rideordie1

Need some rain gear. Got caught without a rain jacket / pants the other day and got soaked. It was cold and made the ride pretty miserable. I have looked around and seen some things I like, but I wanted to find out what other people were using / would reccomend before I bought something and regretted it.
Please help!

StephenH

Good question.

If it's raining enough, you're going to get wet anyway, so you just try to stay warm while you're wet. My REI tights with wool tights underneath, rain jacket with layered jerseys underneath have worked for me when I needed them.

Cycling rain capes work great, IF you have fenders, IF you ride 8 mph, and IF the wind is not blowing.

rideordie1

haha well I was hoping a waterproof shell jacket / pants would help to keep my other layers dryer hence keeping me warmer. I dont have fenders, I can't control the wind, and I definetly don't go 8mph, so I think the rain cape is out the window!

Jeff Wills

Get some fenders- that's half the battle. Showers Pass is a Portland company: https://www.showerspass.com/ I like their jackets - a little pricey, but well worth it.

iheartbacon

This anorak from LL Bean is awesome. https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/73093...classic-anorak

lungimsam

Why only 8 mph?

AJ08

For days when it's really coming down I'll put on some gore-tex shoes, REI rain pants and a Columbia omni dry shell. So far it's been a great combination and has kept everything but my face completely dry. I tend to sweat quite a bit and the omni dry shell is the most breathable jacket I've ever had. I still get moisture build up on the inside but not enough to make my clothes wet as well. If my ride is going to be longer I'll also put on a Nike dri fit shirt to help wick sweat away.

It may sound and look silly but bring your bike helmet to the store with you so you can make sure that your jacket hood will fit over it and be comfortable for you.

fietsbob

Full Mudguards, + a Cycle Rain Cape .. I have dry hands as the cape covers them.
arms outstretched form an Awning for my legs..

Shape is a Cone rather than a square like a Poncho, so not much Flapping as you ride..

J&G , Carradice, Pro Route, are good .

Mine, Grundens, made for Rivendale bike works, is heavy duty.

Helmet-cover (instead of helmet light)

DieselDan

'03 Ford Taurus

fietsbob

How about one of these? https://www.watercar.com/ or these: https://camillc.com/spyder.htm

Jeff Wills

Pfftt... wimp.

agent pombero

Showers Pass Elite 2.1

StephenH

The 8 mph was for a cycling rain cape, if you go too fast, rain'll just blow in beneath it, like trying to run with an umbrella. The 8 mph figure is just a guess, tho.

On the original question- whether you're riding in rain for 20 minutes or riding in rain for 5 hours makes a big difference. At the 20 minute mark, you may stay reasonably dry with proper raingear, at the 5 hour mark, much less likely.

Captain Blight

Salomon makes some pretty decent wind/waterproof XC ski pants that aren't quite snug enough to be called 'tights' but won't flap around in the wind. As to a rain shell, I like my Red Ledge jacket quite a bit. I wanted one in red but ended up with one in sage green, which isn't quite as visible as maybe I should get, so I top it with a safety vest. I ride with either traps and clips or big ol' BMX platforms, so my rain shoes are just my gore-tex hikers. It works pretty good.

One thing that transformed my lousy-weather riding was taping up the vents in my helmet and getting a pair of ski goggles. I hadn't realized just how much I'd been suffering until I wasn't any more.

Oh yeah: Fenders, fenders, fenders. With a good-sized mud flap on the front one, if you can get it within like 3/4" of the ground or closer you'll really reap the benefits.

MadCityCyclist

I just bought the Showers Pass Touring Jacket, because it was breathable but much more waterproof than most of their other winter jackets, plus it has some massive vents in it. I'm pretty happy with it. The Cleverhood rain cape looks good, but I don't have any experience with that particular manufacturer/model. You can forget about the rain cape if you don't have fenders, the cape only works for the water that is above you.

rideordie1

Jeff,
What do you wear when you go out riding in this weather? Not all of my riding will be in snow, but I plan on making a few trips to snowy areas like this and doing some riding. Having rain / insulation gear that could work in snow / rain would be great!

Jeff Wills

That's a photo I grabbed off of the Fatbikes site: https://ridefatbikes.com/ . I think it's Minnesota. Since I'm in the Portland area, I don't see conditions like this (well, may once every couple years).

IMO, snow is less a problem than rain since snow doesn't stick. I'm still working on something that will keep my feet from freezing in cold rain. Since I have skis (size 13, B-width feet), finding shoes that fit, much less those that are insulated and waterproof is an ongoing quest.

Burton

Nice bike! I'd probably look for excuses to ride that in the rain!

rideordie1

I don't know where you find size 13 waterproof insulated shoes??? You may be able to find some hiking boots that would work for riding?

On the subject of rain gear, has anyone tried Arc' Teryx gear? I've seen people wearing it, iv looked at it in the stores this week, and it is essentially what I am looking for. But the price tag is so big... is it worth it? I compared the Arc' Teryx jacket to the shower pass and the arc' teryx seemed superior to me. I also looked at North Face stuff which had some ok options. Any other companies people would reccomend that make a similar product to the arc teryx alpha line?