Help for a softy

In article <1i0l1qn.z4lw3k1hpjkvnN%
[email hidden]>, Ekul Namsob
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

I don't live in South Yorkshire, so would not appreciate suggestions
involving bouyancy aids.

A couple of layers of close-fitting synthetics and a wind-proof top
layer. It's not cold, just wet (although you'll probably want full-
finger gloves and something more than a cotton cap, and it can be
unpleasant having squelchy shoes). If you're fitness cycling them
presumably you'll be going home to a warm shower and change of clothes
afterwards so you don't need to try to keep dry.

Ekul Namsob wrote on 01/07/2007 17:39 +0100:

Quoted message said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

I don't live in South Yorkshire, so would not appreciate suggestions
involving bouyancy aids.

Cheers,
Luke

The thing I learnt many years ago when I was a postie in my university
holidays was not to try to keep dry. Accept you are going to get wet,
wear clothing that is warm, quick drying and doesn't get waterlogged,
keep you possessions e.g. phone, wallet, money in a waterproof bag. Put
a hat on your head too as for some reason cold rain direct on the head
makes you feel miserable. Then get out and enjoy yourself. Once you
are comfortable that you are going to get wet you can have fun splashing
though the puddles and charging the shower of water that the wind has
just blown off a tree.

You can try to cover yourself in waterproofs but two things happen -
they always leak somewhere eventually such as round the neck and then
you focus on the fact you are getting wet and don't want to. And your
sweat condenses on the inside and makes you wet anyway.

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

Ekul Namsob said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

1 Identify what it is about being on your bike in the wet that's unpleasant. This varies
for different people. (Me? I admit to being a fair weather cyclist - Can't abide the rain
on my glasses, I get cold easily and can't warm up, and stuff that keeps the rain out
keeps the perspiration in.)

2 It's vital to be able to adapt to conditions which can change a lot during a ride.
Layers or alternatives. (Thought: What do you do with them when you're not wearing them?)

3 Practice and experiment. Try a 15 minute ride in slightly-wet conditions. Is that
bearable? What was the worst aspect? Is there any way of fixing it? One aspect is that
you start 'cold' and only get a glow on after 10 minutes... ...now what happens if you
shelter under a tree for another 15 mins to let the worst of the rain get past? Or spend
an hour or two in the pub and now have to don damp gear? These things can be mitigated by
(a) clever clothing and (b) managing your layers.

4 Many times I've given up because of the /risk/ of rain which is a bit sad really.
Nowadays, if it is warm, I try to take a chance on getting a bit wet on the way back from
the pub. Knowing that a bit of rain isn't the end of the world increases the cycling
opportunities. Also knowing what sort of rain (fast moving showers, persistent, heavy,
driving etc.) to expect and looking at the radar helps.

Hopefully there will be lots of people along here later who can quote chapter and verse on
3(a) and 3(b). [Not to mention 3(£££)]

--
Peter Fox
Beer, dancing, cycling and lots more at www.eminent.demon.co.uk

"Peter Fox" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ekul Namsob said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

I must be missing the horrible weather as I've been out everyweekend but two
since mid-December and have worn waterproofs only two or three times.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

3 Practice and experiment. Try a 15 minute ride in slightly-wet
conditions. Is that bearable? What was the worst aspect? Is there any
way of fixing it? One aspect is that you start 'cold' and only get a glow
on after 10 minutes... ...now what happens if you shelter under a tree
for another 15 mins to let the worst of the rain get past? Or spend an
hour or two in the pub and now have to don damp gear? These things can be
mitigated by (a) clever clothing and (b) managing your layers.

Today I forgot my waterproof jacket and had I known that I'd set of for the
Audax an hour early, I'd have turned back for it. I was wearing a standard
ALDI cycling top, a pair of baggy shorts and a Gill skull cap. I had an ALDI
winter jacket in my saddle bag if the temperature dropped. I was prepared
to get damp and I did so several times during the ride when there were very
heavy downpours. Donning the jacket lifted my body temperature even though
I'd got soaked and I just got on with the ride. I removed the jacket when I
got too warm and the rain had subsided. At no time did I become
uncomfortable.

