cuffydog

I'm back from a couple of weeks of touring in Denmark, where the guide books tell you that an umbrella is likely to be your constant companion, and where all my preparations for riding in the rain were put to the test. It rained some on most days. and a couple of times we were caught in torrential downpours with gusty winds that came in quite quickly, when there was no place to seek shelter. Here's what I learned:

1. My ShowersPass Elite jacket, which I got after reading recommendations of it here, was terrific. It definitely kept me dry, and did a very credible job of venting. The weak point were the sleeve cuffs--while they kept the water out for sure, the tended to get wet and stay wet, which was a bit uncomfortable when putting the jacket on later, after the storm, but not a big deal in any way. The strongest point, aside from the jacket itself (which fit like a dream), was the optional hood. It was phenomenal in keeping rain off my face and for wind protection and fit perfectly under the helmet without compromising either hearing or visibility. If you get the jacket, get the hood. Though the jacket is pricey, you may be able to get deals on the older Elite model (not the 2.0), and if so, don't think you'll be compromising anything by getting it. My daughter wore one, and it was every bit as good as mine.

2. Rainlegs chaps. I carried these as an experiment, also after reading recommendations here. What I found was that I never used them, because when it rained hard I immediately reached for my rain pants to get full protection, and when it wasn't raining all that hard I preferred to get a little wet.

3. Rain paints. If I didn't already own a pair of rain paints for hiking (the least expensive kind from Patagonia; not goretex but something kind of like it), I probably would have gotten the Showers Pass pants, which are tapered for riding, have reflective strips, and some ventilation. My pants did just fine. The have an ankle zipper for easy on-off, and an elastic cuff and waist and weight almost nothing and roll up very small. They're hot, but when it was pouring, I didn't notice at all.

4. Neoprene rain booties. These were lifesavers. I have the cheapest Nashbar model. Though they are not precisely waterproof, they definitely kept my shoes from filling with water, and most of the time kept them completely dry. Though it was summer, I appreciated the light fleece interior when it was raining hard and blowing. With the rain pants pulled over them, no water ran into them. Though I was wearing bike shoes, the bike I was renting didn't allow me to put on my pedals, so I did not cut out a hole for my cleats. This turned out to be a good thing since the cobblestone streets we were walking on when we got off the bikes were often slippery, and by wearing the booties we had much more traction than we would have otherwise.

5. Bike gloves. I thought about getting some kind of neoprene gloves, but couldn't find anything that seemed suitable. Our gloves got wet enough to wring out numerous times, and it wasn't always possible to get the dry, day to day. My solution was to carry extra gloves: one pair of bike gloves to change into if the wet pair was too soggy to ride with, and a pair of winter (non-biking) gloves, just for warmth, to put on after the rain, if our fingers were not working all that well. This worked just fine.


6. Panniers. I was using Ortlieb Bike Packers. They're waterproof, but even so, I packed everything in plastic ziplock bags, as much for organization as for waterproofness. The Ortlieb bags worked flawlessly--there was never any moisture in them, and my packing system made finding things very simple. The other nice thing about the bags is that they are quite lightweight. And there was never a moment I worried they'd fall off the rack. I noticed, by the way, that almost everyone else who was touring, whether they were from the US or Europe, was using either the Bike Packer or the Bike Roller bags.


Though in the beginning I wondered if my preparations were excessive, having all this gear close to hand made riding in the rain pretty easy and comfortable.

becnal

There's no such thing as bad weather. Just bad gear. And you got good gear.

My wife said to me the other day, "You know, we have some pretty awesome gear." I said I know, but I asked her how she came to that conclusion. She told me, "I saw a documentary on tv and the super stocked, government-funded researchers all had the same gear we do!".

I think she's starting to get it.

cuffydog

My family all said they'd slog through rainstorms, no need for booties, extra gloves, etc. I thought about taking them at their word, but I knew that I'd feel bad as soon as they were drenched the first time, so I kitted them out and presented the gear. When buckets were coming down the first day, they thanked me profusely. We never missed any riding because of rain, and were never uncomfortable riding in the rain when stopping was not an option. Rain riding on bike paths far from cars was actually kind of fun.

Roughstuff

Yuppers. I like riding in forested regions when it rains. The forest floor is always densely pached with years of needles and leaves that make a good cushion. I have Colombia rain jacket, and don't bother with rain gear in my legs, I have two pairs of full leg length cycling pants (lined) with a bib upper. Its GREAT since it doesn't allow your shirt to 'creep up' and feel so uncomfortable. When it rains I (1) get wet, and (2) sing.

roughstuff

HardyWeinberg

My wife is always annoyed when I spring that line on her, last night she pulled it out for me. I asked her how to dress for a tornado anyway?

Congrats on the successful dryness cuffy! My ortlieb office bag/satchel pannier thingy got its baptism by downpour (rather than drizzly mist) yesterday, was good to see it work as advertised.

cuffydog

Ditto on riding through forested paths in the rain...

andypants

ha, I have that jersey.