Does my idea of a perfect commuter jacket exist?

Resolutebay.cc wrote:

You should try our new reflective commuter jackets. They have reflective thread woven into the fabric so it doesn’t look construction worker jacket. 100% water proof and tons of ventilation... comes in orange, grey & black

We are also based in Belfast.

Click here >>> Commuter Jacket <<<

I hope you're right about it being perfect - I'm waiting on the black jacket. Are you still on course for the first week of January?

hawkinspeter wrote:

Resolutebay.cc wrote:

You should try our new reflective commuter jackets. They have reflective thread woven into the fabric so it doesn’t look construction worker jacket. 100% water proof and tons of ventilation... comes in orange, grey & black

We are also based in Belfast.

Click here >>> Commuter Jacket <<<

I hope you're right about it being perfect - I'm waiting on the black jacket. Are you still on course for the first week of January?

Yes I’m on track! The jackets are all made, I just need to get them on a boat and shipped over. This will take about 35 days. Packaging 200 jacket by myself might take a few days but I will get there.

hawkinspeter wrote:

Resolutebay.cc wrote:

You should try our new reflective commuter jackets. They have reflective thread woven into the fabric so it doesn’t look construction worker jacket. 100% water proof and tons of ventilation... comes in orange, grey & black

We are also based in Belfast.

Click here >>> Commuter Jacket <<<

I hope you're right about it being perfect - I'm waiting on the black jacket. Are you still on course for the first week of January?

My sarcasm meter is offline.
Was that a serious question?

Crampy wrote:

If we are looking at non-bikey stuff, then Bergans make nice rain jackets. I have a couple, one of which is at least 10 years old and they are good as new after lots of use. They have taped seams, lots of pockets and zippers with storm flaps. You get a bunch of different colours, too.

One issue with non-bikey jackets is that the sleeves can be a bit short for arms-stretched riding positions. It may be a slightly Phyrric victory to have a dry torso and arms and gloves full of water. 

A_Moses wrote:

Paramo for me. I use them for walking (Velez smock) and cycling (Quito). Quito has pit zips. They are properly waterproof and very breathable. The downside is that they are quite thick/bulky and therefore a bit warm. OK for this time of year, but not for summer and not an option for scrunching into a back pocket or saddlebag for just-in-case. I’d buy a Paramo Ciclo if I could justify the spend - it has better pockets for both cycling and mooching about - although the colours are crap. 

I'm not affiliated - just a user and convert.

In my experience

Pros: waterproof, breathable, good hood for cycling (no experience with helmet), warm.

Cons: expensive, heavy, bulky, warm.

IIRC Paramo is "sell your firstborn" levels of expensive... 

A_Moses wrote:

Paramo for me. I use them for walking (Velez smock) and cycling (Quito). Quito has pit zips. They are properly waterproof and very breathable. The downside is that they are quite thick/bulky and therefore a bit warm. OK for this time of year, but not for summer and not an option for scrunching into a back pocket or saddlebag for just-in-case. I’d buy a Paramo Ciclo if I could justify the spend - it has better pockets for both cycling and mooching about - although the colours are crap. 

I'm not affiliated - just a user and convert.

In my experience

Pros: waterproof, breathable, good hood for cycling (no experience with helmet), warm.

Cons: expensive, heavy, bulky, warm.

Apparently they do a blue now in the ciclo - just spotted it on ebay.  I do love their kit but I think they could do with new blood in the design area. It's just a bit mehh.

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/202502408262?chn=ps&var=502537877295

A_Moses wrote:

Paramo for me. I use them for walking (Velez smock) and cycling (Quito). Quito has pit zips. They are properly waterproof and very breathable. The downside is that they are quite thick/bulky and therefore a bit warm. OK for this time of year, but not for summer and not an option for scrunching into a back pocket or saddlebag for just-in-case. I’d buy a Paramo Ciclo if I could justify the spend - it has better pockets for both cycling and mooching about - although the colours are crap. 

I'm not affiliated - just a user and convert.

In my experience

Pros: waterproof, breathable, good hood for cycling (no experience with helmet), warm.

Cons: expensive, heavy, bulky, warm.

is the Quito any good for hiking?

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

A_Moses wrote:

Paramo for me. I use them for walking (Velez smock) and cycling (Quito). Quito has pit zips. They are properly waterproof and very breathable. The downside is that they are quite thick/bulky and therefore a bit warm. OK for this time of year, but not for summer and not an option for scrunching into a back pocket or saddlebag for just-in-case. I’d buy a Paramo Ciclo if I could justify the spend - it has better pockets for both cycling and mooching about - although the colours are crap. 

