What should i wear in the rain?

[Josh]

I live in Wales and have found that rain is a fact of life over here. This wouldn't be too bad if i had a decent coat, but i only have a great big winter coat that restricts my breathing when cycling. Please help! Can u recommend any decent coats?
P.s warmth is not a problem, just the rain!

[Andy Tallis]

Hi Josh. Whereabouts in Wales are you? I'm a student in my first year at Bangor university (North coast) where the rain is a way of life. This will be a bit long but it's all I've learnt through experience. Is orientated to fairly sporting use (touring etc.)
For the legs overtrousers are annoying but lusso coolmax shorts worn with their roubaix legwarmers or repel tights (awesomely warm) work a treat. Feet I haven't found anything amazing yet but trainer type shoes, neoprene overshoes and decent socks are OK.
If you wear a helmet a goretex cover and good skullcap are great. I'm finding a wooly hat fine now I've ditched the helmet.
Jacket is the main thing. I think buying the best is the only real way. I'm afraid I'd have to recommed £100 plus. I bought a £60 jacket but it was a disaster - got so clammy. I spent most of last winter just wearing a windbreaker instead - may as well get cold and wet in something comfy. When I went touring in Scandinavia I invested in a £120 Gill Pro speed jacket made from e-vent (similar to gore tex) and it is great. It's worked fantastically (very breathable and kept me as dry as I could possibly expect) for 6000m in often horrendous conditions. Worked well all summer too and is only just starting to fell a bit past iot's best )probably just means it needs a wash as much as anything) after 11000m of it being my jacket. Only comes in red and graphite but fantastic reflective trim. I really would recommend this or something similar (gore tex etc - I like just a race cape design with no pockets/hood but adjustable collar, cuffs and waist.) It's better longterm than buying a cheap cycling waterproof.

If you want something more casual then agaion I'd just recommed a decent fabric like goretex or e vent etc. I sympathise because the rain up here is really bad.

Oh, gloves. Sealskin ones seem OK. Make sure you can get hands into and out of gloves when they're wet because they will get wet.

Hope this helps.
Andy

[Josh]

Thanks Andy for the reply .
I live in cardiff but i often visit the brecon beacons and the gower.

[Andy Tallis]

You've got some nice climbs there too then!
I have Anglesey as a bit of a cop out (undulating but not real mountains) but the mainland (Snowdonia, Llyn Peninsula etc) is great. What's more it was this area that started me on the one way road to cycling obsession when I brought a schoolboy commuter up here for 4 days in Easter 2004.
Pity about the lectures - Uni life would be great otherwise!

[gar]

Meet you in Bala then!

[Andy Tallis]

I'll be going through Bala on my way home Sunday next weekend if I get the chance to ride back (just require the forecast to be moderately acceptable for the weekend after next and all my stuff to cram into a friends car who's going back anyway.)

[gar]

What about the Preselis (Elvis Presellis) No wonder he was a good singer. and the black mountains Josh?

[Stuart]

Capes flap around a bit but they are good at keeping the knees upwards dry.

[PW]

Capes are unbeatable in heavy rain & light winds, I wouldn't wear one in strong winds or on a route where I anticipate lorry traffic. For foul weather Goretex is the way to go, in summer the cape & shorts - legs dry quicker than trousers.

[mel]

I've been considering going back to a cape, always used one up until 20 years ago, including the Sowester, the problem is do I carry two kind of rainwear, cape and jacket, just in case there's wind, etc. Although, I can't recall that being a problem, just really dry cosy under the cape.

[gar]

I use beswax from my bee hives for sealing coats for cycling but I tried just using kitchen vegetable oil and even that is better than nothing.

If you try to wash these products when they are dirty (such as Millett's "cag bag") they have absolutely no resistance to rain at all, so

1) I wash them
2) coat them with thick beeswax.

Beeswax dries rock solid even on the skin or the floor or anywhere, so it is quite impermeable.

I must get on and a do just that.

[Helen]

In winter I wear a Goretex jacket when it's cold with risk of rain and I expect to wear it all day (to save space in saddlebag).
In summer, as a "just-in-case" jacket, I find the Regatta cheapo waterproof/breathable works fine. £25 I think, and I like it being long enough to cover my backside when walking round town.
To avoid getting sweaty, of course you might have to slow down a bit and/or remove an item of clothing before donning jacket.
Regatta make matching overtrousers, which I wear with trouser clips.
The Regatta stuff folds up nice and flat, not taking up much room in rucksack. I always take these on foreign tours.

[gar]

Bags and sacks also respond well to nikwax/ Beeswax making them more wter resilient

[rocko rider]

treat yourself to an Endura jacket,warm and waterproof,I ride up to 160 miles a week in winter in all weathers and under the jacket only use a Hally hanson base layer.

[Tim]

anyone know where i can buy a sou'wester for my tour to the western isles in '06?