Cutter Cyclical eVent Jacket - Men's - 2009

I wear this jacket mainly as a commuting piece to cut the breeze early in the AM. I live in the desert where one might think sweating out wouldn't be a problem. This jacket does an honorable but not amazing job of breathing. It would be nice to have a set of pit zips or perhaps some small core vents. I am 6' and 175lbs and I am wearing the large. Sleeve length is great but it could be slightly more tapered in the body. I look forward to using this more in the fall as an MTB Jacket and am sure it will be more adequately suited to that purpose for me.

This jacket is amazing. I am a daily bike commuter in Portland, Oregon. Like the other reviewer I read that lives in Seattle, it rains a lot here. Before this jacket came along I had some nice other jackets that were gore-tex with pit zips. There is no comparison. I would have the pit zips wide open in my other jackets and i would feel like i was in a sauna after a long uphill slog. the e-vent fabric in this jacket is amazing and there is no need for pit zips. I don't understand why people complained that this coat doesn't have pit zips. I ride with this bad boy up hills in the rain and this coat seems to suck the sweat out of my jersey. Buy this coat. It runs quite small, I am 5'10 145 and the large is a slightly roomy fit but the sleeves are the perfect length. The smalls sleeves were too short for me.

This jacket has become the most versatile garment I own. I bought it looking for a waterproof shell, what I got was so much more. Yeah it stops water dead in its tracks, but can it handle the wind and cold without sweating to death inside. Hell yeah it does! I originally layered this jacket too much and got hot. What I found is it insulates well and I didn’t need dress for a blizzard. I have been riding this jacket comfortable in the following conditions.

38-45 degrees: layered with long sleeve base layer and long sleeve jersey.
45-55 degrees: layered only with long sleeve base.
55-60 degrees: layered with short sleeve base or jersey, arm warmers optional.

I really love this jacket and it looks way better on than I thought it would, the only thing I would like to see is some reflective hits on the back.

I've only had the chance to test this jacket out once, but it did the job admirably. It kept my body and arms dry, and because it's extremely lightweight it allowed me plenty of movement. I'm 5'6 135lbs and the small fits nice and fairly snug. Love the packability feature, turn the back pocket inside out and you can stuff the whole jacket in there and zip it up, takes up very little space. The only thing I wish for was that it came in some better colours for visibility.

Due to some unfortunate spring weather this jacket has received more use than I would like. Thankfully it works great!

If you are in the market for a waterproof top and you are avoiding the typical roadie DayGlow color palette - this jacket is for you.

Go a size up if you plan on wearing it with anything more than a jersey.

Great Jacket.

Windproof, waterproof, breathes better than egyptian cotton. Insulates well for what it is, but don't expect it to keep you warm when you're not burning calories. The wrist zips are really quite good at venting your forearms, and while this jacket breathes better than anything but mesh, you'll get hot, though surprisingly not sticky depending on what you have under it. Layer according to your activity level. I've taken it out in temps from 25F to 55F without issue. As in previous reviews, its very thin, but feels durable. Water and snow bead up better than you'd expect from a plastic poncho. It packs down to the size of a tall boy, (16 oz. can) and with a little cunning and some origami skills you can get it to fit quite well in the back pocket, which has a little inside zipper pull just for that.

Sizing. I stand 6'2" and am about 175lbs. I went with the XL. Sleeve length is just about right, and while a touch short in the front, the added tail length is on par. I find it a bit baggy in the middle, on account of the XL but the other lengths are right. It fits better on the saddle than standing, so as Mr. Salter mentioned, its not your typical around town wardrobe, though I've had a few compliments on it. For me it has a nice trim athletic fit everywhere but the torso, but isn't too tight to restrict layering options.

Gripes:

The zippered back pocket. If you dont have your jacket and/or messenger bag arranged just right, the zipper digs into that soft spot just below your ribs.

Racing stripes. Though not really that noticeable, they stitched two white lines down the left side of the jacket. Why? They even wasted about a meter of seam tape underneath them to maintain the integrity of the jacket. I don't see the point.

Bottom Line: eVent is better than the light goretex fabrics hands down. Fits well, good construction, all the gripes are minor details in the face of how awesome this jacket is. 5 stars, I'm stoked on it. Worth the $110 I paid for it. A standout piece in my outerwear collection.

I've owned the Cutter Cyclical eVent Jacket for about a month, and am very, very pleased with it. As another reviewer put it, this jacket won't keep you warm if you're not pedaling, but it's been completely adequate (w/out longsleeves, shortsleeves ok) for my morning rides into work when the temps have been 42-46 degrees. I also have to remark that the zippers on the jacket are STICKY. In particular, the front zipper (e.g., the most important one on the jacket!) takes several hard yanks to zip up. (I suppose this is to insure complete encapsulation and closure while you're riding, but it's just a little frustrating, esp. if I had paid full price for it.) One last thing about the fit--I normally wear a L in most other jackets (I'm 6', 190 lbs)--but bought an XL after reading that it's conservatively fitted.

