Lightweight, robust waterproof jacket for touring

[bobzeller]

It weighs 500gms. Bearing in mind that this jacket is a fuller fit than a cycling-specific jacket, it is really light. And, in my view, for touring purposes where you could be wearing a jacket on the bike or when just walking about, the fit is a bonus. I might that I live in Northern Ireland where it rains a great deal and when I set out when it's raining, if it stops raining, I often still keep it on and that has never created a problem with sweat - or anything else for that matter.

Cheers

Bob

[Tiberius]

Yes, Paramo's blurb says use Paramo cleaner, but there again Allinson's bread making yeast says to use Allinson's flour: of course it does, because both wish to encourage you to use their product. But just as Tesco Bread Flour combines perfectly satisfactorily with Allinson's yeast, so does washing a Paramo jacket in Dripak Liquid Soap.

But, hey ho, it's your money and you can spend it on stuff with insane markups over practically identical alternatives if you want...

Pete.

Well I've just bought a new Paramo ALTA 3 walking jacket (250 quids worth)....Now then, you can call me 'frivolous with money' if you like, but I'm not going to throw it into a washing machine full 'Daz' when it comes to cleaning it......just to save a fiver.......

And I'm from Yorkshire.... ......

[mjr]

I was dry and feeling superior in my £10 Wilkies cape.

Are they still on sale?

[pjclinch]

Well I've just bought a new Paramo ALTA 3 walking jacket (250 quids worth)....Now then, you can call me 'frivolous with money' if you like, but I'm not going to throw it into a washing machine full 'Daz' when it comes to cleaning it......just to save a fiver.......

Daz is a detergent. You don't want to use a detergent, so quite right.

Nikwax Tech Wash is a pure liquid soap. Its particular schtick isn't that it's gee-whiz super techy, but that it's precisely the opposite. Exactly the same goes for e.g. Dripak Liquid Soap Flakes.

The main difference is that Liquid Soap Flakes can be had for about £3.50 / 750 ml while Tech Wash is about £4 for 300 ml. Once you're through the packaging one is a pure, simple soap with no additives diluted in to liquid form, and so is the other.

Pete.

[bobzeller]

It weights about 500gms. A bit less than my Rapha Classic Softshell (which is just water resistant) and folded or scrunched it takes about the same amount of space.

Cheers

Bob

[bobzeller]

Sorry, I should have said that it is my Showers Pass Refuge jacket that weighs about 500gms, about the same as my Rapha Classic softshell and it takes about the same space when folded as the Rapha as well.

Bob

[radio53]

The only waterproof jacket I have ever owned is a Rukka motorcycle jacket but that's no good on a bicycle.
I have two very thin and flimsy Avenir jackets that I wear over each other. They are OK for an hour ten they give up so I do as you suggest.
Gimme shelter!

[bigjim]

I was dry and feeling superior in my £10 Wilkies cape.

Are they still on sale?

Not that I know of. I've had mine about 5 years but there are plenty on Amazon for about £12. No good for you if you are a lightweight, Strava, Personal Best, etc type of guy as they are not light. At 15 stone it does not bother me too much. I use mine also as a tent footprint, somewhere to sit on damp days to brew up and as a Shelter in a downpour.

[PH]

