Rain Gear

[A CT Cyclist]

Hi, what does everyone wear when commuting in the rain? I'm looking for something that I can wear with "normal" clothing. Something light that I can layer under and not sweat profusely, ha ha.

[Jay Lonner]

Well I'm from the Pacific NW, so I basically have a Ph.D. in rain. Here's my take, after many years of commuting by bike.

I'm not a big fan of so-called waterproof/breathable jackets. They just don't live up to the hype. They don't breathe particularly well in humid environments, because there's not enough of a moisture gradient to drive water vapor through the membrane. Also, after a few years, the durable water repellent finish wears off, and while there are products that can help restore this, in my experience it's never as good as new. So don't get caught up in buying the latest miracle fabric.

It's much more important, I think, to get a jacket with lots of ventilation options - pit zips, pocket zips, and a flap on the back. Burley used to make a good cycling-specific jacket, but has since stopped production. I've heard Showers Pass described as a sort of spiritual successor to Burley, but I've never owned one myself.

Because of my frustration with modern waterproof/breathable fabrics I actually bought one of Riv's Ventile-ish cycling jackets when they came out last year. It's good - I like it. I am surprised at how well it sheds water, and I think it breathes better then Gore-Tex and the like. I wish it had pit zips, but I'm happy with the purchase. I think it will last a long time.

For me, the real key to managing internally generated moisture is to not get too hot and sweaty in the first place. I usually wear a Smartwool t-shirt under my jacket, with no additional insulating layers. This means that I start my commute a little chilly, but within 10 minutes I'm warmed up enough to be comfortable. I rarely wear actual rain paints; I prefer a pair of very lightweight nylon pants that breathe well and aren't waterproof at all. But they dry very quickly and help keep me from overheating. Once I arrive at my destination I change into something nicer, if needed. 

I actually have an easier time staying dry and comfortable in the rain than I do when the weather is hot and humid.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

[Chris Chen]

Seconded to "underdressing" when wearing any rain gear.

My J&G jacket has done wonders, is made in Oregon, but it's about two (or three?) years old so I'm looking to replace it. I rarely wear rain pants, but often quick-dry fabrics and wool (which stays comfy even when it gets damp) are super handy.

You might get into a cape, but just be aware that capes don't breathe at all either, and they're effectively sails, so...

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[Deacon Patrick]

+1 for ventile. If Rivendell's offering isn't your thing, I highly recommend Hilltrek in Scotland. Brilliant stuff that works and is hearty and withstands deluges, wind, etc. Get their Cotton Analogy for the most waterproof/breathable option in existence (I've tried nearly all the concepts out there). I own and love this: http://www.hilltrek.co.uk/acatalog/Liathach-Cotton-Analogy-Extreme-Smock-.html, but if you don't need the side zips and extra pockets, then this is less coinage:

http://www.hilltrek.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Foinaven_Cotton_Analogy__Smock.html

Ventile/Cotton Analogy breathes nearly as well as your cotton shirt (because it is untreated cotton) but water does not get through. The liner in the cotton analogy mimics fur, using capillary action to force any and all moisture away from your body, including sweat (not just vapor, but liquid). Brilliant stuff!

With abandon,

Patrick

[Ron Mc]

I have the highest tech, lightest weight Gortex 3 technical shell and it works great, just not on a bike.  I was wearing it between buildings in a monsoon at a client's plant last week.  

On a bike you want a bike-specific poncho - you need that tent factor to have moving air and keep you cool.  I give a big thumbs-up to Vaude Valdipino poncho.  

[Steve Palincsar]

Ventile is great when it's chilly out. Definitely not for a summer rain
when it's 80 or 90 degrees out, though.

[Matt Beebe]

Wool flannel shirts, wool undewear and socks.    Twill dries fairly quickly compared to other cotton, so it's OK for pants.   I don't like any kind of 'shell' jackets because i find them suffocating no matter how many vents you add, so I'd rather just be wet and wearing wool.   Shells are OK for camping, or when you're not moving anymore after a ride.   Also I find that regular moccasin type boat shoes, since they're kinda minimal, dry quickly too.

[Michael Hechmer]

On the other side of the continent I agree.  The real problem isn't staying dry, it's not overheating.  In commuting it's always best to start out feeling chilly.  In warm, rainy weather I finally decided a simple wool jersey was best.  When it got cooler having a light wool jacket strapped to my Barley Bag was appreciated.  Down in the 40s or below I liked my well ventilated Rain Showers II jacket.

