Rain cape
 

I want some rain gear for emergency use only. If it's gonna' rain, I don't ride. However, there are times when rain doesn't obey the forecast. I see rain capes for $15 and up.

Does the hood offer any rain protection when worn over a bike helmet? Any advice on buying one for the rare times I need rain protection?

Example:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a161999cf8.png

Get a helmet cover. That'll work with whatever cape/poncho you wind up using. Also, I'd be concerned about losing peripheral vision with a hood. Been there, although the poncho was not a cycling-specific design.

Companies like Carradice in England make cycling specific capes but I found a light nylon one (poncho) at Ikea that works really well. I wrap the leading edge under my hands on the bars and put the hood under the helmet so it doesn't billow out.

What I like about it is that the cape keeps rain off the legs without wearing rain pants, but of course having decent fenders, and it folds down small and light to fit in my handlebar bag.

I have a cape similar to the one pictured. I removed the clear plastic visor and wear the hood under my helmet. By wearing the hood under the helmet, the helmet straps help keep the hood back far enough for peripheral vision.

I also added hand "loops" inside the front to help keep the cape under control in the wind.

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...0-success.html

BTW...a long front fender helps tremendously...one that curves under the front wheel with a flap that skirts the pavement. A short rear fender is fine as long as it keeps the spray off your back.

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hope you know how to sail :)

SKS Longboards highly recommended with long flaps (although not bus bike rack friendly).

https://www.bicycleclothing.com/info/rain-gear.html

Nuff said.


I don't intentionally ride in the rain anymore... However, I do have a jacket/pants/helmet cover if I happen to be on an organized ride (where I don't get to pick the days), or if I'm 'on tour' for more than a couple of days (damn unpredictable weathermen!) I've never tried a rain cape, but I did wear a garbage bag once...

I use an XXXL LL Bean goretex shell parka. It is big enough to wear over my bag and it has a hood > used on EBAY $30

Vaude ponchos should be good quality. As others, I tend to go with a larger size than nominally suitable for me.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...daf5d5cb08.jpg

Great replies! Thanks.

It never occurred to me to wear the hood or a shower cap under my helmet, but I can see the advantage.

Seems like some kind of loop/hold-down would be needed to prevent the cape from flying up and into my face. I will check out the "hand loops" as mentioned by BobbyG.

I'll probably go with an inexpensive cape as I usually have the option of not riding in the rain. However, it would be nice to have one handy when on a multi-day tour.

Be aware that if using a poncho, as opposed to a raincape, the rear flap of the poncho can blow up and over your head. I had that happen on tour in '74 while wearing a Boy Scout poncho, in traffic, on a bridge. Not fun.

I call a poncho something with open sides (formed from a rectangle draped over your head) while that Vaude item above looks more like a tailored raincape with no open sides.

Vaude is a German company. In the German language a bike rain cape is called Fahrrad Regenponcho that then gets translated by Amazon into poncho. There is also this one, that looks good. xxcycle has it cheap.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f80d6f0aad.jpg

IMHO you always get wet, or at least damp, riding a bicycle. Weather doesn't matter; what you're wearing doesn't matter. (Only exception is if you're underdressed in winter)

For people who wear a mirror on their eyeshield, like me, I wouldn't think that a hood would be compatible. Also, it appears that some rain capes were designed without drop-bars in mind. Stupid designers. It needs to be long enough in the back.

Cleverhood make rain capes for cyclists but they are pricey. The one I picked up was $250 but they have some on sale for $99. The few times I used it I couldn't find any drawbacks. It works as advertised and had some great features. I certainly prefer this over my Show Pass Elite rain jacket.

darth vauder

That J&G rain cape and matching helmet cover (BicycleClothing .com) sound like exactly what I need. However on the site there's no side view and so difficult to determine if it actually provides enough coverage in the front. They're thwarting their own sales pitch by showing the view from the front which shows the rain pants that they're also pushing. I don't want rain pants, I want to see how effective the coverage of the cape is.

Found a touring blogger who uses the J&G rain cape with fenders and drop-bars. No rain pants necessary. So I placed an order for the J&G rain cape and helmet cover. Very happy to get this problem out of the way.

That cape looks good but expensive at ~$45, although that's much less than other examples. Please post your impressions when it arrives.

I need one for the whole bike. Maybe a big, clear gerbil ball would work.

The best-working solution for me has always been a rain suit. For touring, I'll get a cheap plastic suit and chop off the arms and legs, making them short-sleeved. That gives me temperature control of my torso/core and allows cooling on my arms and legs. I no longer commute, but a full rain suit worked fine for non-aerobic paces on my way to the office. In both cases I'd still get wet, but would avoid getting all dirty and having heat issues (too hot or too cold.)

Ponchos look cool when you're sitting still. But rain and dirt gets up underneath them, and they're absolute sails in any wind.

I have purchased two rain capes over the years. Neither is ideal. I bought the very pricey Grunden bike poncho from Riverdell. It's beautiful but completely impractical for me. I carry a lot of stuff when I cycle and have a large handlebar bag at all times. But the poncho is way too big to fit in my bag. It's just not something I can always have with me "just in case." And I would never set out for a ride during a downpour, so it never got used at all. The other is the J&G rain cape. It is well made with a durable light material, and rolls up small enough to fit in my handlebar bag. So it's always available, but it's not really long enough to cover my legs and the material is not quite rainproof. I have sprayed it with waterproofing spray, which helps. But, when it's actually raining, instead of just misting, you'll still end up getting wet. Nonetheless, it is the best option I've found and so I've used it for the last few years. BTW, I find that I sweat like a pig if I try to cycle in the cheap plastic ponchos, so I get as wet as if I just went without. FWIW
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So I've had the J&G rain cape about a week or such. However, the weather has not been bad enough to test it in!

I did try riding around my back yard with it so that I could at least see how it fits while on the bicycle (looked at my reflection in some windows). I have fenders on my bicycle so, expect that I can make a valid evaluation the next time it rains. Although the fenders don't go all the way to the ground surface, which some say is necessary.

Thanks Nyah for taking the time to post.

I don't enjoy riding in the rain or on wet roads, so I avoid riding during those times. However, when out on a long ride or tour, rain can always happen unexpectedly. Seems to me that any protection is better than none, even if you get wet from the inside. I've struggled with this on backpacking and hiking trips - don't wear rain gear, get wet from rain; wear rain gear, get wet from the inside. The difference for me is keeping warm - the rain gear tends to keep me warm(er). In all cases, I seek shelter and just enjoy the downpour.

I think I'll keep looking and maybe try one of those very inexpensive capes for my infrequent need. If I buy one, I'll post back about my experiences.

I remember when I put together my first rain cape and I was wishing it would rain. Same with the studded snow tires...couldn't wait for it to snow and ice over.

Let us know what happens.