Cycling will, at some point, demand a rain jacket. And given that you can never tell when it will rain, you need to have the right outerwear to hand.
A huge range of options are available in terms of cut, weight and weather-proofing so, once youâve set a budget, think about how you will use your jacket. If you like riding fast and light on a road bike or a cross-country MTB, opt for breathability, a slimmer cut and packable weight.
If you need something more heavy duty â for commuting or hanging around by the bike park, for example â head for a looser cut and possibly a hood. Consider off-the-bike practicality and style too.
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Bear in mind that two things will add cost to your waterproof â fabric and features. Light, extra durable and more breathable fabrics cost more to make, and adding seams and pockets means it not only takes more time to make the jacket but that thereâs more to seam-seal.
Materials are made waterproof by the addition of a coating or a membrane. Broadly speaking, membranes tend to be more breathable, but not all are created equal because the techniques used to attach the membrane to the outer differ and will also affect breathability.
Even more confusingly, materials donât actually âbreatheâ â thatâs just become the official shorthand for describing how efficiently water vapour (by which we mean sweat) passes from the inside to the outside of a jacket.
What to look for when buying a waterproof cycling jacket
Best waterproof cycling jackets
Gore Oxygen 2.0 Gore-Tex Active â top waterproof for all kinds of cycling
Endura Helium and MTR Emergency shell â great value options
More great road cycling waterproofs
More great mountain biking waterproofs
You can read more at BikeRadar.com