proper clothing for nasty weather?

David German said:

Hi

I'm pretty new into using a bike for daily commute, and so I would be
grateful for useful tips regarding clothing. While I can figure out what
to wear when it's nice outside, I'm not sure what is the good choice for
rain/slush. Do people usually put something waterproof (like hiking
pants) over regular clothes, or is it better to change? I was trying to
find something on the web, but it seems to me that the waterproof pants
for cycling are too wide and they may be caught into the chain...
Another questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is
it just a waste of money?

Thanks in advance.

David

Check out www.icebike.com for cold weather stuff, they have a review on
a pair of cycling-specific rain pants, too.

There are a lot of good cycling rain jackets around, but not too many
rain pants. I shortened a cheapie pair of vinyl-coated fabric ones and
added Velcro to make rain knickers. My experience with expensive
(Goretex) ones was they wear out too fast in the seat.

Fenders are very useful, both for keeping the water splash off you, but
even more important, keeping all the grit off you, they can make a huge
comfort difference. I've bought expensive ones and cheap ones, and even
the cheap ones (Zefal ~$20) work fine.

David German said:

Hi

I'm pretty new into using a bike for daily commute, and so I would be
grateful for useful tips regarding clothing. While I can figure out what
to wear when it's nice outside, I'm not sure what is the good choice for
rain/slush. Do people usually put something waterproof (like hiking
pants) over regular clothes, or is it better to change? I was trying to
find something on the web, but it seems to me that the waterproof pants
for cycling are too wide and they may be caught into the chain...
Another questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is
it just a waste of money?

Full fenders are extremely useful, such as the "Freddy Fenders" by
Planet Bike. No commuter bike should be without them.

Dressing for wet weather can be tricky, because the challenge isn't
really to stay dry. You can't stay dry on a bike. The challenge is to
stay warm.

In the summer, I generally don't bother with rain gear. Wicking bike
clothes dry just as fast from rain water as from sweat, and I usually
wear SPD sandals (with coolmax socks if needed).

In cooler weather, the issue is to wear something that won't soak
through and stay wet, because being dressed in cold, wet clothes is
bad. What I generally do (and this has evolved over the years, and
continues to do so as I age and my tolerance for cold diminishes) is to
use a light breathable shell with big armpit vents, and matching nylon
pants. I dress as lightly as possible under the shell, usually in
standard lycra cycling clothes and tights. I have an extra pair of SPD
sandals that are a size too big. I wear them with heavy socks, and
cover my feet with plastic bags before putting the sandals on, tucking
the bags up into the cuffs of my tights.

It's still a challenge to regulate body temp so that I don't soak
myself in sweat inside the shell.

Having said all that, if it looks like it's going to be near freezing
and raining, I generally wimp out and take the train. A 26-mile RT
commute in the cold wet is more than my medication-slowed metabolism
can handle any more.

RichC

Quoted message said:

I'm pretty new into using a bike for daily commute, and so I would be
grateful for useful tips regarding clothing. While I can figure out what
to wear when it's nice outside, I'm not sure what is the good choice for
rain/slush. Do people usually put something waterproof (like hiking pants)
over regular clothes, or is it better to change? I was trying to find
something on the web, but it seems to me that the waterproof pants for
cycling are too wide and they may be caught into the chain... Another
questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is it just a
waste of money?

Several things here to consider.

#1: Do you have a place to change when you get where you're going? If so,
and your commute is any length at all, best to change into fresh clothes at
your destination. Anything you wear that actually keeps you dry from rain is
likely to have quite a "sauna" effect on the inside, so you won't arrive at
your destination smelling exactly fresh.

#2: How cold is it? If not too cold, then absolute waterproofing isn't that
big a deal. It's the combo of wet & cold that demands the most-serious
attention to detail.

#3: Waterproof pants work OK for me on the flats, but when I get to a climb,
or anytime I have to work hard, they're pretty miserable to wear. You
generate so much heat inside them... but if it's really cold, you do what
you gotta do.

#4: Fenders do work. They keep the spray off your back and shoes, and make
life far more pleasant for anyone behind you. They also help to keep spray
off your drivetrain. I used to think fenders, why bother? But I've since
seen the light. Too many rainy days in Northern California this year not to.

Wow... sad to think I didn't know where CMU was until going to the website.
Even sadder that it took maybe 5 minutes to run down the location once *on*
their website. So you're in Pittsburgh... my guess is that cold+wet applies!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

David German said:

Another questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is
it just a waste of money?

