PONCHOS!!!

[Alex K]

Hey all, 

Rainy season is almost over in the Bay Area, but I'm going to be try and be more prepared next year.  I am looking at ponchos, and I have decided that the PEOPLE'S PONCHO is the one I'm going to buy.  But, I'd love to hear/see what everybody else is rocking for their rainy day full coverage (including front basket and bag) rain gear.  I know there are going to be varied responses here, but I'm hoping we can focus on PONCHOS!!!!

Thanks for reading,

Alex

[Luke Hendrickson]

I rock either a Space Age Bags Zine Holder or large ILE Porteur bag for cargo. I like the Torrentshell jacket from Patagonia plus the Showers Pass pants n Gore C3 shoe covers. My fenders def help, too. 

[Stephanie A.]

I use a kiu reflective bike poncho and love it!

[Roberta]

More riding to you!  ponchos are great for short jaunts.

 I don’t like riding in the rain but if it’s not too bad I’ll ride home from work wearing my CleverHood Cape, dazzle print in the tall size for more coverage 

https://cleverhood.com/products/rover-rain-cape?variant=40416266715341  

Roberta

[Brian Turner]

Dazzle camo on a rain cape is a bold move! I love it! Those drivers can’t tell how big or small you are, or what direction you’re headed… might as well mess with ‘em!

On Mar 6, 2023, at 8:42 PM, Roberta <rcha...@gmail.com> wrote:

More riding to you!  ponchos are great for short jaunts.

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[Stephen]

I just got my first bike poncho recently from a list member after being poncho curious for awhile. Its the yellow grundens variety that Rivendell used to sell but I do not think it is made anymore. It has served me very well in the few pours I've worn it in, along with fenders being crucial. When I was looking at purchasing a poncho new I was leaning towards the waxed canvas one made by Carradice as I try to avoid plastics and synthetics, the only downsides to it being a drab and dark color for urban riding, and potentially a little heavier. For my basket I've just used my sackville shop sack, and haven't had anything too important in the bag. Water definitely gets in the zipper opening. I've thought a shop sack combined with a smaller backpack style rain cover over the top like a shower cap would be a good combo for keeping things dry.

-Stephen

[Patrick Moore]

The Duxback waxed cotton cape is or was very well designed; I commuted in it during a couple of summer monsoon seasons. But I daresay it's best for a cool British climate; at least I found it too hot -- it made me sweat -- riding home at 70*F in the rain. Also, it was quite a bit bulkier to hang and dry than Carradice's bright yellow nylon cape, which I found too constricting for drop bars. I now use ("use" -- we get 9" a year, most in the summer, but I do use it) a $29.99 Campmore nylon cycling cape which works well, folds very small, but requires sewn-in weights at the rear to keep it down. I think that Campmore no longer carries them, though.

[Jason Fuller]

I have and use the People's Poncho - it's been getting plenty of use this past week, in fact!  

Pro's: 
- Keeps you impressively dry, even in heavier rain 

- Waist strap and hand loops work well to keep it in place as you ride

- Front pocket is pretty useful and has proven fully waterproof for me 

- Packs small and fits into its stuff sack with ease

Con's: 

- Can't pull it over my head with my helmet on; a quarter zip would have been nice for this 

- Like any poncho, it gets real flappy over 25 kph

- Doesn't work as well with wide bars, or drop bars, or long reach ... suits a typical Riv fit nice though!
- I find it hard on the neck if you use the hood, as the 'sail' like effect tugs on your head then .. so I just don't use the hood 
- Not performance related but .. the company is owned by white folks, and they've appropriated culture for the purpose of profit.. not really cool. 

Overall I'd recommend it, though - really happy I have it. If it's 100% rainy out I will instead opt for rain pants and a rain shell, not the poncho, for better mobility and less fuss.  Also less dorky I think :)  But for days where you might not need rain protection, but you also might, it's perfect.  

[Brian Forsee]

Thanks for the info all... I've been wanting to give a poncho a try.

