Currently own two Endura jackets, a Stealth and a Venturi eVENT… now I don't know if it's just me, but I'm finding them pretty bloody poor in the rain, which is a real annoyance given their price!

The Stealth jacket just seems to wet out, I seem to remember that when I first received it, water used to bead off the surface? Is this what it should be doing? The eVENT jacket has the same issue, water doesn't bead off the surface, it soaks in… again, should it be beading off or not?

Compounding this is the fact that I'm quite a heavy sweater, doesn't matter how cold it is I will still perspire quite a bit, so I find the inside of the Venturi gets wet & clammy, whilst the fleece liner of the Stealth gets pretty soaked as well (though you don't notice this quite as much as it's a warm jacket, it's only when you stop that you realise you're soaked through!)

Maybe I haven't cared for them properly or something (though I've only ever washed them seperately in the appropriate expensive Grangers wash), if this is the case, how can I try and reinvigorate them?

Am I expecting too much from these jackets? Does someone make something even more super-dooper that I should consider investing in? Or is an expensive jacket really not that much different from a mid-priced or even cheaper jobbie?

cheers 🙂

Nothing is ever really breathable and totally waterproof when you are working hard imo. EVENT is meant to be more breathable than most.

I just got a NF soft shell jacket for my birthday and while it's not 100% waterproof it's very resistant, doesn't really get that soaked, drys quickly and feels much nicer/less sweaty than my goretex paclite.

I would probably rather get a little wet from rain than soaked in sweat personally.

I have given up with water proof jackets, I just swet to bad. try getting a good winstopper, lets face it you are going to get wet anyway 😉

however i have a thin waterproof from when i stop, but most of the time i forget to take it off.

as above really, lightweight windstopper, try coating it to give some extre protection but I have just bought a OMM jacket for running but it looks a bit fragile for mountain biking

have you tried reproofing them?? No fabric remains waterproof without treatment.

The DWR treatment to make water bead off is pretty important – when the fabric wets out it can't breathe regardless of whatever super-duper membrane or coating is on the inside. You can get wash-in reproofing but the other trick (for expensive goretex climbing jackets at least) is tumble dry on a warm setting which re-activates the DWR.

But like grumm says if, it's wet out and you're working hard you'll never stay totally dry. Breathable fabrics depend on a vapour pressure gradient between inside and outside ie. they work best when it's cold and dry, not when it's mild and wet.

I would go for something cheap with underarm zips if I was in the market for a rain jacket. Our sport is a dirty one which means that things need washing lots, so fancy fabrics tend to suffer a bit.

I wear a NF soft shell most of the time which is windproof and shower proof, I sweat so much on the bike that I get wet regardless of the weather so I don't bother with fancy jackets.

cool… sounds like I need to reinvigorate the DWR, both jackets are definitely 'wetting out'… can I use the same reproofer on both jackets (they're different fabrics after all?)

Nikwax TX Direct is the stuff.

You'll probably want spray-on for the Stealth jacket because of the liner, although wash-in generally works better for unlined fabrics.

have you tried reproofing them?? No fabric remains waterproof without treatment.

Reproofing does nothing for waterproofness, if you're talking about water coming through the fabric- that's taken care of by the Goretex/eVent/whatever bit, which will stay waterproof until you put a hole in it. It 'just' stops the outer material wetting out, which is vital for it to breath just as elliptic says.

So it doesn't make any difference to water getting in, but it makes a big difference to moisture getting out.

Lose some weight fattie, and get fitter, you'll sweat less 😀

As a fellow bloater I'd concentrate on keeping warm when wet (with sweat or otherwise) if you have to stop or on a long downhill run. A good base layer is obviously a must.

Breathable and waterproof just don't go together, especially if you ride hard. But you can achieve wet and warm! When it's really cold I wear my old Buffalo which dries really fast. Top kit.

I don't wear water proofs on the bike. Just accept that you're going to get wet and wear clothes that wick and dry quickly. As long as you stay warm and comfortable that's the main thing.

I would go for something cheap with underarm zips if I was in the market for a rain jacket. Our sport is a dirty one which means that things need washing lots, so fancy fabrics tend to suffer a bit.

I'd only put a waterproof through the wash as a last resort, otherwise just stick it on the washing line/in the shower and give it a rinse off.

and get fitter, you'll sweat less

not necessarily… fitter folk can be very sweaty as well, part of their adaption to high exercise loads (back when I was 10kg lighter and doing triathlons etc I still ran with rivers of sweat, and I was bloody fit then let me tell you!)

you'll need to waterproof your jackets. grangers or the other lot both do stuff to make the water bead again.

Does event need ironing to get the surface coating working again? I think Gore-tex does.

