“My husband was between medium and large. We ordered the medium and it was far to small in the shoulders but fit well everywhere else. We exchanged it for the large which fits in the shoulders but is probably a bit big in other parts. However he likes the jacket and it keeps him dry so far!”
“I have been wearing Showers Pass for more than 10 years now. Love the brand. Material is perfect for my rough MTB. Over the years one must renew for time to time the waterproof. Otherwise super ventilated and the shape is brilliant for cycling. Also use it for running when it rains / a bit cool. Have fun! Fabrice.”
“Since the world was flat I have been in the hunt for a waterproof jacket. Keep in mind..I live in the center of the Rain Capital of the USA. "Rain, you say..all the time." We are fishes walking around with scales. I have tried every big name brand. I have closets full of so called waterproof jacs..all leakers. I happen to stumble across Showers Pass on the internet in a desperate need of a waterproof jacket to get home dry on my bike. My wife always waits for me at the back door with a towel after my wet ride. Taylor Griggs also had a convincing article.”
“I've owned one of these (Elite 2.1) for seven years. The first couple of years I used it for cycling during wet weather and on dry days, when needed, as a wind breaker. It worked well. I moved and was unable to reestablish a cycling routine for a couple years. Moved again to a mountainous area and began using it for hiking in the rain and cold weather. The seam tape eventually began to separate from the seams. I've successfully used various methods to reattach the existing seam tape. Still able to remain dry. Recently an inch or so length of the teeth on one side of the zipper on the rear pocket separated from the tape (the fabric part of the zipper). It can't be repaired without replacing the entire zipper, rendering the back pocket unusable. As I normally carry my rain hood and a pair of gloves in that pocket, I'm using the jacket as a wind breaker and during light rain.
I ordered a new one. I haven't yet used it, but following are a few observations.
I was disappointed that the blue color of the current jacket is a lighter, pastel shade of blue. The old one is a very rich, deeper blue. I can live with it, but prefer the old color.
The main zipper is no longer a two-way zipper. I found the old two-way zipper to be a hassle to properly insert the pin into the box to allow the zipper to operate. So, I believe this will prove to be an improvement. It's still a european style zipper though. The pin and box are reversed from what we in America are used to. It is the only jacket I've ever owned, sport or otherwise, to use this style zipper.
The velcro pads used to attach the optional rain hood are not as robust as those on my old jacket. They're now round, smaller (cover less area than the previous ones) and are thinner (they don't grip as well). I don't know if the velcro on the current version of the hood has been changed to accommodate the updated jacket. I haven't used the jacket yet, so I don't know how well the old hood will work with it.
The old jacket had an audio port accessible at the inside-back of the breast pocket. It allowed a headphone jack to be threaded through it to plug into an audio device inside the breast pocket. The wire for the headphones would then exit from behind the collar of the jacket. Although the tags included with the new jacket list the audio port as a feature, my jacket does not have one. Not a deal breaker, but clearly one of already three apparent cost cutting modifications made to the jacket over time.
Last item, the two zippers for the pockets are much stiffer than on the old jacket. They're more difficult to open and close. Perhaps it's due to improvements made to the design of the zipper. But it's likely the difficulty of operating the back pocket zipper with the jacket on is what caused the zipper to fail on the old jacket. Time will tell, I suppose.
Having said all that, the build quality of the jacket is very high. The seam tape on the new jacket appears to have been applied flawlessly. The main zipper operates smoothly, as expected, with no need to futz about with the previous two-sided mechanism.
It remains a well designed, high quality product that I expect will protect me from wind and rain for years to come.”
“I own two, a medium and a large. The jacket is amazing and the best jacket I wear in rain. Most jackets say they're water resistant or water proof but after a 30 mile ride they all leak or don't breathe and you soak from the inside out. The jacket is also excellent at repelling the wind. I ride the coast and both can be brutal. This jacket gets me out there in the bad weather. I wear the large early season when thick layering plus I'm thicker from the winter weight gain. The medium is later in the season when I'm trim and thin layers. The fit is fantastic.”
“As good as advertised! Excellent in the rain and WARM. Lots of room for various layers underneath, lots of waterproof pockets. Great for daily, 20 mile commutes and riding in gravel and dirt.”
“Great job with crew at Showers Pass. A few exchanges and got it right. It's very comfortable and functional. Best riding jacket and pants I ever bought. High quality backed up by good folks who helped me out.”
