Rain Gear
 

Ok folks. What are your suggestions on rain gear when riding a recumbent. I live in the Pacific Northwest were it rains 364 out of 365 days of the year. I figured that being in a reclined position would have different clothing requirements than an upright.

This is probably not what you had in mind, but I went to a boat shop and had a water-proof seat cover made for my foam seat. It is kind of like a hair protector for a shower. That was after having an uncomfortable wet/damp seat for several days after a rainy day's ride in France on a group tour.

What kind of recumbent?

Indeed. Position makes a difference.

The OHPV (Oregon Human Powered Vehicles) gang mostly wears Showers Pass gear. It helps that they're local (Portland). They also have a warehouse sale every October if you're interested in bargain hunting.

I've had to shop around some. The Showers Pass gear is too tight around my shoulders... but then I'm 6-foot-4 of broad-shouldered Big Ugly. I have a 2XL Bontrager brand rain jacket from Bike Gallery that fits pretty well.

I ride in the PNW as well, and after one miserable ride in the rain on my highracer I resolved to not do it again if I could help it. My rain riding philosophy runs to softshells and/or armpit zippers and helmet covers, gloves and shoes. I don't like a wet head, feet, or hands unless they are warm. I don't expect to stay dry in rain but I hope to keep warm. I don't know of any recumbent specific rain-gear or what it might do differently. The recumbent position, however, does not allow you to hunch against the rain or keep it off your face. No raingear sold offers any solution to that problem that I can see. So, for now, the answer is to ride something else when it rains in Portland. Which, as you know, is not actually, 364 of 365 days. Its more like, 200 or less, of 365 days. I can work with that.

I ride a vision R32. I will check out the showerpass website and see what I can find.

On a lowracer, believe it or not, a poncho works. Tuck the bottom front into your shorts and sit on the bottom rear. If you do it right, the exiting air will collapse the poncho at your shoulders. Your feet arms and legs WILL get wet, as will your head but your core will stay warm.

For me that's emergency-only. I normally don't ride if there's a significant chance of rain. Sometimes, though, I'm on a tour where it's unavoidable. For instance, I've only heard of ONE time where there wasn't rain on TOSRV. I avoid the rain by avoiding the ride.

It was a Rans Screamer. So two water-proof seat covers, actually.