I've had two very expensive Gore-Tex biking jackets in the last 20 years which I use very sparingly – If I'm riding in a tree area it's in my bag to avoid rips and damage. If I'm out in the open I'll think about wearing it but if I can I'll keep to the windproofs – it's usually the windchill that makes me put the jacket on. If I'm riding hard I'm sweating hard and soaked anyway. 😆
All my kit gets wrecked pretty quickly – usually with a rip to a sleeve from a certain branch… (I know… I could remove it but it has as much right to be there as I do… it's now a legend 8)).
If I have to wash my Gore-Tex jacket then I would not use any detergent, or any other "special product" for that matter – better a hose on the line.
This comes from my experience of using Gore-Tex for nine months of the year when I worked at ski-resorts… do not wash it unless you have to :!:.

I have no idea about "Soft-shells". I usually wear a couple of ancient old Windstopper fleese jackets that no longer "windstop" but are still okay to ride in… despite the rip to the sleeve 🙄

Technology is not always the answer… learn to enjoy the moist clammy feeling…

But I bet you sweat 'earlier' now…. 10kg heavier? Good god man, have you thought about liposuction?! 😆

I'm off work with an injury, no exercise for a month, I must have put a stone on. Not looking forward to riding in plastic again…

The trick with waterproof jackets is to get the most expensive jacket you can afford, you'll still create the same micro climate in your armpit as if you're wearing a bin liner, but importantly, you'll convince yourself that you're fresh and dry, so you're happy, or a least a bit less miserable than the bloke in the bin liner, maybe

The trick with waterproof jackets is to get the most expensive jacket you can afford… …you'll convince yourself that you're fresh and dry, so you're happy

true enough of most bike things really 🙂

googling around, I quite liking the look of the new Venturi II actually, I like the pit zips (one thing that the original Venturi sorely lacks…)

Paramo for walking.
Rab Vapour Rise for cycling.
Cosy warm damp is better than cold clammy damp.

PaulGillespie – Member

I don't wear water proofs on the bike. Just accept that you're going to get wet and wear clothes that wick and dry quickly. As long as you stay warm and comfortable that's the main thing.

I agree with this chap, I wear a Gore Phantom top for day riding even when its pissing it down, i get wet but the top dries pretty quick. For night riding a use a soft shell jacket that is thicker than a Gore Phantom

I haven't worn a waterproof jacket on the bike for years.

nickc – Member
The trick with waterproof jackets is to get the most expensive jacket you can afford, you'll still create the same micro climate in your armpit as if you're wearing a bin liner, but importantly, you'll convince yourself that you're fresh and dry, so you're happy, or a least a bit less miserable than the bloke in the bin liner, maybe

Nope, sorry. I've got a Stealth and it way outperforms cheaper jackets. Yes you still sweat, but it wicks away and dries, whereas cheaper jackets will leave sweat running out of your cuffs. I'm a right sweaty bugger too and find this jacket comfier than anything I've had before – it's too warm for anything above 10-12 degrees though.

My Stealth started wetting out and I've just re-proofed it with Nikwax and the water just runs off again

Skin tight baselayer with a top wicking jersey normally does it.

I don't get sweaty anymore since I dropped the lard but everyone is different.

Try using talc?

Not even the fanciest events and pac-lites of this world can deal with the sweat output of someone exercising hard, even if the jacket is brand new and not yet soiled by oil, mud or dirt.

If I know its going to be bucketing down all day, I do have an event jacket that I'll wear, but I've worn it maybe 6 times since I bought it about three years ago.

Mostly I wear a Berghaus airfoil windproof that's also shower-proof. I wash it in some DWR stuff to make it as water repellent as possible. It breathes markedly better that my event jacket and is perfectly capable of dealing with all but heavy rain.

As a few others have said – Warm and wet. You either achieve this by par-boiling in your own sweat in a fancy plastic mac, or you do it in something more breathable that lets rain get in after a while. The only difference is that when the rain stops, you'll still be wet in the plastic mac, but the breathable will have you drier and comfier quicker, and more of the time. (assuming you've got your base layers sorted).

Got to love it when you are out in the cold with a jacket on and you can feel the sweat on the inside of the jacket running down the sleeves into your gloves.

I find the Altura Nevis perfect for breathing and never got steamy inside.

I'm with Grumm on this, if your'e sweating like a rapist in a police lineup & It's p!ssing down, your'e gonna get wet. Until someone invents the 'one way valve' jacket!
Best jacket I've ever owned, & still have, is my old Pace winteractive, keeps me warm & reasonably dry.

This is pretty much the reason I haven't bought an expensive "biking" jacket, I just make do with a Regatta Isolite 3000 jacket, "pretty" waterproof, "Pretty" breathable and £25 in the sales every year.

That'll do nicely

I was sceptical until I bought one

I've got an old Gore waterproof. It gets washed normally regularly and stays completely waterproof.