how to keep dry - soaked when using Goretex..

[andy_scot_uk]

My wife bought me a Goretex breathable paclite jacket but I have found when wearing this in the rain the insides get exteremely wet and I am soaked at my destination. I can't think this is sweat as its from the outside in.

I am usually wearing a tee-shirt under the rain jacket. At work the shirt was still wet at night when it was time to go home

Any ideas how I can keep dry easier? Should I be wearing layers? Getting colder now so that will be more practicle. Been a fair weather cyclist for a long time but now I'm dedicated and cycle in the rain

[thirdcrank]

andy_scot_uk

We've discussed condensation in Goretex (because that is what you are experiencing I think) several times

Eg here

[andy_scot_uk]

thanks for the quick reply - should have searched before posting!

Looks like I'm doomed to getting wet. I remember many years ago having a cycling cape, if only I still had it

[workhard]

when it rains "go slow and open the pit zips" is my motto.

a) because slow is safer and b) because slow plus open pit zips means you wont "boil in the bag" quite so easily.

[PW]

Getting wet isn't a problem, it's getting chilled which causes the bother. Goretex can't breathe unless the inside is both warmer and wetter than the outside, but it can keep the wind off and stay remarkably warm even in winter.

[thirdcrank]

I remember many years ago having a cycling cape, if only I still had it

Have you forgotten how much condensation there was in a cape? One of the first things I ever remember reading in the comic, late 1950's was correpondence about this. I remember somebody saying that he wrapped an innertube around his shoulders in much the same way as racing cyclists used to carry a spare tub and then pumped it up. He said that this created an airspace around his shoulders which reduced condensation.

I think we have to accept that cycling is one of the most testing activities for breathable fabrics. A rider goes from toiling uphill to speeding downhill in a matter of seconds. If it's raining, that is forced against the front of any garment. It's a formula for condensation.

[NewHorizon]

I am usually wearing a tee-shirt under the rain jacket. At work the shirt was still wet at night when it was time to go home

If that’s a cotton t-shirt, that’s a big part of your problem. Its holding onto moisture instead of wicking it away to the surface of the goretex (and it can be a killer, literally, if out on the mountains, because, when you stop you'll cool very rapidly). Any CoolMax or synthetic material, or indeed merino wool, will make a huge difference. M&S do CoolMax stuff at a reasonable price as do Milletts Peter Storm brand and the Halfords BikeHut range is exceptional value.

[james01]

If that’s a cotton t-shirt, that’s a big part of your problem. Its holding onto moisture instead of wicking it away .

Exactly. For cyclists, or any other active types, cotton T shirts are the pits. Except for denim jeans, which are even worse.

[Robert]

If that’s a cotton t-shirt, that’s a big part of your problem. Its holding onto moisture instead of wicking it away to the surface of the goretex (and it can be a killer, literally, if out on the mountains, because, when you stop you'll cool very rapidly). Any CoolMax or synthetic material, or indeed merino wool, will make a huge difference. M&S do CoolMax stuff at a reasonable price as do Milletts Peter Storm brand and the Halfords BikeHut range is exceptional value.

I was about to say that! TKMaxx sell last year's nike dri fit and craghopper stuff very reasonably.

[Anura]

A few years ago I treated myself to a double skinned Ventile jacket. It's heavy/stiff when wet but keeps you really dry and comfortable and you don't sweat.

They don't pack up very small though.

A Buffallo is good, though they're not waterproof, but they keep you warm and dry very quickly. Look at their website, can't remember what it is.

You might need to take out a small mortgage nowadays though! I bought some material and I'm going to try to make myself another one.

[andy_scot_uk]

I remember many years ago having a cycling cape, if only I still had it

Have you forgotten how much condensation there was in a cape? One of the first things I ever remember reading in the comic, late 1950's was correpondence about this.

I have selective memory - "the good old days effect".

[zenzinnia]

But we do have this to look forward to one day...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7587702.stm

[workhard]

Buffalo can be found here but theirs is a very different approach and doesn't suit everyone.
But they do what they do brilliantly.

They are not waterproof, nor do they claim to be. You wear nothing underneath one, you will get wet but you will stay warm. At the end of the ride it dries on a hanger in about an hour. I've got a Big Face Shirt which is brilliant for winter mountain biking, and I guess would work well on a cold wet commute/tour, but if the weather turns mild I find it is too hot. They can be fiddly to reproof as you have to spray proofing on rather than use a wash in proofer or you proof the inside pile and all your sweat just condenses.

I tried a ventile jacket, from Howies a few years back. It was a pressie. Stiff, heavy, and absorbed lots of sweat, which I found it made me produce in abundance when mountain biking. Looked good off the bike, was nice to the touch, but stank after intense use so it went on eBay before the end of its first winter.

[thirdcrank]

I bought myself a Ventile jacket from a posh gents outfitters (now long gone) in Settle. Half price it still cost an arm and a leg - I could only achieve what had been a long-held ambition through the kind generosity of one Lord Edmond Davies. Not very durable and frayed very quickly - in particular, the sleeve cuffs caused the hip pockets and the area around them to fray right through. A big disappointment.

[Russell160]

I would agree with other posters that it's the T shirt that's the big problem. I would heartily recommend an Endura base layer, they make a superb long sleeve base that costs about £25 and does the job for me year round.