Considering they're a small company with little presence in the UK, you might be surprised that this is the third Showers Pass recommendation.
I had a Berghaus Gortex for over a decade and for the last few years it'd been well past it's best, the only thing stopping me replacing it was the doubt that I'd find anything as good and Berghaus have stopped making cycling gear.
I've had the Showers Pass Elite 2.1 for six months and it's without a doubt the best cycling waterproof I've had. A few of those have got the waterproof bit right but none have been anything like as effectively vented. With huge pit zips, wide cuffs, two way front zip and full length rear vent, it remains comfortable even when it's not raining. On those days when I would otherwise be putting a jacket on and taking it off several times, I'm happy to leave this on and just make adjustments with the zips, which is easy to do while riding. It's a long way from the lightest, my large size is 460g on the kitchen scales, but on my next tour I'll probably leave a jersey behind and use this when it's chilly, so saving overall weight. I bought the gold colour which stands out nicely, I sort of now wish I'd bought he blue as it'd be a better off bike colour. Obviously after six months I can't comment of durability, but it feels substantial enough and the event fabric has been around long enough without any issues I've seen.
I bought direct from the UK distributer (I tried three months earlier to buy from Spa, but gave up) I signed up to the newsletter got a discount, free postage, free returns label, which I used as the first was too big, got a replacement before they'd received the original back. First class service and it was cheaper than Spa.
https://www.showerspass.com/products/me ... -21-jacket

[ehelifecycle]

Hi

here is the answer one of these

vents on the sides and down the arms



no make, cost £10. Although you will tell me it's not very breathable it is 100% waterproof and can be vented with front zip and mesh areas down the sides and under arms. It can be washed any way you like. So glad I didn't take my Montane featherlite or my bulky gortex jacket, when as you all know I just cycles the west of ireland and it rained all day every day, thank imaginary person in the sky that I had this. Perfect

[scottg]

Hi

here is the answer one of these

For warm weather get a second one and turn it into a short sleeve jacket,
more flo-thru ventilation.

[gloomyandy]

Hi

here is the answer one of these

vents on the sides and down the arms



no make, cost £10. Although you will tell me it's not very breathable it is 100% waterproof and can be vented with front zip and mesh areas down the sides and under arms. It can be washed any way you like. So glad I didn't take my Montane featherlite or my bulky gortex jacket, when as you all know I just cycles the west of ireland and it rained all day every day, thank imaginary person in the sky that I had this. Perfect

May just be me but I can only see a sort of "no entry" sign rather than the image. Any chance of providing details of what this image is of?

Thanks!

[pjclinch]

May just be me but I can only see a sort of "no entry" sign rather than the image.

It's not just you...

[willem jongman]

We just bought a Gore Bike Wear Active Shell jacket for my wife. Active Shell is their most breathable fabric, and light: the jacket weighs all of just 270 grams (no hood). It comes in fluo colour for better visibility, even if without the EN 1150 reflective striping that is mandatory in countries like France. By the standards of this kind of gear the jacket was not too expensive.

[lowrider]

pjclinch wrote:

Yes, Paramo's blurb says use Paramo cleaner, but there again Allinson's bread making yeast says to use Allinson's flour: of course it does, because both wish to encourage you to use their product. But just as Tesco Bread Flour combines perfectly satisfactorily with Allinson's yeast, so does washing a Paramo jacket in Dripak Liquid Soap.

But, hey ho, it's your money and you can spend it on stuff with insane markups over practically identical alternatives if you want...

Pete.




Well I've just bought a new Paramo ALTA 3 walking jacket (250 quids worth)....Now then, you can call me 'frivolous with money' if you like, but I'm not going to throw it into a washing machine full 'Daz' when it comes to cleaning it......just to save a fiver.......

And I'm from Yorkshire.... ......

I think you have got it a bit wrong Paramos own advice is to use detergents for stubborn stains as soap (nickwax)only will not remove everything. In some cases when wash in proofer has been over used detergent has to be used to remove the excess and allow the garment to be restored.

Paramo is great more robust than you think throwing into a washing machine full of Daz as you say will not do it any lasting harm and likely be needed at some stage in your garments life.

Edit after washing in detergent you must wash it and re proof it with Nikwax

I have even used turps (it was the last resort) to remove pine resin. This was black thick dried into the material and contaminated with dirt. I washed the turps out with a detergent then Nikwax to wash and re proof. The garment was cleaned waterproofed and is back in service saved from being binned. I would not recommend this treatment in anything other than the most extreme circumstances but I would be less than confident a convetional coated or laminated material would survive such treatment.