Rain Gear » Showers Pass Elite 2.0 Jacket

The Elite 2.0 jacket is the ultimate rain jacket that ALSO works well in cool dry weather.

The only cycling specific jacket recently honored in OUTSIDE Magazine’s “Gear of the Year Awards” Annual Buyers Guide.

The ELITE 2.0 has become the gold(enrod) standard of technical cycling shells and has been tag-named by the country’s top randoneers, long distance cyclist and commuters as the “Pass” jacket….and tell us they don’t leave home without it! We carefully engineered the Elite 2.0 as a wet-weather cyclist’s best friend. The Elite also works well for Nordic skiing, running, and other outdoor pursuits in cool and/or wet weather. Most people like the Elite 2.0 in weather below 55 degrees in dry weather or 65 degrees if its raining.

FABRIC
eVentâ„¢ fabric is a highly breathable waterproof fabric, and its also very expensive. In this case you get what you pay for – eVent is very durable and works super-well for high energy outdoor activity.

Waterproof: The industry standard for waterproof testing is the water column test. This measurement is accomplished by measuring the milimeters of water that can be held by the fabric without leaking. The minimum requirement is 1000mm for a fabric to be considered waterproof.

Breathable: MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transfer Rate) is measured in a chamber, divided vertically by the fabric being tested. A dry atmosphere is in one chamber, and a vapor-saturated atmosphere is in the other. A 24-hour test is run to see how much moisture passes through the fabric from the saturated chamber to the dry chamber.

The eVentâ„¢ fabric used in our Elite jacket has a waterproof rating of 30,000 mm and a MVTR of 22,000. The US Military has done extensive testing on waterproof breathable fabric technology. According to Dr. Phil Gibbons, the eVent MVTR rating is about 20% higher than Entrant GII XT from Toray. It is about 80% higher than Nextec from Patagonia, and 100% (or more) higher than Gore-tex XCR, Dermizax, Memebrain from Marmot, Sympatex, Conduit from Mountain Hardware, Omnitec Titanium from Columbia Sportswear, Schoeller WB-400, and Northface Hydroseal. eVent makes the most breathable waterproof fabric on the market today, and only a few companies are licensed to use it. Showers Pass spent almost a year working with eVent to obtain a license to use their fabric – they want their logo on only the best gear!

Features

* weight varies proportionally with size: a large weighs approximately 13.5 ounces (380 grams)
* front Napoleon pocket on left breast with waterproof zipper and internal audio port.
* large back pocket welded to jacket (reduces bulk and weight)
* waterproof front zipper with two-way slider
* fully taped seams
* waterproof armpit zippers
* large, covered back mesh vent
* airflow regulating gussetted cuffs with velcro closures
* tall collar to keep rain off your neck
* elastic cinch-cords at collar and hem
* extensive 3M scotchlite reflective taping
* light loop (for attaching an LED flasher) on rear vent
* micro-fleece collar
* Velcro attachment points for (optional) compact hood

Product Website: http://showerspass.com/

Please rate this product: (no login required)
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (41 votes, average: 3.51 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

Comments (12)

velomattJanuary 5th, 2009 at 2:35 pm

I love mine!
Very breathable and the airflow venting system works well.
eVent fabric is amazing
Compacts down well.
Cut for a cyclist(long tail, longer than normal arms) so it fits well when riding!

RichNYCOctober 14th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

It is a great jacket. I own Shower Pass Double Century made with Pertex fabric (Not as durable). Upgraded to Elite 2.0. The best cycling jacket I own, period. Breathes very well and eVent fabric is sandwiched between layers so it won’t come off as easily as Pertex.

FWIW, if they made the jacket with Gore-tex it would most likely cost close to $400. So, expensive is relative;)

mikeOctober 15th, 2009 at 12:19 pm

Love mine.

James ThurberNovember 12th, 2009 at 2:14 pm

This is a fantastic jacket. It doesn’t rain much in California but we had a few gully washers two weeks ago (October, 09). I’m used to doing long rides in the rain but this jacket actually KEEPS me dry. Shower’s Pass . . keep up the great work!

Joe RameyJune 23rd, 2010 at 4:06 pm

I agree this jacket does do a great job keeping me dry. But it is quite expensive and bulky. If it is raining and cool when I start, I would choose to take the Showers Pass jacket. But if it is threatening, or I want some insurance during a long ride I take my much lighter and smaller-packing O2 jacket http://www.rainshield.com/p_cycling.html that cost me $30 if I remeber at REI. I see O2 now has a 3Flow jacket for around $50, but I haven’t tried it.

LanceSeptember 7th, 2010 at 5:17 pm

Has anyone tried the optional hood? How do you find it?

velomattSeptember 16th, 2010 at 11:50 am

I have the hood.
Works well. gets a bit sweaty in warm climates.
Great wind block in the winter.
Simple velcro attachment

velomattSeptember 16th, 2010 at 11:52 am

Buy the way my rear zipper delaminated (the zip is welded) after just a few months. Per Showers Pass I sent it to Rainy Pass Repair. They did a butcher job by stitching/gluing the zipper. It looks bad but is functional. I’d be curious if anyone else has the same problem.

MichaelJuly 17th, 2011 at 11:11 am

Love mine. It keeps me totally dry, yet has plenty of ventilation/breathability.

MarkJuly 21st, 2011 at 8:47 am

Overall a decent jacket, definitely keeps out the rain. But, the pit zips are a bit uncomfortable…I find mine tend to curve up right into my pits when closed. Other than that, all good.

TroyAugust 21st, 2012 at 3:56 pm

Great jacket. I primarily use mine for commuting. eVent fabric is very breathable, and combined with pit vents create a jacket I rarely sweat out. My only complaint with regards to use for bikepacking is that being cut for a cycling stance, it is bunchy when wearing around camp and even worse if you are wearing an insulating layer underneath.

CeciliaJanuary 2nd, 2013 at 3:52 pm

I don’t know… had it for a year and 1/2, was extremely happy with it under quite a few downpours in mid-seasons, winter and even not-so-warm early mornings/late night chilly summer places (vents perfectly for a rain jacket, great cut, neoprene cuffs a bit cumbersome yet easy to fit gloves uner and velcro over) until it started leaking thourgh the fabric after 2,500 km or so, reproofed it with nikwax spray on yet did not reproof so well… otherwise sure, great venting options, brilliant design/cut (the women’s version is truly cut for us skinny waist/large(r) hips. Maybe a fault in this batch?

Add your review / comments

Your comment

bikepacking.net is powered by WordPress | Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS)|