Went out in a spring downpour with my Carradice 2 weeks ago. My riding partner was wearing his as well - and we both commented on how relatively pleasant it was - we did about 15 miles in the rain and road mist, then it started to dry up for the rest of the ride. We did fight a headwind - so we were fighting the capes - but we were dry and not riding in a sauna...

I like the duxback cape - its heavy - but it stays put on the bars. I'm cutting the hood off of mine - just a bucket that collects water - and while it is useful when I ride around town without my helmet - it doesn't fit over mine.

I like the hand loops too - but find that with the duxback I don't always need them.

I use a jacket and let my legs get wet. Wet legs are never a problem unless it's really cold (like less than 50*F). I only use the jacket if it's really raining hard or is cold. The vented jacket is relatively dry. I'm pretty wet at the end of my commute even if it's 60 degrees and sunny, so if it's raining it's not that much different.

+1 I am not sure how to get rid of the hood and still have the cape effective, but I sure agree that the hood does no good what-so-ever. To small to get over the helmet comfortably, and it sucks having it under the helmet.

Left over the back, it fills with water.

Maybe cut holes in the hood to let the water drain? I dunno. It would be good to hear some clever ideas.

http://thirdwave-websites.com/bike/gandarmes.jpg

I have a Carradice ProRoute and I love it. rain capes here. I've augmented my kit (because how geeky can one be?) with a helmet rain cover from MEC, and I ignore the hood on the cape.

http://thirdwave-websites.com/bike/r...-cover-mec.jpg

I don't wear a helmet very often so have not run across the issue. However! I do wear hooded rain jackets at work and have to wear a hard hat. On a couple of my jackets I have cut the hood partially in half and made a tall collar out of it, that I can tuck up under the rear of my hard hat to keep the cold rain from running down my back.

Aaron:)

one of my ride partners has the old orange carradice duxback and just cut it off. bold, for sure - but with a helmet cover it keeps him dry.

Great post, Ed. Isn't that a great pic of the French dude floating along that charming French street on his bicycle enveloped in his dry cape. Wow, makes you want to stop and have a small cup of strong coffee at some petite bistro and watch the bicycles go by.

Aahh, France. What a lovely and cool place. And they have rain capes. And they have lovely people. And they have great bicycling. And they have good food. Viva la France. Love it.

I was just thinking of a hypothetical product like this. But in my imagination, it would extend all the way down over your shoes. I think with the back totally open, sweat wouldn't be an issue, and that way your whole leg would be protected. Hmm....

(I wonder why the white rainlegs are 4 pence more?)

Steve

Is it just me, or does he look totally dry? Anyone see any rain?

Steve

Hey, man. It's France. The cape is a fashion statement circa 1961. The dude is putting out the dapper.

These are Paris bicycling fashion statements!

Cool. Did you notice the mother in the black-and-white photo is riding a mixte. I wonder if it is a Peugeot mixte.

Nice scene.

I commuted for years with a cape in to Naval Station Norfolk and it was a bit tricky fishing my ID out to show the gate guards. Apparently there weren't many other cape users because the Marines just started waving me in after a while.

I recently started using a Carradice again and it works great. I took it on TOSRV and I stayed cool and dry while my ride mates were constantly stopping to put rain gear on and take it off. Another cool thing you can do with a cape is when it stops raining you throw it up over your shoulders and quickly air dry.

I like my campmor cape, my feet get a bit wet but on a warm day it's nice to have that breeze to keep you dry and cool. Works pretty well for the most part.

I am thinking of getting the ones the Dutch ride to Canada and the US:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=421111

So some of these capes atttach to the seat post? Is that not dangerous?

My campmor one does not hook to the post, it has an elastic band that you put around your waist to keep the whole thing form flapping around too much, it's nice because I can wear my backpack under the cape and rely on the elastic to hold everything together.
It also has little elastic hooks for your thumbs so you can keep it over your legs while you ride.

not that i know of.
yes, it would be.

..

I hook my campmor cape to my seat post, although I suppose I could put my it around my waist. I'll try that next time--is that why it has two loops--one for each leg?

I don't think it's dangerous to hook the loops to the seat. You just have to be careful getting off the bike.

my campmor cape has little loops for my thumbs and a larger loop for the waist, works very well unless the rain you ride in is being pushed around by some wind, i tend to wear my backpack under the cape so that my bag stays dry also but that affects the fit and the wind blows half the cape over the bag...frustrating sometimes so maybe i wear the bag outside the cape next time and just make sure my stuff is wrapped in plastic

joy