Rain Gear Looking for rain gear

Bmacleod said:
packable over-wear to throw on as needed. I am looking for a jacket, pants and welcome thoughts on gloves as well. I am also looking at over-boot covers, but also waterproof boots as well, but not sure on what way to go there. If waterproof boots are going to be hot, I'd rather stick with breathable footwear and get "booties" for when it rains. Any thoughts/opinions on your wet weather gear would be appreciated
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I carry a First-Gear two-piece rainsuit and put it on as needed. Packs small and keeps me totally dry, and it's Hi-Viz - maximally visible in a rainstorm.

Boots - I wear TCX Gore-Tex boots, with thin cotton socks underneath.
My feet don't get hot, or sweat ( thanks to the Gore-Tex ) and they've never gotten wet in a storm. The Gore-Tex is worth the $$. (about $ 300 )

Gloves - Just buy a box of these disposable gloves, in the largest size, and pull them over your regular gloves. Totally waterproof, and not bulky:

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
 
Bmacleod said:
Thanks all for the info. It has helped greatly, all of it. I am leaning toward the frogg Toggs. Uncle Phil, thanks for confirming my thoughts on bib pants. I am fairly tall and have been thinking along the same lines.
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This is where I got some recently -

www.ebay.com

Frogg Toggs Waterproof Pro Advantage Bibs Black PA93109-01-3X | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Frogg Toggs Waterproof Pro Advantage Bibs Black PA93109-01-3X at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
larryg said:
I carry a First-Gear two-piece rainsuit and put it on as needed. Packs small and keeps me totally dry, and it's Hi-Viz - maximally visible in a rainstorm.

Boots - I wear TCX Gore-Tex boots, with thin cotton socks underneath.
My feet don't get hot, or sweat ( thanks to the Gore-Tex ) and they've never gotten wet in a storm. The Gore-Tex is worth the $$. (about $ 300 )

Gloves - Just buy a box of these disposable gloves, in the largest size, and pull them over your regular gloves. Totally waterproof, and not bulky:

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
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Thanks Larryg. I have looked at those TCX boots a couple of times recently, but not the gore-tex ones. I will take another look at them. As for the gloves, I go through a box of those nitrile gloves a year in the shop and the issue I have with them is because they dont breathe, my hands sweat big-time. Now, with moving through the wind on a bike, it may be different, I'll have to try it. I am not so worried about wet hands if the weather is warm. I can buy a second pair of regular gloves and switch when the rain stops and tie the wet ones to the back of the bike for a quick dry. I am planning on a trip to colorado this year and may have to plan on some cold at higher elevations. I will think some more on the gloves. Thanks again
 
One thing that is a must for me for over your clothes rain gear is full length side zips. Putting bibs over my Aerostich Combat Touring boots is tough unless you have full length zippers.
 
One thing that I find useful with the Frogg Togg jacket is the hood. In a heavy rain I can put the hood on under my helmet and it keeps rain from running down my back which it will do whenever I stop.
 
st11ray said:
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Thanks ray. I was looking at the Icon PDX line and I was impressed with most of what I had read until I came across this vid
. It seems Icon has revamped the PDX line and not in a good way. I realize that this is one opinion but in my experience, this guy is a pretty knowledgeable guy and a straight shooter, plus the points he makes are evident in the vid. I looked for original PDX1 stuff, but all that is available is the new PDX2 gear. While I dont know that the new stuff would be horrible or worse than some other brands, the fact that it is still at a higher or premium price point kinda took the interest out of it for me.
 
Bmacleod said:
Thanks ray. I was looking at the Icon PDX line and I was impressed with most of what I had read until I came across this vid
. It seems Icon has revamped the PDX line and not in a good way. I realize that this is one opinion but in my experience, this guy is a pretty knowledgeable guy and a straight shooter, plus the points he makes are evident in the vid. I looked for original PDX1 stuff, but all that is available is the new PDX2 gear. While I dont know that the new stuff would be horrible or worse than some other brands, the fact that it is still at a higher or premium price point kinda took the interest out of it for me.
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Mine is the old stuff. It has worked very well for me. I hate to hear that they have changed them and not for the better.
 
Bmacleod said:
As for the gloves, I go through a box of those nitrile gloves a year in the shop and the issue I have with them is because they dont breathe, my hands sweat big-time.
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Most likely because they are directly against your skin under those circumstances. Having your riding gloves between the two would probably eliminate that effect. Easy enough for you to test around home.

I have always used a two piece rain suit. I have never gotten wet at all. I grew tired of having to put on and remove the rain suit on the side of the road however. I bought a waterproof Gortex riding suit last year. Haven't tested it in heavy rain but I hope that it works as advertised.

