I've decided that rain pants of some kind are in order...especially since last Friday I got soaked. I had a rain jacket on, so I was half dry.

I have been checking out Performance and Nashbar for ideas, but it occurred to me that I am not sure if these are made to go over regular pants. My commute is short enough that changing clothes isn't neccessary...but long enough that I get drenched.

Question I have is --are rain pants marketed for cycling oversized to fit over regular clothing or made to be worn by themselves with nothing underneath? For most of my clothing I wear a large, but I'm wondering if XL is what I need to slip over my work clothes.

Thanks.

I can't speak for the Nashbar/Performance rain pants but...

I've used ordinary thin waterproof REI rain pants for several years, and am very happy with them. They're light and the only problem is getting the ankle caught on the chainring sometimes. Nothing a little duct tape hasn't been able to fix though

I use Gortex rain pants from LL Bean. They are intended as outerwear, and worjk great for commuting.

Paul

I use showers pass rain pants. They work well and are fairly loose in the lower leg area to promote air circulation, but I don't think I could put them on over my work clothes. I wear them over my normal cycling attire. My biggest problem with rain is my feet.

That's why I love my sandals. When it's warm, sandals are perfect. When it's cold, sandals with wool socks are perfect. My comfort outweighs the cries of the fashion police everytime.

I use REI ELements series raingear when I ride. It's made for backpacking, so it's rugged but lightweight. It's not cut perfect for cycling (but I'm also a big, oddly proportioned guy, so they may work better for someone of a more "average" size.) I use a reflective ankle strappy-doodad to keep the pant-leg from getting munched by the chainring. The only big drawback is that they come in very dark colors: Grey, Navy, Forest Green, etc... so you need to get a safety vest to go over top of it.
The REI gear comes in XXL, too, which is actually cut for someone that's XXL. Not like most cycling XXL gear where the manufacturers assume that extra EXTRA large means that you're about what... 15 pounds overweight?

Does anyone here use water proof shoe covers? If not, what do you use to keep shoes/feet dry?

https://penncycle.com/itemlist.cfm?Ca...y&catalogId=39

The jacket and pants together weight about as much as a small newspaper, and for $50 it's lots less than Goretex. I hear they're not too long-lasting, but it doesn't rain much in Nebraska so they're not worn often.

(I too got caught friday before last, even though I had these in a backpack... sometimes those little showers turn into gully washers.

I change into some comfortable loafers when I get to campus, and keep dry socks in my desk. When I'm actually riding in the rain, I just suck it up. I don't like it one bit, but since my commute takes only 20-30 minutes, it's bearable.

I have a pair of Jackson & Gibbens waterproof pants. https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Water...ain-Pants.html

They work great, and have a velcro ankle fastener as well. They're also sized to go over a pair of jeans and boots. I just got their waterproof, breathable jacket, but since then it hasn't rained much.

For shoes when it's wet, I wear my Red Wing boots. They're waterproof, and with a pair of wool socks, keep my feet toasty. They're a lot easier to ride in than I thought they were.

I use Totes -- the high top version. These are slip on neoprene overshoes.

Paul

Dang...you guys have plenty of good ideas. Thanks.

I just got so fixated on cycling shops, I didn't even think about LLBean or REI.

Shoes are the only things I do change at work, so wet feet are not a problem.

That's just what the cycling shops want $10 for the rack mounting clamps that cost $2 at Home Depot. $10 for the grease that costs $2 at Home Depot. $25 for the touch-up paint that costs $5 at the auto parts store. $15 for the moisture-wicking socks that are $5 at Sears.

You get the point. When identical products are available from a bike shop and a more general shop, I try to go with the more general shops for price and selection.

Try rainlegs. They go on over your regular pants.

www.rainlegs.co.uk

I use plastic bags over my socks inside my shoes.

I picked up some wet weather socks for cheap at Nashbar but haven't had a chance to use them yet.

I also use plastic bags over the socks usually when I need extra warmth. Does well to some pretty low temps.

Well, I need to make a decision....seems Ernesto may come up the coast to NC. (If the winds hit 35-40mph, I probably won't ride Friday anyway).

I got some booties at my old lbs that covered my bulky winter foot gear to mid shin. Ripstop nylon uppers and thin neoprene sole with a velcro closure in back. Lasted for years. Look around, outing gear stores like CampMor have things like this. For rain pants (and jacket) My Performance rain suit has lasted 20 years now with a little discreet patching. It is even Acid proof as I found when I spilled battery acid on it. The yellow nylon shell dissolved and the teflon (Goretex) lining shed the acid.

Wow I hardly put my jacket on if I am putting my jacket on you can bet it is bad out am I being to manly? or is there something wrong with me?

PaulH. The Totes neoprene version. Can you share a link?

Go for Gore-Tex it is brilliant. The only people who tell you different are those who have never tried it. It's like people who say Oakleys are no different to any other glasses.

I have tried eVent, Pertex and some other great sounding waterproof clothing but nothing has come close to Gore-Tex. Just make sure you put your washing machine through two empty boil washes before you clean Gore-Tex as detergent left in the machine strips the proofing.

Opposite finding of every single 3rd party review that compares goretex to event and some of the entrant materials. Goes to show that millions of dollars of marketing beats science any day

Just the fact you say you need to wash it carefull or lose the waterproofing, is the reason goretex is crap. The membrain isnt waterproof so they add a drw coating (same as simple nylon jackets with a drw coating). Real breathable waterproof's rely on the membrane itself and dont need to add a coating, so there is nothing to 'wash' away.

As for leg gear, I find my legs generate enough heat to stay warm even when wet so just wear tights that have windproof fronts and spandex backs.

I've not tried anything else, but I share that frustration with GoreTex!!! It seems like *anything* other than pure dry closet air will destroy the waterproofing... sweat, rain, paper towels, grass, whatever.

What alternate brand of waterproof material would you actually recommend?

I've got two types of rain pants. One are a pair that were sold as "golfing waterproofs". They're nylon, not waterproof, but they are resistant, so if the weather is periodic showers rather than persistent deluge, they're good. They have a light sort-of-satin lining, so if it's cold, the lining keeps the sweat condensation off my skin. If the weather is persistent deluge, I have a pair of "Rainbird" brand waterproofs, the material seems to be sort of like polyester faced with something else - doesn't look like its woven, maybe something like vinyl, with a 10mm sort-of rip-stop mesh in the stuff, too - and they are completely waterproof. They also have full length 2-way zippers each side, and stud catch storm flaps over the zippers. Very well thought out and easy to put on over anything without removing shoes or whatever. Between the two pairs, which are both very light and can be worn one over the other, I'm ready for knicks weather turning bad to 5 degrees C with heavy rain.

eVent is the most breathable waterproof, and doesnt have a coating on it to wash off. But the material itself isnt enough when cycling hard, you need active venting, like pit zips, etc. Very few companies make a cycling type jacket in it with vents. Showerspass is the only one i've found that does. Pearl Izumi makes a jacket from it but no vents, same is Gill. The material itself is more breathable than goretex, but its still not good enough without venting.

Heres their webpage https://www.eventfabrics.com/eVent_technology.php
Beware, Its a typical marketing webpage. But regardless of the claims, it is the best material to date.

Entrant also makes a whole variety of materials, unfortunatly I cant remember the one version that comes close to eVent. Google it