Jason.. on your list of cons how wide is 'wide'? Although I may just skip the peoples based on your ownership comment. I appreciate you including that information in your review. I suspect lots of Riv customers subscribe to the 'vote-with-your' dollar mentality. 

If anyone is holding a Riv/Grundens that would fit a 6'-2" human give me a shout :)

Brian in Saint Louis

[Jason Fuller]

Brian, 

Yes.. I hesitated a moment on the recommendation for that point, and I too consider it an important topic - I didn't realize until after I owned it and had used it - but also didn't want to send your topic into too much of a tangent :)

Several of my riding buddies have the Cleverhood poncho and love it. My partner has a waxed canvas poncho from Bramble and Mr Twigg but it hasn't seen much use yet to comment on performance. Avoiding plastics is a priority for me as much as possible, but the heavier weight of waxed canvas isn't ideal for a poncho imo.  

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[Will Boericke]

I ride in the rain frequently (commuter).  I tried it in a poncho once.  It sucked.

Perhaps there are bike specific ponchos that miraculously reclaim this experience through some technological innovations, but it was loud, wet, and annoying.

Will

[Jason Fuller]

Yeah, ponchos are for "in case of rain" use in my opinion - and no replacement for rain kit when there's 100% chance of rain.  Another good use for them is short rides in the rain so you can simply pull the poncho off and be wearing your 'normal' clothes straight away. It even keeps your feet pretty dry if your fender coverage is sufficient, so you don't need an entire change of clothes for a ten minute ride. 

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[Steven Sweedler]

Are the ponchos being discussed the same as rain capes. I have a Jackson & Gibbons cape that keeps me very dry as long as there is not much wind, if its windy I much prefer a jacket and pants (depending on temperature).  Steve 

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Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

[Patrick Moore]

Contrary opinion from someone who lives in a desert. I recall riding home 5 miles in an immense S Western thunderstorm with howling 3/4 headwind wearing my light Campmore poncho. The rain was coming down so hard that the access road to my street flooded ~2' deep -- the 1 time I've seen that happen; I rode into it and bailed, and it was just below my knees. I was wearing shorts and the poncho has a hood. I was completely dry from throat to thigh and relatively dry from chin to hair (well, at least in back). I was very surprised that the wind didn't bother me much more than it usually does; I had a 64" fixed gear.

Now this sort of experience around here is a once in a decade, but I've used the Campmore (and the 2 Carradices) on 15 mile homebound commutes enough to know that for some people ponchos work well, given that any rain system is going to be a compromise. As always, YMMV.

I still have the Campmore in its little stuffsack and stick it into my bag with a Grunden's hat when it looks like rain, but I've been lucky this season. I wish I'd seized the spats that were on sale here recently.

Patrick "in ABQ, when it rains, it pours" Moore

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Piaw Na]

I've used rain capes for a good 10 years, and they're great except in sidewind. The ventilation can't be beat. With a sidewind, turning feels a lot more like coming about in a sailboat. I stopped using them because I started riding my road bikes off pavement a lot, and full fenders kept making noise or getting in the way.  With mountain bike style clip on fenders rain capes just don't work as well. Modern rain suits are now much more breathable than they used to be so I've gotten used to them as a compromise. 

[Mackenzy Albright]

I used a Peoples poncho for 5+ years with a lot of success. 

My biggest complaints are

-I am over 6ft tall and it felt a bit short in the arms, and worked less well on upright bikes vs drop bar setups. 

-When I got off my bike it all dumped onto my thighs and got my pants wet 

-the hood is a really weird not big to fit over helmet but a bit bulky fit under helmet 

-i had several occasions gusts of wind blew the poncho from my back over my face 

Things I loved:: 

-Light and packable so I always had it in my bag 

-on the bike it worked really well 

-looked great

-the hooks on the front hook to bars great leaving your hands free. 

It's since lost its water repellence at the seams so I gifted it to a shorter friend to re scotch spray. I invested in the LX carradice duxback 

things i dislike: 

-heavier and bulky so I don't "always" pack it with me 

-doesn't hook on the handlebars quite as nicely, but its longer so it kind of evens out. 

