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Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket
Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket

8
by Simon Smythe
UPDATED Mon, Jan 13, 2020 09:46

First Published Jan 13, 2020

0
£160.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Exceptionally waterproof commuter jacket that's tough, comfortable, breathable, visible and packed with practical details
Weight: 
605g
Contact: 
showerspass.co.uk
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Showers Pass Transit CC jacket is a super-practical commuting hardshell, packed with clever details.

  • Pros: Great waterproofing, impressive breathability, dropdown storm flap with integrated taillights, tough construction
  • Cons: Cut won't suit all

Showers Pass is from Portland, Oregon, which is one of the world's most bike-friendly cities and 'enjoys' a climate very similar to ours with its relatively mild, rainy winters. I've found the Transit CC jacket is equally at home in soggy southern England as it probably is in the Pacific Northwest. I've been wearing it as an outer layer every day for my commute and, thanks to its excellent breathability as well as its impressive water and windproofness, it works really well whether it's raining or not.

> Buy this online here

Just to get this out of the way, the Transit CC jacket is aimed at commuting and is not a lightweight, packable race cape. Showers Pass classifies it as having a 'full fit with room to layer over bulky street clothing'. It is also designed for a more upright riding style – it has the cut of a regular jacket rather than an anatomic one cut for a crouched bike position: I found the cuffs covered my wrists fine on a flat-bar bike, but on a drop-bar bike the sleeves tended to ride up, leaving a slight gap. I would also guess it's made for someone with slightly broader shoulders and shorter arms than me. (It's not me in the photos, by the way.)

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket - riding.jpg

The Transit CC is made from a three-layer waterproof and breathable fabric called Artex which is also durable and tough. The CC stands for Clean Color: it uses eco-friendly dyes that are free from harmful chemicals. There's a choice of Alps Blue, Black or Yelling Yellow.

> Buyer's Guide: 12 of the best high-visibility winter jackets

To enhance low-light visibility there's loads of reflective trim front and rear, and the foul-weather pièce de résistance is a dropdown tail that is completely covered in reflective fabric and features integrated removable button-sized flashing red lights.

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket - tail light.jpg

There's a Napoleon pocket with an 'audio port' and two side pockets (none at the rear).

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket - chest pocket.jpg

It's really neatly made (in China), especially given the complicated construction. There's a plethora of panels, flaps, taped seams, pockets, reflective tabs, zips, press-studs and even magnets (keeping the dropdown tail in the raised position) to be joined together.

Performance

The Transit CC's fabric is, like most waterproof fabrics, DWR (durable water repellent) coated, giving it literally another layer of waterproofness. Even the heaviest rain simply runs off it, leaving it totally dry. I had to see if it had a wet-out point since a regular rainstorm couldn't breach it, so ran the sleeve under the tap and discovered that it can take any amount of water. However, DWR coatings can and will wash out (but can be reapplied) so it's a good idea to check out the care instructions if you want to keep waterproofing at this level.

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket - shoulder detail.jpg

Having said that, I've only washed the Transit CC jacket once so far – since I've been wearing ordinary civvies underneath it for my schoolrun commute over the last month or two it hasn't got whiffy anyway, and I've found in any case that breathability and venting are so good that it doesn't get steamed up inside.

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket - vent.jpg

As you'd expect of the loose fit, it's comfortable, unrestrictive and the little touches of quality like the soft fleece inside the high collar (black so as not to show the dirt) and the tactile Showers Pass-branded zip puller tabs make it easy to wear.

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket - collar.jpg

Perhaps what it does lack is a little bit of fashionability compared to the more tailored-looking commuter jackets from this side of the Pond, such as the Howies Herald and the Vulpine Softshell Harrington. Showers Pass goes for a straighter outdoorsy look that has more in common with Berghaus or Patagonia.

> Buyer's Guide: The best casual cycling commuter wear

However, the Transit CC arguably has a wider and more timeless appeal – after all, if it's not in fashion it can't go out of fashion – and it's all about the performance here in any case.

Value

It's not cheap, but there are more expensive commuter jackets: the aforementioned Vulpine Softshell Harrington costs £200. That said, the Howies Herald undercuts it by £21.

Conclusion

Showers Pass says the Transit CC has got you covered and this is an accurate description. It is indeed good enough to withstand the worst of the winter and is breathable, comfortable and visible, too. The US firm has ticked off everything a commuter jacket could ever need – including its own rear lights.

> Essential wet weather cycle clothing and gear

Verdict

Exceptionally waterproof commuter jacket that's tough, comfortable, breathable, visible and packed with practical details

road.cc test report

Make and model: Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the jacket is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Showers Pass says: "A jacket that delivers on every level, the new-and-improved Transit CC jacket has been designed and constructed with versatility in mind. Whether you're cycling, hiking, or on an urban adventure, you want a rain jacket that does everything and looks good too!"

