Anyone else found their 'waterproof' clothing wasn't?

dav1

All my stuff worked great this morning and for 3 hrs on saturday.

Endura convert II jacket, only liquid in was from me, not the sky (unfortunatly my backpack covers all the venting)

MT500 overshoes, toasty, dry and warm

Sealskinz gloves. A bit damp eventually but they took a lot before anything came in. Im fairly sure it dripped down my arms and seepd in via the cuffs rather then the waterproofing giving up.

pastryboy

I got soaked again yesterday morning. Same problem with the gloves and overhoes - they worked great for about 30-40 minutes then the rain started soaking in.

Have invested in some Altura waterproof gloves and shorts. The gloves work fine under the tap so should be ok.

WIll try and get some waterproofing spray form millets for the overshoes since I can't find any better looking overshoes around - they're all either not waterproof or just fall apart according to reviews.

Gussio

+1 for the Sealskinz gloves. When it gets colder I will be wearing a thin pair of liners though.

My Gore Bike Wear waterproof jacket, which has given 10 faithful winters of service, has started to leak a bit on the shoulders and arms. Any suggestions for a good treatment to reproof (other than Ronseal)?

always_tyred

lost_in_thought wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

Change that to thinish woollen gloves with a pair of large marigolds on over them.
You will be waterproof, warm, and happy. On the downside you will look like a pervert.

How about woollen gloves/silks then marigolds then modesty gloves? All the warm and dry, none of the pervert, all the happy.

What the hell are "modesty gloves"? Is this a name for some form of extensive, frilly undergarment?

Wallace1492

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

Change that to thinish woollen gloves with a pair of large marigolds on over them.
You will be waterproof, warm, and happy. On the downside you will look like a pervert.

How about woollen gloves/silks then marigolds then modesty gloves? All the warm and dry, none of the pervert, all the happy.

What the hell are "modesty gloves"? Is this a name for some form of extensive, frilly undergarment?

Think LiT means these over the marigolds:

sampras38

I don't think my SeakSkin socks are waterproof but they're bl**dy warm..;-)

Wallace1492

sampras38 wrote:

I don't think my SeakSkin socks are waterproof but they bl**dy warm..;-)

+1

I have 2 pairs, they are waterproof. Reason you might not think they are is 1. You still sweat inside them 2. in the rain water dribbles down leg into them.

Like them so much, I got a Sealskinz hat, and going to get the gloves too.

dodgy

Wallace1492 wrote:

Were the gloves these ones, dhb Amberly:

I got then and wore them in the rain. Meant to be waterproof, but a total let down in that respect. Warm glove for cold and dry though but why did they say waterproof!!
Hands were wringing and the gloves took all day to (sort of) dry.

Can't beat Gore Tex gloves, and I have Endura neoprene overshoes. Totaly bone dry.

I have these gloves and was recently moved to review them on Wiggle's site after discovering their complete lack of waterproofness. Wiggle has now changed their description and doesn't mention waterproof anymore.

I reckon you'd have a good case for a refund if you could be bothered.

sampras38

Wallace1492 wrote:

sampras38 wrote:

I don't think my SeakSkin socks are waterproof but they bl**dy warm..;-)

+1

I have 2 pairs, they are waterproof. Reason you might not think they are is 1. You still sweat inside them 2. in the rain water dribbles down leg into them.

Like them so much, I got a Sealskinz hat, and going to get the gloves too.

I've worm then with full length tights over the top and a little water has got in, but they're ok..good enough.

Wallace1492

Still camming them waterproof!!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/-_-/5360036982/

onlyonearrow

vorsprung wrote:

4) Paramo Velez coat - breathes very well and is extremely water proof. I have actually ridden for hours in the rain in North Wales in this not gotten wet. Only time I get wet with this on is if I fall in a puddle with the side vents open or if the neck zip is open and water then runs down my neck. This is truely the best coat I have ever bought. YES EXCELLENT

Totally agree with this. I have several Paramo garments that I use for a variety of activities, including hill-walking and mountain biking. They also last for ages, with reproofing being simple and effective. I have one jacket that I've used regularly over the last 12 years and it's still as effective as the day it was bought.

The aim of any breathable waterproof garment, is to keep you comfortable. Keep rain out and allow any water that is on the inside of the garment to pass out. The key advantage of the Paramo system is that they will allow liquid water to be drawn outwards from the inside - so condensation just isn't a problem. Membrane systems (like goretex and e-vent) can only pass water vapour, so condensation can be a problem especially when your activity rate drops in cold conditions.

prawny

I was going to get a gore tex coat but I keep hearing good things about paramo. Which one would be the best for road cycling?

mickbrown

Just to throw another suggestion in - I've been looking at the Buffalo cycle shirt.

Anybody got one of these?