I have been wearing waterproof Gortex boots for 15 years. I have never had wet feet under any rain conditions. I never have moist feet due to sweating either. Important to follow the recommendation regarding what socks you wear to achieve that.

I also got tired of wearing rain gloves over my regular gloves. I bought waterproof Gortex sport-touring gloves. They have kept me bone dry, warm when it is cool, and not to hot when it is warm out.
 
And this is a big reason I much prefer my rain gear to be worn OUTSIDE my normal riding gear. If the rain lining is too close to my body my own body moisture will make me feel clammy at best and make me downright soaked at worse (not from water intrusion but from trapped body moisture). Putting the rain lining entirely outside my gear keeps me dryer. It keeps my GEAR dry allowing my riding gear to absorb more of my body moisture and giving more time for the breathable nature of any rain gear to expel that moisture. Of course, ALL rain gear, regardless how breathable it is said to be (including Gore-Tex) will develop a film of water on the outside surface in significant rain resulting in reducing the ability of that gear to breathe to some extent. Some more than others depending on the material it's made of. So having more material inside to absorb body moisture and keeping it away from me becomes even more important.

Oh, and I also really like that FT hood and use it every time I wear my FT. My new TM Pivot jacket also has a waterproof hood in the collar but I really don't see using it as long as I can continue to use Frogg Toggs. BTW- I am using the Frogg Togg Road Toad model rain suit. I don't have the bibbs but haven't needed them being no of such a tall stature, plus the FT rain pants waist comes rather high on me... kind of like Urkle of the TV show Family Matters ("Did I do that?")
 
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I think Gore Tex is a great idea, and if I only wore 1 jacket, and the same pants all year I'd probably invest in a Gore Tex out fit, but I ride from -2 degrees to 105 degrees and wear 4 different jackets and 3 different pants to cover that range. The Frogg Toggs will go over all of them. Even though I average 300 days a year riding, I still only end up using the Toggs maybe 10 or 12 times a year, mostly on trips. I ride around the rain most of the time I'm not touring. Like yesterday, morning was dry and afternoon it rained hard, so I rode in the morning. Same forecast for today so again I rode early. If the weather calls for rain early then clearing, I will wait until afternoon to ride. Sometimes though I just have to throw the Toggs on and head out in it if I wanna ride that day.
 
Just go with an Aerostich. Solves all your problems and you don't even have to slow down or change anything when the rain hits.
 
First gear Sierra two piece suit for me. Hi Viz. Polyester/nylon that packs small and breathes versus the PVC stuff. Makes a good layer also when temps drop. Held rain gloves with Goretex. Have some Sidi Gortex boots but never tested them in the rain yet. What I have used for foot/rain protection for decades are Harley Davidson rain gators. They work very well and have a rubber sole so you don't wear them out walking. Most Harley dealeres don't stock them unless in country where it rains a lot. Bought mine in Baton Rouge on a business trip. I still pack them along just in case.

As to waterproof gloves I have found that putting the gauntlet UNDER you rain suit sleeves goes a long way toward keeping you hands dry. If the gauntlets are outside the sleeves then water will run down inside the gloves and your hands get wet. Have ridden over 500 miles once in rain all day and never got hands wet.

This is what works well for me. In all honesty I have worn out more rain suits just hauling them around than actually wearing them. If you have the rain gear all the time on the bike it won't rain. If you don't have the rain gear then it will rain. Murphy.
 
feejer said:
First gear Sierra two piece suit for me. Hi Viz. Polyester/nylon that packs small and breathes versus the PVC stuff. Makes a good layer also when temps drop. Held rain gloves with Goretex. Have some Sidi Gortex boots but never tested them in the rain yet. What I have used for foot/rain protection for decades are Harley Davidson rain gators. They work very well and have a rubber sole so you don't wear them out walking. Most Harley dealeres don't stock them unless in country where it rains a lot. Bought mine in Baton Rouge on a business trip. I still pack them along just in case.

As to waterproof gloves I have found that putting the gauntlet UNDER you rain suit sleeves goes a long way toward keeping you hands dry. If the gauntlets are outside the sleeves then water will run down inside the gloves and your hands get wet. Have ridden over 500 miles once in rain all day and never got hands wet.

This is what works well for me. In all honesty I have worn out more rain suits just hauling them around than actually wearing them. If you have the rain gear all the time on the bike it won't rain. If you don't have the rain gear then it will rain. Murphy.
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Great, thanks. I'm thinking I am going to go with boot covers, only because I prefer shoes/short ankle boots over high boots and without high boots, the water is going to get in at the exposed ankle and if that saves a few hundred bucks, all the better. I will check out those gloves. I agree with the Murphy's law... in Canada, we buy snow blowers to reduce the amount of snow that falls. We get a lot less snow than we did 50 years ago and they keep saying its global warming...LOL
 
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