Okay i need a jacket for the damper cooler months. It doesn’t have to be heavy as i can wear more base layers but lightweight, breathable and showerproof would be ideal, it would probably get more use on the road rather than on the MTB so it doesn’t have to be ‘confortable’. CRC have some on offer, on a budget so these are the ones i’m thinking of…..

– Montane FeatherLite Velo Jacket
– Montane Singletrack Jacket
– Montane Velocity Jacket

Any experiences of these or views are gratefully received.

Thanks in advance 😀

JB

I picked up one of the discounted featherlite velo jackets from CRC the other day, for exactly the same use that you describe..
It is about as lightweight and minimalist a jacket as I have ever encountered, which is exactly what I wanted..

I’m fairly small/medium sized in stature but the medium size is a tiny bit snugger across the shoulders than I would like ideally..
I haven’t had chance to test it in the field yet, but the materials used get just about the best reviews so I’m guessing it’s going to be fine in that respect..

HTH

I’ve got the Featherlite Velo and the Velocity Jacket, the Velo definitely gets the most use. The Velocity gets pretty warm, and as its thicker than the Velo its not as easy to take off and scrunch up into a pocket. I only use it on the really cold days, but could easily use just the Velo throughout the year.

A confusing array of choices at great prices-the windproof ones are just that but not much better than my DHB windproofpackaway.Not sure Showerproofness is that good on any jacket when it really rains and wears pretty quickly ime. I was trying to figure out the difference between the Velocity and the Photon which are both waterproof and with little weight /packability difference to a windproof .

I’ve a velo for cool & damp and a velocity for proper rain – both are good for their intended uses IME.

I’ve got the Montane FeatherLite Velo Jacket in sports direct hi vis yellow.

It’s strapped to my saddle rails at the moment, packs tiny and is super light.

The fit is on the slim side but is comfy enough and is perfect as a ‘just in case’ jacket.

cheers for all the comments and advice, just ordered the featherlite 😀

I’ve got a black featherlite and have ridden it in a couple of showers and it’s performed well. it offers little warmth, which is no surprise given it’s thickness, especially if you’re not moving but also I wore it up a long hill in the sun and was pretty sweaty when I got to the top.
best thing about it apart from the packed size is the look of it and the cut – it’s a very smart jacket and I’ve worn it off the bike too when it’s rained.

I bought a Montane Photon. 100% waterproof, packs down into a small bag the size of an orange and weighs less than an inner tube. I wore it in pouring rain one day on a ride in France and I was completely dry. CRC are sellng them for £85 at the moment.

Did you size up on the photon jacket? As looking to buy one but unsure what size to get, normally medium in tops but large in roadie rain jackets so was going to go with a large. 42″ chest 34″ waist

any thoughts on minimus vs photon for properly waterproof jacket? i’ve found eVent jackets to not work (just wets through after a month or two), never tried Pertex shield. god this sounds geeky.

The latest velocity is made from Pertex Shield and kept me dry on it test run, albeit that was walking the dog, withstanding an hour of constant rain without boiling me alive. Not sure how it will perform on the bike, from a breathability perspective, but it’ll keep the rain off.

I love Montane gear for both walking and cycling and have quite a few bits.

I have a special edition Featherlite/Slipstream hybrid windproof smock which always lives in my pack. It’s brilliant – weighs next to nothing and is very breathable. The Featherlite Velo is similar I believe. Won’t keep the rain off for long but as a windproof it does exactly what you need. Extremely breathable too; it’s my default outer layer when things get on the chilly/breezy side and that’s walking, running and cycling.

I also have a fluorescent Velocity which is my commuting jacket. £60 is a great price but it’s not perfect. It keeps the rain at bay but in my experience breathability is poor – it also feels quite rubbery against bare skin which is unpleasant when there’s a layer of sweat as well. It’s also cut quite loose – I would have preferred something a bit trimmer. On the plus side, it’s well thought through (big rear pocket, chest pocket, the drop tail isn’t half hearted. There’s no hood. With hindsight I wish I’d paid a bit more for the Photon; it’s also made from Pertex Shield but according to the specs is both more breathable, more waterproof and lighter – so you get what you pay for. The Velocity isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination though.

@smiff – you probably had a problem with your eVent jacket. It’s a membrane like Gore-Tex so should keep going for years. Did it rip or was there a problem at the seams? I’d be very surprised if it was the eVent that made it fail.

yeah man, event material just doesn’t work for me, have tried several (wiggle were very good about returns), every time the material fails to bead and quickly soaks through after a few months of use, this is with extreme care to wash properly, also tried reproofing with grangers and nikwax, doesn’t work except for maybe half a ride afterwards. tried ironing, tried tumbledrying, tried not ironing, not tumbledrying, just line drying, don’t store damp.

tried washing the washing machine to remove traces of bio detergent. tied different non-bio detergents. i can only guess its something in my water (hard water)?

was going to give pertex shield a go, even though less breathable, i need a jacket that’s really waterproof sometimes, and these look small ball-able 🙂

the breathability of eVent was (and is) great, but they’re all now windproofs only! same with my waterproof shorts (Altura 3/4s), they’re a disaster, horribly chaffing pieces of rubbery plastic that wet through and won’t dry out.

can’t decide whether to spend more money on another expensive material (i call 60£+expensive) that may not work, or just get a cheap non-breathable for when it’s really wet and swap jackets :/

will try the minimus, as looks suitable for non-bike stuff too, about 10 black mediums left (no greens.. what’s with terrible colour selection here!), with the voucher should be £75. hopefully it stays waterproof for a while (i’d be happy satisfied with a year). all these thin tops are soo shreddable for biking in though :/

Ther’s a montane primalof smock with pertex outer in T-KMAX for fifty quid. I’ve just bought one but not tested it yet

The Fireball? I really want one of those. Which TK Maxx?