-It may be warmer than the OPP, but only used it in Vancouver cold so far. All water proof fabrics I find a bit overly warm though, so ussually just wear wool if precipitation is light enough. 

-takes longer to dry off completely 

things I love: 

-The hood is smaller and lined, so feel confident with vision and under helmet placement 

-better fit as a tall person on an upright bike 

-feels like it'll last a very long time and is easily refinished 

-looks even cooler than the OPP, much more of a classic RSF aesthetic. 

-has a tether so no flapping over the head (although I think OPP add this in recent models) 

[brendonoid]

Ponchos are great!

With fenders.

[Pam Bikes]

I tried a poncho but didn't feel like I could adequately signal.  When it's cold, I prefer the jacket/pants.  When it's warm I like a jacket/rain skirt with shorts.  Next I'd like to cut the sleeves off a jacket and use a rain vest or short sleeve jacket so I won't heat up too much.  I'll go half sleeves then short sleeves then to a vest to see what works better.   

p.s.  Newer jackets w/less PFAS seem to be less durable.  

[Slin]

I'm a huge fan of ponchos (with fenders) and riding in the rain in general! I wear regular clothes riding a bike, and putting on rain pants and jacket just felt like too much so I wouldn't put it on in drizzle and I'd get wet anyway. The few times I did wear rain pants and jacket, I got soaked from sweat.

As others have mentioned, a poncho is nice and breathable from the big opening on the bottom so you can avoid waterproofing treatments that wear out or expensive 'breathable' fabrics.

And back to my other point, putting on a poncho takes less than 10 seconds and when I get to my destination, I just slip it off!

Yeah, it's been fun for me now that there's been some rain again here in the Bay Area. I feel like Yehuda Moon.

S

[Luke Hendrickson]

Slin – which poncho do you like best?

[reca...@gmail.com]

I've used the waxed canvas Carradice poncho for a little while now. It works great and have been pleasantly surprised with how durable the waxing has been. The only downsides I see are that it's a bit heavy to carry around off the bike and the straps can be a little fussy to use. The only other thing that keeps me from recommending it to everyone is that if you ride upright bars like any of the Riv variants, the water will pool between the bars. Not a big deal but it happens as these seem to be designed more for drop bars? All minor niggles for me in the end as it works better than any rain jacket I've used. 

carlos

[Patrick Moore]

I can assure you that water pools in the valley between your arms when riding hoods on drop bars. I rode many miles watching the pretty color swirls from the oils (petrochemical?) leaching from the material in the puddle between my forearms, and emptying the puddle (during heavy rain) every few hundred yards. This happens more with heavy ponchos like the Duxback that don't flutter quite as much as lighter ones.

On Thu, Mar 9, 2023 at 9:36 AM reca...@gmail.com <reca...@gmail.com> wrote:

I've used the waxed canvas Carradice poncho for a little while now. It works great ... The only other thing that keeps me from recommending it to everyone is that if you ride upright bars like any of the Riv variants, the water will pool between the bars. Not a big deal but it happens as these seem to be designed more for drop bars?

[Slin]

@Luke - Right now I use a Cleverhood because I already have it. I probably wouldn't buy it again because they're so pricey and a bit over-engineered (tech-fabric, and magnetic arm holes).

If I were looking for a replacement, I'd look at the Carradice waxed canvas, or the Blue Lug Fairweather Poncho first. But I wish they came in high viz colors/designs. https://global.bluelug.com/fairweather-packable-rain-poncho-algae-green.html

@Carlos and @Patrick -

http://yehudamoon.com/comic/2010-04-25/

[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

I will say that it's been so long since I used a poncho that I forgot about pooling. Last year I splurged and picked up a Gorewear C5 (https://blog.piaw.net/2022/09/review-gorewear-c5-shakedry-1985-jacket.html). It is amazing piece of gear, and I'm enough of a cheapskate that my friends were amazed that I had good things to say.