From past riding especially during cycle touring trips, I found it best to
be resigned to getting wet and then ameliorating the effects. I don't have
expensive cycling clothing, only ALDI's Coolmax tops and jackets and I've
found they have served me well in keeping me warm during damp and inclement
weather. Until recently the only thing that I had that could lay any claim
to being waterproof was a Peter Storm PVC lined shower and wind proofproof
anorak which, when combined with a couple of Aldi layers kept me warm and
prevented the layers from becoming waterlogged. I now have an Altura jacket
now that they make them in 3XL size and have found it to be supremely
waterproof but very sweaty if I am expending a lot of energy on the bike. A
purchase that I made last year that has earned its keep is a rugby base
layer made by Canterbury of NZ. It's brilliant at wicking moisture away
from the body and keeping you warm.

Quoted message said:

4 Many times I've given up because of the /risk/ of rain which is a bit
sad really. Nowadays, if it is warm, I try to take a chance on getting a
bit wet on the way back from the pub. Knowing that a bit of rain isn't
the end of the world increases the cycling opportunities. Also knowing
what sort of rain (fast moving showers, persistent, heavy, driving etc.)
to expect and looking at the radar helps.

I'm sure that it's a state of mind. My wife has been alarmed to see me set
off for Audaxes when it's been snowing, pouring down and/or thick frost
about. When touring normally one just has to get on with it. The weather
has only stopped me once this year - gale force winds. Today was the
wettest I've been all year but it was tolerable.

Quoted message said:

Hopefully there will be lots of people along here later who can quote
chapter and verse on 3(a) and 3(b). [Not to mention 3(£££)]

Don't have to spend a fortune. ALDI tops are around £6, ALDI jackets
£10-12? Altura jacket £40 and the Canterbury base layer was £15 - not
exactly a fortune.

On 1 Jul, 17:39, [email hidden] (Ekul Namsob)

Quoted message said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

I don't live in South Yorkshire, so would not appreciate suggestions
involving bouyancy aids.

Cheers,
Luke

--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>

Running in the rain is more fun than cycling, and there are
synergistic benefits too.

vernon said:

. A
purchase that I made last year that has earned its keep is a rugby base
layer made by Canterbury of NZ. It's brilliant at wicking moisture away
from the body and keeping you warm.

Where did you get that from Vernon?

Ekul Namsob said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

I don't live in South Yorkshire, so would not appreciate suggestions
involving bouyancy aids.

Cheers,
Luke

i use mountain bike baggie shorts and some tight biking tops, if the
hills are enought should keep you warm, add a light jaket if need be.

plus maybe change the route around so your more sheltered?

i'm hoping to get time to expore a old roman road, nr box hill bit of
luck it will be squishy as i have mud tires and be fun to use the
mountain bike.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

A baseball cap to keep the rain out of my eyes and off my head, then close
fitting synthetics work for me. If the rain is warm (looks out of window
and scowls at it) I don't bother with a windproof - I'll don it if I'm
getting cold. Sometimes I wear gloves in the rain.

For fitness cycling, waterproofs/windproofs are best donned only if you'll
get cold. I normally prefer water resistant windproofs over waterproofs.

Ekul Namsob said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

The problem with waterproofs is that if they stop the water getting in
they stop your sweat getting out, so you get wet whether you wear them
or not.

Unless of course you wear a cycle cape. Problem solved!

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

Chris Malcolm said:

Ekul Namsob said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Quoted message said:

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

The problem with waterproofs is that if they stop the water getting in
they stop your sweat getting out, so you get wet whether you wear them
or not.

A decent, lightweight, gore-tex cycling jacket always did just fine
for me. I've never bothered trying to cover my legs, preferring to
stick to lycra shorts where possible, or cycling tights in the winter.
One thing I've done a few times, when it's been absolutely torrential,
is wear a pair of thin wetsuit socks inside my cycling shoes, one pair
of which is fortunately easily expandable with velcro straps. Keeps
the feet nice and toasty even in the wettest coldest conditions.

