Rain gear for touring

[SamIAm]

I have an upcoming tour where long distance riding in rain may be unavoidable. I have a Carradice Rain Cape, but some are telling me that does not work very well in practice, wind for instance.

The other option, I guess, is to get a rain jacket and pants, but I am worried about the breathability of those items. It may be unavoidable, but I fear the clammy outcome of a day spent cycling in those articles. I really have not experienced breathability in anything that is truly waterproof. I have read good things about Event fabric, but I would prefer to hear it from someone who has used it.

So first off, Cape or Rain Jacket and Pants?

Second, recommendations for Rain Jacket and Pants if I go that route?

Thanks as always.

[R2D2]

Showerspass

[Pete Serotta]

SHowerpass is good BUT so are CRAFT rainpants.... (see Bill Roberts) or you can borrow mine if they fit. I used them everyday last OCT when I road Burlinton VT to Montreal.


As to jacket, I use a patagonia which I already had (which you can borrow also) or the SHOWERPASS is wonderful stuff. Bill Roberts might be able to get that also,

PETE

[SamIAm]

Bill Roberts? How does one make contact with Bill Roberts?

[Pete Serotta]

Bill Roberts? How does one make contact with Bill Roberts?

He lives here in N Raleigh

[scrooge]

I'd love to hear some details on where you're going to be riding...

On our last tour, we rode something like six days in a row (out of eight for that leg of the trip) in pouring rain. We basically accepted that we were going to be wet...did wear a jacket, but after a few hours, even that started to soak through. Of course, if it's warm, it's not such a big issue...

I do wish we had fenders--they would've made life a little better, I think.

PS: Watch out for wet traintracks! My wife and I had our only wipeout (on a tandem) on a set of these...

[SamIAm]

I'd love to hear some details on where you're going to be riding...

On our last tour, we rode something like six days in a row (out of eight for that leg of the trip) in pouring rain. We basically accepted that we were going to be wet...did wear a jacket, but after a few hours, even that started to soak through. Of course, if it's warm, it's not such a big issue...

I do wish we had fenders--they would've made life a little better, I think.

PS: Watch out for wet traintracks! My wife and I had our only wipeout (on a tandem) on a set of these...

PM me with your email and I will forward you some details of the route.

[palincss]

I have an upcoming tour where long distance riding in rain may be unavoidable. I have a Carradice Rain Cape, but some are telling me that does not work very well in practice, wind for instance.

The other option, I guess, is to get a rain jacket and pants, but I am worried about the breathability of those items. It may be unavoidable, but I fear the clammy outcome of a day spent cycling in those articles. I really have not experienced breathability in anything that is truly waterproof. I have read good things about Event fabric, but I would prefer to hear it from someone who has used it.

So first off, Cape or Rain Jacket and Pants?

Second, recommendations for Rain Jacket and Pants if I go that route?

Thanks as always.

If you're looking for a good cheap "insurance policy" that will work well if you actually have to use it, http://www.rainshield.com/ the O2 rain jacket works very well, it's extremely light and it's pretty cheap. It's also fragile and you have to handle it with care. But I've been carrying one on my commuter for the past year and it's still perfect. I've had to use it between 6 and 10 times commuting and on weekend rides.

I've had rain capes in the past. I think they work much better with an upright riding position than they do with drop bars. They can also be quite a chore if the wind kicks up, because they catch wind like a parachute.

I've never used rain pants, so I can't speak to their effectiveness.

[Orin]

I've never used rain pants, so I can't speak to their effectiveness.


The one time I did with a pair of REI Goretex pants, they chafed the sides of my knees... badly. I don't bother any more.

Orin.

[11.4]

Day after day, rainpants in the saddle can end up chafing you somewhere on your body and the enclosed feeling can get pretty miserable. I sometimes train in the Showers Pass and like them if it's really soaking wet, though the Craft and Gore ones are pretty good -- it's mostly about what fits you. However, I'm very much a legwarmers or bib tights advocate. With either one, there's a Nikwax synthetic fiber water repellent treatment you can get that basically makes the water just bead up on legwarmers and flow off, but doesn't affect the warming attributes of the legwarmers. You just wash it into your wet weather clothing ahead of time and machine-dry it once. You may not want to rely on legwarmers or tights exclusively, but they give you a nice alternative and frankly, I've gotten to where I just do some nice laminated tights and can put in decent miles regardless of weather. Do get nice legwarmers if you go that way -- the Assos legwarmers are much nicer than Pearl Izumi or other similar-priced brands and easily worth the extra in the wet.

And you do have fenders with fender flaps that just barely miss grazing the ground behind the wheel? That takes care of most of the water that hits your legs while riding.