I'm not affiliated - just a user and convert.

In my experience

Pros: waterproof, breathable, good hood for cycling (no experience with helmet), warm.

Cons: expensive, heavy, bulky, warm.

is the Quito any good for hiking?

Quito is OK for hiking , but I prefer the Velez because the pockets that you can use to put your hands in can be zipped up if you need to store stuff in them and I like the kangaroo pocket for just dumping stuff in without having to unzip the jacket. The internal chest pockets of the Quito are big enough for an OS map, but not if it's in a bulky map case.

Both are warm and I treat them as if they were waterproof fleeces in terms of temperature regulation. If I wanted to be waterproof and in the hills then I wouldn't hesitate to use either. However, waterproofness is overrrated IMHO and for serious hill walking it's just a Buffalo and Ron Hills.

Mathemagician wrote:

Thanks for the comments...although everyone seems to be ignoring the waterproof bit. Personally I've never understood this whole "boil in the bag" brush that waterproof stuff gets tarred with- as janusz0 said, if it's vented then generally it's ok. 

I'm not after a water resistant softshell type jacket- I've enough clothes along that vein already that do the job well. My ride to the station isn't really long enough to get particularly sweaty- 20 minutes through town- but 20 minutes is easily long enough to get wet through in moderate to heavy rain. Add a 25 minute train journey in your possibly dry on the inside but damp and probably a bit smelly on the outside jacket (if it gets worn every day and it's not a hard shell, it's going to smell, especially if it gets damp repeatedly), and a Gabba-type just isn't that attractive a proposition. 

Seems to me commuter jackets are all pretty ridiculously loose, and it pisses me off- I don't see why I have to walk around feeling like a schoolkid in his dad's kagoul (albeit a bright yellow one) when I'm not on the bike. Like I said, it doesn't have to be skin tight, just reasonably form fitted. Anything that kind of shape though is an overpriced packable number which isn't vented or particularly hi vis. I really don't understand why there's such a paucity of options in the middle ground on this one. 

FWIW I found a cycle jacket in Go Outdoors that more or less does tick all the boxes, and for £30 too. We'll see if it lasts more than a winter though...

Would something less bikey, like the Vulpine Harrington or, I believe Belstaff have an offering, fit the bill?

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

100% waterproof and breathable doesn't exist

Gore shakedry!!! Expensive but was half price yesterday in the black friday sales. But not sure if they do a version with a chest pocket for the OP. One of the other manufacturers who use the same material may though

StoopidUserName wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

100% waterproof and breathable doesn't exist

Gore shakedry!!! Expensive but was half price yesterday in the black friday sales. But not sure if they do a version with a chest pocket for the OP. One of the other manufacturers who use the same material may though

No full length zip (it's a useless velcro job at the top), paper thin like all the shakedry jackets so not ideal for commuting and one person reports getting long serive out of it but ultimately binned it after 5 seasons! if you catch it anywhere you're likely to rip it and then it's fucked. 

The Gore has a tiny pocket that can't even fit an older iphone in it, probably the best in terms of waterproofing but alas it most certainly is NOT 100% waterproof and breathability is still an issue when putting in effort from what I've read.

It's always a difficult thing, the Shakedry material is fantastic but is it something you want for everyday commuting?

My Skyline is nowhere near as water resistant but I've never felt cold in it despite it being out in torrential rain for an hour, and again, I don't know of many rain type jackets that have large external pockets like the skyline which are epic for leisure and commuting rides, plus a good zipped chest pocket, great body zip that's easy to undo with thick gloves, sleeve/cuff zips (so easier with winter/autumn gloves than most jackets).

And did I mention fit, for me at 47" chest it's one of the best fitting cycling garments I've ever owned, usually cycling stuff loses all proportion for the largest sizes and it's annoying when it states athletic or race fit and then has a shit ton of material around the midriff. I'd bet my Skyline is less draggy/more aero than the Gore/other shakedry jackets given what I've seen of the photos even on a 'small', still plenty of ruffled up material in places that will catch the wind more than my smoothed out jacket.

The other upside is that I paid £37.50 for mine!

We all have our requirements and you makes your pick based on what your requirements are, but the perfect jacket doesn't exist as yet, maybe someday.