waterproof pants/trousers

delcol

hi newbie member here.

like all you guys/girls i commute to and from work and the odd trip into town i try to avoid using the car as much a possable,. with all this lovely english weather we had lately i found that my regatta overtrousers aint that water proof they give up after a short time and i end up wet, they also not breathable as i arrived at wrk last night very sweaty.

i commute 6 mile each way to work.
and 4 mile each way when i go to the missus house to her and our daughter,

so this brings me to my question can anyone help me choose a decent pair of waterproofs that should keep me dry and breath. i aint to bothered on price though the cheaper the better. i dont mind shelling out £100 if they will keep me warm (in winter) and dry .... i just want to beable to use my bike come rain or shine and arrive at work dry and happy not sweaty clammy or with wet thighs...
thanks for any suggestion/ help...
col

RufusA

I think you may be asking the impossible! From what I can tell waterproof trousers just don't breath enough for the exercise they are doing (unless you cycle really slowly).

I would suggest a different mind-set. Put your trousers in a waterproof carrier of some sort, and buy some 3/4's you don't mind getting wet, and that will still keep you warm(ish). If money were no object then Rapha Fixed "Shorts" would be my choice.

If soaking legs bother you, then you could look at a pair of sexy rainlegs which seem to be getting good reviews.

HTH - Rufus.

Flycatcher

Impossible, shorts and pedal faster to keep warm. Seriously, as RUFUSA says they've not been invented yet!

alfablue

A 6 mile ride is bearable with wet legs - lycra shorts or longs don't soak up much so feel okay in the summer.

For longer trips or inthe winter I think there is a place for waterproofs, the most breathable seem to be Gore-Tex PacLite. Whikst you will get sweaty if working very hard, in cool wet weather they give good reults, and personally I find it is my upper body that does most of the sweating. If on a long ride at touring speeds wet legs become cold.

Wiggle do Berghaus Paclite pants for as little as £79,99 if you spend over £100 (i.e. just spend at least 1p more than the pre-discount price of £99.99). Gore-Tex also guarantee waterproofness for life, and having claimed on their guarantee in the past I can vouch that they are true to their word, so they could turn out to be the most cost effective despite an initially higher price than other fabrics.

Edit: I see they are out of stock till december, but Simply Hike have them for £75.

Hairy Jock

Waterproof trouser as a waste of time for cycling, unless you cycle at walking speed, you will just get sweaty on the inside. I cycle year round in Scotland, in summer I where shorts and in winter cycle tights.

alfablue

well, I'm a slow cyclist I guess, I have commuted in the rain (14 miles each way)averaging 14mph, not over-exerting myself, obviously, and have not suffered undue sweatiness in the pants region. Given that this has been in the extremely heavy rain we have had of late, on balance the PacLite's were worth the effort. Maybe I don't sweat as much as some.

Hairy Jock

I'd still say that that shorts and tights are a better option that waterproof trousers, but then the here is Scotland the sun always shines...

squired

I gave up on waterproof trousers a long time ago. Having said that, waterproof shorts have their uses. Mudguards can be a big help on wet days too. I use the clip on race-blades, although just on my back wheel.

I've worn my Altura waterproof shorts in the tropical summer weather we've been experiencing this year, and not overheated in them. I've also used them in colder weather, with tights underneath.

Hairy Jock

squired wrote:

I've worn my Altura waterproof shorts in the tropical summer weather we've been experiencing this year, and not overheated in them. I've also used them in colder weather, with tights underneath.

Do you mean these?

squired

Yeah - the Altura Drylines. Plenty of pockets, and you don't overheat. I'm someone who really overheats (I find it difficult wearing a helmet because I of it), so if they are good for me I'd be surprised if others find overheating a problem with them.

delcol

wow.
thanks for all your replys this seems a friendly forum..

will may be look into 3 quarter or shorts then aint to bothered about my legs getting wet ie lower legs as i can dry them when i get to work. the only thing that bothers me is when my thiighs get wet ie my shorts and boxer shorts and i have to spend 8 hours feeling like i wet myself...

i do run full length mudguards on my commute bike its a 06 scott speedster s60 fb..
i seem to average 16mph to 19.7mph over the six mile distance,.. funny how i seem to be faster on my way home from work...
thanks again for all your help .
col

RufusA

delcol wrote:

the only thing that bothers me is when my thiighs get wet ie my shorts and boxer shorts and i have to spend 8 hours feeling like i wet myself...

Rain legs should prevent this without needing a new wardrobe - not sexy, but effective according to another forum!

http://www.rainlegs.co.uk/

HTH - Rufus.

Hairy Jock

I'd recommend wearing cycle shorts, your boxers don't weigh much to carry. Before I first got cycle shorts I was sceptical as to their value, but once I tried them I was a complete convert. If your cycle shorts do get wet on the way in, you've still got dry boxers to change into, so long as you remember to take them with you

madmole

Try Event fabric. breathes more than Gore-tex and just as waterproof

peejay78

in this weather, where it's so muggy, i agree with the balance of posts...

lycra cycle shorts or these very lightweight 3/4 length trousers i got from decathlon for about 8p. i pack spare pants and socks in my bag. if it's really REALLY hosing down i take a tiny pack away rain jacket, again, cost about 12p from decathlon. more often than not i ride in the rain without the jacket becuase it's nicer being wet than sweaty.

delcol

i was looking at the endura event trousers,.. glad someone mentioned them,..

thanks again for all your help just hope the missus wont mind to much when i roll up in a £100 pair of events or gore tex trousers,.. will also look at shorts and rainlegs for when its warm and sticky...

passout

Endura do some waterproof trousers. They're good but it has to be cold or they're just too hot.

nilling

I tried waterproff trousers and ok they where cheapos but yewk wet legs in ruberised trousers is not my fetish! For summer 3/4 lycra bib shorts. Keep you change of clothes in a plastic bag and somewhere warm to dry your gear - putting wet/damp clothes back on it never nice!