BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I'm a big fan of dipping my head a bit so the sun visor on my helmet sort of shields my upper-face from the rain while I ride. Anyone else do this?

Now alls I need is some breakaway waterproof-ish pants. Any recommendations?

I used to test concrete for a living. That involved putting my hands in a bucket of water all winter long to clean my tools. I happened upon neoprene gloves during that time. An $8 pair would typically last the entire winter before I finally got a hole in them that rendered them useless. Enjoy!

Editted to remove double post.

Various folks recommend ponchos for rideing in the rain. I purchased one recently (although not made specifically for bikers) and I don't like it.

I'm guessing that a poncho for bikers would be better, but it still seems there would be problems with it acting as a sail.

I still need rain pants with it.

Comments?

I'm leaning towards rain jacket and pants. Looking for something cheap and good.

What would you recommend for rainy riding?

yeah i need some good waterproof stuff too and also need recommendations.

Showers Pass makes awesome stuff, but cheap it is not.

One thing I find incredibly helpful in the rain is a cycling cap under my helmet. The little brim makes a huge difference in keeping my eyes and my glasses clear.

"I'm guessing that a poncho for bikers would be better, but it still seems there would be problems with it acting as a sail."

I signed up for that cold weather class yesterday, while looking for info on the REI GARAGE SALE which happens to be THIS SAT At 10AM. I've never been, but was told that it generates an early line up. Anyone been?

@dwillen good tip about the gloves

@lolly, I just got a pair of the Novaro Stratos bike rain pants for women @ REI. Not very fashionable, but so far I really like them (disclaimer: I am probably not as experienced a cyclist as you...)

Anyone have tips on seeing well in the rain? I usually wear clear or sunglasses. Swim goggles?

A little off topic, I love yehuda moon www.yehudamoon.com has anyone else noticed that comic getting a little dark as of late?

Thanks Pseudacris! You must be more experienced than me in preparation because I've never owned more than a crappy rain jacket which I lost in my move. I am never prepared for non wonderful weather.

A while back I moved to a city where it rained all winter long.. that constant drizzly rain like this morning. The first winter I lived there, my Christmas list consisted of "1) Rain jacket, 2) Rain pants". My lovely parents got me a set REI-brand goretex rain gear "designed" for cycling. I used the jacket for about 7 years in wet and dry conditions, anytime it was cold enough for long sleeves. It was just starting to lose its waterproofness when the ER people cut it off me last Fall.

The rain pants only get used when it is actually raining, so they are still working great. They have velcro at the bottom cuff, and a zipper that goes about a foot up the leg. I can take them on and off without removing my shoes, if I have to. They dry in about 5 minutes after you shake them off.

To replace my chopped up jacket, I got a mid-range showers-pass jacket, as the REI ones don't have the best reviews anymore. I opted for the hood attachment, which velcros to the jacket. It fits under your helmet, and has the sides cut away for peripheral vision, and an extended top, which works like a visor. It keeps the rain off my glasses for the most part, unless there is a lot of wind or I'm flying down a hill.

The only thing that really gets wet is my shoes and socks. My cycling shoes dry by the time I need to go home, and I keep a dry pair of socks in my desk.

The rain gear was kind of expensive, but I figured if it lasts close to 7 years of very frequent use, it is totally worth it.

as far as rain, I mostly just bring extra socks and make sure I have somewhere to hang my hoodie to dry once I get to work (such as in front of the oven), or at school, we have dryers, and I'll bring a change of clothes with me. I rarely go anywhere else, because I'm boring.

+1 for a proper cycling rain cape. For the most part, it allows me just wear regular clothes and not really get wet. Rain still hits my feet, but it's still not as bad as with other rain gear.

I have never been happy using rain pants, if you ride any length of time, your nethers are going to get hot, damp, and uncomfortable, just as bad as if they were just out in the rain. If your riding a bike with drop bars, most of your nethers are protected already, assuming you have fenders. My happiest rides in the rain have been using synthetic liner shorts (no cotton!), baggy overshorts, and legs out in the rain. If it gets cold, same, but with lycra tights under the shorts.

If you're riding an upright bike, and need to wear work clothes, things are different. You probably need some over-pants, but they should still be more breathable than waterproof.

There's some new-ish stuff called Frogg Toggs that's softer than coated nylon, and cheap, I think I need to test out some of that.

Motorcycle riders use rain chaps, with a long jacket that covers the nether regions, I haven't ever tried that.

