Ponchos

martincashman

I do a lot of medium distance cycling and nothing ruins a day out more than getting soaked to the bone on a cold day with 80 or 100km left to go home. I have built up a good system of gear for rain protection/comfort. However, extremely heavy rain, cloud bursts etc, overwhelm my gear.

So I decided to get a Vaude Valdipino Poncho as an emergency solution, that would allow me to keep pedaling and keep me dry until it passed. (Also useful if I had a puncture or mechanical in the rain)

Got to use it for the first time today, and while the hand straps at the front meant I was able to keep the front portion relatively secure, the sides and back were at the mercy of the wind, so much so whenever I had a tail wind, the back was blowing over my head.

Am I doing it wrong or are there better solutions out there to keep the back and sides down, Tried sitting on the tail to get it to stay in place but it wasn't quite long enough and would slip out.

Hoopdriver

Capes have a way of doing that. I have a Carradice one that has a waist tie that deals with that problem very nicely.

That sad, capes are generally best used in town where big gusty winds are less likely t be a problem.