Getting ready for the Rain.......

Hi,

Looking for some rain pants, Jacket, gloves, booties. The whole shebang.

Just want to upgrade from my current crappy stuff.

Anyone use Showerspass elite 2.1 jacket (or anything showerspass?). I want the jacket, pants (the ones that unzip below the knee), hood, booties. Any thoughts?

I don't mind spending the coin if its worth it and the quality is there.

thx

MEC there bike commuting stuff is great (not stylish though) add fenders to your bike the water from the ground is much wetter than the sky and be prepared compromise breathability for dryness unless you have serious money to spare (its commuting be a dirtbag)

Personally, I'd do without rain pants as they are too damn hot unless you've got a long long downhill to contend with or live somewhere very cold….
I found whatever rain they kept off me was more than compensated by the additional sweat

I'm in the MEC stuff too. Hard to justify more money when it just get's trashed over time. Agree on the pants, I generally only wear them when it is too cold for shorts. Good booties are dynamite though. I have been running some Sugoi ones for the last two years and they have been great. Probably time for some new ones this year.

I have the the Sugoi ones and they are terrible from my experience. Will trash them as soon as I find other decent booties.

When I need rain pants, I am talking from 3-10 degrees when is relatively chilly in the valley and its raining.

I will be using fenders etc

Anyone with Showerspass stuffZ? That's what I am really interested in hearing about.

Personally, I'd do without rain pants as they are too damn hot unless you've got a long long downhill to contend with or live somewhere very cold….
I found whatever rain they kept off me was more than compensated by the additional sweat

This. I used to commute in thick poly-pro tights that were warm and the body heat generated by cycling kept them from getting anymore than comfortably damp.

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=155914

already a discussion of pants^^ here

I mailordered a MEC derecho [HTML_REMOVED] a showers pass jacket intending to keep whichever was better, the showers pass had really long sleeves I ended up keeping the Derecho because it fit much better and also the fit/finish/materials were better … I think maybe the showers pass were cut for fat americans?

checking the mec user reviews of the various pieces will give you some idea of what to expect, some users are plain out to lunch but if you get several reviews that are the same its more believeable

the MEC gortex booties will keep your feet dry in a crazy all day rain storm

Mrs. n00b and I are rolling the Mission Workshop Orion and RaceFace Chute jackets respectively, along with a fine selection of various tights. The Orion is absolutely the best-made, best-functioning jacket on the market, but the Chute is no slouch at its pricepoint.

MEC's Rocky Gore-Tex socks are nice, but they are cut for hiking, not cycling, and it seems like that accelerates the wear on the seam tape. I went through a couple of pairs on warranty and then upgraded to the Gore Cycling Wear socks from On the Rivet. The Gore socks look and feel nicer, and feature a wicking mesh layer that shields the seam tape from abrasion.

We use wool and polypropolene tights exclusively; the only two materials that will keep you warm when wet. A couple of us around the shop might experiment with waxing our Carhartts this winter, so we'll see how that goes.

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=155914

already a discussion of pants^^ here

I mailordered a MEC derecho [HTML_REMOVED] a showers pass jacket intending to keep whichever was better, the showers pass had really long sleeves I ended up keeping the Derecho because it fit much better and also the fit/finish/materials were better … I think maybe the showers pass were cut for fat americans?

checking the mec user reviews of the various pieces will give you some idea of what to expect, some users are plain out to lunch but if you get several reviews that are the same its more believeable

the MEC gortex booties will keep your feet dry in a crazy all day rain storm

Thx, I will look into a derecho. I saw at sportcheck some Sugoi RPM rainpants are on sale for 69$ but based on my booties not so sure…..anyone have those?

dumb question: What do the gore-tex socks do for you? The booties already keep your shoes/feet dry and protected from wind. What do the socks bring to the table? (I want to keep my shoes dry more than I want to keep my feet dry.)

Also, concerning fenders, I commuted for 2 winters now without fenders.

The front fender seems like it doesn't add much value, because 90% of the water hits the downtube. Convince me otherwise.

Rear fender: I should probably get one of these and I probably will this winter. Convince me I need one.

dumb question: What do the gore-tex socks do for you? The booties already keep your shoes/feet dry and protected from wind. What do the socks bring to the table? (I want to keep my shoes dry more than I want to keep my feet dry.)

Also, concerning fenders, I commuted for 2 winters now without fenders.

The front fender seems like it doesn't add much value, because 90% of the water hits the downtube. Convince me otherwise.

Rear fender: I should probably get one of these and I probably will this winter. Convince me I need one.

Anecdotal, but I struggled to find a fender for my old commuter (a converted mountain bike) as it didn't have mounts and none of the strap on ones proved stable. Soon as it started raining I was taking spray to the face. Did 4 years like that. New bike has fenders and no kick up. I think the need will vary a lot depending on the bike, speed, route and tyres, but taking road water sucks.

dumb question: What do the gore-tex socks do for you? The booties already keep your shoes/feet dry and protected from wind. What do the socks bring to the table? (I want to keep my shoes dry more than I want to keep my feet dry.)

Also, concerning fenders, I commuted for 2 winters now without fenders.

The front fender seems like it doesn't add much value, because 90% of the water hits the downtube. Convince me otherwise.

Rear fender: I should probably get one of these and I probably will this winter. Convince me I need one.

gortex socks will absolutely keep your feet dry I have used them in a different mor extreme app for WW kayaking, tucked inside the latex seals on paddling dry pants and they do work, for cycling your shoes will still get soaked

the gortex bootie covers will keep most of the rain out, IME after 6hr in a serious rain storm my feet were still dry and the shoes were just a little wet on the bottom outside half … pretty good IMO

http://www.mec.ca/product/1807-460/mountain-cycling-accessories-forward-deflector-shield/?f=10+50153

for a front fender these^^ work well only 5$ [HTML_REMOVED] easy instalation, for a rear fender if you have a rear rack its easy to rig a spray shield

get a front fender . . . the water that hits the downtube then sprays onto your feet as they pass by .

front and rear , the more wheel coverage you have the less water winds up on you .

it is pretty amazing how dry you actually stay when you are all fendered up .

take away the water that gets thrown on you by your bike , combined with the movement of air taking away your perspiration and whatever rain falls on you .

it is pretty amazing how dry you actually stay when you are all fendered up .

Remember that fenders also work when its stopped raining but the road is still soaked.
Get proper full length if you can, not those ineffective ones which clip to the seat tube

I've been commuting all year round in Vancouver for over 6 years now and I've tried all sorts of techniques. Even in deepest winter, Ill generally wear shorts and accept that my legs will get wet but I can get a shower when I get to work. On the coldest days I'll use thin tights which i find dry quicker and don't drip water everywhere….
Granted, my commute is only 9km and 20 mins each way with no big hills…