Jim. It doesn't move water, its has a limited capillary force pushing out.
I just done a test on my Summit Hoodie, worrying. I made a puddle on the inside, it runs out immediately. I then reverse it, expecting to hold the water for a degree of depth, it ran through immediately, so it doesn't seem to be working.
As an aside, have you got a system that stops rain dribbling down your legs into your footwear when cycling? It was so wet this morning that I actually tried cascadia trousers over gaiters, but it wasn't very satisfactory, as they are a poor for for cycling.
Have you considered Goretex socks with your overtrousers overlapping on the outside? Rocky Stretch Goretex socks have pretty much disappeared now, but Gore Bikewear still do some very similar ones.
As an aside, have you got a system that stops rain dribbling down your legs into your footwear when cycling?
Ahh well the lower down I go the more imperfect my kit.
For trousers, I've yet to find better than OMM Kamleika pants, I got 4 years ago. Waterproof fully, just about breathable enough if I avoid overheating and I wear Cambia longjohns cool-side to wick as much as possible. I then place Integral Designs eVent Short Gaiters in the gap and then waterproof shoes. I can't find warm waterproof cycling shoes so in wet I use platform pedals and waterproof non-cycling shoes. I also use Sealskinz socks which are fine for cycling inside warm footwear but nothing else. They wear out easily when walking and I tried cycling with liner socks and sandals but that is not as warm as boots. I moved from Sealskinz waterpoof gloves to cycling wateproof gloves with very long cuffs as even though the Quito sleeves are long enough, velcro'ing them to the wrist makes the pump-liner still above the wrist so the gloves need to finish well above the wrist.
All that kit will probably get a 6-8 hour test tomorrow as California is finally at last raining. The above is for continual-raining situations.
For on/off rain I switch the lower half to Rainlegs.
For the top when chance of light or intermittent rain, I use a Paramo Explorer reversible top and a Pertex top, the Explorer gets wet in rain but its not cold fleecy-inwards and dries quickly enough with the body heat and the breeze. I then reverse to fleecy-outwards when warmer and the Explorer chest and neck zips and sleeves which get above elbow then is usually cool enough.
whilst filling things things up with water is good for personal interest you can't then extrapolate or transfer that observation into something else which hypothesis ignores every other factor at play with dubious physics examples of molecular reaction at atoms thickness and ignores the real world. such theory is very easily examined by the expedient of simple real world observation.
wet out the shell of a paramo jacket and try to push that water through the liner. no physics involved. just simple observation. how can you push the water through. is it static? is it stretch? can you at all? if you can how much? does it actually matter in the real world?
jim, the physical structure of the liner means it has an outwards capilliary action. so it actually does move water outwards. erm. cough, cough at this point. paramo used to do exhibitions of how well this works in "moving" water. it works. no doubt about it. but that is theory. it moves liquid. real world is where is a pool of liquid going to form inside a paramo jacket that is going to be in close contact with the liner? nowhere i can think of in normal use.
the liner is immensely breathable (you can breath through it) so most internal water is lost by simple evaporation.
Nigel your system doesn't seem too dissimilar to me - I use flat pedals with toeclips, as I don't want to slowly topple under a quarry lorry when stopping at lights on the A6.
I use goretex trainers and berghaus short gaiters, and for most rain just featherlite pertex trousers (montane) and tracksters - which is a pretty showerproof combination.
I have a montane Stormrider eVent cycling jacket and sealskin gloves - the jacket works, and the gloves mostly work. For windproof, or light rain I use a featherlite jacket.
Cycling and wet feet (much more of a problem than for walking). I use Altura attck overtrousers, BBB overshoes, sealskin socks and SPD shoes - latter are large enough for the thicker socks. The sock are essential in real rain as spray coming up from the road is the biggest factor.
