Wet Weather gear

99problems1

Rain gear to cycle to work. Any suggestions. Don't want to get wet or be sweaty.

Mod Note: Not a bargain alert, moved to separate thread

ED E

99problems1 wrote: »

Don't want to get wet or be sweaty.

Two cards, pick one. You can limit how bad either choice is but really its one or the other.

Anus Von Skidmark

Personally I don't find wet gear useful at all - Assuming I'm either cycling to work, or home from work, I just set off in a t-shirt and shorts, and maybe a light jacket if it's really cold. I'll chuck a change of clothes/shoes into a (waterproof) bag, and change when I get where I'm going.

I'd probably give the cycle a miss if it was raining really apocalyptically, and drive or take the bus instead, but to be honest that happens pretty rarely. We mostly get drizzly light rain that won't cause you any major trouble.

jethrothe2nd

Not sure what your set up is like in work or how far your commute is, but I personally don't see any massive benefit to forking out a load of cash on wet gear for commuting. Full length mudguards, an Aldi waterproof (ish) jacket, Aldi overshoes and a backpack cover does the job. Shower and change in work (if that's an option). It doesn't rain as much as you might think.

Stark

I picked up a Columbia Outdry jacket last year and it's fantastic. You can usually pick one up fairly cheaply on the likes of Sportpursuit.com or wherever. Breathable enough that I can wear it most of the year even when it's not raining. Previous to that I had an Altura waterproof jacket and that only went on as a last resort. Even when it was raining, I was reluctant as I knew I'd be sweating so much in it.

Will throw on waterproof pants in the winter when it gets really cold and wet. At the moment, it's warm enough that I don't mind my legs getting wet.

Overshoes are also very useful so you don't get wet feet.

tomasrojo

I'm in a minority maybe, but I find rain gear helpful. Altura rain trousers, and Montane Featherlite rain smock. Long mudguards with a mudflap at the front, and decent-ish hiking-style shoes mean I don't need overshoes.

In very heavy rain, the smock and trousers do let rain in, but the smock in particular usually dries out in a few hours.

Zen0

I’m a fan of rain gear myself, but the single most effective way of reducing sweat in rain gear is to get a pannier. Cycling with rain gear and a backpack is guaranteed to leave you wet and sticky.

rflynnr

99problems1 wrote: »

Rain gear to cycle to work. Any suggestions. Don't want to get wet or be sweaty.

Mod Note: Not a bargain alert, moved to separate thread

Quick question: how far/long is your commute? (Distance and duration?)

99problems1

rflynnr wrote: »

Quick question: how far/long is your commute? (Distance and duration?)

Not far! About 25 mins fairly leisurly pace.

Macy0161

In that case it may be worthwhile. When I started, my commute was similar and mainly downhill, and I found the (aldi) rain gear worked as I wasn't building up a sweat. As it got longer, not so much.

But mudguards and pannier too. Any rain gear will be less effective at the backpack contact points/ areas.