Quoted message said:

Unless of course you wear a cycle cape. Problem solved!

They always look so ungainly; don't they flap around terribly at
anything approaching half-decent speeds?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Unless of course you wear a cycle cape. Problem solved!

They always look so ungainly; don't they flap around terribly at
anything approaching half-decent speeds?

They pretty much stop you cycling at half decent speeds. For trundlies
only.

Tony Raven said:

The thing I learnt many years ago when I was a postie in my university
holidays was not to try to keep dry. Accept you are going to get wet,
wear clothing that is warm, quick drying and doesn't get waterlogged,
keep you possessions e.g. phone, wallet, money in a waterproof bag. Put
a hat on your head too as for some reason cold rain direct on the head
makes you feel miserable.

Seconded, at least for warm weather. Do wear something windproof,
though. Soaking wet clothes don't have to be unpleasant as long as you
keep a layer of warm water next to your skin, but without a windproof
layer that same water will quickly carry the heat away from your skin as
you ride.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Ekul Namsob said:

Can anyone recommend to me some appropriate clothes for fitness cycling
in these conditions?

Since I got caught in the lashing rain on the way home on Thursday (with
a killer headwind, probably > 30mph to boot, making the journey mostly a
first gear slog even on the downhill bits) - the thing I find that makes
the biggest difference is a peaked hat of some sort. The bill of a
baseball cap is just enough to keep the water from being driven into my
eyes. Makes all the difference. As well as something long sleeved.

I don't really mind riding in the wet, but headwinds + wet isn't as much
fun!

--
Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

Quoting
Mark <pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid>:
[capes]

Quoted message said:

They pretty much stop you cycling at half decent speeds. For trundlies
only.

Weird. I wonder how I managed to commute at my usual cruising speed of
about 20mph wearing one?
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> flcl?
Today is First Sunday, Presuary - a weekend.

David Damerell wrote on 02/07/2007 17:03 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Quoting
Mark <pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid>:
[capes]

Quoted message said:

They pretty much stop you cycling at half decent speeds. For trundlies
only.

Weird. I wonder how I managed to commute at my usual cruising speed of
about 20mph wearing one?

Tailwind?

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

They pretty much stop you cycling at half decent speeds. For
trundlies only.

Weird. I wonder how I managed to commute at my usual cruising speed of
about 20mph wearing one?

Heh, do a 10 mile time trial with it on and tell us what yer average is 😉

Ekul Namsob said:

I've plenty of waterproof walking gear and spent Boxing Day climbing
Pen-y-Ghent in the snow, so I'm not really a softy but I haven't gone
out on my bike now for weeks because of this horrible weather.

Like other people have said, accept you are going to get
wet. I mostly don't mind getting wet, but hate getting cold.

For the weather like we have had recently where it is warm
and raining, I just don a waterproof jacket and gloves.
I then regulate my temperature with the zip on the jacket.
(and the underarm vents). I often have the zip fully undone.
For some reason I don't like my hands getting wet, and
this keep them dry.

I have two waterproof jackets and pairs of gloves, and in
dry weather I keep on set at home (the good set), and the
older set at work.

David Damerell said:

Weird. I wonder how I managed to commute at my usual cruising speed of
about 20mph wearing [a cape]

By being in the wrong gear, I expect ;-)

-dan

Tony Raven said:

The thing I learnt many years ago when I was a postie in my university
holidays was not to try to keep dry. Accept you are going to get wet,
wear clothing that is warm, quick drying and doesn't get waterlogged,
keep you possessions e.g. phone, wallet, money in a waterproof bag. Put
a hat on your head too as for some reason cold rain direct on the head
makes you feel miserable.

I agree as far as this goes. But I was out in the deluge today, and I
had to stop because so much rain got in my eyes I couldn't keep them
open. So I would say the hat needs to have a peak or a brim. In less
extreme conditions, it keeps the rain off your glasses - today once I
could see out of my eyes I got the best view over my glasses rather
than through them.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at
the population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as
walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.