kevindevin

I looked through the "Advice for new commuters" thread and didn't see any mention of this -- or else I'm blind.

I'm curious as to what it recommended for riding in wet weather. I've outfitted my Kona Dew with fenders, have a hi-viz jacked (though it doesn't breathe well), and my waterproof pannier from Banjo Bros. But I'm curious about what others do for the lower part of their body and feet.

I've ridden home twice now in the rain and my feet were soaked by the end of my 12 miles. I'm trying to figure out what I might do on a wet commute IN to the office come the end of the day when it's time to make the return trip -- just slip on the wet shoes?

Many thanks in advance for your response.

-KHD
Bothell, WA

thebarerider

If you want to shell out some dough, get neoprene booties. They will slip over your shoes and keep them dry.

I went with a cheaper route and bought some neoprene sandal socks from REI. They will not keep your shoes dry but they will work for your feet.

bragi

I don't even have a car, so I need to ride all the time, rain or shine. (Around here, mostly rain I'm afraid.) I wear waterproof walking shoes and platform pedals with little studs on them (Speedplay Drillium), so my feet don't slip off during wet weather or aggressive climbs. So far, my feet have been pretty dry. (Three winters to date.)

Another thing you can do is to get Seal Socks. I use them for sailing. They're waterproof socks.

viclavigne

My commute each way is only 2 miles, so I don't worry about staying dry.... if it rains, I get wet. I wear exercise clothes: polyester shirts and shorts, running shoes. Yesterday it was raining all the way home and I arrived home sopping wet with my shoes full of water. Oh well, just rode faster to get home.

The bad thing, for me, about riding in the rain is that I could hardly see when water was pouring into my eyes. Had to stop every few minutes to clear my vision. I'll have to think about getting some type of goggles.

Tourfan

If you need to dry shoes out during the day (don't do this to your favourite leather shoes), cram them full of newspaper or paper towels. Change to fresh newspaper/paper towels once during the day if particularly wet. They will be pretty much dry by going-home time.

Cyclist0383

Waterproof breathable rain pants are a must if you are going to ride in the rain. When choosing a pair make sure to look at the zippers on the cuffs- they should be quite long so you can get the pants on and off without removing our shoes. Also look for Velcro on the cuffs so they don't get caught in the chain.

For shoes I use a Gore-tex lined dress shoe; I've had much better luck with those than with booties.

på beløb

If it is raining whilst you're on your bike you will get wet. Nothing can stop that. Now just how wet, and uncomfortable you get, depends on the gear you're wearing.

Me, I just ensure there is a hot shower at the other end of the journey, and carry a spare set of kit for the ride home. I use MTB race shoes, so quite expensive, but they're plastic & carbon fiber, so dry out pretty quickly, along with waterproof socks.

gpc

I recently picked up these RainShield jacket and pants.

https://penncycle.com/itemlist.cfm?pageId=294

Very light weight and breathable. I wish they folded down a little smaller, but not bad. I'd say they fold up about the size of a T-Shirt.

I always carry the jacket, but plan to toss the pants in when there is serious threat of heavy rain. I"ve only had to pull the jacket out once so far, but was very pleased.

For shoes, I just keep an extra pair of shoes at the office along with a few pairs of dry socks. It also helps to have extra shorts and a pair of jeans at the office. Just in case.

Bekologist

here's advice from a long time seattle commuter -

Bigass front mudflap almost to the ground. just toe covers. Wear the waterproof jacket as little as possible, experiment with different non waterproof tops for drizzly or on and off rain days. I wear the waterproof jacket maybe, maybe 20 days a year in seattle, all other times I'm more comfortable in a softshell or other non waterproof top like a pendelton wool shirt.


wool base layers, homemade knickers or just roll pants up and wool knee socks. (Filson makes good knee socks, suprisingly enough) but you'll still sometimes put on wet shoes at the end of the day if you can't get enough air to your shoes to dry them out while at work. just deal, you're on your way home from work.

Learning to ride in the wet, being caught unprepared by clothing choice sometimes and love it, is the crucial element for a seattle bike commuter.

Always having a small weather shell stuffed in a bike bag is good SOP but sometimes you'll forget to pack a jacket and by afternoon it's drenching..

gear

I found full neoprene booties to much of a pain to deal with. I took neoprene toe warmers and glued a piece of rubber to the top. The rubber covers the top of the shoe and keeps them dry. They are easy to slip on unlike full booties. A big mud flap on the front fender is a must too.

