Hi,

I have recently bought an electric bike. Today it rained for about 5 hours straight, and obviously more rain is coming in the next days. I wonder, then, what kind of pants people wear for their bike commute. I googled the subject quite a bit but, for the most part, I find talks about tights, while I am looking for pants that look like "normal" pants (like a jeans).

I'd also like to ask about wind/rain jackets. Cycling jackets have rear pockets, which I don't need because I do about 3 commutes per day of about 3km each, so again, I'm looking for a relatively "normal-looking" jacket. Those nylon Adidas/Nike/etc training jackets, are they water resistant?

TL;DR: I'm looking for normal-looking (not "cycling") pants and jacket that are water resistant (it's OK if they're not meant for freezing temps - we never get those here).

I have a pair of Columbia waterproof snow pants that I pull on over my regular pants. I've used them for pretty much everything in cold weather. They're kinda baggy, but I figure the air layer helps provide some additional insulation.

For a jacket, I just got a breathable, waterproof down ski jacket. By design, the hood is actually big enough to go over a helmet.

My wife got me some 'Lambda' cycling pants for christmas, you can find them on amazon by searching "Cycling Wind Pants Tights for Winter Cold".

The coldest I've ridden in them so far is about 25f, and by the end of my 9 mile commute my legs were sweating. If it's in the mid 40s, they are downright hot for me. They completely block wind, and don't seem to get in the way of pedaling, even though they're not at all tight.

I have not ridden in the rain with them, but they are supposedly waterproof.

I don't have anywhere to store overpants when I reach my destination(s), and they tend to look weird, but I appreciate your input.

Bike stuff that doesn't look like bike stuff tends to be even more expensive than bike looking stuff. Levi makes a commuter jacket that is reasonable and probably worth looking at though. I haven't tried them, but some riders use golf pants for cycling. For a short commute they would probably be as comfortable as anything else and still look presentable.

polar fleece pants under nylon shell/rain trousers.. I have a pair that for the Ski Biz sales, sewed that combination together.


Certainly you have a bathroom and a bag to put your stuff into..

fietsbob, an AliExpress webpage of a pair of polar fleece pants states that they're waterproof and windproof, so why the need to put them under rain trousers?
Also, my destinations have no bathrooms. I'm not talking about long commutes to work where I can change clothes... I go to people's homes so I can't wear funny looking clothes.

If its raining, its probably not that cold - as in not below freezing. If it were below freeezing, I would probably wear a lightweight snowbaording pant.

I wear a pair of Zoic pants that I got at REI for like $60. They are a lightweight softshell type material, not too warm, but I dont get cold in them either. I am comfortable in the 30s with them. The fit and appearance is almost between a pair of Dickeys and a pair of Dockers casual khakis. So, for me, they work well. I imagine that if you are considering pants that look nice but are still bikeable, they would probably be just fine for you too.

They are water resistant, but not waterproof. So, light drizzle, they are fine. Anything more than that, and you are getting wet. I sometimes wear a pair of Goretex pants over them before with good luck.

Why don't you go to Amazon and look up Frogg Toggs rain pants?

They're quite inexpensive. They're also very, very light. They'll pack up into a small package. Though you'll no doubt want to dry them first.

They're warm, too. I can ride in zero deg F weather with just these pants plus sweat pants beneath. I'm comfortable. If you don't deal with freezing temps, then you're likely to be just fine with these plus gym shorts beneath.

I go with just Froggs and gym shorts above about thirty five deg F. And I might experiment with going down to thirty or so dressed like this.

Also, you don't end up looking like a total fool. It looks about like baggy, black work pants.


Wait a minute.......did you say electric bike? Then maybe you don't want just gym shorts under these. But you'll still burn some calories on an electric bike. So sweat pants might be a bit too warm under some circumstances. Blue jeans might bridge the gap.