In my experience, fenders are useful *after* it rains, so water
on the road doesn't get all over you and your bike. They aren't
useful when it's actually raining, because you and your bike are
going to get wet anyway.
--
"But hey, the fact that I have better taste than anybody else in the
universe is just something I have to live with. It's not easy being
me."
--Linus Torvalds

"David German" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm pretty new into using a bike for daily commute, and so I would be
grateful for useful tips regarding clothing. While I can figure out what
to wear when it's nice outside, I'm not sure what is the good choice for
rain/slush. Do people usually put something waterproof (like hiking pants)
over regular clothes, or is it better to change?

I wear cycling-specific clothing for the commute. If it's some combo of
cold/damp (pretty much all winter here is 40 - 45 degrees and raining), then
my preference is for thermal tights over bike shorts, wool socks, a wicking
layer next to the skin, an old wool sweater, and a rain jacket. If it's
absolutely pouring or very cold, booties. Full-finger gloves, of course.

Around here, it's almost too late to be buying thermal tights on clearance.
But late winter/early spring is the time to look. They can run as much as
$80, so getting them for 50% off is well worth it. The kind people wear for
running in the winter work, too, and you can find those at Sport Authority.
Bike tights usually are only at the LBS.

Quoted message said:

Another questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is
it just a waste of money?

Fenders make a huge difference. If you don't have clearance for standard
fenders, those race-day ones work well enough.

Do you have a way to dry clothes at work? Hanging things up helps; a small
fan helps; putting damp socks/gloves on your monitor helps. It is
discouraging to put on damp socks at the end of a day at work.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Ben Pfaff said:

David German said:

Another questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is
it just a waste of money?

In my experience, fenders are useful *after* it rains, so water
on the road doesn't get all over you and your bike. They aren't
useful when it's actually raining, because you and your bike are
going to get wet anyway.

While it's raining, you get more water on you from spray than the rain
itself, unless it's raining really hard. Rain that hard usually only
lasts a few minutes.

Yes, fenders are useful! Unfortunately they don't fit on most road bikes
these days.

Matt O.

David German said:

I'm pretty new into using a bike for daily commute, and so I would be
grateful for useful tips regarding clothing. While I can figure out what
to wear when it's nice outside, I'm not sure what is the good choice for
rain/slush. Do people usually put something waterproof (like hiking
pants) over regular clothes, or is it better to change? I was trying to
find something on the web, but it seems to me that the waterproof pants
for cycling are too wide and they may be caught into the chain...

You can get waterproof/breathable tights for cold, wet weather -- PI
Amfib, etc. They're not perfect, but you'll be drier than with regular
tights.

As far as putting rain gear on over regular clothes -- I wouldn't even
bother to try, unless you're travelling really short distances.

Quoted message said:

Another questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is
it just a waste of money?

Put 'em on if they'll fit.

Matt O.

In article <[email hidden]>,

David German said:

Hi

I'm pretty new into using a bike for daily commute, and so I would be
grateful for useful tips regarding clothing. While I can figure out what
to wear when it's nice outside, I'm not sure what is the good choice for
rain/slush. Do people usually put something waterproof (like hiking
pants) over regular clothes, or is it better to change? I was trying to
find something on the web, but it seems to me that the waterproof pants
for cycling are too wide and they may be caught into the chain...
Another questions would be regarding fenders. Are they any useful, or is
it just a waste of money?

Thanks in advance.

I just got back home from a leisurely all-day pedal about town
in the rain, with stops at various thrift shops[*], dollar stores,
DQ, coffee house, etc. I just wore street clothes (yesterday's
work clothes, in fact -- jeans, plaid flannel shirt, wool pullover,
jeans jacket, lace-up oxford shoes. Fresh underwear & socks,
of course.)

I'm comfortably and unperspiringly sitting here, dry as a bone.
My rain gear consists of a cycling-specific rain cape, homemade
toeclip covers, cordura gaiters, helmet cover, and full fenders
c/w mudflaps on the bike.

I suppose the whole ensemble looks rather odd, but it works ever
so well. Except the rain cape precludes making hand signals, so
I stuck to the less busy streets as much as possible. And of course
I had my generator lights on -- drivers seem to appreciate that.

cheers,
Tom

[*] looking for an old-fashioned, stove-top, 2-cup coffee percolator.
The kind with the inner basket and glass thingie in the lid.

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca