Rain/ Wet Weather Gear
 

I'm a newb to biking. I currently reside in a location in which I can ride to work and school, so, I canceled my car insurance and turned in my plates.

Today, it has been pouring rain... being a newb, weather is something I forgot to think about.

So, I ride a road bike with no fenders and am curious as to what is the best wet weather gear? Something breathable, fairly light weight, etc...

Please post your suggestions for clothing and wet weather riding in general and a website in which I could purchase if possible. :thumb:

I believe Wool is the best for cold/wet, not sure about warm and wet. Where abouts do you live? If you live in australia, recommendations are going to differ from someone in northern Russia.

I live in South Louisiana. Humid, muggy, rainy, and hot!

I'm looking at some RainShield stuff right now

Wool. And a rain poncho. And overshoes or Teva sandals or [shudder] Crocs to wear in the rain. I was riding in one of our fabulous torrential downpours a little over a week ago and my shoes were like a couple of goldfish bowls strapped to my feet (every bit as grippy, too).

I tried a poncho, but it only protected my torso, and a light jacket will do it much better without looking like a weirdo or having it flap around everywhere. I hope someone has some ideas for pants, as I hate how wet my legs get when riding in rain. Maybe like strap on legging things? haha, no idea.

I'm thinking about this. Includes pants

http://www.upnorthgeneralstore.com/r...ainshield.html

And wool? The idea is to not get wet at all. Wool would absorb moisture wouldn't it?

Waterproof and breathability are the keys. Most of my commutes are within maybe five miles. A cheap Field & Stream rain jacket and pants is what I use (Approx $55 for both). They keep me dry, but they don't breathe well.

Shower pass I believe are highly recommended. They get a bit pricey (relatively speaking) but are among the best I hear.

as a fellow south la resident who has been wearing wool for 3 seasons now, i can't recommend it enough. since our winters are relatively mild down here, for about 90% of the winter you can get by with a good merino wool jersey and a light rain shell.

wool socks, an extra set of clothes (use the eagle creek packing thing-a-ma-jigger), and a towel to wipe down with once you arrive and you'll be good to go.

-ride safe-

Most people on the gulf coast think I am insane to wear wool. That's because most of them have not tried it. Linen and wool are the fibers to have in this climate.

These are very cheap at $35, and entirely waterproof. Or, at least, enough to keep you bone dry in the rain; you wouldn't want to capsize in them.

http://content.backcountry.com/image...COL1873/BK.jpg

I haven't had them long enough to comment on breathability yet. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected when I opened the package, but they'll definitely be less breathable than normal pants. There are no pockets, but there are two vents where the pockets would be.

I don't think a better jacket exists than this one:

http://content.backcountry.com/image...1018/BIGSY.jpg

It's pricey, though, and probably overkill in most places.

On the other hand, I find that with a wool base layer, and sometimes with a wool neck gaiter, too, I can be very comfortable in lesser gear.

I'm sure you don't have just one winter coat. Poncho's aren't the best thing when it's raining sideways but I rate them for other kinds of rain and the better ones don't flap that much. J&G makes a rain cape that is kind of like a jacho or maybe that's poncket. Rainlegs are highly regarded rain chaps and I like the idea but J&G rain pants are just $36 and I don't think it would be complete insanity to cut the crotch out of a pair of them and make better chaps than the Rainlegs for much less money.

Did 15mi. round-trip yesterday in driving rain. Usual kit: J&G jacket and pants, shower-cap helmet cover. Polypropylene underwear, fleece garments. I get the wool thing but I don't get how and why the wool advocates don't ever mention wearing anything else? IMO the best of wool's properties are enhanced by an overcovering of a non-breathable rain-jacket/rain-pants combination. IME the high tech fabrics still trap a layer of water vapor on the inside surface. This will bead up on and eventually wet the outer surface of your insulation layer. You will get wet (damp) but not nearly as wet as if you just let the rain soak you. FWIW.

H

Well you can tell it rained in South Louisiana today. I took the cheap way out and drove a car.

Question about wool. Many winters down here I get by with just a wind breaker or at most one step up, the warm scale, from a wind breaker. When I write "get by" I don't mean on a bike. Won't wool be to warm?

As you can tell, I'm new to cycling and have been wearing cotton.

Thanks for the advice!

its tough to find truly waterproof and breathable stuff. if you can, it usually is expensive. I go with a pretty cheap jacket and pants combo made by cloudveilMW. it keeps me dry form the outside, and in the winter it is good for layering and using as outer shell. in warm weather i get wet frm the inside out in them tho.

in the summers I just get a good water proof pack and bring a towel and change of clothes / shoes. thats what seems to work for me so far.

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I understand wool would be good to keep warm. But it can't really keep you dry without an outer shell can it?

Cotton kills. But not in your neck of the woods.

I hiked 8+ miles at a time this summer, in 90 degree heat, in a merino wool base layer top. Think of it as a very, very thin, but long-sleeved tee shirt. I was a lot more comfortable than I would have been in cotton or any sort of poly. Wool pulls the sweat away from your skin, and if you do get warm, it doesn't feel clammy. But merino in particular does something magical, and your body does a much better job of regulating its temperature when you have wool against your skin.

No, at least not if it rains for more than 30 seconds. But wool is warm when it's wet; even when it's saturated ( up to 30 % its weight ) it doesn't give up its insulating properties. Cotton robs you of body heat as it dries slowly. Also, wool doesn't feel wet, so unless it's also cold, you could get wet and not know it. I "body dry" my wool clothes, eg when I pull a bunch of base layers out of the wash, I'll often put one on and wear it around the house until it dries ... then keep it on the rest of the day. If you're in a warm place, it might be all you need. If not, a merino base layer and a hard shell are all I need 99 % of the time.

Cycling capes are Cone shaped , not square like camp poncho/shelter halves.

that and some lower leg covers , some Knee, front of leg, and top of shoe top covers.

that will cover it, ... in a humid place ... hurricanes not withstanding

the cape will breathe as the whole bottom of the cone is open,
between your body and your arms, holding the handlebars..

That's what I use. Got mine from aerotech. I'm not a fan of riding in wet weather, and I sweat even when it's 35deg. out, so I get wet either way! On the cheap, this is a pretty good way to go in my opinion. The seat of the pants will wear fastest of course. I've been slowly adding wool bits to go under it, to help with the warmth during the wet fall through spring.

Being is Louisiana, your going to be even warmer and more humid than I am in north Texas...

I don't think a jacket/pants make a good year round solution for rain. They seem to work well for cooler climates, but nothing is going to keep you from sweat soaking yourself in your typical conditions. I ended up getting the J&G cyclecape (there are others who make them) and posted a quick review of my first experience using it here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...mp-G-Cyclecape

I would suggest that fenders are the single best protection you can purchase for rainy weather. The rain itself will just make you wet, but the dirt/mud kicked up by your tires will make you filthy.

I also second wool as a great clothing fabric on the bike. It retains some of its insulating properties when wet, and doesn't hold odor like the synthetic fabrics (which I use also).

I am a big fan of J & G's rain wear I only have their jacket, I didn't buy their pants though. Instead I opted for the Rain Mates, they are along the same idea as the Rain legs. (I was slightly underwhelmed with the construction quality of them, however, they seem to work well, in spite of the lack of quality in the construction.)