The Showers Pass Transit Jacket CC is a waterproof, breathable cycling jacket designed for everyday commuting and outdoor adventures. It has a riding-friendly fit with a cut that still feels good while walking and hiking.
To get us a closer look, Showers Pass sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. After several months of testing, including winter riding, riding in the rain, and hiking during the review process, this is what we learned:
Showers Pass Transit Jacket CC Review
To start, let’s clear up the “CC” in the name. The CC stands for Clean Color and it refers to the eco-friendly dye for the 3-layer Artex ripstop fabric.
The Showers Pass Transit Jacket CC is designed for everyday bike commuters who want a versatile waterproof/breathable jacket for layering over a variety of clothes.The Artex 3-layer fabric is fully waterproof, windproof and breathable with fully-taped seams. Showers Pass includes a PFC-free DWR coating on the face fabric. As for thickness and feel, it has a nice midrange sort of thickness and suppleness to it. It’s not ultralight, nor is it ultra-rugged. And yet, it feels substantial without being obnoxious or too heavy for everyday use. It’s very good and packs down well.
What about breathability? Breathability is notoriously hard to calculate because each person and each situation can vary widely, but after wearing the Transit Jacket CC while riding, the breathability is good. No issues, performs as expected. I do appreciate the slightly brushed interior lining because it feels good on bare skin and never felt clammy, even on a sweaty ride when I wore it over a short-sleeve shirt.
In addition to breathability, Showers Pass includes a large back vent as well as forward-spaced nearly-underarm core vents. While the core vents aren’t particularly large, they are big enough to catch air while riding and let you shed heat quickly. I also appreciate widely adjustable cuffs: In cold weather, it’s easy to tighten them down to seal out drafts, but if I start to warm up, I’ll sometimes open the cuffs to invite a bit of extra airflow — and you might appreciate this, too, if you’re commuting to work in the Transit Jacket CC.
Transit Details
I like the Showers Pass magnetic dropdown tail. Magnets hold it up so it’s hidden and not noticeable for everyday use, but when it’s raining and you want a bit more coverage, it’s always there to drop down. It also has the excellent Showers Pass reflective map graphical design for visibility in the dark. And for extra visibility, the magnets are Beacon Light-compatible.
The micro-brushed collar lining is a nice touch, particularly in cooler weather with a full zip.
The two front hand warmer pockets are solid — large enough to be useful. The interior of the pockets is a thick mesh to help maintain breathability throughout, making sure you’ll still get performance out of the Transit when you hit it hard.
The Showers Pass Transit CC Jacket doesn’t have a hood or a removable hood, but it does have a tab on the back in case you want to add a hood accessory (or you could use a waterproof helmet cover as needed).
The Fit
The fit is slightly larger in the torso — maybe just 1/3 of a size or so bigger than other Showers Pass rain jackets.The fit seems to be slightly larger in the torso than some other Showers Pass jackets I’ve worn and tested — for example, it fits very slightly bigger than the lighter 2.5-layer Elements Jacket. I believe Showers Pass did this to give you just a bit of extra space for layering. After all, if you’re commuting in the Transit Jacket, there’s a good chance you’ll be throwing it on over a variety of work clothes.
For reference, I’m about 6’3″ and 220 lbs with long arms and broad shoulders. I typically wear XL in most hiking and backpacking-oriented rain jackets, but I size up to XXL for Showers Pass jackets, which tend to be more tailored to riding postures where you don’t want a bunch of excess material.
Looking for a zippy ebike? Read our review of the Vvolt Sirius ebike!
The Bottom Line
All-in-all, the Showers Pass Transit Jacket CC is a durable, waterproof, breathable daily driver cycling jacket. While you could use it for long rides in most any weather, it really shines for its intended use: To be the jacket you throw on when you’re commuting to work, riding to shop, or out for casual rides when its chilly or the weather might turn. It layers nicely over your everyday clothes but somehow manages to feel good while riding. Highly recommended.
Get the Gear
Related Showers Pass Gear Reviews:
- Showers Pass Apex Merino Tech Shirt Review
- Showers Pass Crosspoint Waterproof Beanie Review
- Showers Pass Ultralight Wind Jacket Review
- Showers Pass Gravel Shorts Review
- Showers Pass Refuge Jacket Review
- Showers Pass Elements Jacket Review
