Queries for year-round commuters

[Ingah]

Having got home from another late finish at work in the pouring rain to find my entire crotch region, and both feet wet (again) i was wondering if any other commuter-riders cared to share how they manage to retain their sanity remain dry, consistently and long-term.

I use textiles and wear my work clothes underneath, but they just don't seem to remain waterproof for a reasonable length of time - it seems like every other week i'm coming home wet somewhere, and needing a new piece of kit. I've become tempted by goretex as i imagine this will solve the problem, but i'm offended at the amount of money we're expected to pay for it, especially when considered it'll probably shred straight through in a minor tumble.

As my commute is pretty short (~10 miles each way), i've considered using a set of decent budget leathers with base layers to solve the other problem (that is, sweating my balls off in textiles while faffing with the bike/chain etc), and hope that the leathers are 'showerproof' enough for the short commute. Bad/good/mediocre idea? (i'm sure someone's tried it)

I'm looking for ideas from anyone who does the bike-only commute - how do you get it done with a minimum of faff (i.e. waterproof oversuits, as if we don't have enough gear to put on!), a minimum of expense (i.e. avoiding goretex), and a minimum of unwanted wetness (that is to mean both rain and sweat!).

And regarding re-waterproofing textiles, anyone found anything to work well, as last time i tried Nixwax wash-in it didn't do the job.

[nman1]

Mate, I commute every day and have done for the past 5 years. I`ve yet to find a decent pair of over trousers that keep dry in the crotch region. I wear leathers and they are NOT even shower proof, so don`t think that. I do have Richa leather jacket that claims to be shower proof but if it pours down then no luck. I also have a textile jacket which I brought for winter riding but this is worse than the leather one. Boots need to be waterproof, and buying sport boots will not usually keep your feet dry. If you only have summer gloves, stick some of them thin latex gloves underneath (like what mechanics wear now days) They won`t stop the gloves getting wet but will keep your hands dry and warmer.

Basically, don`t wear what you need to be in all day under your bike gear, change into something dry at work and stick the wet stuff on a radiator for the trip home.

[Throttled]

I use this

http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... 79&t=41294

and this

http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... 79&t=40884

over the top of my textiles and they have kept me dry. My commute is 5 miles each way, the over jacket and trousers are way too big, so easily fit over my kit and come on and off with the textiles. I wear my shirt but not my trousers underneath and change at work. There is a drying room there as well which helps. I also use my summer gloves as they dry easily, but handguards keep the worst of the rain off them anyway.

I found nickwaxing has worked, did you make sure there was no residue of soappowder in the machine before you used it?

[techno]

Youll be lucky to find owt to keep your crotch dry if its raining heavy enough and your in it for long enough as water pools there between seat and tank especially without faff!

Goretex isnt all its cracked up to be I still have fond memories of a trip to symonds yat where pete was bragging about his goretex and by the second day was looking for something better he and his ladyfriend were both soaked lol

As for feet only thing I have found that works to keep them dry and warm is to wrap them in plastic bags first.

[Throttled]

Youll be lucky to find owt to keep your crotch dry if its raining heavy enough and your in it for long enough as water pools there between seat and tank especially without faff!

........

 

I stand up on the pegs to clear out and water. It only takes a second.

[lucky]

Get great kit

I have a BMW streetguard 3. it has kept me dry through 14hrs of rain before trip to wales standing water horrible (went in november to the off road school via my perants in plymouth). Absoloutley brilliant im taking it on a tour around the UK in November and not worried about getting wet. Also even if i wear it in the height of summer or the depths of winter never to hot or cold clever climate layer.

Downsides are if you ride a sports bike it can catch the back of your helmet if you dont remove the storm collar, there isnt any elastic in the thigh area so look a bit baggy of the bike and the main one is the price. Its just over £1000 but i feel its worth every penny and its still cheaper than hein gerickes master 5 and only a touch more expensive than dianese gator gortex.

[The Drain]

Give up on wearing the work clothes underneath and change into clean dry stuff when you arrive.

