Waterproof shorts/leggings?

Cookie_Monster

Can you get waterproof cycling shorts, or at least waterproof leggings which are tight and not all loose and flappy? I've a great pair of Lowe Alpine waterproof trousers but don't want to wear them on the bike cos they're loose and will get torn apart on the cranks...
What do people wear when out in the rain in general, just cycling shorts or actual waterproofs?

Also was looking at waterproof overshoes on CRC but the sheer volume of products make it a bit overwhelming. What would someone recommend, waterproof, good value, fit over Shimano shoes...

stas

Lidl/Aldi ones have velcros at the bottom so can be made tight. They are still flappy above as they're meant to be worn on top of your regular trousers I think.

I found I don't mind if the legs get wet as long as the feet are dry.

bcmf

Get a decent set of 'tights'. It really depends on what kinda rain. If heavy rain you are better off getting ones that are windproof and will keep you warm albeit wet. Very hard to keep heavy persisitant rain out but if you can be kept warm and away from wind chill then being wet is tolerable.

Darkglasses

I wear those plastic pants that Stas is talking about, tucked into long socks. I look ridiculous but feel dry.

petethedrummer

A few options.....

I've been considering myself of getting these, but they seem a bit dear. http://www.showerspass.com/catalog/men/mens-pants/roadie-pant

Waterproof tights: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=37382

Options from Wiggle.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/waterproof-cycling-trousers/

Wiggle used to do DHB waterproof shorts but they seem not to anymore.

Wheely GR8

I was out today and it was bucketing down at one stage ,I had tights on with overshoes and it was fine.
The wind on the other hand was dangerous.

paddyduc

As for shoe covers Neoprene will keep your feet warm even when wet, It's almost impossible to keep them dry if the rain is persistent .

www.chaindrivencycles.com

doozerie

Castelli use Nanoflex material in a number of their pieces of kit - arm warmers, knee warmers, leg warmers, bib tights (the Pavé ones), and bib shorts (the Claudio ones), and possibly other bits of kit too but those are the ones I'm aware of. They claim that it is fairly waterproof and their advertising materials includes video clips of water beading on the material. They also describe it as essentially being their thermal/roubaix material with the added benefit of being waterproof i.e. they claim it'll keep you both warm and dry. That's the theory anyway and various reviews I've read suggest it works.

In practice though, based on having tried the Pavé tights in the rain I suspect it's yet another product that works well for some but not others. I found the tights worked well on cool days, keeping me warm enough, but on a couple of cool (i.e. not very cold) and wet days I found that the rain worked its way through and my knees and front of thighs got uncomfortably cold. I'm not entirely sure whether to blame the material itself though as the tights are *very* snug fitting and maybe they are actually a size too small for me and perhaps performance suffers as a result (the tights are a small and I'm certainly a small for all other Castelli kit so the sizing should be correct though). It could just be me that's broken, of course. I've also got a pair of the leg warmers but I've yet to try them out. They are not a cheap range within the Castelli brand but you can find good deals on offer at times.

In short, based on the blurb the Nanoflex range might provide what you are looking for, the reality may or may not live up to the promise. If you want to see them in the flesh they certainly stock them in Fitzs Cycles in Stillorgan and their prices weren't bad last time I checked.

doozerie

Oh, as for waterproof overshoes, I'd agree with the other sentiments expressed here - I don't think you'll find anything that's truly waterproof despite some of the promising blurb. Given that they'll have a hole to put your feet through, a hole for your cleats, and usually a hole for your heels, making them waterproof is probably impossible. I think the only solution that would come close to being really waterproof is to buy waterproof cycling shoes/boots - they'll leak eventually too, of course, or at least the water will work its way in via your socks, but they'll probably keep the water out for longer and might keep your feet warmer.

moby2101

I bought a pair of Castelli Nano flex a couple of months ago...so far I have to say they were worth every cent, the nano flex material is incorporated into about 60% of the body of the tight and 100% lined with a fleece like material that is incredibly warm even in the harshest conditions.

I did 75km today in some of the worst wind and rain I have ever experiencedand I arrived home warm and dry..

They weren't cheap(145 on Wiggle) but If I didn't own a pair like these I don't think I would have ventured out on a day like today..
Teamed with a Rapha softshell and neoprene covers and I sneer at cold and wet conditions!

doozerie

@moby2101, Out of curiosity, how snug fitting do you find the Castelli tights? And is it the Pavé ones that you have?

moby2101

Hey doozerie,
They're the "fluido nanoflex"..I have them in large and they are a very snug fit,they fit pretty much exactly as when I first tried them on, there is no give or stretch in them, they have not loosened out after 10 + uses .. the pad is extremely comfortable and honestly I can't praise them enough,
wiggle.co.uk/castelli-fluido-nanoflex-windproof-bib-tights/

doozerie

moby2101 wrote: »

Hey doozerie,
They're the "fluido nanoflex"..I have them in large and they are a very snug fit,they fit pretty much exactly as when I first tried them on, there is no give or stretch in them, they have not loosened out after 10 + uses .. the pad is extremely comfortable and honestly I can't praise them enough,
wiggle.co.uk/castelli-fluido-nanoflex-windproof-bib-tights/

Ah right, thanks, those are a significant grade higher than the Pavé tights. I have a Castelli base layer with an SG0.6 front panel and find it very effective at keeping the cold off, I can certainly imagine it working very well as the front of tights too.

Cookie_Monster

does anyone know about the length of these, does it differ with med/large?

I'm just about a med waist these days but quite tall so I'm thinking of going for the large if the leg length is a bit longer

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=37382

also there's no padding right, so you wear a pair of shorts underneath right

doozerie

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

does anyone know about the length of these, does it differ with med/large?

I'm just about a med waist these days but quite tall so I'm thinking of going for the large if the leg length is a bit longer

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=37382

I've had bad experiences with the sizing of Endura trousers (one pair of singletrack trousers, and one pair of waterproof trousers). I'm a small in both girth and leg length yet the Endura trousers were both plenty large in the waist (almost too large) and short in the leg (a little too short) - I can only assume they size for regular people but viewed in widescreen mode! I don't buy Endura kit any longer partly for that reason, but if I were to do so then I'd look to try them on first.

Cookie_Monster wrote:

also there's no padding right, so you wear a pair of shorts underneath right

Yes. And just to add a personal opinion, I find non-bib tights a real pain, much like I find non-bib shorts a hassle, I find bib shorts and tights far better.