I don't think there is any real good solution out there, needs work.

Oh, re; goggles, I got a cheap ($ pair of yellow tinted safety glasses from Home Depot, treat the outside with Rain-X (an automotive product), fantastic. It's like riding in a little bubble of sunshine. You could do the same thing with clear ones if you don't like yellow.

@dwillen - you can get neoprene socks, too. If you like them on your hands, you'll love them on your toes.

@edmonds59 > thx for the Rain-X tip! I do use the cheap safety goggles.

it's electric. From here

^ love it! Can I order the base in yellow and get a digital bike bell that makes the ::woka ::woka ::woka Pac Man sound?

re poncho : using a belt or just tying a cord around the waist works nicely to keep it contained, you get alot of air circulation since there are no sleeves so you don't get sweaty and clammy, plus I always feel like Clint Eastwood or somebody when I put it on

I should note that in the summer time I just rock some nylon shorts and could care less about the rain. My rain pants are reserved for cooler days when I'm wearing work clothing or jeans. It is awesome to walk in the building dripping wet, remove your hood/jacket/rain pants and be dry as you were when you left the house.

I'm kind-of in-love with riding in the rain, and cold weather riding....

SURE! It is cold, and wet, and since I still despise fenders, I get all the grime of the road on my face..... BUT it feels SO COOL!!!!!

And on the winter time, I'm just never cold! And even sweat like a pig inside my winter gear, but oh so comfy.....

RAIN: an awesome, breathable, wind/water proof and ultra-light jacket & rain pants.

WINTER: Same jacket as above, plus I have some ultra-light and super-warm layers I bought from Patagonia that are the bee's knees! For women, if you are petite, YOU want them!!

I should get some shoe covers and better gloves though, but they are always SO BIG....

I'm usually very cold, but last winter, even on snowmagedon, I rode by bike everyday and was never cold!!! Heck, I was the happiest girl outside

So looking forward to this winter! I'm already making googly eyes to my winter gear just waiting... SOON!!!

(sorrry, can you tell I like riding in the rain AND snow?)

I need a new jacket. Mine was soaked through within 2 miles this morning. Considering something from Showers Pass, but I am not a fan of buying expensive clothing online.

As for the bottom, this morning I wore my Novara rain pants with no pants underneath and I was dry and didn't overheat.

For light rain, I have some of my clothes coated with 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. It works pretty well to bead water to prevent it from absorbing, but it's effectiveness is limited. I like it because it doesn't contain silicone or leave materials feeling oily and slick, and it leaves fabrics breathable. (It's fluoropolymer based instead of silicone based.)

Long term, I don't know if there is any health issues with exposure, but the way I see it, brominated soybean oil is going to kill me first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-cZfDSqhFM&feature=player_embedded#at=14

This will be my first winter as a bike commuter. Time to warm up the knitting needles and make some of these:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bike-helmet-ear-warmers

any reason a standard poncho we have lying around the house wouldn't do to bike in? It's bright yellow, and we already own it.

I normally don't care about getting wet - If I'm 5 minutes from my house in any direction I'm already sweating up a hill anyway. I can stand 5 minutes of cold. besides, it's nice to arrive and stand there steaming for a bit (full disclosure, I'm spoiled with showers or apathy everywhere I go on a bike)

I don't really like rain pants, but one thing I'll do when it's cold and wet is to wear gaiters with boots. (Regular waterproof hiking boots with platform pedals work great. I also have the Shimano winter SPD boots.) The gaiters keep the worst of the road spray off my pants, keep the tops of my socks dry so the water doesn't wick down my feet, and they keep my pants out of the drivetrain.

BTW, mad props to whoever I saw crossing Rt. 8 at Saxonburg today around 10a.

haha, last winter, I just layered the shit out of myself. It made me and everyone around me laugh, and was fun - made for an interesting winter (people would come into work and find all my layers drying off in front of the oven.

every day, I'd put on three or four pairs of thinner PJ or sweatpants with jeans on top, then my work tshirt, a long-sleeve, two sweaters, and a knitted wool coat that I got from lucy's in the strip. I wore two pairs of cheap family dollar gloved and sometimes a pair of socks over my hands. I sort of looked like the little brother from A Christmas Story:

The wind was blowing right into my eyes when this was taken.

Something mildly jarring about reading the words "Novara rain pants with no pants underneath". Maybe it's just me.

I need a new jacket. Mine was soaked through within 2 miles this morning. Considering something from Showers Pass, but I am not a fan of buying expensive clothing online.

