So the fall/winter/spring rains have started here in the pacific north west, and the search for waterproof winter gear restarts: is there anybody here that has found REALLY waterproof breathable gear? And by “here” I mean PNW, as it seems the misty/wet rain here is much more of a challenge for gear.
The only combo I have found that “mostly works” for my daily 2.5 hours on the bike is a base layer +
ski “shell pants” (very bulky and not breathable)
“boating like” shell top (fairly heavy shell, bright yellow, again not breathable)
barrier lobster claw gloves WITH bar “booties” (those things you put on top of the bars made of some fairly thick shell material, otherwise the gloves despite being “waterproof” will start letting water in in 30 min or so)
“waterproof” booties over MTB shoes + smartwool socks (which will get wet after about an hour, but at least will stay warm, seriously considering getting a 2nd set of booties to put on top)
as you can imagine the above is extremely bulky and uncomfortable, but I’ve tried (and wasted $$ on) several other alternatives but no dice, it seems that when manufacturers say “waterproof” they mean “if it sprinkles for 10 minutes it might keep you dry”, nothing like our weather here with steady solid rain coming down and tons of spray from vehicles/wheels coming up.
Can anybody but together a WATERPROOF, BREATHABLE, FORM FITTING set of gear for a longish (75min each way) bike commute in PNW rain? I mean, pro riders do ride outside even in winter for hours and I assume they do ride in the rain too, where do they get their gear? is it gear that’s even available for “normal” customers? Or is it something that’s not available because it’s too much $$$ and the market is too small?
Forget the whole form fitting part. Get yourself a coat made out of event fabric and you’ll love it. Who cares if you have a little more wind drag in the winter? I’d rather be warm and dry.
it’s not like I want something that’s as tight as summer gear and I could care less about aero, I just want gear that I don’t have to fight when pedaling etc. because it’s super stiff and/or bulky.
I realize its a ski jacket but the material it is made out of is brand new and more than likely exactly what you are looking for. If you dont like the cut of this jacket I would assume they are going to eventually come out with a lot of styles built around this materials platform.
Does “waterproof yet breathable” even exist? I always thought this was something along the lines of the “laterally stiff yet vertically compliant” (or whatever wording the bike companies use)…
Whenever I put on anything waterproof I tend to create my own weather inside whatever garment it is. If I’m hot/sweaty then it tends to “rain” inside my jacket. The moisture doesn’t escape, it just condensates on the inside and drips back down on me, which is arguably no better than getting rained on to begin with.
why are you bothering with trying to stay dry? Nothing is waterproof enough to keep the rain out, and breathable enough to let the large quantities of sweat out. You’re going to be wet, whether the water comes from outside or in. What you need to be is warm.
The way to be warm is to have insulating layers that are effective while wet layered underneath a windproof jacket.
“dry” is relative, I’d settle for “wet and warm as I would be if it wasn’t raining”, i.e. not feeling like my hands/ankles/feet/thighs are cold due to water coming in from the outside. And yes, your “insulating that are effective layered underneath windproof” is pretty much where I’m at body-wise, what I’d like is though for the outer layers to be (a lot) more form fitting and easier to pedal in. I have yet to figure out a way to have “layering” on my hands though.
I am starting to wonder if I should just give up and get one of those gigantic “bike poncho” type garments…
Well, as a fellow Cascadia resident, I’d split my answer in 2… Commuting can be a big challenge if you’re trying to ride in work clothes but fit everything inside a non-restrictive yet non-flappy barrier layer. For me, it’s gotta be a short commute, but since you’re talking about something much longer I think I’d start looking into treating it more like a regular ride and then change into work clothes separately.
For a ‘real’ ride, I just want the shell to block wind and keep the cold outside water from pouring in faster than it can warm up, but I expect to be soaked through one way or the other whether it’s rain or sweat. Sometimes, I actually prefer the rain so my gear gets kinda rinsed through and doesn’t smell so horrifically bad later, as long as it’s not so heavy it pours down my face so I can’t see.
For the 2 biggest problem areas (hand & feet)… If you really need to get waterproof, bike-designed gloves just don’t cut it since the seams will always leak over time. I’ve used neoprene glacier gloves designed for paddlers that are welded, but then you need a good wicking liner to keep them from getting too clammy inside (but eventually they WILL get funky anyway). Good news is they’re much cheaper than the fancy cycling-marketed ones so replacement is far less painful, plus they have above-average grip/dexterity compared to bulkier insulation. Feet: I am a convert to dedicated winter MTB boots. Expensive, but worth it to me over dealing with booties on top of regular bike shoes. Still not 100% waterproof (water will eventually wick down your leg from above via your sock) but it retards the soaking process enough that my feet will stay warm even when damp on a longer ride, and maybe even stay dry on a shorter ride, plus they are far more functional if/when you get off the bike and have to walk around on wet leaves, storm grates, etc. Also, they’re bigger than my summer shoes so I can fit in a thicker wool sock without squeezing the toes (depends on the manufacturer/model whether they factor this into their sizing or you have to buy a larger size).