Michael

[Andrew Marchant-Shapiro]

What I wear varies with the temperature. If it's warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt and sandals, I use a rain cape. Sail be damned, it's cool enough. If it's shorts & jacket weather, a rain jacket (Burley) with pit zips. If it's colder than that, I add rain pants. There are son lovely high-tech products, but I'm poor and cheap.

[Benz, Sunnyvale, CA]

I'm from the San Francisco bay area so I don't know if I have enough credibility to offer my suggestion. Nevertheless, we do have about a month or two of cold (almost freezing to high 40°F) rain during the winter months (or at least expect to have; didn't happen last season). It is also pertinent to state that our rain here isn't tropical-heavy. It is consistently light-to-moderate and light winds can be expected. I should also state that my regular wet-weather bike have full fenders, front and rear.

I too have all sorts of high-tech jackets and pants but like others have similarly found, it's your own sweat that'll do you in. Even the vaulted Showers Pass jackets with the pit zips didn't really do it for me. What I found works best is a bike poncho. I had a crappy semi-disposable one that I used as proof-of-concept and when that worked, I splurged on the Rivendell's Grunden version (even bought the hat).

To be clear, you'll look like a dork dressed in the "flying tent". But you'll be a dry dork. Most of the time, I don't even have to cover my Brooks saddle because the poncho keeps everything dry, even at traffic lights. And even though a poncho isn't airy like nothing at all, it's still noticeably better than any GoreTex jacket I have. You may need waterproof boots if you ride faster than about 10 or 12mph. I think the Rivendell splats and shinguards are intended as companion devices, but I just put on my Showers Pass pants and shoe covers to avoid diving deeper into dorkdom.

You can wear your normal clothes over all these, and it doesn't take 10 minutes to degown from your super-hardman outfit when you're at your destination. As a bonus, you will also have a ready halloween costume as the Gorton fisherman or Paddington bear (don't ask). Don't underestimate this as we'll be in October tomorrow. ;)

[Lungimsam]

For warm weather rain riding, I'm almost at the point where I want to wear Keen waterproof sandals and just get wet everywhere else. Throw a shower cap on the Brooks and just change clothes when I get home. Though I will say that so far my Gore Tech shoe covers worked well on the last rain ride I was on.

I also sweat too much under rainwear. The last poncho ride I took had my hands getting caught up in the poncho while moving hands around on the drops. Dangerous. After the 25? Mile ride I was soaked anyway, saddle wet too as I kept finding myself sitting on the tail of the poncho.

So I am thinking Keen waterproof sandals, shower cap on Brooks. Wool clothes can be changed when I get home. Everyone else I saw riding that day was in regular clothes looking like they didn't mind the soaking.
As for wet weather in the cold months, you'll have to ask a Randonneur. I haven't figured that one out yet.

[Philip Kim]

Best rain jacket I ever wore for rain was POC Rain jacket, nice and bright orange for cars to see you. Highly breathable and light, but very expensive. In the end, I sold it and bought a Patagonia Torrent Shell for and a Columbia Watertight II. They work well enough, and don't scream attention when I go out for drinks at the bar, etc.

[Deacon Patrick]

I'm confused. You sold the best cycling rain jacket you ever wore because of the color, ideal for riding, when you're out for drinks?

With abandon,

Patrick

[Montclair BobbyB]

+1 on Ventile (for cooler/cold weather... amazing how good this fabric feels); Brooks (waxed cotton) rain cape for warm weather (like having a well-ventilated tent for your bike... love this!!).

BB

[Philip Kim]

Essentially, yes. The other reasons were that I wanted a jacket that could fold into its own pocket, and the POC was more of a club/road riding jacket, and got cool very quickly. This was a problem in colder seasons, which is when I sold it. Now that it's summer, I wish I never sold it. Lesson learned.

[Patrick Moore]

I used the waxed cotton Carradice (not Brooks) rain cape for a summer monsoon season of commuting here in ABQ, NM and found it too heavy and hot. Perhaps the Brooks is lighter? I find that the cheap Campmore flaps more but isn't as hot. Temps here are usually in the upper 70s to mid 80s during a rain -- once the sun goes behind the clouds the temperature can drop 10+ degrees.

