I'm always torn between breathability and waterproofness for MTBing. I currently lean towards breathability. That keeps me the most comfortable in most winter riding conditions. It also has the benefit of being cheaper and lighter/more compact.
It fails in real heavy rain, but I won't head out for a ride in a deluge and if a deluge hits while riding I will make my way back to the trailhead/home. I've got a flexible enough schedule I can still ride as much as my body can take most weeks and avoid the worst weather.
When I've gone the other way with a properly waterproof shell \[that is in theory breathable to some degree\] I end up uncomfortable more than I would be in a truly breathable shell, but when the SHTF I am happier. So it just depends what trade offs I want to make.
Nov. 25, 2021, 8:17 a.m. - Vik Banerjee
I'm always torn between breathability and waterproofness for MTBing. I currently lean towards breathability. That keeps me the most comfortable in most winter riding conditions. It also has the benefit of being cheaper and lighter/more compact. It fails in real heavy rain, but I won't head out for a ride in a deluge and if a deluge hits while riding I will make my way back to the trailhead/home. I've got a flexible enough schedule I can still ride as much as my body can take most weeks and avoid the worst weather. When I've gone the other way with a properly waterproof shell \[that is in theory breathable to some degree\] I end up uncomfortable more than I would be in a truly breathable shell, but when the SHTF I am happier. So it just depends what trade offs I want to make.