I got mine at REI. They had a couple different styles when I went in. I'd wait until they have one of those member-discount % off a full price item coupons though, as the showers pass stuff never goes on sale anywhere I've seen, and seems to be just about the same price everywhere.

This is probably worth something, especially for something like $$$ raingear:

"The REI Guarantee

Our 100% satisfaction guarantee ensures that every item you purchase at REI meets your high standards—or you can return it for a replacement or refund...

If you're ever dissatisfied with an item, you may return or exchange your REI.com or REI-OUTLET.com purchases at any REI store"

@Pseudacris - If it has that, it also has to make the oodly oodly oodly oodly oodly oot wak wak sound when you brake and come to a stop.

This will be my first winter as a bike commuter. Time to warm up the knitting needles and make some of these:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bike-helmet-ear-warmers

THANKS SO MUCH FOR POSTING THAT. amazing!

@dwillen, They had it at the PGH store?

for me it has always been, rear fender wool knickers and knee high wool socks (i have awesome ones with some weird built in liner my mom got me last year, they are for xc skiing) with a pair of baggy shorts, a water resistant shell (water proof doesn't breath as much as i'd like unless i spend more than i am willing to) over my tshirt, my skate lid, safety glasses and gloves. with my jeans for work in my bag (or i use the emergency pair i stash at the office)

once it gets colder i add a fleece buff (turlefur ftw), heavier gloves, bike socks under the wool ones and a wool jersey. if its really nasty i add underarmor coldgear under the tshirt and maybe wear pants instead of shorts and a headwarmer under the helmet.

@rsprake, they did in early spring. I haven't been in there looking recently.

I had a bas @ss North Face jacket but got drunk and lost it at a Steelers game last year. I finally realized why my mom made me tie my mittens to my coat as a child…but I digress. Got lucky and found a bright yellow Columbia waterproof interchangeable jacket on clearance at Macy’s this summer for $50. I haven’t used the liner yet and I have no complaints with the waterproof shell so far.

@Mary - thanks for that ravelry link. From tke looks of it, that pattern is well within my (very limited) knitting skills.

As for the comment re the REI Garage Sale/Yard Sale - I've had mixed luck. I almost never leave without buying SOMETHING (and liking it), but I don't know that I'd go in expecting to find EXACTLY the one thing you were looking for. And, if you want big ticket items, like bikes or boats, yes, get there well in advance of opening. They go very quickly. I usually just go for the mid afternoon dregs these days...

I have been to a few REI garage sales and have always bought something.

A little off topic, but for those of us without fenders; when there's water on the ground I lean the bike to the right and my body to the left and the spray from the front wheel goes over my right shoulder instead of in my face.

If it's not frigid I just ride sockless in really light shoes with dry shoes and socks in my bag, roll the pants up a bit, and wear my novarro water resistant light shell.

The shell allows me to only get damp in the arms, even in heavy rain and pants dry pretty quickly anyhow.

In the depths of winter I have a pair of goretex lined jeans, a hoody, aforementioned rain shell, awesome arctic gloves and eawarmers. That's good enough for me.

I'm signed up for the cold weather thing AND i'm going to the garage sale. Im hoping to get some good cold weather stuff for this winter.

Anyone know how early we should line up at the sale?

I was going to go buy a pair of rain pants but now I'm not so sure.

I can't say enough about my Showers Pass jacket though. It was a gift, otherwise the price might have scared me off but it works incredibly well for both wind and rain. It's really thin but all winter I'd just wear it over whatever shirt I was wearing (with gloves and earmuffs) and I was always warm. Being able to seal up the arm and neck openings makes a huge difference.

My pants were definitely soggy this morning though, it doesn't bug me too much but all things being equal I'd rather be dry.

Yeah, I find that more than anything else, having dry clothes (including socks and underwear) to change into at work is key for cold, wet days. For the most part, I can get my wet things pretty warm and dry by the time I'm headed home. I cheat, though, by hanging them in a room full of warm servers with a high volume of fast-moving air.

salty, which jacket do you have?

Bikelove2010, get there at least two hours early.

Somehow I can't see my bicycle unfriedly employer taking too keenly to the idea of me spreading my wet undergarmets around the office to dry in wet weather. Might set bicycle relations back a few hundred years or so. That's my new excuse for being a fair weather rider! Yes, that's just the rationale I've been looking for! Thanks, JZ!

Ha. I have my wet socks from yesterday draped over my top tube.

