Best Wet Weather Bike Gear!

geordiefella
geordiefella Posts: 302
edited July 2009 in Commuting chat
caught out in the rain this week. i've got an event jacket (DHB) so body is fine.

What do others have for the wet or wintery weather (including head, footwear, legwear, gloves etc). Share your knowledge if you would with the rest of us. best gear list or bullet point your stuff and how you're finding it
Cannondale BadBoy Rohloff
Cannondale SuperSix / 11sp Chorus
Ridley Excalibur / 10sp Centaur
Steel Marin Bear Valley SE
Twitter @roadbikedave

Comments

  • flamite
    flamite Posts: 269
    get an ortlieb bag for your stuff,

    and skin is waterproof, man up!
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    Endura overshoes - keep my feet and shoes bone dry, and toasty warm in winter
    Endura Gridlock overtrousers - keep my jeans bone dry
    Endura jacket - keeps my torso and arms bone dry

    My gloves and hands get wet - I don't have any waterproof ones. In winter I wear long fingers, but still not waterproof.

    In winter and cold weather, I wear a Nike runner's headband, just to keep my ears warm. I used to wear a fleece hat, but when I started wearing a helmet I found it didn't fit underneath. I also wear a Buff to keep my chin/face warm if it's really cold.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    In this weather;

    armwarmers, SS jersey, shorts, and occasionaly a gilet to keep the chill off if the wind is cold.

    I haven't ridden consistantly through the winter yet but I get far too hot when it's about 15 degress, so i'm thinking LS base layer, light jacket, roubaix tights and long finger gloves.

    I don't wear waterproof stuff, it's futile. Get stuff that is warm enough and will be dry by home time.
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    skin is free, and self replenishing. Just need to be in the right mindset. Keep spare kit at work for the ride home.

    Think of the rain as watercooling for your body!
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    Skin is waterproof, but I commute in my work-clothes so keeping dry works for me. It's warmer in winter, too.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • geordiefella
    geordiefella Posts: 302
    flamite wrote:
    get an ortlieb bag for your stuff,

    and skin is waterproof, man up!

    i like these bags. which one have you got. the velocity looks good.
    Cannondale BadBoy Rohloff
    Cannondale SuperSix / 11sp Chorus
    Ridley Excalibur / 10sp Centaur
    Steel Marin Bear Valley SE
    Twitter @roadbikedave
  • LazyBoycp
    LazyBoycp Posts: 320
    flamite wrote:
    get an ortlieb bag for your stuff,

    and skin is waterproof, man up!

    i like these bags. which one have you got. the velocity looks good.

    I've got a Velocity and so far it's fine (just one commute since I got it a couple of days ago). Completely waterporof with a useful organiser inside. If you end up thinking of getting one, try to have a look at one before buying - unless you have to cart loads to and from work it may be a bit big.

    For wet weather I have:

    a Montane Velo Featherlite jacket (recommended by loads of people here, if I remember correctly)
    Endura MT500 overshoes (not entirely waterproof, but good enough if it's just a shower or there's only a little lying water)

    Don't normally bother with anything else waterproof - as others have said, skin is waterproof!

    Winter clothes include some Pearl Izumi thermal tights, the overshoes (they're warm as well), Rapha base layers, PI thermal tops and a thermal Buff to cover my ears and throat.
  • R_T_A
    R_T_A Posts: 488
    prawny wrote:

    I don't wear waterproof stuff, it's futile. Get stuff that is warm enough and will be dry by home time.

    +1 - it's the only way to go. I've got a Gore Phantom and it's my best commuting purchase. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Gore_Phantom_II_Windproof_Jacket/5360030077/

    I find waterproof stuff far too hot, so as long as I'm warm I don't care. The windstopper material is like neoprene (think softer wetsuit), and you can zip off the arms when it warms up.

    I wore it all autumn/winter, 5 days a week. Excellent bit of kit.
    Giant Escape R1
    FCN 8
    "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
    - Terry Pratchett.
  • R_T_A
    R_T_A Posts: 488
    Oh yeah, and it's dry for the return journey - one of my key requirements sorted :wink:
    Giant Escape R1
    FCN 8
    "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
    - Terry Pratchett.
  • JonS123
    JonS123 Posts: 171
    Agent57 wrote:
    Endura overshoes - keep my feet and shoes bone dry, and toasty warm in winter
    Endura Gridlock overtrousers - keep my jeans bone dry
    Endura jacket - keeps my torso and arms bone dry

    My gloves and hands get wet - I don't have any waterproof ones. In winter I wear long fingers, but still not waterproof.

    In winter and cold weather, I wear a Nike runner's headband, just to keep my ears warm. I used to wear a fleece hat, but when I started wearing a helmet I found it didn't fit underneath. I also wear a Buff to keep my chin/face warm if it's really cold.
    How do you find the overshoes? some days last winter I was finding my shoes would not dry out while I was work and cycling home in squidy shoes was'nt good
  • geordiefella
    geordiefella Posts: 302
    i've got some campagnolo overshoes (1st pair were polaris roubaix but they had a poor zip). these are the neoprene ones. they are great. i had though about the ahimano or sidi winter shoes though. last winter was awful with my summer specialized SPD shoes! really cold. sealskinz got smelly. merino socks did the trick. still cold though. anyone use winter shoes with gore tex or something?
    Cannondale BadBoy Rohloff
    Cannondale SuperSix / 11sp Chorus
    Ridley Excalibur / 10sp Centaur
    Steel Marin Bear Valley SE
    Twitter @roadbikedave
  • AndyManc
    AndyManc Posts: 1,393
    Today I used an Adidas lightweight rain jacket and a pair of Humvee shorts ..... I got fecking soaked :shock:

    .......don't mind, but it was getting cold enough to wear my winter stuff.

    What I DO WANT is a ...........

    Euskaltel orange rain jacket



    .
    Specialized Hardrock Pro/Trek FX 7.3 Hybrid/Specialized Enduro/Specialized Tri-Cross Sport
    URBAN_MANC.png
  • monkeycowboy
    monkeycowboy Posts: 186
    R_T_A wrote:
    prawny wrote:

    I don't wear waterproof stuff, it's futile. Get stuff that is warm enough and will be dry by home time.

    +1 - it's the only way to go. I've got a Gore Phantom and it's my best commuting purchase. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Gore_Phantom_II_Windproof_Jacket/5360030077/

    I find waterproof stuff far too hot, so as long as I'm warm I don't care. The windstopper material is like neoprene (think softer wetsuit), and you can zip off the arms when it warms up.

    I wore it all autumn/winter, 5 days a week. Excellent bit of kit.

    Do you find the windstopper material too hot for this time of year?
  • doog442
    doog442 Posts: 370
    this sort of post depresses me ..bloody hell a few summer showers and suddenly its October

    get a grip ffs

    mods remove it plese :wink:
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    I don't get cold very easlly so for pleasure rides just lycra only water so thats fine.

    for my commutes past and in the near future it's work clothes so i might put a coat over, but realisticly the mudguards will take care of most of it.