Best gear for riding in rain: jacket, socks etc.?
 

Riding in the rain can be a bit less than fun. What are some pro tips for gear? Thinking warm summer day rain rides, so putting a premium on breathability. Interested in thoughts on best lightweight, packable (needs to stuff in jersey pocket or expandable saddle bag), breathable rain jacket along with recommendations to keep the feet dry. Any other gear necessary?

For summer, don't bother with rain gear. You'll get wet anyway and you'll be lugging around more wet stuff. Different call for cold weather when you need warmth.

Anytime the temp is above 65°F (18°C), I just deal with it. I find that it is far more miserable wearing a rain jacket–despite all claims of breathability that is only marginally more so than a hefty sack. If you know it's going to rain, you could use shoe covers to keep the feet drier than they would be without them. The Pearl Izumi Barrier Lite or the VeloToze is perfect for this. They're light and stretchy, and do a good job of keeping the feet dry.

Yep. Warm summer day rain rides=no rain jacket. I only wear my rain jacket to stay warm.

My rain kit consists of a superlight Castelli Squadra jacket and Pearl Izumi PRO Barrier Lite shoe covers.

Neither are waterproof, but they do wind break, preventing me from getting too chilled, and the covers keep the shoes from getting filthy with road grime. The Squadra hardly holds any water, either, so it dries out really quickly.

I pack the Squadra if it might rain, but only use the shoes covers if I’m starting in the rain; I guess they’re packably light, though.

Squadra jacket at Competitve Cyclist

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/p...ite-shoe-cover

For mild temperatures, the only outerwear I carry is a Showers Pass Pro Tech ST jacket.

Very lightweight and packable. And it doubles as a wind jacket for the cool-temperature descents.

IMO, water in the shoes is the most unpleasant aspect of riding in rain. Our local "gravel" rides feature lots of creek crossings. I cut large drain vents in the sides of some old bike shoes. Socks still get wet but my feet aren't waterlogged after.

Rode home today in a minor storm. Started with my rain jacket but it quickly got stuffy so I went on in just shorts and t-shirt and it was fine. The only reason to wear more is if it is cold enough for hypothermia. I was wearing Chucks because my good shoes were still soaked from two days ago, but I think next time I will try sandals if I know it will rain. I don't generally wear sandals for anything, but now I have two sopping sets of shoes, so . . .

Lightweight merino top and socks.

Maybe shoes with some kind of mesh/airy upper if spd etc is your thing.
Or sandals.

Velotoze. Make that the newer velotoze 2. They wrap then snap around the bottom and are more durable than the first.

Or in the summer just embrace the wet feet because you’ll sweat a lot in them. I still prefer them to soaking wet and have done the later many many times.

I had some pants once for rain and they were pretty ok for the cold until they ripped. They weren’t flexible and made the ride less enjoyable.

And thanks. Now it WILL rain today.

If its a late spring thru early fall rain- I just suck it up. Odds are I will be riding when the rain ends, the sun appears, and it suddenly becomes 164% humidity.
If its an early spring or late fall rain- Any thin jacket that keeps rain off me and more importantly wind off of me will work. I also will want full finger gloves for the same reason- wind + rain + cold = hurting fingers.

I probably wouldn't do much in the way of rain gear aside from of these:
https://www.sealskinzusa.com/product...with-hydrostop

Granted your feet will probably do some sweating but it will hopefully keep them from getting super soggy from rain and ground water. Well ventilated shoes (most importantly drainage holes) are the best key but hopefully the socks will help a touch.

Lightweight moisture wicking/quick dry clothing is generally the best for rainy rides in the heat. If one could comfortably ride nearly nude and not look hideous I would probably do that.

We usually get "caught" in a quick rain storm and I only pack a jacket if riding higher up near 10,000 ft or if it is colder near Denver. I used to carry or wear (rarely wearing) a 7Mesh waterproof jacket or one of their water resistant jackets depending on conditions.

Lately, I have been carrying a 7Mesh Gore ShakeDry shell since it is so light, so thin, and extremely packable. It is a game changer for me since I hate putting thick jackets in my jersey pocket. It beats anything else out there and breathes quite well. I run warm so I rarely wear any jacket/shell unless at the beginning of a cold ride.

