Rain gear expectations too high?

[Dickie]

A year ago I decided to finally invest in some quality rain gear. I was tired of arriving at work or home soaked or even worse cold. I couldn’t afford to get gear specific to each season so I opted for hardshell outer layers to wear over my regular riding clothes figuring I could add/remove as needed. I summoned the forum gods for advice and decided on an Endura Flyte jacket and Shower Pass Convertible rain pants. I also purchased some Pearl Izumi WXB waterproof shoe covers. Less than a year in and perhaps 15-20 good tests of the gear I’m sad to say I’m really disappointed. The Flyte started losing it’s repellency after about 5 uses…. pretty poor for an expensive item. After some research I concluded that perhaps by folding the garment up and putting it into my backpack I had weakened the DWR coating. I had also not washed the garment as so many horror stories about incorrect care floated around the web, but it seemed reasonable that by not washing the jacket I was actually hurting it’s water repellency. I washed the jacket per the manufacturers instructions and re-activated the DWR to no avail. This morning I arrived at work soaked. The jacket and pants were not beading up, and were wet on the inside. My base layers were wet as well…… don’t even get me started on my feet. Luckily it was warm so I wasn’t miserable, but this just doesn’t seem right. Am I expecting too much from my gear? Is it too much to ask to ride 20 miles in drizzle/rain and not be soaked when wearing almost new rain specific gear? I specifically didn’t exert myself much this morning to avoid over-heating so I could eliminate that as a factor. Any thoughts? I’m British, this is really pissing me off!

[Phatboing]

I have these: http://www.froggtoggs.com/mens/mens-jackets-all-weather/the-frogg-toggsr-ultra-lite2tm.html

They’re glorified plastic bags, but look at that price tag!

Pro:

1. Properly waterproof, tested in both heavy snow and rain.
2. As light and packable as advertised.
3. So cheap.

Con:

1. No pockets
2. Not breathable
3. Will snag on stuff and rip (easily repaired using duct tape, but still – pretty delicate)

[Harry Meatmotor]

I’d love to hear what the forum has to say about this. i don’t think there are any great options out there for less than $200 msrp. That being said, i don’t think it rains enough around here for me to justify getting a $200+ rain jacket. watch for any jackets that use Gore’s Pactex (sp?) material – that seems to be the go to rain jacket material, but I’ve not experience with it personally.

for shoes, waterproof liners rather than covers may be a sound investment. for hands, try picking up a pair of cold weather kayaking gloves.

[Steve]

Dickie, just think of it as a free shower!

I think if it’s raining for twenty miles, you’re gonna be wet, unless you are wearing stuff that is so rainproof that you’ll get amazingly hot.

I use a Marmot rain jacket and Chrome Knickers if it’s raining, and it usually helps quite a bit, but 20 miles is far. I mean just think of all the rain that is running thru your helmet, down your neck, and into your jacket that way. Or up thru your feet bottoms. Or thru stitching as you move constantly for that length of time.

Save money on all the waterproof stuff and just buy an extra kit for the shop!

I drove today. I’m a bum. What do I know.

[americancyclo]

@Dickie 95335 wrote:

I’m British, this is really pissing me off!

I think you should invest in these:
https://www.myroyalmail.com/sites/…/Brochure_-_Uniform_Guide.pdf

They keep my legs pretty dry on the wettest of days, but they are a bit wide near the ankles.

[Colin B]

Seems like the trade off is weight. I’ve got a Showers Pass Portland jacket that’s kept me totally dry through a couple of winters now. It’s a bit heavy but it breathes well and the waterproofing hasn’t failed me yet. The real revelation for me though was a $25 rain cape (only available in the UK for some reason?) It’s kind of like wearing a tent, but surprisingly doesn’t feel like it slows me down much. That, combined with fenders, has kept everything but my pant cuffs dry through all sorts of downpours. Plus, since it’s open on the bottom, you get all sorts of airflow. I often have to pull out an extra layer so I don’t get cold when wearing it.

[cyclingfool]

Rain capes are great. I got this one as a gift a few years ago after hearing lots of good things about it. I really like it. Keeps me dry and is WAY cooler than any other option I’ve tried. Plus it’s made in the USA!

[mstone]

In my experience you can either get wet from the outside or wet from the inside, but you can never stay dry. I’ll wear rain gear when it’s cold enough that the rain is going to pose a health risk, but I still expect to need to change at the end of the trip.

For the rain cape advocates, how fast do you go in those? I’d kinda assumed that if you were moving fast they wouldn’t do much (rain would be going in horizontally) so I haven’t tried one.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I have the same Showers Pass pants…I’ve ridden them through some serious downpours with no issue. They do get wet inside, but I’m 99% sure that’s internal condensation, which is pretty much inevitable given that the pants are basically impermeable plastic that has zero breathability. My Shower’s Pass Rogue Hoodie is probably similar to your Endura jacket, and it will soak through given enough time, but it’s generally pretty repellant…of course, I haven’t worn it since May, so we’ll see what happens over the next few weeks. For reeeeealllly wet and cold days, I bought a full-on rain jacket (hardshell, so no coating) and that keeps me dry, but has the same drawbacks as the rain pants, so I have to take it pretty easy when I’m wearing it.

Now, with shoe covers, I don’t even bother. The main problem that I had was water coming up through the cleats, which becomes more of an issue as the road gets wetter, and once the sole of the shoe gets wet, you’re screwed. So yeah, I went with waterproof winter boots.

