estasnyc

Has anybody here tried Rainlegs Rain Chaps?

Although I have fenders on my beater bike I've shied away from cycling in the rain but got caught in some last week.

The fenders, jacket and rain cap kept me mostly dry but my pants got soaked, the most irritating part of it being on my thighs.

(I see a number of links for online sellers but nothing that I can recognize as being the home page for Rainlegs.)

I'm willing to give one a try but I'm concerned about sizing. Will this become one of those things that one might want to get either one size up or down?

Iride01 

With it getting cooler now, maybe you do need to shy away from the rain. However during the warm and hot days, you really don't need to since you dry out fairly quick when you get out of the rain. So not any real need for rain gear unless you are commuting somewhere where you need to look decent when you get there.

Rain gear that's water proof tends to get hot and sweaty underneath. A decent pair of cycling shoes that drain well helps keep you from feeling like you are slogging through water all day.

chaadster

I had some of those “chaps” years ago, but found them fussy to use and really only effective in a narrow circumstance— in light rain— so I went to full overpants for commuting.

pdlamb

Some years back I rode a (half miserable) brevet with a, er, chap who was wearing Rainlegs, so I asked him about it. The first half of the ride (about 40-50 miles) was chilly and raining pretty hard (much harder than the forecast, of course!). His take was that the Rainlegs were very effective at keeping his legs dry and warm (two things my tights did NOT do!). On the downside, he said they tended to swing around his legs when he was off the bike, so he often had to wrestle them back into place when he got back on.

After the rain stopped, he was able to take them off, roll them up, and I don't remember if he put them in a pocket or a bag. Either way, they didn't weigh much or take up much space.

downtube42

Love em. Use them on brevets, from 200k to 1200k. I live in the PNW where you ride in the rain or you don't ride. I've used them for warmth even when dry. Since they are chaps, you don't get sweaty inside. You can roll them up and stow them around your waist when not in use. Fabulous. Two thumbs up from me.

estasnyc

How's the fit? Did you get it right the first time?

I suppose I may end up doing what I usually do when I order something that ends up being slightly too small: I give it to my brother.

downtube42

It's been a long time since I purchased them, so I don't recall how that went. They are pretty adjustable, so perhaps one size fits all? Regardless, they fit fine.

Leisesturm

Exactly. Sizing will be the least of the o.p.'s concerns. The guy at 'Clever Cycles' where I bought mine said they weren't the most durable things ever, but I still have them (since 2008) and I'm in the PNW as well so they've seen a lot of use.

estasnyc

My problem is that I don't know where to go to check this out in person. I could probably make an instant decision if I could hold this in my hands first.

I had same issue about getting either a King Cage Stainless Steel or an Arundel Looney Bin bottle cage. I ended up getting both.

I'll probably order it from xxcycle as soon as I decide whether I want to also order a chainring.