fattymcbastard

I have been commuting on warm days, mild days, cold days and I don't even mind snowy days... but for now, my rain gear is my car. I have plenty of warm stuff, but what do you war for the rain? Be specific, I am really new to foul weather commuting and I have been looking for gear, but I want to get decent stuff so I wont have to replace it in a year.

- Jacket?
- Pants?
- Head?
- Hands?
- Feet?

thanks for your help...

Riv-Lantis

Warm rain:
Just my normal cycling gear and change when I get to work. My cycling gear is dry by the time I get ready to ride back home.

Cold rain:
Neoprene shoe covers
Rain pants with the elastic down over the tops of the shoe covers
Rain Jacket with hood pulled over helmet
Neoprene gloves, ski gloves over those if it's really cold

It won't keep you bone dry, but it will keep you from being soaked to the bone for quite a while.

MichaelW

Something like this

plus pertex pants and if it is cold and raining hard, some thin plastic bags between socks and shoes.

spokenword

for warm rain, I don't wear anything special and just get wet. as another poster said, after 8 hours, the jersey is dry (it's important, of course, to note that this only works for commuting in bike clothes. Commuting in jeans will yield very different results)

for cool rain, I'll throw on a Shower's Pass rain jacket, which is made of Pertex.

for cold rain, I'll add a pair of fleece leggings, full-fingered gloves and sealskinz waterproof socks.

for freezing rain and slush, I'll add a balaclava and lobster claw gloves.

joelpalmer

I've always had a hard time because I get hot super fast in most rain gear. I have a nice Pearl Izumi jacket that I use (one of those nasty safety ones that turns into a vest) for my upper and unless it's super cold and rainy (as in rain/sleet) I use my normal bike shorts. If it's just cold I have some old REI brand fleece sweats that taper nicely and a pair of convertible glove/mittens that use.

D0ugB

I'll ditto what others say. I generally dress like its about 10 - 15 deg colder then the air temp is. If I wear anything remotely waterproof (yes I have a Showers Pass jacket made of Event) in any temp above 30 deg. I will sweat enough that you can't tell the difference.

nashcommguy

This is all good stuff. Gaiters, fenders, gore-tex pants, neoprene booties, gore-tex gloves or mittens(Gordini Summit II - campmor.com) will all help. But if it rains, you're going to get wet. There's no way around it. Rain-x on the outside and Fog-x on the inside of your goggles will help, too in addition to a visor of some sort.

thdave

I keep a rain poncho/cape in my daily trunk bag I bring. Works great. I'm in Cleveland, too. Just might use it on the ride home today!

If there's a lot of wind with the rain, your legs will get wet and it will slow you down some. But you don't sweat from it. Works great--it's fun to wear when you ride.
https://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...0226&langId=-1

Artkansas 

First I keep a change of clothes at work, shoes and everything.

In warm rain, I just stuff a change of clothes and everything else that I need into plastic bags and put them in my backpack. I have flexible hours so if possible I may try to wait out the rain. I use NOAA radar online to track the rain.

In cold rain, I wear a rain coat. It's time to get a new one. The one I bought in 1990 has developed a hole in the arm.

Jarery

When I wear waterproof items I dress like its 10-15 degrees warmer than it really is. If you dress so your comfortable when you leave the house your gonna get soaked in sweat regardless of what your wearing as a shell. You really need to be dressed so your cold when you leave and it takes 10-15 min till comfy.

cooker

A rain cape is far less sweaty than a rain jacket and rain pants. You have to have fenders. The rain cape is a bit problematic in strong wind. Here's my earlier review: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=292431

unixpro

Being in the Seattle area, I'm very familiar with riding in the rain. I put on whatever the temperature calls for underneath the rain gear I got from J&G Cyclewear. They're based in Oregon, where it also rains a lot. Kind of expensive, but worth it if you're going to be a regular rain rider.

D0ugB

I knew that would get misinterpreted I don't typically put anything on my arms or legs 'til its less than 50-55 deg. If I try to wear a shell in 40 deg weather even with just a light long sleeve shirt on undeerneath I will be drenched by the time I get in. So if its 60 and raining I would typically just add arm warmers and maybe knee warmersto my shorts and short sleeve shirt.

tarwheel 

I drive when it rains, unless it starts during the day, and then I ride home in it. If I'm riding home, it's no big deal getting wet. I haven't found a way to keep my feet dry in the rain, and I get just as wet from sweating if I wear a jacket as I would from the rain.

We just don't get that many rainy days in NC, particularly not this year. I've been bike commuting 3-4 days/week since April and I've only been caught in the rain once. So, I view rainy days as a good opportunity to stock up clothes and other supplies in my office and bring home the dirty laundry.

knucklesandwich

I just get wet in warm rain, and bring an extra pair of socks because that's the only thing that really bugs me to put on wet in the evening, if I rode to work in the rain.

Last winter I used a crappy EMS rain jacket that would soak thru on heavy rain days, and did not breathe one bit- a total nightmare. Just ordered a 66North eVent fabric rain jacket from backcountryoutlet.com for pretty cheap that I hope to hell works better than the former.

SDRider

I wrap myself in a 3,000 pound silver 4-door sedan.