normal cycle coat

[jawaka]

Has anyone seen or used one of these? I quite like the idea of not cycling for local journeys in something that looks normal. Maybe you can wear it off the bike as a normal raincoat? It looks a bit silly in the pictures as it is too much posed like a fashion magazine photoshoot.

http://www.wateroffaducksback.co.uk/men ... t-28-p.asp

[james01]

Seems a bit pricey for what it is. And the expressions "waterproof" and "breathable" can mean lots of things.
For that kind of money I'd buy a conventional looking hill-walking jacket like a dark coloured Goretex Berghaus Cornice which is restrained enough for a funeral but something you'll be glad of in the foullest weather .

[Garry Booth]

Or if you win the lottery you could buy one of those Brompton Oratory coats.

[snibgo]

Smart, good quality business-type raincoats aren't cheap. At least, not the last time I bought one. But most are less expensive than £861 (http://beta.brooksengland.com/catalogue ... ket+GENTS/).

Most coats can be used on a bike, of course. I find the worst nuisance is a heavy coat dragging on top of my thighs, so it's best if it can open from the bottom.

[thirdcrank]

I see they are stocked (or some of the firm's stuff is) by Evans Cycles. Unfortunately, even the Evans site doesn't say what it's made from. Buying something like this mail order unseen is a bit of a gamble, even though the only real risk is that having seen it, if you don't like it, there's the faff of sending it back. I'd want to try one on and handle it before buying one. (By contrast, I just bought a new overcoat for my mother. It's a long-established firm, I know which of their sizes she wears because that's where her last coat came from. the material was fully described on their website and so I knew I was OK from the outset.)

I suspect you might be better off with any coat you like, with a reflective Sam Browne belt to bob over when needed.

[NUKe]

It looks quite reasonable and if you likethe idea of having refelectives built in, I 'd say go for it. Price is not bad at all. If you don't need/want the reflective bits. Cyling in normal clothes is the way to go for short local journeys . Tweeds make great cycling clothing and tick all the boxes. If cycling is to become norm again we need people to cycle in normal everyday stuff thats smart. not mamils (of which I am one, most of the time). I recently bought a tweed jacket and breeks so I could cycle and still look smart.

[SJSBrompton]

Gents

I have the ladies one of these, it is a lightweight (but reasonably thick, if that makes sense) and fully lined soft cotton like fabric (I don't have it to hand to check the exact fibre content). However, it is light enough that with the womens design, it wraps around nicely. It works well for layering rather than being too heavy. The ladies coat rustles slightly but it is a lot longer and quite full to accomodate riding in a skirt and covering the knees when riding.

The website shots of the mens coat don't really show it very well but the one of the ladies coat by the river as the light fades shows quite well the reflective elements which are the key. I work on Grosvenor Place in London (for those that haven't had the pleasure, a typical 2-3 lane very fast road that approaches Hyde Park Corner from Victoria - so full of coaches, buses and taxis) and have noticed that now it is dark when you leave work, it isn't the colour of the jacket - i.e. the sea of yellow - but the hi-vis elements that catch the headlights. The hi-vis elements on the end of the sleeves are also pretty handy for hailing a cab or sticking your hand out for a bus!

If you have any questions, the owner of WateroffaDucksBack, Antonia, is very response to questions.