Unpadded "waterproof" bib tights

joey54321

After my commute home in the p***ing rain I realised that while I had a toasty warm upper body thanks for good layers of insulation and a waterproof jacket, my legs were absolutely freezing due to getting soaked. Given I plan to wear these on my 11-mile-each-way commute I feel the need to be able to swap the shorts underneath on subsequent days to keep it hygienic, hence unpadded.


can anyone recommend any?

shirley_basso

pearl izumi elite amfib

craigus89

Not waterproof, but the DHB Flashlight unpadded ones are what I went for a couple of months ago. They are nice and warm and have been enough for me on an 18 mile round trip commute.

Not sure you'll actually get waterproof ones to be honest.

timothyw

I think you might need to resort to conventional waterproof (over)trousers, I don't think waterproof bibs are a thing - water repellent perhaps.

My approach is the 'wet suit' approach of sufficiently thick bibs/layers to trap a layer of water in the bib tights. Certainly this morning/yesterday it was my upper arm that felt chilly (i was wearing a gillet for the rain) rather than my legs.

joey54321

I agree with the posts, that's why I put waterproof in quotes. I mean the bibs like the no rain stuff the Castelli/Sportful do.

Thanks for the recommendations so far, I'll take a look.

shirley_basso

The PI ones are pretty good. Nice and flexible and have a hoof which goes over the top of your shoe so should help keep more water out.

Seem nice and flexible as well whereas some severely restrict movement.

joey54321

Yup, the PI looks good and gets some good reviews. I found a pair of unpadded ones for £70 which felt acceptable. Sounds like they are very warm! They might even be too warm for early winter or late spring, but I'm sure I'll be appreciating that if/when I am commuting in any snow this year (most of my commute is bridlepaths so slightly less worried about ice than others might be).

shirley_basso

I would agree that they are definitely for more severe conditions. I have to be honest and say that I haven't used them since I bought them as my riding has been severely curtailed this year and I wasn't in the country during the snowstorms in Feb.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

https://www.merlincycles.com/funkier-s- ... 87077.html

Recently bought a pair, but yet to go for any ride in them , never mind a rainy one to see how effective they are!

joey54321

NitrousOxide wrote:

https://www.merlincycles.com/funkier-s-978w-winter-aqua-repellant-bib-tights-87077.html

Recently bought a pair, but yet to go for any ride in them , never mind a rainy one to see how effective they are!

ooh, they look good (and cheap!).

johnmiosh

You are using mudguards, aren't you?

joey54321

Depends which bike I am on. Off-road I'm not at the moment, though will likely put some sort of downtube hugger mudguard on once cross season is over.

davebradswmb

In my experience waterproof layers are no use for cycling, at least if you riding any quicker than pootling to the shops pace as you end up sweating so much you may as well let the rain get through. The best solution is something that stays reasonably warm even after it gets wet such as Super Roubaix fabric. I've got a couple of pairs of Lusso Super Roubaix bib tights but I don't make them any more so I am looking for an alternative as one pair is looking seriously second hand after a few years use and a couple of offs.

joey54321

davebradswmb wrote:

In my experience waterproof layers are no use for cycling, at least if you riding any quicker than pootling to the shops pace as you end up sweating so much you may as well let the rain get through. The best solution is something that stays reasonably warm even after it gets wet such as Super Roubaix fabric. I've got a couple of pairs of Lusso Super Roubaix bib tights but I don't make them any more so I am looking for an alternative as one pair is looking seriously second hand after a few years use and a couple of offs.

Have you used any of the new generation of water resistant stuff? The Gabba, No-Rain, AquaRepel, that sort of stuff? I have a bunch of tops and jerseys made from it and it really is very good stuff. No, it doesn't keep you 100% dry it a down poor but it does in light rain and is pretty breathable.

davebradswmb

joey54321 wrote:

davebradswmb wrote:

In my experience waterproof layers are no use for cycling, at least if you riding any quicker than pootling to the shops pace as you end up sweating so much you may as well let the rain get through. The best solution is something that stays reasonably warm even after it gets wet such as Super Roubaix fabric. I've got a couple of pairs of Lusso Super Roubaix bib tights but I don't make them any more so I am looking for an alternative as one pair is looking seriously second hand after a few years use and a couple of offs.

Have you used any of the new generation of water resistant stuff? The Gabba, No-Rain, AquaRepel, that sort of stuff? I have a bunch of tops and jerseys made from it and it really is very good stuff. No, it doesn't keep you 100% dry it a down poor but it does in light rain and is pretty breathable.

Not personally, but I ride with people who do and they are decidedly damp at the cafe and I am not. I guess that they are not breathable enough to cope with the amount of moisture generated while cycling. This only applies to tops, I guess legs don't sweat as much? So it may be an option.

joey54321

Maybe they are just overdressing? I find them incredibly breathable, though to be honest, that isn't really an issue on my commute as I can set my own pace. If I am warmer than I want I just slow down.

mw22

NitrousOxide wrote:

https://www.merlincycles.com/funkier-s-978w-winter-aqua-repellant-bib-tights-87077.html

Recently bought a pair, but yet to go for any ride in them , never mind a rainy one to see how effective they are!

How was the sizing? Guide looks a bit.... vague

N0bodyOfTheGoat

mw22 wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

https://www.merlincycles.com/funkier-s-978w-winter-aqua-repellant-bib-tights-87077.html

Recently bought a pair, but yet to go for any ride in them , never mind a rainy one to see how effective they are!

How was the sizing? Guide looks a bit.... vague

I'm ~39" hips, so I went with large, fits fine.

Also bought large https://www.merlincycles.com/funkier-ac ... 61118.html at the same time, which fit me better than the medium pair I bought last year that tend to try and move the gel support on longer rides.

the_cyclist_of_catan

Water resistant, rather than waterproof (like the Gabba etc), and padded (but mine are fine 7 miles each way for a week), I love the Endura Pro-SL bib longs. Stupidly expensive but plenty warm enough in pretty crappy conditions.

asprilla

Endura Stealth Lites are completely waterproof bib tights with no pad.

I've probably had mine for four years and worn them 10 times. They will keep your legs dry but all the water will run into your shoes. Also, not as stretchy as normal Lycra so can be restrictive / baggy depending on fit.

The problem with no-rain and the like is that the water resistant coating (silicone?) wears off pretty quickly.

flanners1

Asprilla wrote:

Endura Stealth Lites are completely waterproof bib tights with no pad.

I've probably had mine for four years and worn them 10 times. They will keep your legs dry but all the water will run into your shoes. Also, not as stretchy as normal Lycra so can be restrictive / baggy depending on fit.

The problem with no-rain and the like is that the water resistant coating (silicone?) wears off pretty quickly.

You can try to re-invigorate by a short warm tumble dry or a cool iron, failing that spray the DWR back on Niwax etc (mixed results).