Originally Posted by
arctos
My below knee length hooded rain coat from Patagonia from 25 years ago still keeps me dry and warm. It is not breathable but the 2 way zipper allows me to unzip from the bottom to ventilate or adjust for changing conditions and rider sweat output. No rain pants or booties used just requires excellent fenders and large and long mud flaps front and back.
This year to save some weight and bulk I am lengthening a Dri-Ducks rain suit jacket using the pants material and a longer 2 way zipper to mimic the benefits of the Patagonia rain coat. Not field tested as yet and not as durable but looks promising. Patagonia has not responded to my requests for the old rain coat design recreated in modern light weight materials.
The dri-ducks rain suit has some serious advantages. It breathes better than most fabrics I've encountered (Gore-tex included), it's dirt cheap and light weight. That being said, the suit itself leaves something to be desired. The fit is awful and leaves yards of fabric flapping in the wind. It's bad enough that it makes a considerable impact on the effort it takes to bike. I've done some duct tape surgery to mine to remedy this issue. The pants also completely suck, while they keep you dry, they don't really allow you to pedal, so it's almost a moot point. At about $20 a suit, they are ripe for DIY modifications.