I'm resigned in knowing that I'll be wet either way, so I tend to wear as little as possible in the rain.

When it's cold I wear wool, when it's warm i wear nylon.

I have to be somewhere and will miss the start of the REI garage sale on Saturday. If I'm looking for rain gear, is there any point at showing up there at 3 pm or so?

Mick, there is no point on showing up that late for something like that. You might get lucky with shoes if you're an odd size.

For those who haven't been before, the REI garage sale is great if your there early. I have walked out of there with $500 of gear for < $100. You can usually score at least a pair of lightly used or even brand new shoes for as cheap as $2. The pair of Keen shoes I have on right now I picked up for $9, they were returned the same day because a lace eyelet was broken. There are lots of tents, sleeping bags, packs, and some bigger items like canoes or strollers. Clothing is harder to find but you can get lucky. My North Face soft shell that I wear all winter was from a garage sale, $180 brand new, bought it for $40. It was returned because of some discoloration that you can't really notice.

If you're going to go, get there at least two hours early, if you can get there earlier do it.

Good thing Big Dog opens @ 7:30am

[edit/addition]

@edmonds59: I've never tried neoprene anything. Do you think the kayaking socks would work with Keen summer sandals? That's what I usually cycle in.

I'll second the recommendation for neoprene socks. They're not perfect, but they're an interesting option. I use them with regular bike shoes, but I'm sure they'd work equally well with Keens.

Neoprene socks would be awesome with sandals (purely functional here, no need for any stylewisey comments), you could easy stuff them in a seat bag in case the weather went to crap, and throw them on!

Wool socks (I like Smartwool's heavy ones) also work well w/ sandals. I wear the socks for most of my spring and fall morning commutes, then bare-toe it on the way home. Stylewisey, well, at least they're black.

In the case of both wool and neoprene, ya gotta love a commuting footgear combo that dries out quickly.

I recently purchased a pair of Novara Express rain pants, Showers Pass Club Pro rain jacket and a Novara Commuter backpack to deal with Fall/Winter commuting ($221 at REI). So far, all three have performed extremely well for me. It is nice arriving at the office and being completely dry and clean. I still need to get the hood attachment that Dwillen mentioned earlier, a pair of neoprene gloves, and a blinkie or two for when the clocks get moved back.

topping this thread for seasonal interest...

rainy and (relatively) cold today, according to my computer anyway.

I had a lot of fun riding in the rain Monday. Only my feet and hair were wet. I ? fenders!

^ +1 for fenders. My ride in today was pleasant light drizzle and new rain gear. Only problem Panther Hollow was extra creepy in the dark this morning lots and lots of noises in the woods and from the field. Right out side the path of my light.

I need to figure out something for commuting to school this winter. No way in hell I'm paying $1000 for a parking pass when I live ~2.5 miles away.

Fighting the urge to put fenders on a road bike...

I saw so many riders out commuting today downtown in spite of the weather! People geared up and just kept on going. I was giddy! I wasn't, I was commuting by bus and shoe, but still, giddy!

Also, orionz, SKS Raceblade fenders - just stick on with little rubber bungees when needed, effective, very excellent, highly recommended.

Fenders on a road bike are very, very good. Check out photos from the folks around Portland--tons of folks have full mudguards on blingy road bikes.

Anyone have any luck with the lower priced Performance Bike rain jackets? I am looking at my jerseys and polos I dedicated to commuting and I am not so sure something high dollar will hold up any better to the wear from a messenger bag.

I appreciate the cooler temps on rainy days to justify putting on the rain gear. otherwise I'll get just as wet from sweat underneath.

fenders are indispensable, even with rain gear they'll help keep road grime off your bike if nothing else.

+1 on Fenders

http://youtu.be/Z4KQeH5zu78

@ Orionz I have a Performance Bike rain jacket it used it last year held up just fine. The problem is wearing it is like having a heat lamp on you. You keep dry from the rain but you are soaked with sweat. I often ended up wetter than If I had no rain gear on, even in temps around 50-60 degrees

@Edmonds -YEah, I saw you! You looked good

Ha, ha!, I was cheery, in the cool pleasant rain!

Without re-reading through all of the old posts, a suggestion is to make sure your rain gear has lots of venting -i.e. underarm zippers, back vents, etc. You will still get sweaty in warm weather, but venting perspiration helps a lot in remaining comfortable even in the winter.

