BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Short answer: no.

But you can lose some heat retention by upping your dork quotient to stratospheric levels and donning a rain cape. (I just bought one, 'cause I've had enough of this weather too...)

Please no not the rain cape anything but that. Sigh..... fine if thats what works then maybe.... I'll just get wet

If it is too hot for my rain gear, I figure it is warm enough I wont get cold and I'll dry off quick. I just make sure to wear some shorts that are technical fabric. Maybe toss a change of clothing in my waterproof pannier before I head out. I also keep a change of clothing in my desk at work if I'm headed there.

Do you frequently commute somewhere like school/work where it's easy for you to change clothes?

My solution has always been bringing my work outfit/shoes/extra underwear in a waterproof pannier and just wearing shorts and a t-shirt on my way to work. It's not so bad getting wet when you know you have a completely dry outfit tucked in your bag.

yeah you guys are right I'll just change when I get to school.

In order to stay internally dry in anything over 60° with rain, you'll have to shell out some bucks on gear. Since it's getting warmer tho, it's pretty much impossible. just wear something synthetic & wickable top & bottom to ride, and carry dry clothes to change.

You mean rain doesn't bounce off spandex Mr Marvelous? :p

Arc'Teryx and TAD Gear come to mind immediately, although neither are cycling oriented, both have worked well for me in all kinds of other conditions.

I have a pair of $30 shorts from New Balance and a fluorescent vest both made out of synthetic materials. The vest is somewhat water-repellent and keeps my shirt mostly dry; the shorts are not at all water-repellent and get very wet very easily, but they don't cling uncomfortably to my skin when it's wet and they're not clammy like cotton clothing--and best of all, they dry very quickly when I'm out of the rain.

Wearing cotton clothing can get extremely uncomfortable in the rain; when I'm wearing these synthetic fabrics, I can get soaked to the skin and keep riding without feeling bothered, and I don't feel the need to keep myself dry.

This method only works if you can bring an extra set of clothes or if you're going places where you'll be presentable in your bike clothes (my shorts are black loose-legged athletic-type shorts that hit just above the knee, not clingy spandex).

I can't stay dry even if it's -not- raining.

^^^What Lyle said.

More spandex jokes. Yesterday my instructor at CCAC made me use the chalk board in my wet spandex lots and lots of giggling in class lol.

As for rain capes, I've been ogling this one...

and a reminder to the beginner ladies who may be riding in the rain... shirts of a darker color will be less translucent when wet, and lined sports bras also help.

First time I rode in a warm rain, I had on a light pink T and a fluorescent blue sports bra. When dry, not a big deal. When wet, not embarassing but just stupid looking. Change of clothes helps tremendously but I still had to walk TO the bathroom to change.

@dmtroyer: those look interesting, but there are some features on the CAT cape that I have that are better:

1. Longer zipper: I can get the cape on over my helmet.

2. Buckle and strap for securing the cape, rather than a cord to tie.

With both those features, I can actually put the cape on while I'm riding (if it might rain, I just stuff it in the grocery pannier that carries my laptop case, so I can easily pull it out).

My only complaint about it is the thumb/hand loops are kinda weird.

"need or want"

the best SUMMER rain gear is the sun. ride in the rain, you get wet and the sun and (hopefully, warmer) wind will dry you out.

the other option is to go with a waterproof clothing article and sweat from the inside (and get wet).

FYI, road home yesterday after work. I didn't change anything. All of the fancy dry-fast clothes I wear anyway worked well.

wool is my friend!

'bout to get wet!

It rained hard all the way to work the stopped as soon as I got to work. Spandex is not water proof. But it does dry very fast

When i was training on my very first day at triangle it started pouring. I asked what we were supposed to do. "We get wet." That was a revelation to me at the time. Now if it's over 60 and raining the only gear I wear is a pair of safety glasses so I can see. Bike glasses are too expensive and I lose or destroy them.

+1 on safety glasses. Best $8 I ever spent.

Yeah I kinda feel stupid buying the Oakley cycling glasses just because the match my Livestrong spandex

To each their own. Much like cburch, I cannot have nice things (see the watch thread).