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[a spen]

I love a poncho when the wind allows, but when it's too blustry I use a rain jacket and Rainlegs Chaps** (such as in the Clevercycles link below).  I bought my first pair from Wall Bikes in NOLA (who remembers them? Sadly the owner retired and closed up shop) and got a good 10+ years out of them.  Well worth the $$ IMHO.

(https://www.clevercycles.com/rainlegs-rain-chaps.html )

Al

**sorry if someone mentioned these already and I missed the post

[Tim O. (Portland, OR)]

I'd suggest you try to find a used Grundens poncho that riv used to sell. They're way bigger than other models, super durable, don't have an unnecessary hood. I've tried other brands, but the riv version can't be beat. 

It's really to bad they aren't available anymore. James from Riv said he'd see if there are any extras hidden away, but I haven't heard back. I assume not. I do worry that I'll never be able to replace mine if something happens to it though!

[Tim O. (Portland, OR)]

Also, from my experience, it's not possible to totally re-proof the carradice capes. Even if you could, it's a big pain to proof them. 

[Slin]

Oh wow, the Blue Lug poncho is designed to be draped over handlebars or even a front basket, while still keeping the hands free to (maybe) signal.

https://youtu.be/fLS69h0YwZA?t=194

[Dave Grossman]

Love my cleverhood.  It stays in the bottom of the Wald on my Hunq and is there when I need it.  Highly recommended, and they have sales often.

[Edwin W]

Not to rub it in, but yes, the Riv Grundens poncho is the best ever. So sorry they do not have them any more. Maybe they need to do  another run, but I am sure then they would be $$$.

I have the Grundens, but also have a Vaude Valdipino that is very easy to stash somewhere (I keep one at work) in case something comes up.

Edwin

[Slin]

Stephanie -

Wow, the Kiu seems like a great design for a much better price ($50 on sale now) with a reflective bright yellow too. Can you tell me what it has in the inside? Does it have hand/handlebar loops or a waist strap?

Thanks. 

Slin

On Monday, March 6, 2023 at 5:14:03 PM UTC-8 Stephanie A. wrote:

I use a kiu reflective bike poncho and love it!

On Monday, March 6, 2023 at 7:00:07 PM UTC-5 Luke Hendrickson wrote:

I rock either a Space Age Bags Zine Holder or large ILE Porteur bag for cargo. I like the Torrentshell jacket from Patagonia plus the Showers Pass pants n Gore C3 shoe covers. My fenders def help, too. 

[Patrick Moore]

IME thumb loops, or perhaps just using the loops for your thumbs, works better than looping a cape to the bar. (Fortunately my Campmore has those.) 

Yes to waist straps; my current Campmore had elastic leg loops instead of a waist strap that were very awkward to get into. I cut them off and sewed a sufficient weight of small stacks of large washers at 2 or 3 points along the bottom rear seam, and this works (for me at any rate) even better than a waist strap. Pull the poncho over your head, stick thumbs in loops, get on bike, rear naturally falls to cover saddlebag.

Next modification: cut off hood, since I have a Grundens hat.

[lconley]

I have the Grundens poncho and fishing hat. I looked on the Grundens website and could not find the poncho, but they still have the hat. I also have the MUSA splats. I was ready to order the gaiters, but they never reappeared on the Rive website (this was a few years ago).

The poncho works great on the bicycle (with fenders) - I love the thumb loops and visibility of the yellow. I have also worn the poncho and hat at an outdoor rain or shine concert sitting in a big folding chair - the poncho was big enough to keep the chair dry as well.

Laing

[Justin Kennedy (Brooklyn, NY)]

I'll give a mildly enthusiastic recommendation for the Blue Lug/Fairweather poncho. I use it anytime I need to ride in the rain and it does a pretty good job. It's not great for windy rain conditions, but I doubt any poncho would be. Someone above mentioned they're low vis colors, which is true, but you can spruce it up with some reflective material/tape without doing damage to the waterproof fabric.