I'm 6ft, 185lbs - the large is a perfect fit for cycling. Event is great - I'd just recommend being very careful if you try to iron it to restore water repellency - I melted some event pants that way. Jacket is a nice design, though, and the pocket is great because there's no worry about anything bouncing out of it since it zips. If you care about being seen by cars, the color is pretty muted, but if you're ok with the color the jacket is totally great.

I just got my cutter event jacket in the mail so I can only give my first impressions.I really like the color, which is hard to describe but somewhere around a dark chocolate brown. classy looking despite the silly racing stripes on the left side.The pockets are adequate, although it would be nice if the rear pocket was a mesh material, but at least you won't get soaked if you accidentally leave it open, but you will have a pocketful of water! The chest pocket is about big enough for a cellphone or iphone, I can fit my fingers all the way in but not past the big knuckles.THE FIT: I'm 6'4" & 195 and I bought the XXL. The length of the sleeves is dead on, any shorter and I would be pissed, but this should work really well for cycling in. The length on the front is just right (to the top of my hip flexors) and the back covers almost to the bottom of my pockets on my 501's. That said this is not a racer fit for me, the jacket is probably made to fit really well for someone my height with 20 or so more pounds. I'm not complaining to much though cause I will be able to layer nicely under this and it will probably help with air flow.Cutter's website brags about this jacket not having pitzips because it is made from event which is rediculous, no waterproof jacket is breathable enough to really not need pitzips. My plan is to carry it around in my backpack and only use it when it is raining or I'm not exerting myself cause just sitting here typing is making me hot.The little hand covers that extend off the sleeves are kind of a cool idea, but they are positioned about an inch or so off and only cover the side of my hand, fortunately they probably aren't really necessary and they stay folded back and out of the way when I'm off the bike.The zippers on the end of the sleeves are also nice cause they open the sleeve up and should allow air to circulate well, but zipping them back up requires both hands because the fabric under the zipper gets caught!Overall I would suggest this jacket for people who spend a lot of time on their bike and don't need a bright color. There are probably better Event jackets made for cyclists, but not for the price I paid.

While I won't actully use this jacket until spring, I wanted to post my initial impressions. First, this jacket is very lightweight and packable. It looked from pictures and video that the fabric is stiff and the weight heavy. Quite the contrary. It terms of fit, I ordered a large and an xlarge and ended up keeping the xlarge. I am 6'2" tall, 175lbs, with long arms and a long torso and the xlarge is long enough in the sleeves and tail for me. According to the sizing info provided here (and on Cutter's site), neither size jacket should fit me (they should both be too short in the sleeve and tail), so go ahead and order a couple sizes (I'd say order up a size and then up another size) to check the fit. FYI - I normally opt for "Tall" sizing if I can get it for long sleeve garments and full length pants. Even so, this jacket is long enough for me. The xlarge also allows for layering (an oldschool cold-weather Pearl Izumi Kodiac jersey fits fine underneath) without being bulky. This jacket replaces a much heavier and no-longer waterproof 10+ year old Burley Size Large Ultrex rain jacket (in yellow) that, in comparison, has short sleeves but a much longer stowable tail. I was concerned about the muted brown color but paired this jacket with a pair of orange Rivendell MUSA waterproof/breathable rain pants, size Large, and together the colors work and I'm still very visible. "Made in USA" (or Canada) is very important to me so this jacket meets that requirement plus another, its constructed of incomparable eVent fabric. This jacket will be worn by me primarily during a global cycling expedition commencing in Spring 2011, and given its ghost manufacture by a very well-respected, and eVent-pioneering, Canadian outdoor clothing company (not Cutter), I am confident it will see me through thick and thin with no problems. This jacket is a steal at this price and I highly suggest picking one (or maybe even two) up to replace no-longer waterproof Ultrex or GoreTex gear. I look forward to trying this jacket out in the rain and putting the eVent through its paces.

Anything that blocks water from coming in also makes it harder for evaporation to get out. Plain and simple. This applies to this jacket. I just ran 3 miles in strong wind at a slow pace. I wore a cycling jersey underneath to fully experience this "e-vent" greatness. Halfway through the run I was damp and cold. I took this thing off at the door when I got home and the inside body and sleeves were wet. Not damp-wet. Think: inside of a cheap tent on a cool night after you and three friends ate bean burritos and each drank a 6-er. This jacket is that good. Save you money for something more worthwhile, not made by Cutter.