Rain capes are dope. They're the new front basket. They're the new kickstand. When I got both a front basket and kickstand I couldn't believe I had gone so long without them. I feel the same way about rain capes.

@reddan: how do you like that J&G?

@scott: If I had bothered to pack it yesterday before the rainy commute home, I suspect I would have liked it.

As it stands, I think it looks kinda dumb draped bone-dry and pristine over the back of a dining room chair.

Shhh, nobody tell Scott about spats.

I have spats. boo yah.

No love for Oakleys...? Blasphemy! A few lenses for each type of riding is great, but I get multi-hobby use from mine so the cost is well distributed.

I second the wool idea! I get wet in wool and am happy/comfy doing so.

I love spats. I wear them for work all the time (nobody likes when their pants catch on fire from weld spatter). My ankles stay toasty warm, as I often "forget" to take them off even when I'm back in the office. Like leg warmers, but less 80's (which sometimes makes me sad, the 80's were so colorful). I hadn't thought of wearing them biking - I'm so going to do that... in the fall

Does anyone sell rain capes locally? Considering one.

dont waste your money on a $50 rain cape, just by a ordinary $4 poncho and wear it over your arms. its amazing!!!

you can buy a poncho at kmart or the army/navy on liberty.

wish I had this gear right now.

if it gets that bad out you can always wear a bus!

I never ride the bus I just plow on thru and know that spandex dries quickly.

I left early and got home ten minutes ago...

I HOPE the weather stays like this for my ride home. I fucking love the rain.

I love the rain coming home, not going to work/school.

On a related note, can anybody recommend me a brand of drybags? Some of my stuff got soggy on a sudden downpour last Thursday. Already bought some (vegan) waterproofer, but maybe I'll invest in a specialty drybag too.

Nothing inside my ortlieb rollers has seen a drop of rain.

Nothing inside my ortlieb rollers has seen a drop of rain.

I've had the same experience.

+2 Ortlieb.

I have my big green seal line bag (that I got from someone here for a great discount!), and I've carried my laptop with me through pretty much every major storm and it's stayed perfectly dry.

My single Arkel Utility Basket has 67% of the capacity of a pair of rollers

Also has a lifetime warranty and is made in Canada (but not sure if that's any better than something made in Germany)

Not waterproof, but a drybag would make it, hence my original post

Ortlieb dry bags

Haven't used their dry bags, but I've used Ortlieb products for panniers and for document pouches...I'm pretty confident in the brand.

A pair of front rollers, or back rollers? I've had my back rollers almost close to "full" a couple times (they are fillable far beyond being full, if you skip rolling them all the way) and I wouldn't really want to bike with anymore stuff than I had in there. I couldn't imagine a much larger bag.

Often the stuff I carry doesn't fit in panniers:

(From West Mifflin to Greenfield)

A roller doesn't look much smaller than what you have, if it is smaller at all. I think you'd be sacrificing a lot of space if you tried to stuff round dry bags in your square panniers. Maybe you could strap a dry bag on top?

I have a bunch of dry bags from REI. Not sure what brand. They've been soaked in plenty of sea water and worked pretty well. Most of mine are clear so I can see what is inside and where it is. A favorable feature when you have half a dozen dry bags, and can't remember which one you put the TP in...

@Pierce, I have used the Sea to Summit lightweight dry sacks from REI. They work really well despite being thin. I used them in my milk crate for many months before springing for the ortliebs, which are super dry and rugged.

I left around 5:25 and it ended up being a very pleasant light rainy ride home. It also helped that I beat the cars up Liberty that always feels good

@Pierce, you forgot the kitchen sink? That's a great pack job!

I have a sea to summit "e-vent" bag. It e-vented the sea of cortez right into my sleeping bag. I would consider it water resistant, but if you have any amount of collecting water, expect it to not keep whatever is inside dry. I still use it, but I seal it in a plastic trash bag now if I'm on the water. My dry bags are thick PVC material. They work even in standing water, until you wear a hole in one of the seams.