My lady got me some Shower's Pass "Club Visible" pants for Christmas. I've been riding them in the recent cold weather over my work slacks, and they are good for high winds, with super visibility. Pricey duds, but my fat ass is worth more.

I was out cycling for a little over an hour this afternoon - wind had settled down to just about calm, air temp was 13 F, sky looked gloomy like it wants to dump some snow. My pants were a pair of Aero Tech fleece exercise pants over regular long johns. This combination keeps me comfortable from below freezing to around zero.

I wear wool poly blend thermal tights, under loose fitting polyester warmup pants. Keeps the wind out, the warmth in, breathes nicely, is comfy, and doesn't look out of place in public. I have stayed comfortable wearing this in sub zero temps and windchills down to about -30 F. In a strong headwind in these conditions, a barrier over the crotch (stocking cap under the pants works nice) keeps things from freezing down there.

OUTLIER New OGs

What's your parking situation like? I just roll mine up and leave with the bike, in a drawstring bag if I have to park outdoors. But I live in a pretty tame area.

I just lock my bike to the nearest fence or bike locking thingy.

I would consider the Levi's commuter jeans, which should be water-resistant, and wear some cycling tights under them. The most effective layer in the cold is your base layer, as long as your not getting wet. I think the most practical decision though would be wearing water proof layers over your clothes, and carrying a bag with you on rainy days.

you might try an REI store. they have lots of hi-tech hiking clothing.

but honestly, if it's RAINING, just slide rain pants over your regular pants, them whip them off when you get there and hang them to dry

Picked up a pair of REI's Headwind pants and jacket last month - definitely recommend them. They do a pretty good job of stopping the wind and are water resistant - though I haven't worn them in a downpour yet. They aren't super warm - mostly just for blocking cold wind, so you'll need some pants or some long sleeve layers underneath.

Hopefully she picked them up during their 35% off sale. I use their Club Convertible (same thing just black and can be converted to knickers) and they work very well as a cold weather shell (single digits and below).

love my headwind pants, been using them for years, but like you said they aren't the end-all item for all conditions, but a must-have none the less

For cool/cold rain I use waterproof/breathable pants over poly-cotton hiking pants.
Mine have a close fit in he lower legs, so they don't flap in the wind. A velcro tab keeps them out of the chain.
They have long leg zippers and elasticated ankles.
In v heavy rain I use waterproof socks (sealskinz) and the pants drain water over the socks.

J&G makes some very reasonably priced bike specific rain gear.

Here's one style of their rain pants.

Well, REI doesn't sell the headwinds any more, and I think the point was to get something that didn't look like bike pants?

They have lots of styles of hiking pants that meet my requirements of breathable, light, quick drying, water and wind resistance. Fleece or jeans is just the opposite of what I need, as I would sweat too much in them (that may not be a problem for you?)

Plenty of pants/jacket options at REI that that meet my requirements ( breathable, light, quick drying, water and wind resistance), but any place with hiking/backpacking clothes could work well for you.

No more Headwind pants? Crap. I was going to get another pair.

REI "Mistral" pants. REI Mistral Pants - Men's 30" Inseam

These are not "bikey" pants.

I've been using mine for three or four winters now. They are fine with temps as low as freezing. When colder, I add either polyester or wool thermal underwear. Sweet spot is from mid 30's to mid 50's. Mind that this is for a commute that is no longer than about 22 minutes in the mornings (coldest part of the day) and about 28 minutes in the afternoon.

They are very comfortable with stretchy material and they are somewhat windproof. My guess is they are windproof up to about 17-18 mph.

Gripes:
1. Cost. They are pricey at almost US$100.
2. Front pockets could be a little deeper.
3. I prefer seven belt loops but these pants have only five.

Yea, just a few gripes, but these pants work GREAT for my winter commuting. Some days when I get to work, I'm too lazy to change into all of my "office clothes" and I'll just wear these pants all day along with the clean shirt I brought in the panniers.