Re: Waterproof jacket - advice sought

Chris said:

Simon Brooke said:

Ground Effect Storm Trooper, here:

... plus, you get to look like Kenny from South Park...

When i saw the name, i got particularly excited, as i thought it would
enable me to look like the eponymous Imperial clone soldiers. Now that,
i'd import from New Zealand without a second thought!

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions (and any more still inbound);
i'm going to go over those, plus Wiggle and whatever i can see in
Decathlon and some specialist shops in town, and have a bit of a think.

Looking at these jackets did prompt another wonder, though: why are map
pockets (or generic cyclist's pockets, anyway) on the back of the jacket?
Surely it's a hell of a lot easier to get at a pocket on the front, and
having a pocket on the back is going to weigh the jacket down onto you and
impede airflow, no? Not to mention be tricky to reach through your
backpack, if you're wearing one (which reminds me - must get some panniers
too!).

tom

--
THE DRUMMER FROM DEF LEPPARD'S ONLY GOT ONE ARM!

Tom Anderson said:

Looking at these jackets did prompt another wonder, though: why are map
pockets (or generic cyclist's pockets, anyway) on the back of the
jacket?

Like so many things in the world of cycling, they are designed according
to the needs of racing cyclists, even if they are not designed to be
used by racing cyclists. It's just the way things are done.

Racing cyclists spend most of their time hunched over the [low] bars, so
bulky items stored in pockets on the front of their clothes would be an
impedance.

If you buy jackets from places such as Tchibo, they are designed for the
more leisure-oriented cyclist and usually have pockets on the front.

However, even for the sportier end of the non-racing cyclist spectrum,
storing stuff in rear pockets is usually more comfortable.

d.

in message <[email hidden]>, Tom

Anderson (') said:

Looking at these jackets did prompt another wonder, though: why are
map pockets (or generic cyclist's pockets, anyway) on the back of the
jacket? Surely it's a hell of a lot easier to get at a pocket on the
front, and having a pocket on the back is going to weigh the jacket
down onto you and impede airflow, no?

Not on a bike, no. If you're riding a bike you want to be able to lean
forward without anything catching between your belly and your thighs as
you pedal, and it would be exceedingly difficult to access such a
pocket whilst pedalling. On the other hand, things on your back are
conveniently out of the way, and in turbulent air where air drag isn't
of much consequence (recumbents are different, of course).

Quoted message said:

Not to mention be tricky to
reach through your backpack, if you're wearing one (which reminds me -
must get some panniers too!).

But on a bike you're _not_ wearing a backpack, if you've got any sense!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; So, before proceeding with definitive screwing, choose the
;; position most congenital.
-- instructions for fitting bicycle handlebars