oh definitely I couldn’t not change into work clothes thanks for the tips on hands/feet, when it gets cold I switch my pedals from clipless to platforms and just wear my winter snowshoeing boots, those do seem to work to keep the water out (although of course they weigh a lot more than bike shoes, and I can’t be clipped in), I will investigate some paddling gloves at MEC to see how they work…
I own the following gear and have used it throughout the worst of a British winter day after day on rides up to 5 or 6 hours in far from ideal conditions. Endura is a Scotish manufacturer and started of making MTB clothing for the market.
I have been dry and comfortable in sleet, snow, heavy rain and wind out on the moors at temperatures down to -10 degrees celcius. I have yet to find gloves which work as well as this stuff and are not so bulky that they hamper gear changing but thats another issue. I believe you can import this stuff into the States as there have been reviews on the site from your side of the pond. One suggestion backed up by personal experience.
Theoretically it does. Gore Tex for example. But to prevent water droplets from coming in, pore size has to be really small. Result is that the fabric will let water vapor (free molecule) go through at a very slow rate. Gore tex is fine for fishing and slow speed walking. Practically speaking, for running, cycling and even downhill skiing, waterproof/breathable does not exist. Gore Tex is totally windproof however. In cold and windy conditions, hard to beat Gore-Tex. If buying a Gore-Tex jacket for high-intensity exercises, make sure it has plenty of zippers to vent it up.
For backcountry skiing, i always use Gore-Tex. For cross-country skiing, running and cycling, never. If it rains, it is warm enough to get wet while running. I carry a typical cycling rain jacket for sudden storms, waterproof booties and gloves for hand and feet. They end up wet from sweat anyways. At some point when cycling in the wet and cold, you just HTFU and hope you don’t get a flat.
At hi sweat rates all fabrics fail. Ive found no ideal fabric.
The most useful technical fabric ive used is gore windstopper. I still sweat a storm but it does breathe decently well ehile yhe windstop portion is the most important and actually does work well which is key if you are going fast while soaked.
The only cycling specific jacket I have is a trash bag style clear plastic one, zero breathability but it is waterproof. But for the really driving rain commutes, prefer a Patagonia hard shell with zippers to vent. For training rides the trash bag jacket is fine - going to be soaked no matter what so I just want something that will keep the wind completely out.
My hands freeze no matter the conditions so I go with non-biking gear as the cycling stuff just doesn’t seem to cut it. I go with a base layer thin glove, then an Outdoor Research light fleece mitten, finally an Outdoor Research Gore Tex mitten.
There was a thread a few months ago about the best booties for wet weather, may be worth digging up.
Doesn’t exist. As soon asi can find gear that is waterproof enough it can’t handle my sweat output. Especially if my output changes as I encounter uphills and downhills. As the weather gets colder,the gore like material ices up meaning no transport.
In real humid conditions like you get it is even worse. I’m in Calgary so we don’t get the humidity and all we have to deal with is venting and real breathable stuff as we don’t get rain for the next 4 months.
The closest thing to water proof and breathable I’ve ever used was a jacket made by “Activa”, most of my rides are around 45 mins., so in the rain in winter, being more waterproof was more important than breathable.
So the fall/winter/spring rains have started here in the pacific north west, and the search for waterproof winter gear restarts: is there anybody here that has found REALLY waterproof breathable gear? And by “here” I mean PNW, as it seems the misty/wet rain here is much more of a challenge for gear.
I live in the PNW, north of Portland, OR. The following items keep me warm, dry and comfortable every winter:
Gore Bike Wear:
Gore-tex helmet coverContest thermal padded bib tights with ankle zipsGore-tex shoe coversVulcano gloves and Gore-tex gloves (with wool liners)LS thermal full zip jersey
SS full zip jerseyGore-tex Alp-X shellI use a Performance base layer tank top as my first layer, then add the other items accordingly, along with Smartwool medium weight crew length socks. In colder weather, I wear a Smartwool skull cap underneath a cotton cycling cap. I use a pair of Nashbar winter gloves with Smartwool liners when the temperature drops below 30.
This ensemble has kept me very comfortable and warm every winter, with minimal bulk. Although, it doesn’t keep out all rain when I’m out for several hours during a bike/run brick in a torrential downpour.
thanks for the tips on hands/feet, when it gets cold I switch my pedals from clipless to platforms and just wear my winter snowshoeing boots, those do seem to work to keep the water out (although of course they weigh a lot more than bike shoes, and I can’t be clipped in), I will investigate some paddling gloves at MEC to see how they work…
