Shower Pass Elite Cycling Jacket Review

With Spring in full swing and a bit of chill in the air we thought it would be a great time to reach out to various apparel companies specializing in running and cycling.  Our goal was to find companies who had gear designed for the elements.  One of the companies we contacted was Showers Pass.  As a result they quickly sent us out some apparel to review including the Shower Pass Elite 2.1 Cycling Jacket, Double Century RTX cycling jacket and two cold/wet weather caps called the Skyline and Event Cap.

The jackets gave us a chance to check out both the quality and durability of the Showers Pass line.

Background
Showers Pass was born from the desire to develop clothing and gear that would get more people out on their bikes, no matter the weather. Inspired by the challenging rides and variable conditions of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, they have been combining high performance materials with innovative functional design for cyclists since 1997. With their roots in high performance waterproof-breathable outerwear, they have grown to offer a wide range of apparel and unique accessories for anyone who faces the elements – from city dwellers heading to the pub to pro cyclists heading to the top of L’Alpe d’Huez.

The Showers Pass jackets came in their own clear plastic sleeve.  The colors looked great.  Our Elite 2.1 is blue and the Double Century RTX Came in grape.  The two hats are black.

The Elite 2.1 is fully seam taped protecting you from both water and wind.  The material is what is known as eVent ripstop fabric.  From our experience ripstop has always been really good at preventing tears and this material looks up to the challenge.

The Jacket comes with a zipped front pocket and a large rear zipped pocket.  The front pocket is large enough to hold an iPhone 6 with a Lifeproof case, so it’s plenty big.  The rear pocket goes all across the back, with plenty of storage should you require it.  Normally when I ride, I will wear a cycling jersey, regardless of what else I have on top of it.

The first thing you will notice with the Elite 2.1 is how wide the sleeve cuffs are.  This is actually really nice when layering up.  You will have plenty of room for whatever you are wearing underneath.  This particular jacket doesn’t feature a hood, but one can be added at an additional cost, should you decide you need one.

The 2.1 has 3 main features to help cool you down, including

• • Rear Vent
  • Side Armpit Vents
  • Reverse Zipper (on the front)

Depending on the temperature, you can use all 3 or just allow the rear vent to cool.   As a bonus, since the arm cuffs are so wide, you can pull the sleeves up to your elbows allowing for even more cooling.

The jacket has 3 adjustability locations, including a cinch cord at the collar, a double toggle cinch at hem and Velcro wrist cuffs.  I found they all worked well to adjust the overall fit.  Speaking of fit, the jacket runs about normal size wise.  If you are used to wearing a large, this jacket will not feel too big or small.

Safety wise, the jacket is a really good choice when riding at night.  There is 360 degrees of 3M^TM Scotchlite^TM Reflective Material on the sleeves and on the back.  Another safety feature is a back hook right under the rear vent, perfect for attaching a safety light.

For those who like to listen to music, the Elite 2.1 features a media port in the front pocket so you can weave your headphones wires through and up to your ears.

Showers Pass Elite 2.1 Overview

• Waterproof and Breathable 3-layer eVent ripstop fabric for maximum weather protection
• Fully seam taped for wind and waterproofness
• New YKK AquaGuard Vislon 2-way water resistant front zipper with Storm Flap
• Core Vents and large back vent for flow thru ventilation
• Chest pocket with audio port and large back pocket
• Exclusive airflow–regulating cuffs
• 360 degrees of 3M^TM Scotchlite^TM Reflective Material trim for maximum visibility
• Soft moisture wicking lining at collar
• Cinch cord at collar and double toggle cinch at hem
• Hood compatible via hook and loop attachment points at collar
• Locker loop at collar
• Light loop on back vent
• Colors – Yellow, Red, Black and Blue
• Retail $249

Shower Pass Elite 2.1 Cycling Jacket Overall Impression

The Showers Pass Elite 2.1 is a fantastic 3-season jacket (Fall/Winter/Spring), that can also be used throughout the winter.  When it rains, this jacket will keep you dry and comfortable, even in the hardest downpours.  Add some Showers Pass waterproof pants, socks and a cap and you can take on the world.  The jacket has the right technology where you need it and little innovations that make it very useful.  Things like the wide cuffs, multiple cooling vents, a place to add a safety light and music cords.

Based on our testing, I wouldn’t use this jacket if temperatures are above 75 degrees.  I gave it a test ride around that temperature and I ended up utilizing every trick Showers Pass had to make the jacket cooler and I was still a bit warm.  A better option that day would have been to use a vest or just get wet.

Some people may find that having front hand pockets would be a nice addition to the jacket.  There were several occasions where I would have liked having them.

We did find one minor issue where the waist cord came undone from it’s housing.  It looks like it will need to be resewn.   Another minor issue pertains to the zipper.  We found it a little more difficult engage and zip the jacket up.  Once zipped however, the zipper moved up and down without problems.

Check out the Showers Pass website for some really cool cycling apparel.