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[David Spranger]

I use the breathable raincoat and pants from J&G cyclewear (http://www.bicycleclothing.com/) . They keep me dry when cool to cold and rainy. I don't mess with rain gear in the warmer months. 

A big plug for the protection this gear has given me. I was hit hard in a hit-and-run incident earlier this year. All my clothes, including the rain gear, were cut off my body when the rescue team showed up. Though I had many broken bones, everyone in the know commented on my lack of nearly any road rash or skin abrasions. I give a lot of credit to the fabric that J&G (USA made) uses.

David 

Charlotte, NC

On Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 11:43:00 AM UTC-4, A CT Cyclist wrote:

[Deacon Patrick]

It's perhaps worth repeating for those new to the rainwear discussion since we last had it that "breathable" waterproof/repellent modern fabrics worn at aerobic levels of activity (regardless of outside temperature) rapidly feel like wet trash bags inside because they can not keep up with the amount of vapor the body puts off (and can't handle liquid sweat at all) so it rapidly because just as wet on the inside as if nothing was worn. Ventile, on the other hand, breathes like a cotton t-shirt does, and if it has a layer of "cotton analogy" that uses capilary action to push vapor AND liquids out, it stays stunningly dry with high levels of activity even in day long pouring conditions. This is critical when the temps are in the 20-60˚F range.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Garth]

     Ventile is not completely 100 percent waterproof. It's also bulky , not exactly small packing if packable at all.

  So called waterproof and breathable fabrics only exist as relatives .  A truly 100 percent waterproof fabric won't "breathe" , and a vapor permeable fabric by it's nature of being permeable cannot be 100 percent waterproof.

   So to me, all arguments for a given philosophy are flawed no matter how it's thought of .

   There just isn't a perfect fabric . And while someone may say "it's perfect for me" , they're really only settling for imperfection .  True Perfection is infallible and Absolute.  Not found in a material world , no matter all the "man" made inventions that have been are are to be .

     So what's the solution of all solutions , Absolute ?   It's not found at all  . . .  . in fact inventions and searching only confirm a belief it is not already Present !  Yes . . . . Present and at Hand .

[Steve Palincsar]

On 07/29/2015 02:01 PM, Deacon Patrick wrote:
> It's perhaps worth repeating for those new to the rainwear discussion
> since we last had it that "breathable" waterproof/repellent modern
> fabrics worn at aerobic levels of activity (regardless of outside
> temperature) rapidly feel like wet trash bags inside because they can
> not keep up with the amount of vapor the body puts off (and can't
> handle liquid sweat at all) so it rapidly because just as wet on the
> inside as if nothing was worn. Ventile, on the other hand, breathes
> like a cotton t-shirt does, and if it has a layer of "cotton analogy"
> that uses capilary action to push vapor AND liquids out, it stays
> stunningly dry with high levels of activity even in day long pouring
> conditions. This is critical when the temps are in the 20-60˚F range.

Ventile is great. Only thing is, Ventile's pretty hot to wear when it's
70 degrees or above.

[Patrick Moore]

Can anyone report on riding longer distances in rain wearing wool? I find that wool jerseys stretch even when worn dry: mine grow an inch or more in length after several hours of wearing. I wonder if a wool jersey ridden in the rain would act somewhat like a cotton T shirt in this regard?

Me, after an initial impulse to abjure all synthetic jerseys, am glad I kept most of them, since now with afternoon humidity soaring into the 30s or more, and temperatures in the mid 90s, wool is icky (technical term of the art). So is plastic, but it's not as icky. (Icky factor of .73, with wool being 1.00.)

[Deacon Patrick]

Garth, you are right: single layer ventile isn't waterproof. Double layer and "Cotton Analogy" layers ventile are waterproof. Yes, they are heavier/bulkier. They also replace the weight/bulk of a rain jacket and one layer of warmer clothing, at least for me. I don't know what your definition of "packable" is, but I pack mine all the time and take single layer or cotton analogy depending on activity/duration, anticipated conditions. 

Steve said: "Ventile's pretty hot to wear when it's 70 degrees or above. "

At which point there is no need for a rain jacket. Just get wet and be warm. Grin. That why I specified the temp range of up to 60˚F. 

With abandon,

Patrick