Wet weather gear

ive kind of given up on the idea that there will be a summer around the corner and im quite excited about having to ride to uni in the rain when i go back.....so im going to have to acquire some wet weather gear,im going to need

.waterproof trousers to go over jeans
.a waterproof cycling coat
.a bag which is also waterproof
.gloves full finger

do any of you all year round commuters have any tips/suggestions.....bear in mind that im a very skint student:)

-water proof trousers make me just as wet from the sweat! I don't bother with em.
roll up jeans (then usually only the knee to thigh area will get wet- surprises me how dry my legs stay...)

-water proof(ish) jacket - decathalon - 15 quid. Perfect for up to 45 mins in rain.

More important is decent mudguards - it's the water coming up that gets you really wet, not the water coming down...

Better yet.

Get a feckin job!

Feckin students...

On a serous note....

Give full consideration to the validity of yer course.

If it really ain't necessary, sack it off and don't feck yer life with a ready-made £25k disadvantage.

If yer gonna be a Dr or a vet or a architecht where qualis are all, do it.

If yer doing anything creative, be a runner and sign on.

End sermon.

Gore windstopper gloves. Lovely toastie fingers.

thanks for that mate

For your legs
your hands
your feet
and jackets aren't ard to find, altura are good if you cannot afford gore tex.

Find a cheap sports shop e.g. Sports Soccer, and you can usually find a pair of plastic waterproof trousers that will be something around £8 or less! Don't forget to get overshoes too!

Those rainlegs, look, err, odd. Perhaps its my "lycra and other assorted strange cycling fancy dress fear" kicking in.

Bags - well you can use your existing bag and get those Ortleib dry bags and put one inside your current bag. They're relatively cheap depending on the size, and are capable to be submerged and keep the contents dry if you do them up properly. Wiggle have them.

TBH I prefer to have wet legs and shorts than waterproofs over trousers... I'd suggest getting some cycle-specific shorts (not the skimpy lycra type unless you really want it) or 3/4s. Most of them shed rain quite well and dry off quickly.

Or get a cycling cape :)

you need breathable waterproof imo, goretex xcr is perfect. the prices vary greatly due to the brands. i would recomend some army surplus goretex xcr gear (jacket and shorts) available from camden, mile end or an excellent shop in lee green called mad mikes

go cape
go cape
go cape

i tried a cape, no bueno amigos....legs still get wet, wind blows it all over the place and it's noisy as f**k

Buy a half decent top, my altura if pritty good. I have worn that with just a wicking t-shirt under in about 0 deg C and have been fine after 10 min of cycling.

Legs take a change of trousers or shorts. Is there anywhere in your college where you can get a locker? My uni had some but they where not well advertised you had to hunt for them and ask the right people. Keep some spear clothes in there if you get really wet.

heh, they have a tumble drier at my work

Stef heh, they have a tumble drier at my work

So if it rains do you stip off cook naked then put your dry cloths on to ride back. Does not sound hygienic.

aidan
do any of you all year round commuters have any tips/suggestions.....bear in mind that im a very skint student:)

Unless you're going a long distance: get wet and then change when you get there. I've got overshoes/trousers/jacket etc, and they all get overlooked in favour of just carrying some spare clothes with.

Mudguards will keep you drier than any plastic overtrousers. And cleaner, too.

Foska make decent breathable jackets that are waterproof enough for a short ride.

ride nude, skin drys quicker than clothes!

I agree with mr tom. Mudguards and a decent jacket (+ hood) all you need for city riding. Overshoes might be a good purchase mind.

yeah, go for shorts or rolled up trousers for yer legs. I use a buffalo pertex windshirt, and although it does let heavy rain through, it dries in next to no time. Under that is a t-shirt (which I can change into at work, and takes up no space). You might want to keep a spare set of underwear in your locker, for those days when you get soaked to the skin. Oh yeah, about the bag thing- I got a chrome bag which I figured would be waterproof, but its not really all that. Buy a drybag from ortlieb or exped if you really want your stuff bone dry. I reckon.

Can you change at the end of the ride?

I wear roadie kit (lycra-haters can find their own shy shorts or whatever)+ £50 altura jacket, usually knee warmers, maybe leg warmers if it's cold, toewarmers when real cold and change at work.

same clothes all year round, change into spair t-shirt, dry off at work, and one not very water proof jacket anymore.

i just scored gore tex jacket and trousers for £20 postage included.

it's camo though

hippy's mentionings of lycra make me tempted to buy some :-| Riding today in normal shorts was really annoying because they kept riding up loads..

I have a cheapish cycling outfit consisting of some 3/4 shorts and some cheap mountaineering base layers I bought on sale and carry a change of clothes in my bag. If it gets cold I put long socks on. If it gets colder I have a proper cycling jersey and if it rains I have an old skater jacket I bought about 10 years ago that is waterproof enough and not too sweaty. And a sponge and a bar of soap to freshen up in the disabled toilets when I get to work.

Sitting round in an office with a big smelly sweat patch on your back is not nice, so I never really got into cycling to work in my day clothes. I wish we had showers in the office though, would be even easier!.