cycle and cyclist waterproof ( a cape..;-) )

[james01]

http://www.towsure.com/product/129-Weat ... ght_Poncho

Worth a try for £2.45?

[531colin]

http://www.towsure.com/product/129-Weatherproof_Lightweight_Poncho

Worth a try for £2.45?

No. It has a hood, which you dont want, no neck fastening which you do want, its got short sleeves - whats that about? It wont cover the bars and it will be flat and sweaty against your front like a jacket. OK for music festivals though................

[MartinBrice]

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... E+CAPE.htm

less than a tenner as well.

[niggle]

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0364296/Trail/searchtext%3ECYCLE+CAPE.htm

less than a tenner as well.

Good spot! At least with Argos you can view before you buy, try it out and still take it back if you don't like it. Think I will give it a go.

[niggle]

Bought lunchtime (size medium), just tested in windy but dry conditions, will be taking back tomorrow

Description:
*medium-ish weight PU coated nylon seemed a strong fabric but with flimsy stitching and no seam welding
*integral hood with no facility to roll it up into a collar or such like, but not large enough to wear a helmet underneath
*hand openings to the front with a teeny bit of velcro in the middle to make a vague attempt at closing them
*non elastic tape loops for the wrists (too short to attach to handlebars or thumbs, I did try )
*vent panel in the back but no tapes to secure the back
*fairly bright but not hi-viz yellow with a reflective strip on the back

Test ride observations (straight bar derailleur geared folder with 20" wheels):
*progress into headwinds badly impeded, side winds cause the sides to lift and flap, noisily, and tailwinds made the back float around (I think, could not really see what was going on back there), handling seemed OK though
*obscures gear indicators and handlebar mounted front lights, could see about 1" of the front wheel but this was not an issue to me
*warm and cosy but condensation building up around shoulders and in hood after a short climb up a modest hill
*big dip in the fabric behind handlebars ideal for collecting rainwater
*impossible to do hand signals: not enough spare fabric between the two tape loops to allow you to lift your arm up/out from the other one very far at all

It felt like I was riding in a tent or some kind of upright velomobile, not an entirely unpleasant feeling, probably quite welcome to be so isolated from the elements on a wet day.

Conclusion:

Not for me but could be useful to stow in the saddle bag when leisure riding on tracks, tow paths, etc. away from traffic. Fair quality for the price, could seal seams with tent seam sealer.

[niggle]

Re. the Agu poncho, manufacturers website says:

"Comfortable poncho with sleeve straps; they will keep hands nice and dry underneath the poncho when cycling. Provided with press-studs on each side; very easy while walking. Integrated pouch system on the front and with reflecting details."

http://www.agu.com/en/?pag=22&prod=553

So perhaps more useful for cycling than I first thought as well as possibly OK off the bike?

[ziptony]

i saw the argos one and thought about giving it a go...

every readers review was positive, even though one reviewer hadn't worn his yet????

niggle, if you had purchased a size large do you think some issues could have been resolved...

is it possible to wear helmet over hood or is there a reason i can't think of at mo as to why not

i only want one to wear peroidically and this sounds good enough for doin' the job at the price it is...

cheers

[niggle]

i saw the argos one and thought about giving it a go...

every readers review was positive, even though one reviewer hadn't worn his yet????

niggle, if you had purchased a size large do you think some issues could have been resolved...

Don't know and it has enough draw backs that are definitely not size related to put me off trying the large. Note that I am quite short at 5'6", an average size bloke should go for the large.

is it possible to wear helmet over hood or is there a reason i can't think of at mo as to why not

Yes and that is how I tested it, the hood draw strings have to be tied in a knot/bow as they don't have any fancy wot-nots on them and my head got rather sweaty, but then I am quite folically challenged, someone with a proper head of hair might not have the same problem. At least with the helmet on top of the hood it clamps the hood to your head so that the hood turns with your head when you look over your shoulder.

i only want one to wear peroidically and this sounds good enough for doin' the job at the price it is...

Probably good enough for your purpose: you can always buy one and see how you like it, just remember to test it before the 30 day money back guarantee runs out.

[ziptony]

ok, thanks for the reply....

[freebooter]

I bought one from lidls last year. I have only used it a couple times along a cycle path in light winds. For that use it was much better than a jacket. Only my feet and the very bottom of my legs got slightly wet and it was certainly more comfortable. As it was summer I definitely wouldn't have carried waterproof trousers if I had had a jacket. One big advantage is how quick it is to put on, much quicker than jacket + trousers.

I think they could be excellent with a bit of a redesign. They are basically a cone. How well this cone fits depends on the bike geometry. Mine is not quite wide enough to fit comfortably over the front of my drop bars and hence rode up my back if I didn't sit on it or pulled up the front if I did. Conversely if the cone was too wide it would be baggy and flap. A stretch fabric would be ideal. Lower than handlebar/seat it needs to stay straight or again it will cause flapping. I am thinking of adding some elastic around the front of the bottom hem on mine to help with this.

Another easy improvement to the design would be arm holes near the shoulder with light roll up sleeves. Coupled with a way of cinching in the waist this would allow it to be converted into a jacket for use if the wind was too strong.

I predict that someone (probably an American company) will tweak the design, launch them with suitable marketing as a new idea and everyone will be using them again

[ziptony]

lidl are capeless at the mo...

decathalon capes aren't capes.... but i see they do ponchos as well...not seen one though

[ziptony]

well i saw one advertised 2ndhand for 8 quid....the tag on it says Raleigh and it has thumb loops, back vent, front pocket vents, a hood and not too heavy not too light in hi viz yellow...just what i was after!

so as not to waste money on fuel or postage i cycled the 76 mile round trip to fetch it on a sunny saturday, the vendors being a lovely couple as well...so it was meant to be...

[beachcomber]

You'll want it to rain now so you can test it out

[ziptony]

yeah maybe but i'm just as happy that it doesn't rain and the sun shines through like today...

[niggle]

At work driving back to base in the rain yesterday my workmate, also a cyclist, and I witnessed someone riding with one of the Argos capes. There was a tail wind and his cape was blown up round the back of his neck with the hood flapping to one side. I am not sure how wet he was but it did not look great.