noglider 

The thought makes me shiver. Unfortunately, I've ridden a lot in cold weather without fenders. I try use a be-fendered bike when in the cold rain!

path4

My favorite jacket:

1. down to 35F, brooks infinite jacket
2. down to 5F, pearl izumi select barrier thermal jacket

both withstood very well one hour constant medium rain last year, and they don't soak you with your sweat.

Haven't had good luck with pants and shoes yet.

metz1295

the few times i've been caught in the rain, some i had a jacket and some i didn't. without the jacket, i was wet from the rain. with the jacket, i was wet with sweat and my jacket stunk when i was done. either way, i got wet. to me, jackets are good for cutting the cold wind, not for keeping dry.

achoo

Ha. Nothing was going to stop me shivering even two-three hours after I did a race in a hard 35F rain. No fenders there, and I also had to deal with rooster tails from the riders in front of me. To top it all off, after about an hour my glasses were so covered in wet road grime I couldn't see a damn thing and had to go OTB to allow me to remove them, then I had to hammer to catch back on and race the second half in the rain without glasses.

That race REALLY made me appreciate fenders on my wet commutes as my shoes filled with water so fast without them.

xuwol7

I use a Tingley rain jacket that I bought on sale at Campbell Supply, it works great but if I push hard I get sweaty as it don't breath.
I use Forresters rain pants which work great.
I usually put a ball cap with a shower cap over that then my helmet which seems to work great.
I don't put anything on my feet or hands as that really don't bother me.

Like previous posters have said, I don't mind getting wet and I dry faster than clothes.
I wear this combo mostly for warmth.

Full fenders do make the biggest difference for me all the way around.

El Cid

I don't bother wearing any rain gear until it gets down to about 10C (50F). Then I put on a gore-tex jacket and pants from The North Face. Up until recently, I used to use a tall pair of rubber boots (Bogs, very warm in winter). The pants would velcro down over the boots and let absolutely nothing in.

My jacket also has a hood with a hard brim, and the hood has a drawstring that tightens it around the top of my head. This is a nice feature -- the hood will stay put even when riding into a strong wind. The only downside? When I stop at a red light, warm air will blow forward out of the hood and fog up my glasses. This winter I might buy a balaclava and save the hood strictly for rain.

Now that I've recently switched over to clipless pedals, I'm going to buy a new pair of boots this winter. Depending on the weather, there are two fantastic pairs made by 45 Degrees North that should do nicely. Both pairs of boots look very tall; this is important as it will allow me to velcro my rain pants down around the boot and keep dry.

I have two pairs of gloves. For mild weather, I have Showers Pass softshell gloves. There are good for spring and fall, but I found they just weren't warm enough after it got below -5C(23F). I also have a pair of windproof gloves for the extreme cold. They aren't waterproof, but then rain isn't an issue if you get well below freezing.

Has anybody tried the Showers Pass Hardshell gloves? The softshell gloves, as I found out the hard way, are not windproof; I could feel cold air rushing in where the nylon separates at the knuckles. The softshell gloves are good for less-cold weather, and I wonder if the hardshells are good for the extreme cold.

PennyTheDog

Gore-Tex is the greatest! When it's pouring rain I wear Gore-Tex pants, jacket, and cap, and I never get wet. Unlike rubbery waterproof stuff it breaths a bit.

path4

The other day I went to performance bike and specifically looked at gore-tex stuff. They felt a little better than their cheap rubber rain jacket and pants. Do they really breath? I don't want get soaked inside out.

My pearl izumi select barrier jacket works because it breathes through underarm and back and when you have some speed you don't get much rain from behind.

My brooks infinity jacket works because the material is kind of like gore-tex stuff and it is thin, and wind comes in through sleeves and pump it up and so it doesn't stick.

PennyTheDog

Yes, when you're overheating they feel hundred times nicer than rubberized rain clothes do. Also, I've bought cheap Gore-Tex stuff on ebay that was great too. It can get pretty expensive, but to save money look for used stuff on ebay.

path4

So, how well do they work when it's not raining? I have 10 miles each way. Not a good idea?

PennyTheDog

My commute's about the same distance and I use my Gore-Tex jacket as a layer quite a bit. It works fine. I only wear the pants when it's raining.

fietsbob

cape? I take it Off , it doesn't take much time.. Carradice has had a cape roll place to tie them on, on their bags, forever.



in the fall The Showers pass Portland is a nice looking jacket if it starts to get wet out, it is a WPB .

I'm now with in 1/2 Mile of most places in town, Grocery Big Boxes, Moved to the outside edges furthest.

path4

Thanks! Wasted quite a bit on junk rain gears last year. Should have just gotten a set of gore-tex.

