I ride in all conditions so I haven't met a jacket that's actually usable for riding that didn't wet out eventually - including my much more weatherproof Guardian.
I also should have noted that I always find that sleeves wet out faster than the core. It could be that I wear a pack and body English compresses the shoulders squeezing water into the sleeves? It could be that I'm forever bumping them on wet trees and bushes? It could be the location or loading on the seams? It could be something to do with the softshell material? - who knows - but I hadn't considered that that wouldn't be common for everyone as it seems to be the case with every jacket for me.
There is a wide-open world in terms of what folks call 'waterproof' or 'weatherproof.' In my experience NeoShell jackets - whether hardshell or softshell - wet out faster than GoreTex from the outside in but breath much better from the inside out.
I like hoods - particularly hoods that fit over helmets - but I also like the fewest number of zips and pockets possible. I haven't checked out the Fox clothing line for years.
I'm generally large in anything North American that's road-cut and I'm bouncing between medium and large for mountain bike-cut tops (more often large these days). Often gear fits me in the chest but not the shoulders - single speeder problems maybe.
Unless it's a downpour, my go-to winter setup is usually my GoreTex vest (a GoreTex ActiveWear waterproof jacket converted to a vest) with a merino layer underneath. When it's warmer I just run a base layer (short sleeve or long sleeve) and this time of year I usually run a merino hoody.
Cheers!
Dec. 13, 2020, 8:15 p.m. - Andrew Major
I ride in all conditions so I haven't met a jacket that's actually usable for riding that didn't wet out eventually - including my much more weatherproof Guardian. I also should have noted that I always find that sleeves wet out faster than the core. It could be that I wear a pack and body English compresses the shoulders squeezing water into the sleeves? It could be that I'm forever bumping them on wet trees and bushes? It could be the location or loading on the seams? It could be something to do with the softshell material? - who knows - but I hadn't considered that that wouldn't be common for everyone as it seems to be the case with every jacket for me. There is a wide-open world in terms of what folks call 'waterproof' or 'weatherproof.' In my experience NeoShell jackets - whether hardshell or softshell - wet out faster than GoreTex from the outside in but breath much better from the inside out. I like hoods - particularly hoods that fit over helmets - but I also like the fewest number of zips and pockets possible. I haven't checked out the Fox clothing line for years. I'm generally large in anything North American that's road-cut and I'm bouncing between medium and large for mountain bike-cut tops (more often large these days). Often gear fits me in the chest but not the shoulders - single speeder problems maybe. Unless it's a downpour, my go-to winter setup is usually my GoreTex vest (a GoreTex ActiveWear waterproof jacket converted to a vest) with a merino layer underneath. When it's warmer I just run a base layer (short sleeve or long sleeve) and this time of year I usually run a merino hoody. Cheers!