So the only "precipitation" this jacket has seen so far is the stupid human trick shower test. That's right...I hopped in the shower with a tee and this jacket on to test the waterproofness. After a few minutes not nary a drop got in. Impressive. The style is good and it doesn't scream "Tour de France Wannabe" in any way. I look forward to actually putting the eVent fabric through it's paces...if it can keep me remotely dry (evac the sweat) I will be impressed. I've seen some question as to sizing. I'm not a "svelte" cyclist by any means. My chest is 44" and my belly is 43." The XL gives me a nice athletic fit with room for a mid weight jersey underneath if needed. The sleeves are a touch long (33" dress shirt) but not bad. The drop tail is fricken sweet.Look for this on Bonktown if you're a real cheapster.

April Update:

So now that I've had a chance to try this thing outdoors I'd like to update my review. Is it the uber miracle jacket that ever outdoor junkie is looking for? No, I don't think so. Here's why: we sweat. I sweat a lot. Under high aerobic conditions it's not realistic to imagine your clothes won't get wet. Such a garment does not and will never exist. What eVent does do VERY well is regulate body temperature. For a real test, I went out for a run with this jacket in the pouring rain. I wore a thin light gray colored base layer that shows wet spots really well. When I got back from my run, all the typical areas were wet (chest, arm pits) but there were plenty of areas that were dry. Best of all, it didn't overheat. Even the lightest goretex paclite shells have me gasping for air, claustrophobic hot under heavy aerobic use. Event kept my body temp in line. So does it pull sweat off and expunge it like a sprinkler? No, but it does keep the temps in line which is far more important to me.

I'm a huge fan of eVent, but it's really important that you keep it clean. I had an eVent shell that worked great for a season, but it slowly lost its waterproofing. It wasn't the jacket's fault; it was my own–you're supposed to wash eVent often. So follow the tag (which I didn't read) and wash your Cutter shell often.

I've had this jacket for about two months and have used it for many commutes and a few longer rides. The fit--I got a large for my 5'11 160 frame--is almost perfect. It's neither skin-tight nor loose and flappy and allows a couple of layers (or even street clothes) underneath.

I haven't ridden in a full downpour, but from the lighter showers I've seen I have no doubts that it'll keep me dry from outside moisture. As for breathing on the inside, it does warm up and get a little damp but I've never been uncomfortable. Compared to other less expensive rain jackets I've had--which all get soaking wet--this has been a major upgrade.

Just returned from a week long training camp. High tempo riding in very wet conditions. The Cyclical jacket is great--I never trust claims of breathability for high exertion activities, but this fabric is terrific. Pouring rain soaked everything but my core covered by the jacket, and this was at high speed tempo riding.

The waterproof zippers are difficult to close. Impossible one handed and still tough when riding with no hands working the zipper with two hands. Makes it difficult to regulate air flow as the ride speeds up. The zippered cuffs do allow air to circulate up the arms when riding at speed. I'm 6'2" and 165 lbs with wool base layer and long sleeve jersey under a size large jacket fit well (Tight racer cut and long arms).

Only jacket I've worn that doesn't soak me from the inside. Smoother working zippers would be nice. Even on rain wear, the zipper doesn't need to be dry bag tight does it?

Also, how about true black?

I bought this jacket to wear for early season rides, and a packable rain shell, and this thing rocks. it packs down small enough to stuff in a waterbottle cage, when things get too hot. I have worn this in light rain and been very happy with its performance. The breathability of eVent is great. Some other reviews said they got damp inside of it, which i believe, but they would be drowning in a goretex shell. The warmth is a unexpected perk for me, As far as sizing, im 5'11'' 185 with long arms and torso, and the XL fits great. It is a little bigger that i would like on the bottom, but hey hem cinch! The finish is top notch. I agree with the other reviewers that the zippers are pretty hardcore, but feel solid and work well enough. Overall if your looking for a lightweight rain/early season jacket, i think this one is a winner.

Initially, I ordered this coat because it looked sweet: cool hand covers, sweet color, taped zippers, style'n. I read all the reviews, got the coat and rushed the shipping. The Cyclical happened to match with my eVent knickers and (nearly) waterproof Shimano clipless shoes and the combination of all three is very nearly enough to keep me from putting fenders on my fixie.

I can say that it has been cold in Portland this Fall and I can say that the Cutter Merino long sleeve jersey plus the coat has been enough to keep me warm on my ride. The coat dries very quickly and breathes rather well.

Size matters as I'm not a rail thin hipster and this coat fits remarkably well. I'm 5'9'' and about 175 and this coat fits perfect across the chest. My arm length is about 32 (the button-down shirt size that I buy) and this coat sleeve length is exactly where I want it. The hand covers work perfectly when i'm on my drops. I'm not so hot on zippers but thats only because I lug around a backpack.

I'd say this if I didn't love the coat so much: I can't wait to see what this coat looks like in April when i've thrashed it for 5 months in Portland grime and nastyness (or very nearly 5 months as I hear biking on snow and ice is retarded).