Hypno Toad

I am a serious fan of O2 - O2 Rainwear | Waterproof. Breathable. Lightweight. - the marketing is true, waterproof and breathable. I had a Showers Pass jacket that won't breath, just as wet from my sweat as I would be from the rain.

I ride with the Nakomis pants and jacket. I'll use the jacket down to around 20F (with wool layers) - I'd say temp and comfort will vary with riding style, I tend to ride hard and get hot. I have had shockingly pleasant rides when it's 35F and raining, thank to O2.

Example of a snowy/icy ride:



That ride home from work was a challenge, but I was not wet or cold on my core.

I use the Bontrager gloves (not water-proof): Bontrager: Race Windshell Glove (Model #09877) and Planet Bike shoe covers: Blitzen (or hiking boots with platform pedals).

scoatw

I wore out two Showers Pass Elite 2.0's in a span of seven years of year round commuting. I had zipper issues with both jackets.I'm now using the J&G waterproof, breathable rain jacket. Made in Oregon. Half the price of the SP Elite and just as comparable. Good venting. Works great in a downpour. Good zipper. It has big side pockets instead of the rear pocket & MP3 pocket on the SP. Haven't used it in frigid temps yet. But I'm confident It'll perform as well as the SP in cold weather. For the $$ it can't be beat. IMO. I've used the O2 rain pants (the black ones) for seven years. Great rain pant for the $$. I use the Showers Pass touring shoe covers in heavy rain. They keep my un-clipped feet totally dry in heavy rain. Too bad they don't carry them anymore.

alexaschwanden

- gortex rain coat, long sleeve arm Warmer's and legs. Balaclava with snow goggles and rain gloves.

treadtread

I wish it rained here.

nayr497

Overshoes - do they make booties or overshoes for rain riding that go over street sneakers that have a closed bottom?

I commute in clips and straps with assorted plain ol' sneakers (low profile ones, like Puma casual/turf soccer shoes). We've been getting a lot of rain. It's a nightmare trying to pull my neoprene booties over my sneakers, as they're made for very sleek cycling-specific road shoes.

I ordered some Sugoi RPM booties, made to go over regular shoes...they arrived yesterday and to my extreme displeasure...the bottom is open! Huh? I run full fenders but I surely don't want my soles open to the rain. I'm commuting so don't care about pedal stomping. I'm fine having nylon/cordura/etc up against the pedal platform, not concerned about grip.

All the booties for regular shoes I've seen have an open bottom. If I pull a plastic bag over my foot, as I do now, do I cut the bottom out? Nope.

Any water-resistant/proof booties/overshoes for rain riding that are meant to go over street sneakers...with a full booty/closed bottom? Thanks!

rumrunn6

I have these Tingley boots

Amazon.com: Tingley Rubber 10-Inch 1400 Rubber Overshoe with Button Boot, 3X-Large: Over The Shoe Rubber Boots: Shoes

jfowler85

Have you tried washing the pants in NikWax?

You will find that most readily available cycling booties/shoe covers have bottom openings to clear cleats and sole tread so one can walk in them without tearing up the bottom. Also, most you will find are for wind protection or aerodynamics. It is a bit difficult to find full rain covers, but they do exist. You may have much better luck tracking down rain covers for motorcycle riders.

nayr497

Ah, good suggestion on the moto-booties.

Yep, I have neoprene booties and plain cloth oversocks that I use when road riding. I'm familiar with them and I ride in Sidi road shoes with cleats. For commuting though I just wear sneakers and have clips. I'd rather have dry feet and have to replace the booties every few years than wet feet and non-abraded booties.

I'll do some searching over the weekend, but thanks for the feedback.

fietsbob

The DWR only lasts so Long then the water wont bead up, then starts soaking thru. get a New jacket every couple years , best.

physdl

Not in Nikwax, but I did buy a spray that supposed to be equally good. I sprayed the whole thing down and it does work better, but it would only last 20-30 mins before water started getting absorbed (which is not much shorter that it lasted before). The problem with softshells is they rely 100% on the DWR coating to repel water, so it's never going to last very long. My commute is 50 minutes each way - and having a soaked jacket at work is annoying. I ended up buying a Shower Pass Elite that definitely lasts for an hour without any issues.

MichaelW

In cooler, wet climates, one of the best rain-coat systems is Paramo. It is the original "soft-shell" and manages water rather than being "proof". I have ridden in 8hrs of Norwegian downpour with no discomfort. I never get condensation and wear it as my windproof as well. Std issue for mountain rescue and hill walkers.
You reproof with Nikwax and it is designed to soak up the stuff.
It is not ultralight but very durable, designed for wear, not carry.