UprightJoe

I've been using neoprene booties. They've been working great for me. I've been thinking about trying out the sandal + waterproof sock combo though this winter once it gets cold out. That way if my shoe does get wet somehow (stepping directly in a deep puddle for instance), it doesn't matter. Swap out dry socks and everything is good as new...

I use lightweight, breathable, packable raingear that I bought last year on clearance at Dick's. It's not ideal for cycling but it works well enough and it was absurdly cheap. I think I paid less than $10 for the pants and less than $20 for the jacket if I remember correctly.

Podolak

I change my socks/shoes after riding so I pretty much just let them get wet. I have never given it a second thought.

tjspiel

For me it's more about staying warm than staying dry. It's not a problem this time of year. I have a different set of shoes that I keep at the office and I bring a change of clothes.

Stuffing newspaper into your shoes works pretty well for drying them out during the work day. Choose socks that dry quickly.

During colder times of the year I use neoprene booties and I agree they are a pain. I also have a pair of work boots that repel water pretty well. They're not the best for cycling but sometimes I'll use them when I don't feel like bothering with the booties.

Booties can be had for under $30.

evblazer

Unless it is freezing rain.

Add those sandal socks for freezing rain *shrug*

Industrial

Unless it's cold outside, who cares? Just make sure you have fresh clothes at the other end.

CliftonGK1

+1 to all of this.

After my first season of Seattle fall/winter commuting I gave up on trying to stay dry and focused instead on staying warm (much more important, and feasible). If you have a commute longer than a couple of blocks, you're going to get wet; end of story. Either from the rain/permeating drizzle, or from sweating underneath a "breathable" rain kit.

Wicking base layers, wool on top, fenders and flaps. In the cold, I wear a microfleece beanie for a helmet liner/ear warmer, and PI Cyclone gloves (which get drenched, but never get cold or loose their grip.) A pair of microfleece lined shoe covers keeps my feet warm and (slightly/barely) drier in the winter.

urbanwhitetrash

Staying dry is near impossible out here, what you want to do is stay warm. I managed to score on a closeout sale of a MEC Gore-Tex XCR cycling jacket even though it's gore, it still gets pretty moist on some of the really wet rides. (lost two ipods to this)

I also have a pair of these and they've done me really well, I have a reasonable short commute and almost every time I arrive at my destination with dry feet. I have a pair of orthotics so when those get wet it's a real PITA.
https://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=LrThL31gxND2bd9vpzQvhTm7zxzvyrVtnpTvLmKw2rmdFM9ppJr9!920169355?PRODUCT %3C%3Eprd_id=845524442618318&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692723&bmUID=1219169953168

Lastly, for the Dec - Mar I have a pair of neoprene paddling gloves, I've tried about half dozen other "winter" gloves and these are by far the warmest.

For the bike, I took one of those Rat tail things, cut it in half an mounted those to the front and rear fenders, I'm dryer and it's also nicer for other commuters.

lazlo

Forget the rain pants, they're too hot. I just wear shorts, or if it's cold leg warmers or lycra tights. Toe covers will stop most of the water; combined with neoprene socks, even if your feet get damp they stay warm. I only wear a rain jacket in the worst weather. I'm more comfortable in layers and maybe a windbreaker. Lightweigth helmet cover helps too; forget about a totally rainproof one, again it's too hot.

Ken Wind

In my experience, it's better to stay warm than dry, but riding for a long time in wet clothes can be very uncomfortable. I advise against wearing cotton. Merino wool is my fabric of choice in wet weather (cold or warm). Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Ibex are a few of the companies that make active clothing with merino wool.

The most breathable waterproof fabric I've ever used is eVent. You can get cycling specific pants and jackets made out of it, but the cost is very high. Endura, a reputable cycling clothing company, makes both of these, but buying a pair of each will cost around $550 USD. Showers Pass, a Portland based cycling clothing company, uses eVent in their nicest (and most expensive) jacket the Elite 2.0. There are also a number of companies that use eVent in climbing or hiking apparel, which is oftentimes suitable for bike riding.

BengeBoy 

I guess I will post this 1,000 times this fall.

My secret weapon for Seattle winters: Specialized Defroster MTB boots:

https://www.bikeradar.com/gear/catego...mtb-shoe-30858

Best $150 I ever spent.

spiker

I stuck my size 12 running shoe into the large size zip lock bags we had at work one night last winter for my 3 mile commute home. No fenders at the time pants got wet feet were dry. Not clipless on the winter bike, never tried it with clips.
riding in I go the layers, if at work I just figure I'll change when I get home

Bekologist

I've got some of those, and they are the bomb- but don't look good with knickers! or maybe they do and I just don't know it....