I'll carry toe covers at times but if it is really rainy, IU find they don't help except for the first 5 mins. I do have some water resistant bibs but unless the roads are wet (rare) I don't use them. I never wear waterproof socks. My feet get too hot. If cold weather (under 40 degrees) I wear merino socks and if really cold, nothing beats the Rapha Deep Winter socks. They are way more dense than anything even Darn Tough makes and keep my toes warm even when wet.

If you are the type that appreciates a laterally stiff and vertically compliant frame you should definitely seek out and wear a waterproof yet breathable lightweight rain jacket.
Otherwise, keep your feet as dry as possible and enjoy the rain in warm weather :thumb:

I really like my Castelli Gore Shakedry jacket. Very thin, light and stuffable. Breathes reasonably well. The only downside (besides $$$) is the black color which isn't too visible in overcast conditions.

David

helmet cover w/ a brim might be useful. rain on your glasses can affect your vision. mine is kinda goofy looking & mostly used in cooler temps. but I remember riding in rain & not liking it in my eyes or on my glasses. maybe a simple cycling cap would be helpful & less goofy looking? but if you don't mind what you look like, it's darn nice to have the shelter. learned about it here on the forums & it provides features & benefits that cheap motel style shower caps (or regular legit cycling helmet covers) don't, such as eye & neck protection
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...06698846d8.jpg
Taiga Cycle Helmet Rain Cover (color black)
cheap motel style shower caps are still good to keep in yer trunk tho, just in case
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dbc15c64b2.jpg
then there are the trunk covers themselves. if you don't have a rear fender then a piece of plastic on the rack will protect the trunk bottom. but I have actually taken the whole trunk, put it in a plastic compactor bag & strapped it to my trunk. useful for commuters, maybe. not a summer pic hehe but shows my trunk cover
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a15363618a.jpg

Ooh, that’s a cool piece of kit!

I carry a rain vest made by Castelli. I am sure every clothing company has on though. I also found these rain nickers by Assos that are great.

as mentioned above, very temperature dependent. also a distance question. One time I did a 40mi with a lot of rain and was very glad to have hiking rain pants and a good breathable gore-tex jacket. check your shoes, some have airvents on the bottom side which may need blocking. shoe covers (booties) a major bonus. cycling cap to get a visor out front for drips.

- Castelli Nano Flex shorts. These have some natural water resistance. They're also designed to offer some insulation, but I've been fine riding in them in warm weather. They're also just really comfortable all-around shorts.
- I've got a pocketable rain jacket and shoe covers from Galibier. They're British, I figure they know a bit about riding in the rain, and their prices are reasonable. I'll wear the jacket if its on the cool side. If you wear it when its warm, you'll get equally wet from your sweat. The shoe covers are more to protect from road spray than rain.

I got caught in a brutal thunderstorm last sumer. It came out of nowhere and plastered me. I had to huddle under some trees as the only shelter around. It went from the hi 90's to very cold as i was shivering cold under the tree's. I thought hypothermia was going to set in. Finally the storm stopped, the sun came out again and 15 minutes later i was good to go. But i always pack a rain coat with a hood now for emergencies.

Don't stop when your wet if you can avoid it, once you stop making heat from your effort you're going to get chilled. Almost always better to keep moving.

Chrome waterproof socks are a bit expensive, but are truly waterproof. So are the Chrome waterproof gloves. I have two Chrome waterproof jackets (an eVent and a lightweight one) and both have various vents that make the ride fairly tolerable.

If you get a jacket, underarm vents should be a priority.

lol, this cracked me up

A breathable, waterproof, and light vest is a good idea to keep your core dry, and you can open up the zipper for more ventilation.

I haven't found a workable solution for wet feet yet, and I've tried many things. Even if you wear waterproof shoe covers, the rain will enter your shoes your legs. There is no solution for this unless you want to be wearing waterproof tights that go over the top of your shoe covers.

A pair of SPD sandals might be the ticket for rain rides.

A shower cap, or waterproof helmet cover works well to keep rain off your head and face, and especially if you haven't washed your helmet in a while. You'll appreciate the salt not washing down into your eyes.