fits a niche as it’s so tiny and light that I could leave it in my hip pack all summer and forget about it. I took it on a family trip to London because when you’re carrying everything for three children every ounce matters and British weather cannot be trusted…
i've been wearing "pertex" from Montane (featherlight jacket and gilet) and have learnt from reading this thread that there are other options out there. Montane are great, and I'm a bit of a fanboi, but the lack of breathability is a challenge when putting a bit of effort in. I think Montane have moved away from pure Pertex for featherlight, but they are still too windproof, i always get home with damp base layers and getting cold because of that. I try taking them off mid-ride but then have to put them back on for the downhill or into the wind. I suspect i need a borealis for the bike. Or some of that fancy expensive Castelli Ristretto kit.
Wore the Borealis Tour yesterday, mostly in the woods, all on the singlespeed so pushing fairly hard. Took it off for a bit because the weather got surprisingly hot when the wind died down (or I was sheltered). Pretty strong cold headwind heading home. Very impressed! It breathes really well, it’s definitely not windproof but it’s certainly usefully wind resistant.
Cut suits me well and the high close collar should be good when it’s colder (I seem to lose the ability to corner when my neck gets cold!)
Blueball!! what were they thinking?!)