My bike stuff will dry during the shift.

[dimmers]

if you get a waterproof jacket to go over the top of your normal jacket that is long enough to cover your crotch area, then this will help.

i got a waterproof over jacket that has a zip at the top near the neck, but doesn't unzip all the way down, so the bottom part is quite long so the water doesn't really get a chance to soak my trousers.

also, change your clothes at work, as others have said keep your work clothes in your bag (in a dry bag), also keep a spare pair of socks in your bag just in case your boots don't keep your feet completely dry.

i also keep some spare clothes at work, but appreciate that might not be possible for everyone.

only downside to the waterproof over jacket and trousers are that they make you really hot and sweaty, as the better something is at being waterproof, the less breathable they are

[getready]

I use textiles and wear my work clothes underneath.

 

Stick your clothes in another bag/pannier etc, if you can get changed at work. I put my folded work gear in my Kreiga backpack which is waterproof and have never had a problem yet. I recently swapped to Hein Gericke Gore-Tex and have not had any water breaches yet either!

[uk190]

you dont have to spend a mint on kit.

i bought a pair of second hand alpinestars smx gortex boots on ebay for 40quid 6 years ago. and i have never had so much as a damp toe in all that time.

my alpinestars 365 gloves have remained waterproof since i bought them. i paid 45 new instead of 150ish as they had a split seam that needed a few stiches replacing.

my textile jacket and trousers keep 95% of the weather out and i have a heine gericke over suit that cost a fiver at the bmf which takes case of any heavy downpour.

get searching on the net for some decent kit a bargain prices, but do it before the nasty weather arrives as the demand for them will increase.

[Chimera101]

I have a pair of waterproof trousers much like those posted by throttled, keep them in my locker at work and have a 2 piece Frank Thomas waterproof set, removed the thermal liner from th FT trousers and just wear them over my jeans. Use HG goretex boots and can ride all day in shitty Glasgow weather and still be dry at the end.

I just bought it all during the sales one bit at a time.

In general I look at the weather before my commute, if it looks like it's gona be shitty, I figure it will be and dress accordingly, i'd rather be a bit too hot than soaked and cold.

[Mawsley]

Always buy stuff for me or the kids when I see it dirt cheap - my upstairs bit of the garage is turning into a clothing store bit by bit

[Fozzie]

The water proof trousers you wear over your gear Throttled suggested work excellently

I can also suggest SIDI vertigo boots! Not a single leak!

[GarethNW]

I wear textiles which are water proof for about 20 mins there that worn out now but I got a full rain suite for £25 and it not only keeps me dry as a bone but warm 2! really warm.

My boots will get wet if I ride for > than an hour in one go but then I just use plastic bags. Hands get wet but /care and my helm gets wet but then I have no hair so also /care.

Seriously £25 and my crotch and pants are dry

I drive 50 miles a day in rain and as long as I use the suite ill be bone dry underneath

[Gemissary]

I have some cheap plastic overtrousers, they kept me dry for 8 hours riding back from Scotland, I can't even remember buying them they are so old. They are like fishing waders without the feet.

[croup101]

my winter kit includes a buffalo rocket jacket, buffalo samurai trousers, spada enforcer gloves and rst waterproof boots, only time i got wet was when i forgot to fasten the jacket up properly

i have a set of bmw leathers that are rainproof and they are mind bogglingly good at keeping out showers, got caught up in orkney with a complete downpour and only my alpinestar gloves got soaking wet.

[Sigil]

I have some HG textiles and find they are totally waterproof, been out in the rain for a 3hour trip and not a drop leaked from the trousers and the jacket. Altho the left boot i got from them leaks, been to see them and there replacing it as soon as they get more stock

BUT the kit is only 3 months old and hasn't had that much use yet will need to review them after a year or two as imo thats when kit starts to show its failings.

[Sigil]

one thing that dose leak a lot is my gloves... there revit H2O gloves that are ment to be waterproof but are just not, dont know if the heated grips are causing them to draw in water but my hands get soaked after a long ride in the poring rain...