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?

Showers Pass lists the Transit CC jacket's tech spec as follows:

Clean Color dyed Artex™ ripstop fabric

Brushed finish on the interior lining - soft to the touch with thermal properties

Artex™ 3-layer fabric for waterproof-windproof-breathable performance without bulk

Core vents with waterproof zippers

YKK Aquagard Vizlon main front zipper

Large rear vent with reflective accent

3M™ Scotchlite™ reflective trims throughout (wrist, shoulder, elbow back, chest pocket)

Chest pocket with media port

Double storm rain guard on main zipper

Magnetic dropdown tail with unique map-reflect fabric and beacon light compatibility

Fleece lined collar

Hem cinch

Reflective, adjustable Velcro cuffs

Locker loop

Hood attachment point for optional hood

Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
 
9/10

The Transit CC jacket has a complicated construction that consists of a lot of panels, flaps, taped seams, pockets, reflective tabs, zips, press-studs and even magnets to be joined together. The Chinese factory that makes it has done an extremely neat job.

Rate the jacket for performance:
 
9/10

It's waterproof, windproof and breathable with well placed vents, and has loads of reflectives and a dropdown tail flap with integrated lights. For year-round commuting it performs brilliantly.

Rate the jacket for durability:
 
9/10

Showers Pass's three-layer Artex fabric is tough and heavy duty. I've been commuting in it this winter, with a rucksack, and there are no obvious signs of wear.

Rate the jacket for waterproofing based on the manufacturer's rating:
 
9/10

The Transit CC will withstand a sustained downpour rather than the passing shower of its manufacturer's name. The Artex fabric does not wet out. Because it kept out regular rain so effectively, I ran it under the tap to confirm this.

Rate the jacket for breathability based on the manufacturer's rating:
 
9/10

Breathability is helped by a covered vent across the upper back and there are smaller zipped vents in front of the armpits to let more air in if required. The fabric itself does not get sweaty on the inside – the innermost layer has a softer feel that also prevents any clamminess.

Rate the jacket for fit:
 
8/10

It's not designed to fit like a race cape: if you're after a tighter-fitting garment for sportier cycling this is not the jacket for you. It's generously cut so that you can pile on a few layers underneath, or is simply meant to be worn over regular clothes like any other jacket. It is also cut like any other jacket – it doesn't have any sort of anatomical design for the bike position – and for this reason the sleeves can ride up if you ride stretched-out and low.

Rate the jacket for sizing:
 
7/10

Showers Pass has a fitting guide on its website that shows you how to choose the right size. My measurements put me in the medium size and I found the medium Transit CC right for me. However, it seems to be sized for someone with broadish shoulders and shortish arms.

Rate the jacket for weight:
 
7/10

As with the fit, if you're looking for a lightweight, racy garment, look elsewhere. The Transit CC is not designed to be lightweight or packable.

Rate the jacket for comfort:
 
9/10

The fit is very unrestrictive, the inside of the collar has a fine fleece lining against the neck – very sensibly black so that it doesn't show the dirt – and the waist has an adjustable elastic 'hem cinch' so that you can get it just right.

Rate the jacket for value:
 
7/10

The Transit CC is expensive at face value, but you're paying for a good-quality construction and technical three-layer waterproof fabric from a specialist brand. It's certainly not the most expensive commuter jacket out there: the Vulpine Softshell Harrington costs £200, although the Howies Herald undercuts it by £21.

How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

The Artex fabric is treated with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish that will come off if it's washed too frequently with strong detergents and fabric softener. DWRs can be reapplied but it's best to try to wash as infrequently as possible. Since I've been commuting with the Transit CC in winter (and since breathability is very good) it hasn't got at all whiffy and I've only washed it once. DWR still works perfectly and water still beads off.

Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Hard to beat as a commuter jacket – it does everything.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

Great waterproofing, tough fabric, well-thought-out breathability, unrestrictive fit, high, fleece-lined collar, eco credentials.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

I didn't dislike anything but I would emphasise that the cut is better suited to more upright cycling positions.

Did you enjoy using the jacket? Yes

Would you consider buying the jacket? Yes

Would you recommend the jacket to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The design, materials and workmanship of the Showers Pass Transit CC jacket are superb. It's waterproof, breathable, durable, comfortable, visible and extremely practical – it even has its own rear lights.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 50  Height: 178cm  Weight: 68kg

I usually ride: Racer Rosa custom alu  My best bike is: Colnago Master Olympic

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, school run on a tandem

Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket 2020
Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket
Showers Pass 2020
Showers Pass

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