i'm looking for some rain gear for cycling. is there a fairly priced jacket and pants that actually keep you dry? i've got a northface raincoat that's iffy at best even though it's been washed in the rain proofing stuff.
A set of full fenders is a great place to start. I was shocked at what a difference it made.
+1 KR on the fenders. Huge difference. I mean, much more of a difference than good vs crappy clothing.
i've got fenders.
Rain-x on your glasses is another one.
I have not found any clothes that did the trick at keeping you dry without being too hot.
Gore make some nice jackets but seem to all lack pit zips or other venting. Pants? Never. Maybe gore tex knickers though. And winter shoes. Locally MEC has their own brand of waterproof breathable jackets and pants if that's what you want. Showers Pass jackets look great and are reasonably priced too.
Rain x I think will permanently damage plastic lenses.
Correct rain-x is for glass only. I use them on an old pair of glass RX lenses I use for riding.
I have this jacket from showers pass and am very happy with it.
http://www.showerspass.com/catalog/men/mens-jackets/elite-pro-jacket
I did a December ride in pouring ran with it and stayed dry while my goretex gloves were soaked through.
The jacket is very light weight and has plenty of vents for breathability. It is not cheap at $230, but I'd say it's failry priced for what it does.
+1 for fenders too. I have SKS detachable that work well.
I've tried all sorts of expensive jackets...the most effective one is the cheap clear vinyl jackets with mesh sides. If you spend a lot of time in the rain (I live in Seattle), you'll find that the expensive "breathable" jackets WILL eventually get waterlogged, at which point the jacket becomes miserable to wear, but also very heavy. You probably are already figuring that out with your current jacket. I don't see them often anymore unfortunately.
Full fenders + mudflaps...get your flaps down to 1" above the ground on the front fender and your drivetrain won't look any different than if you were riding in dry weather.
For "pants" I use rainlegs. They look rather silly, but work tremendously well and are easy to pack. They used to sell them at Wallbike...not sure where they are sold anymore.
http://www.rainlegs.com/en/home
Tai
Another vote for Showers Pass. I have their lined Event jersey for commuting. Works really well. Plus two of their unlined jerseys for stuffing into jersey pockets. (Two because the unlined ones don't stay waterproof forever. My first has a completely ripped barrier so is just a first class spring/fall windbreaker. (It gets about as much use as the other two combined. Best cycling windbreaker I've ever owned.))
All of Showers Pass crew ride and it shows in their clothes. Zippers are two way. A huge advantage in that it allows both more in jersey pockets and access without unzipping the front. Also allows centering the zippers for max venting with a still aero jacket and ease of re-zipping at the top of the climb. (I won't even look at a jacket without a 2-way zipper.) Cuffs work. Vents are good. Arms are long enough.
Showers Pass customer service is excellent. My Event jacket has a coil zipper. A bit tricky to start. I brought it in one day when I was in the neighborhood. The woman who greeted me handed me a new jersey and agreed that the coil zippers weren't the best, also that by wiggling them, they would start better and for longer. (They've since switched to better zippers.)
Full fenders, yes!! But even better, full fenders with a deep front flap. Cut up waterbottles are popular here in Portland, but better is to cut out a flap of two layers of thin architectural graphics film (Tortue Volante will know exactly what I'm talking about. I found my stash in a dumpster 14 years ago.) Tape the edges with clear plastic packing tape. Advantages? Lasts a long time and doesn't care if you set the bike down without the wheel (or wheel the bike off a curb).
That flap stops almost as much water as the rest of your fenders.
Ben
i'm planning on a week long tour this spring and i can't waste a day waiting out a rain storm. i don't mind being wet but if it's chilly out then it could make for a miserable day. i usually don't commute in the rain so the rain gear won't be for every day use which means getting it cheap is important.
That being the case, the key is to have a place at night to dry stuff, and if you're camping to make sure your domicile, sleeping bag, and civilian outfit stay dry.
Rain gear being what it is, you'll either get wet from sweating, or ultimately rain will soak through jacket. You'll be fine as long as you keep moving.
This is on sale at http://www.theclymb.com for $75.
"O2 RainGear" have some good stuff at a decent price. Almost cheap. On a cold rainy commute once, I decided to wear my work clothes home instead of cycling stuff. Just wore my bibs under my jeans and layered my work sweatshirt over my baselayer and jersey. Already had an old faithful rain jacket - but I put the O2 RainGear $35 pants over my jeans. Pouring pouring windy rain, cold windy rain - but I arrived home toasty and very dry. Big baggy yellow clown rain pants worked GREAT!
There is no perfect solution, only compromises.
A waterproof membrane or coating that is breathable enough for aerobic activity has not been invented. So you either err on the side of more waterproof or more breathable - you cannot have both.
There are many other small details that effect performance such as storm flaps, waterproof zippers, longer sleeves & tail, etc.; but you are starting with the decision above.
I'll assume that you are commuting (who would intentionally go ride in the rain?) so perhaps you won't be hammering and would like to stay dry - then get gore-tex for extreme conditions - it is 100% waterproof no question. Yeah, technically it's breathable; but not if your moving.
If I could actually ride slow enough that my sweating would not make me wet under the jacket or if they could make a jacket that allows me to ride as hard without getting wet inside but they have not yet. The challenge is to keep warm and reasonably dry.
If yu are a slow and low energy rider then you have a lot more options that will work pretty well with many of them having a breathable rain barrier.
I tend to sweat too much for these real rain Proof jackets and prefer windstopper and a vented light rain shell. The rain shell is a jacket like a sugoi Hydra lite jacket which is pretty waterproof but has open mesh sides and the bottoms of the sleeves . Neoprene gloves can be great but unlike waterproof gloves you have to put these on while your hands are still a little warm because it is the sweat and water that gets in the gloves that forms part of the thermal protection like it does for divers. Legs are a bigger challenge so I tend to look for windstopper tights and accept I will get wet. I have a pair of rain tights but they are an oven..
I have to say, the Castelli Gabba jersey I bought just before my trip to France last year was a godsend. We had a good amount of rain with 50 degree days and it kept me dry, breathed well and kept me comfortable in terms of body temperature. A fine garment.
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