+1 for pit zips. they are a required feature for any rain jacket i buy that will ever be worn during physical activity. they make a huge difference.

Has anyone tried combining rain jacket + underarmour (or similar compression moisture-wicking shirt)? Wonder if that alleviates the sweat issue a little...

@jkp1187: I've tried rain jackets with underarmour, wool, and polypro base layers...none of them really seemed to impact the sweat problem.

At this point, I prefer either a rain cape (for colder weather) or just wear wool and get wet.

I've got a $100+? jacket from Shower's Pass with zippers and vents galore. It's still pretty sweat inducing outside of winter.

Last winter I just wore it and some underarmor like stuff for the majority of winter and I never got cold

Speaking of bad weather... Today I made the huge mistake of not bring socks with me. I usually have a few pairs at work, but I took them back with me last Friday to wash and forgot to bring any back.

For the last three hours I tried wearing jersey gloves like partial socks, but then gave up and am just wearing my shoes without socks.

Also, got a flat tire and came into work about 30 minutes + a shower later than I wanted because once I got the tire off I couldn't get enough grip on it to get that last little bit back over the rim. Then I decided to take the other side off and just ended up with the same problem on both sides. Also forgot that the sidewalls of rims get really dirty with non-disc brake setups

@pierce I loathe brake grime and started keeping nitrile gloves around the house and a pair in the saddle bag.

Re the aesthetics of fenders on bikes, there was a line by BikeSnobNYC that went:

Here's the argument for fenders: That stuff in the street you think is water is 3% urine.

That made a big impression on me.

Without fenders or a rear rack there is nothing to keep the slushy "rooster tail" from getting your attention. On the plus side if it hits you right in the crack you know your saddle is straight.

I'm excited to get the fenders on my commuter--anyone have any tips/good resources for assistance in getting them on? Never done it before and I'm a little nervous about doing it right(though I hear it's easy). Soooo any good resources?

@argyle planet bike's instructions are about as succinct as they come.

thank you!

I have planet bike fenders and they all seem to loose the little rubber nubbins that cover the sharp ends of the stays. I've scratched myself on them a few times - does anyone here have a quick n easy replacement suggestion? Maybe I'll put a dollop of silicone caulking there unless someone has a better idea.

argylepile, I bought mine at my LBS and they installed for free. Anything you buy there they install for free, typically right when I buy it but sometimes I bring the stuff back and they have no issues with that.

The first set I installed at Krayniks with the help of some very awesome people who seem to be there every time I stop in (probably one of you lot, but I wasn't on here then). It's really easy.

pseuda - rubber cement might do, or you could take a metal file and make the sharp not so sharp. I'd do the file thing, but I have one (LBS should have one too, or could rig something up instead of the rubber cement). a knife sharpener you don't care about might work too. If you do put a dollop of something on there, might want to rough up the surfaces with sand paper to help it stick. then again, you might be able to unsharpen it with sand paper too.

Argyle: there's an awesome vid on Youtube for installing fenders...

http://youtu.be/lG_WZVS9SUY

Re: rubber anti-scratch caps. Mine fell off pretty easily, too, and scratched my leg a handful of times (never too severely, but it was no fun). I put black electrical tape over the tips and wound it around a number of times as a substitute. We'll see if that is a good long term solution. Another thing you could check into is ordering anything from the Planet Bike website (from their small parts and accessories page, perhaps) and asking in the "special instructions" that they toss in a couple extra of the caps. That's what they did for me, and it worked fine.

Pseuda, did you trim those struts back so they don't hang out farther than the back of the fender, or do you not need to? If they hang out, someone with a Dremel tool could zip them off quickly.

I might have some small diam rubber hose at home that you could cut new nubs, glue them on this time. I'll check tonight.

He said "small diameter rubber hose"...

Hehehe

Hehehehe.

Nope, did not trim the metal. They only scratch me when I'm doing really dumb maneuvers (like an artful 360 + bunny hop in front of Petraglia Auto Service), but I'll take those little hose nubbins if you find them, edmonds. No hurry.

I checked and didn't have any hose small enough, that would have to be some tiny hose. Sorry.

Ok, go ahead.

I did find some electrical heat shrink tubing that would work, wouldn't be as good as the nubbins, but would help. You can get that stuff at Radio Shack.

Heat shrink! Hadn't thought of that & I actually have some. Hoo boy, this kind of links in to that other joke...

there's usually free shipping on the tiny bits from planet bike, as well.

could you use a pair of needle nose pliars and bend the end over itself?