Breathable raingear-recommendations

Kaisr Sose

Looking for recommendation and reviews of
Outer Jacket (shell) waterproof trousers/leggings
Overshoes and gloves ( waterproof/ resistant)
Do many of you have the winter shoe/boot combo?
Is goretex (gore gear) overkill?
Average spins 2hrs. Long spins 3 - 4hrs. Commute distance would be 160km per wk. Total per week 300-350km - so plenty of opportunity to get soaked!
I know it's impossible to stay 100% dry on a bike - just want to push out the dry/semi dry period as long as possible.

Lumen

"Event" fabric is supposedly better than Gore-tex.

Fantasminha

I have a pair of rain pants that are neoprene like a wetsuit in the front and technical fabric (like cycling jersey) in the back. They are kind of "fleece-y" on the inside. I use them to commute in the worst weather. They don't keep you completely dry, but still you stay comfortable.

I have one pair from Performance Bikes in the US and the other pair are Pearl Izumi. I looked for them in their online catalogue but don't see them today. Maybe you could find them in one of the local bike shops or online at Bike24 or CR?

I have a Gore jacket and for the money we shelled out for that thing, I'm completely disappointed. Maybe someone else has some recommendation about jackets.

fran83

I suffer really bad with cold feet so I splashed out on a pair of sidi hydo gore-tex shoes they are a bit pricey but keep my feet bone dry and warm on 5 hour spins over the winter. I got a cheap pair of BBB neoprene overshoes too and the keep the shoes dry and like new.
I have club gear for the rest of my stuff and have to say the nailini jackets are really good nice and warm and when combined with a gilet there is no problem with water of the cold.
I am still to find a good pair of gloves but I have been told that assos do a good pair but pricey again.
I would recommend that you buy good stuff as it does last longer than the lower price stuff.

Murph100

Unfortunately Assos gloves are not great at all, unlike the rest of their kit which is fantastic. I've 2 pairs of Assos winter gloves gloves and tbh the cheap discounted ones I got from CRC for €11 last year are actually much better.

fran83 wrote: »

I am still to find a good pair of gloves but I have been told that assos do a good pair but pricey again.

blorg

+1 on Event, the most breathable I have ever used. Unfortunately I left my jacket on a bus in Tibet a few weeks ago.

reallyunique

Event FTW. I'm a sweaty sod and I could use it even in spring when it was showery. Heavy rain will defeat the breathability though, there's just not enough dry surface area to let the sweat out so it'll be fine if you're taking it easy but push hard and you'll get damp. It doesn't like to get dirty either so keep it clean.
I had a Gill jacket which got nicked along with some other stuff but I really loved it. I think Endura are the only ones who do it now though. It's expensive but I think it's worth it.

tomasrojo

blorg wrote: »

Unfortunately I left my jacket on a bus in Tibet a few weeks ago.

It's happened to us all.

munsterleinster

If you wanna go cheap, try the army surplus goretex stuff on Ebay.
I was shocked how breathable it was while remaining waterproof. Rolls up very small. Cost less than £20 delivered.
Downside is you'll look like G.I Joe in the camo

check_six

Currently using Altura Attack Jacket. It's made out of something called React, which I think is something Altura make themselves. The jacket is very rainproof, very breathable. I'm impressed so far. The sizing is a little on the big side, but I've been using it for getting about, to work etc. rather than spins, so this isn't a problem. Go a size down maybe. I previously had the bog standard Altura Night Vision which had more regular sizing. The Night Vision's coating on the inside started to flake off really badly so you would be constantly leaving a trail of 'coat dust' behind you. It didn't keep the rain out so well either (the Attack does not have this coating, by the way) .

I got the Attack on wiggle in a sale so it was only about a hundred euros, the regular price can vary between about 160-200 depending on whether you can find it online or in a LBS and what kind of sale might be running at the time. If you can find it at the right price they are good value compared with the GoreTex stuff which all seems to be 200+.

I had tried to research other jackets but, I had a lot of trouble finding a LBS that stocked EVent jackets when I went looking for them earlier this year. A lot of places stocked, or had heard of GoreTex, but EVent was a bit more mysterious. Check before you visit maybe. The Altura one is a good alternative though.

ROK ON

Murph100 wrote: »

Unfortunately Assos gloves are not great at all, unlike the rest of their kit which is fantastic. I've 2 pairs of Assos winter gloves gloves and tbh the cheap discounted ones I got from CRC for €11 last year are actually much better.

+1

In terms of Winter Gloves, the best I have in terms of comfort and warmth are the Rapha Deep Winter gloves.

The Campag TGS ones work in keeping hands warm and dry, by the lining is not as comfortable.

Raam

I've tried loads of gloves. None really did the job, so I combined three different pairs of varying thickness and material and together they seem to do it for me on the super cold days. None cost very much.

check_six

I got Sealskinz gloves. They are quite skinny and are not a chunky skiing glove type of thing, but are still nice and warm and do keep out the water. Handy for manipulating keys, etc. in the depths of winter. I think they are called All-Weather gloves (rather than winter gloves).

You've got to keep your fingers warm in the cold and the rain if you want to avoid a miserable time on the bike. If you are operating on a budget ANY chunky ski glove will do the trick, by the time they the rain soaks through your hands are very warm anyway. They do take ages to dry, however. See any camping shop, tk max, aldi, etc.

Kaisr Sose

Thanks for all the replies. Will see about some Altura. That Army surplus gear sounds like a good idea! I may even try and tailor and dye them to avoid the squadie look.:D
I may also fit mudgaurds-which will go a long way to reducing spray etc.
Now for the gloves and feet...I always struggled with both. I remember doing the Ras one year in 91 or 92 and there was sleet in May! My hands were in bits. I will never forget that stage!

Kaisr Sose

munsterleinster wrote: »

If you wanna go cheap, try the army surplus goretex stuff on Ebay. Cost less than £20 delivered.

What a great suggestion. Its amazing how cheap it is too! Can you recall which seller you bought it from? I was looking and found some but the shipping was expensive-more expensive than the trousers!