Kiblams

The oddest thing: I have a cycling specific waterproof (probably water resistant) and the only part that the water got through last firday in the crazy rain was where it touched bare skin. All of me where I was wearing my t-shirt was dry except for my arms which were only covered by the waterproof. Anyone else found this?

prawny

Kiblams wrote:

The oddest thing: I have a cycling specific waterproof (probably water resistant) and the only part that the water got through last firday in the crazy rain was where it touched bare skin. All of me where I was wearing my t-shirt was dry except for my arms which were only covered by the waterproof. Anyone else found this?

Tents do this though don't they, if your touching the membrane the water gets through, don't know why, I'm sure there's a technical reason, does it not have a mesh liner?

Kiblams

prawny wrote:

Tents do this though don't they, if your touching the membrane the water gets through, don't know why, I'm sure there's a technical reason, does it not have a mesh liner?

Ah yes! come to think of it tests do this too. Nah it's just a thin outer layer to keep me relatively dry without getting too hot. Does a great job of it too, until last friday in the heavy rain and without a front mud guard I got hammered. Must remember long sleeved base layers in teh future I think.

onlyonearrow

prawny wrote:

I was going to get a gore tex coat but I keep hearing good things about paramo. Which one would be the best for road cycling?

The Velez smock type is good, with a relatively short front and scoop tail. There are several variants, including a newer light weight version.
Best check of the Paramo website: http://www.paramo.co.uk
Or there's a a review on bikeradar: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/clothing/jackets/product/velez-adventure-light-smock-09-34496

There is a new jacket called the Quito, which looks interesting (although colour options are limited):
http://www.paramo.co.uk/en-gb/garments/detail/index.php?pgc=NIKWAXANALOGYLIGHTJACKETQUITOUNISEX

The jackets tend to be warmer than an equivalent goretex, but IMHO the breathability more than compensates.

biondino

Please can someone explain how water can get from the inside out but not from the outside in? Is it something at a weave level, or a molecular level? Or is it a myth?

Also, someone suggested they iron their tights. :shock:

mickbrown

Water droplets are bigger than water vapour moecules

Hence one can't get in but one can get out.

Summat like that - you may have guessed I'm no molecular scientist.

mickbrown

Anyway - can someone just tell me what jacket to buy?

I've over research this as it is.

Ta very much.

onlyonearrow

biondino wrote:

Please can someone explain how water can get from the inside out but not from the outside in? Is it something at a weave level, or a molecular level? Or is it a myth?

It's all molecules! :roll:

If you are thinking of the membrane type fabrics (e.g. goretex), then the membrane material has lots of tiny pores that are too small to allow water droplets through, but will allow water vapour through. Clearly with enough hydrostatic pressure liquid water could be forced through, but even the rain in the UK isn't that hard!

If you are thinking of the Paramo type fabrics, then its the 'weave' of the liner and how it's coated with wash-in proofing material that makes it easier for liquid water to move outwards than inwards. Paramo call it a 'directional pump liner'. The inner facing side is smooth and the outward facing side is furry. Water moves towards the furry side, buy (I guess) capillary action forces and such like.

I'm a big fan of the Paramo system. But it did take a leap of faith to put trust in such a radically different approach to waterproofing when your life could depend on it when hill walking or mountaineering in extreme weather.

MonkeyMonster

biondino wrote:

Also, someone suggested they iron their tights. :shock:

Thats what you need to do to goretext to re-activate once its been saturated too long. Using a towel in between of course. Its fibres need to be on standing up as it were to be most effective and over time water and mud will flatten them. Washing and then really heating them up - iron or tumble dry wakes em back up to perky status.

Proviso: I seem to remember anyway...

biondino

Things standing up in tights is not usually the desirable outcome.

jimmypippa

onlyonearrow wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

4) Paramo Velez coat - breathes very well and is extremely water proof. I have actually ridden for hours in the rain in North Wales in this not gotten wet. Only time I get wet with this on is if I fall in a puddle with the side vents open or if the neck zip is open and water then runs down my neck. This is truely the best coat I have ever bought. YES EXCELLENT

Totally agree with this. I have several Paramo garments that I use for a variety of activities, including hill-walking and mountain biking. They also last for ages, with reproofing being simple and effective. I have one jacket that I've used regularly over the last 12 years and it's still as effective as the day it was bought.

The aim of any breathable waterproof garment, is to keep you comfortable. Keep rain out and allow any water that is on the inside of the garment to pass out. The key advantage of the Paramo system is that they will allow liquid water to be drawn outwards from the inside - so condensation just isn't a problem. Membrane systems (like goretex and e-vent) can only pass water vapour, so condensation can be a problem especially when your activity rate drops in cold conditions.

I still use my paramo kit that I bought in 1992, and they have had heavy use, including a barbed-wire rip about ten years ago, and they still work.

Last winter I wore the overtrousers rolled up to the knee with the sides poppered up but unzipped. It looked bloody wierd, but then cycling when it was snowing looked a bit odd.

A bit warm, but far less condensation than gore-tex.

My only issue is that itisn't quite high-viz or reflective enough for my commute, otherwise I would buy the velez...