[Supermau]

@cyclingfool 95354 wrote:

Rain capes are great. I got this one as a gift a few years ago after hearing lots of good things about it. I really like it. Keeps me dry and is WAY cooler than any other option I’ve tried. Plus it’s made in the USA!

Thanks for the tip. I’ve been considering a Gore Path Jacket but these guys seem to have good stuff at a nice price.

[dasgeh]

@mstone 95359 wrote:

For the rain cape advocates, how fast do you go in those? I’d kinda assumed that if you were moving fast they wouldn’t do much (rain would be going in horizontally) so I haven’t tried one.

I wore mine today (a cheap eBay one from the reaches of Asia), and was perfectly fine on top. Below is another matter, and I think next time I’ll throw on my rain pants when it’s this raining. I was on the elBoda so very upright and with e-assist. The cape didn’t seem to alter the ride except when I almost blew off the TR Bridge, and again during the “ha ha, you don’t really think you’ll make it to work” gusts during the last block of my commute.

I do think they’re better with hooks for your thumbs, etc. Women & Bikes is informally organizing a sewing night to turn Ikea capes into bikeable ones, and there’s a video online showing how. I’m headed to the UK next month, so I may pick up some of the good stuff while I’m there…

[dplasters]

Not that I have super amounts of experience but from other activities combined with my few bike / rain run ins my thought process is typically this:

Up top – if you want to be dry (from the outside), its probably not going to breath at all (its all lies). Wear very little underneath. Gore-tex Pac-lite is a favorite of mine but I absolutely wouldn’t purchase it at full price. My max was $200. I avoid DWR because I’ve had poor experiences with it coming off either due to rubbing/washing etc. I’m assuming/hoping cycling is much like golf and that if you’re willing to deal with a less than awesome color or last years “style” you can do this without too much issue.

Pants – Same issue as up top.

Shoes – I don’t even try. You would have to stop water from coming up from the road, from the side (assuming there is any wind) and also from running down your leg/pants. I wear lightweight/mesh shoes. They are about 1/2 dry right now from this morning. If I had a longer commute I might look into using the same type of shoes but with a sealskinz sock or the like to keep from losing toes.

Never tried the cape. I’m afraid I’d be like a sail in the wind…..

eVent is suppose to be an up and coming Gore-Tex direct competitor. Never tried their stuff but it gets good reviews. It can be hard to find though.

[cyclingfool]

@mstone 95359 wrote:

For the rain cape advocates, how fast do you go in those? I’d kinda assumed that if you were moving fast they wouldn’t do much (rain would be going in horizontally) so I haven’t tried one.

My normal speed – 13-14 mph average moving speed, higher speeds on downhills or with a good tailwind. Of course in the latter case, the tailwind helps cancel out horizontal rain.

My legs and feet don’t stay bone dry. In a heavy downpour, my feet, shoes, and shins will often get drenched. But that would happen in a rain coat, too. Knees up stay dry. And of course, the open bottom allows for good ventilation.

If i’m honest, I do have one complaint about rain capes — hard to signal turns. But that has nothing to do with its ability to keep my dry.

[hozn]

@dplasters 95373 wrote:

eVent is suppose to be an up and coming Gore-Tex direct competitor. Never tried their stuff but it gets good reviews. It can be hard to find though.

I have the Novara eVent jacket from a couple years back. I love the orange color, but that’s about it. It is the sweatiest thing ever (no pit zips). My best jacket for rain is the Endura Venturi jacket I bought last year; I’m convinced that the only reason it’s great is the pit zips. It’s highly likely that the DWR will wear off — we’ll see this winter, I guess. I have a lightweight Adidas rain jacket that is nice and light but lets water through for anything more than light drizzle.

I also have Endura rain pants … and Showers Pass … and Gore …. They all suck as far as I’ve been able to tell. When it’s really cold they are ok, but they are just too hot otherwise. I do like the Endura knickers I bought last year, much nicer for days liked today. (But I’m sick, so I drove to work this AM. Stayed nice and dry in the car — and didn’t overheat. )

For shoes, I think the winter waterproof ones that are sealed on the bottom are the best option. Others just let in water, as dplasters note. I have waterproof gaiters too — I think I took inspiration from Dirt on that one. So technically, I have gear that should keep me wet from the outside and will almost guarantee to make me just as wet from sweat

In general, I have been pretty disappointed with rain gear too. I keep trying new options over the years, but it feels like it’s just a money pit. I don’t think the rain cape would work well for me; I’m going faster than 13-14mph (I think 18-20mph typical moving speed) and my bike geometry is pretty road / forward. Of course, that would be a relatively cheap option to evaluate.

[dplasters]

@hozn 95379 wrote:

I have the Novara eVent jacket from a couple years back. I love the orange color, but that’s about it. It is the sweatiest thing ever (no pit zips). My best jacket for rain is the Endura Venturi jacket I bought last year; I’m convinced that the only reason it’s great is the pit zips. It’s highly likely that the DWR will wear off — we’ll see this winter, I guess. I have a lightweight Adidas rain jacket that is nice and light but lets water through for anything more than light drizzle.

I also have Endura rain pants … and Showers Pass … and Gore …. They all suck as far as I’ve been able to tell. When it’s really cold they are ok, but they are just too hot otherwise.

its all a bunch of sweat boxes. Which always gets me talking to myself. “Why not just make a PVC jacket with armpit vents?” It would be like 20 bucks and durable like hell.

No matter what it says, if it is waterproof, it will not breath.

Edit – that didn’t take too long to find.

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