ahhh niall, another brit on the forums!
a southerner but that's ok! well i have to say that cos i have family in guildford
depends how much you want to spend really...
the ultimate waterproof material is gore-tex (supposedly) but it's also the most expensive. it breathes better than other materials which is a bonus when riding a bike but i have to say it doesn't breathe well enough for higher intensity cycling.
for a good gore-tex cape you're looking at around £80/90 - £120. i have an 'exte-ondo' gore-tex cape which was about £100, it's a racing style cape but 'karrimor' do some gore-tex capes more suited to touring (map pockets in them, etc) if that's your thing?
other materials include 'pertex' which is more showerproof than waterproof...pertex is a very light material which acts a bit like blotting paper...kind of crap in a downpour really.
different clothing makers have their own names for waterproof membranes and materials all claiming different properties...it's pretty much down to what you want to pay and the style of the jacket should suit your riding..ie touring jackets have more pockets for carrying things etc.
also buy a cape/jacket with a storm flap to keep draught out, essential when wet to keep that cold draught off your chest.
i assume you're only looking for a jacket/cape? i'm not too sure on cycling overtrousers.....not something i've known anybody wear on a bike.
glasses...
go for sport specific glasses that offer good coverage over your eyes...ie the wrap around type....or something close fitting to your face. you want glasses that protect your eyes from the sun's uva and uvb rays.
the more expensive brands are usually of better quality and usually offer more choice of styles, colours etc. look out for the more expensive brands such as 'oakley', 'briko', 'bolle' (£40/50+) and cheaper brands such as 'madison'. if i remember rightly madison do a pair of glasses for about £20 and you get 3 different lenses with it of different tints for different weather conditions.
well that's all i can think of, i'm sure somebody else will have more advice or better advice than me niall.
cabledonut.
Last edited by cabledonut; 01-18-02 at 12:39 PM.