Jackets & Bag Straps?
Wesley Cheney
question that I've been mulling over as summer passes- how do you
keep backpack and messenger bag shoulder straps from wearing the
waterproofing off of an expensive jacket?
Now an obvious solution would be to just strap a backpack to a rear
rack. But I don't have racks installed on all my bikes, and when I'm
running errands around town, I'd far prefer to keep my bag on my back.
I bought a decent Gore-tex bike jacket a few years ago, and after a
winter of wearing it almost everyday, the shoulders began to leak,
right where the strap of my commuter bag rode.
So now I'm buying myself a better jacket (the Rapha Softshell, in
case you're wondering), Unfortunately the latest Rapha Softshell
doesn't have reinforced shoulders like the original model,
I've thought about cutting the toes of some color-coordinated socks &
slipping them over my backpack straps in order to reduce the friction
on the shoulders. I'm wondering if anyone has tried anything similar
and has any advice.
Wes
Vik
Gore-tex is a laminate membrane that is attached to the inside of the shell
material. It is either sandwiched between two layers of material without an
inner mesh liner [3 layer construction] or attached to the outer shell and a
mesh liner is inside to protect it from wear.
So your backpack straps are not wearing the membrane it is wearing the outer
surface of the shell. This surface has a DWR [durable water repellent]
coating which makes water bead and run off the garment allowing the Gore-tex
membrane to breathe and let water vapour out.
Once you wear the DWR coating off the fabric wets out [gets saturated] and
will not effectively transfer moisture. You can restore the DWR using a
number of different products sold for this purpose at most outdoor shops.
If you are getting wet inside a Gore-tex jacket then either:
- A: there is a hole in the membrane
- B: you are getting wet from perspiration that can't get out
- C: a seam is leaking
You can test this by wearing a LS T-shirt under the jacket and standing in a
cold shower for a few minutes. Get wet, but don't put the high pressure
stream right on the jacket as this produces way more pressure than falling
or wind driven rain. Take off the jacket and see if you are wet and where
the water is coming in from by looking at the T-shirt. You shouldn't be
sweating heavily so any water will have had to penetrate the membrane. Most
of the time the cause of the problem is B.
I'm not sure the sock idea will make much difference, but I can't see how it
would hurt either. You can apply a DWR treatment to the wear areas and see
if that helps.
Here are some links on the subject:
http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satellite/content/care-center/washing-instruc
tions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goretex
Personally I don't expect a waterproof breathable jacket to keep me dry
cycling. I produce too much perspiration to get rid of it fast enough
especially in cold wet conditions as the transfer rate is the least
favourable. I have commuted extensively with a backpack on my bike and that
will also impede the flow of wet air inside the jacket exacerbating things.
I just end up warm and damp as opposed to cold and soaking.
Safe riding,
Vik
thre...@gmail.com
www.vikram-banerjee.com
www.thelazyrando.com
cr...@rcn.com
> Maybe there are a few commuters out there who can speak to this
> question that I've been mulling over as summer passes- how
> do you keep backpack and messenger bag shoulder straps from
> wearing the waterproofing off of an expensive jacket?
my commute is 14 miles one-way, and for that distance, I tend to stick with panniers or the Carradice. However I will break out the courier bag for trips that are in town (or if I expect to carry something so bulky that it won't fit in the panniers). I've gone through a couple iterations of cheap-ish EMS and REI rain jackets where the inner laminate would tear and shred, and it's always been on the right shoulder (where my bag sits on my shoulder), but after switching to a Shower's Pass Century Jacket, this has never been a problem. This will be my second winter with the jacket and it's about as solid as it was when I first got it.
I realize that "Buy X" after you've already bought Z is kind of crappy advice, but I'd also add that it helps to cinch the straps well enough that they don't shift around as much while you're riding. My messenger bag came with a waist belt to distribute heavier loads to my hips, and I found that if I was more conscientious about wearing this then the strain on my shoulder lessened and the jackets tended to last longer. So, if your commuting backpack has some kind of waist belt, I'd advise taking advantage of that if possible.
-- cris
(who is certainly curious about a review on the Rapha)
Alex
I would suggest, if it is a small backback, put on your jacket after
putting on the backpack.
A couple advantages to this are:
1. Keeps the backpack dry as well.
2. Less time to put on/remove your jacket if the weather changes.
AP