Light, waterproof, breathable rain gear isn’t a necessity for year-round cycling but it sure helps on those yuckier days. I’ve got a “rain bag” stowed away beside my bike that I grab when the weather looks iffy. It’s a gallon zip top bag with all the right stuff rolled up inside: helmet cover, jacket, rain pants, brimmed cap, and neoprene shoe covers.
I’d say the most important item in there is the jacket. When it’s warm, sometimes you don’t mind getting wet, but when it’s cool or cold, keeping your core area dry is the difference between riding on and hypothermia. I’m of the opinion that it’s worth it to have something on that keeps the rain off and at least makes a stab at ventilating some of your own heat/sweat off your body while you’re doing cold weather riding. And breathable is what Gore-Tex is all about.
When I tested GORE BIKE WEAR’s Alpine Lady Jacket a few years back, I was really impressed with their new GORE-TEX® Paclite® material. That jacket would roll down into a small enough package that I could tuck it into a back pocket if I had to – pretty impressive. GORE is offering that same great fabric technology in at a lower price (yippee!) with their Power Lady Jacket.
The Power Jacket is a “slim fit” jacket, hugging your shape and keeping you aerodynamic. It’s got the usual drop down butt flap that stays snapped up out of the way until you need it and the jacket hem has an elastic drawstring for snugging it down around your hips. The large rear pocket has a waterproof zipper and you can fold the jacket into that pocket for storage.
There’s a velcro attachment on the collar for a rain hood (sold separately). I’d recommend springing for that rain hood if you’re planning to commute or ride in all weathers because it gives you better coverage than a helmet cover does. I particularly liked the adjustable cuffs on this jacket – rather than an elastic cuff, the Power Jacket has velcro straps to snug down or open up the cuff. It makes it a little easier to pull the jacket off your arms.
GORE BIKE WEAR Power Lady Jacket: msrp $199, available at www.gorebikewear.com, REI.com, TeamEstrogen.com.
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