Waterproofs

[Karma]

Well given the weather outside in Auckland at the moment, and the rain for the last couple of weeks I think the time has come to get some waterproof trousers.

I have a Teknic jacket which has a little zip on the back at the bottom, I assume this is to zip into a pair of tousers, but does this work on all trousers, or would they need to be the same make?

Also,

I would like to get these trousers today, so anyone know what places are open that I could try and how much I should look at spending for a basic pair of waterproofs?

Cheers,

Dan

[crashe]

Being that its Sunday....
The only places open today are Motomail and also Motohaus... in Western Springs Rd in Kingsland. They are next door to each other.

You can get pants at both places.
Motohaus chat to Kerry.

[soundbeltfarm]

check the zip sizes as i got a new zip put on some pants that i had and it was the wrong size for my jacket,
the pakastan made gear had a different zip than i had for the pants.
but all my other gear zips up alright.
and they are different bands.

[scumdog]

Slight change of subject but has anybody used (successfully) "RAIN-OFF" over-gloves that are meant to be waterproof? Do they work without side effects?
How bulky/heavy etc are they?

[Blackbird]

I've got both Tecnic and Arlen Ness "waterproof" cordura type jackets and neither of them are fully waterproof in heavy rain over long distances. I've basically given up and slip a plastic overjacket over the top when going on a long haul.

[erik]

I've got some dririder summit trousers and an arlen ness jacket. I thought both were waterproof, but yesterday riding home in the rain the trousers started to leak :(
It was a reasonably long journey in fairly heavy rain, hopefully they'll be ok still for the commute to uni. It's a bit disheartening though. Maybe one of those pvc (or whatever it is) oversuit things is the way to go for long trips?

[justsomeguy]

Hey DW - a while back Motomail had a special on a one piece rain suit - it's very good - has a bit of armour - enough if you keep it under 50kmph and warm and comfy too. Otherwise go get any cordura pants - try to get hard armour.

What about boots??

I've got leaky boots (don't buy Diadora -they wear out very fast)

What I do is put on a plastic bag over my socks.....and put my feet into the boots. No probs with them getting wet:niceone:

As long as you have some sense of hygine and wear clean socks there wont be any smelly problems either.

By the way is there any place I can get my boots resoled (the area where the pegs touch are really worn), re-stich some seams or will it be cheaper/eaiser to buy new boots. They're a 10 month old pair of Diadora's that seem fine on the inside but look years and years old on the outside.....:mellow:

[Karma]

Update : Went down to MotoMail and got a pair of basic waterproof trousers, $40.

Nothing special, and doesn't have a zip or anything, but will do for the 15minute commute if it's raining like it has been.

[Rhino]

By the way is there any place I can get my boots resoled (the area where the pegs touch are really worn), re-stich some seams or will it be cheaper/eaiser to buy new boots. They're a 10 month old pair of Diadora's that seem fine on the inside but look years and years old on the outside.....:mellow:

Check out John Pearce. He does shoe, boot and leather repairs for a living. Contact on (09) 528 9855 or 027 5289855. Tell him Rhino sent you and you may get a discount. He's a fellow Ulyssian. :niceone:

[justsomeguy]

Check out John Pearce. He does shoe, boot and leather repairs for a living. Contact on (09) 528 9855 or 027 5289855. Tell him Rhino sent you and you may get a discount. He's a fellow Ulyssian. :niceone:

Thanks :) from that number he looks like he's in new market.

[SlowHand]

I've got spidi pants from coleman's. had to ride from clevedon/puke to kumeu in that rain on saturday - stayed dry. And they said I can bring it back if it leaks.

[Lou Girardin]

Most qulaity gear comes with both halfs of the zip so that it can be sewn to other types of clothing.
To clarify the 'waterproof' issue, we had a letter from the importer of one of the high end brands of riding gear saying that with any gear that had openings ie neck, wrists, ankles etc. the can be no guarantee that water will never get in. If the rain is heavy enough and/or you're in it long enough there is the possibilty of getting wet.
Having said that, I've ridden for 3 hours in constant west coast rain and got slightly damp around my neck.
They say that jacket sleeves must be worn over the glove cuffs and pants over your boots, otherwise the waterproof membrane just drains all the water into them.
And look for the top brands of waterproof membrane, H2Out, Goretex, Sympatex. The new generation of gear should have water-resistant outer zips and rain gutters for internal zips.

[XP@]

if you are on a budget but still want dry legs then the warehouse do a great line in yellow overtrousers. These things don't let water through and are tough enough to survive the usual knocks and rips.

I would not recommend their tops because the restricted movement over a bike jacket makes riding really hard.

[Gremlin]

if you are on a budget but still want dry legs then the warehouse do a great line in yellow overtrousers. These things don't let water through and are tough enough to survive the usual knocks and rips.

I would not recommend their tops because the restricted movement over a bike jacket makes riding really hard.
Yep, I use these for commuting. Very good actually as long as they don't fall apart, but if they do, quickly, then you just keep replacing them :niceone:

Only problem I find is that when you bend your legs onto the pegs, the bottoms ride up (the length from crotch to bottom of leg isn't enough - even in large sizes) so you end up with a band at the bottom that is wet.

But still bloody good at about (what I paid) $8.83.

[erik]

Yep, I use these for commuting. Very good actually as long as they don't fall apart, but if they do, quickly, then you just keep replacing them :niceone:

Only problem I find is that when you bend your legs onto the pegs, the bottoms ride up (the length from crotch to bottom of leg isn't enough - even in large sizes) so you end up with a band at the bottom that is wet.

But still bloody good at about (what I paid) $8.83.
I got some of them after I found out that my first pair of bike pants leaked. Had to melt the pockets together because water was getting in through them, and it was a pain putting them on over bike pants.
I guess it wouldn't be so bad if you were just wearing them over jeans.
But they were at least very waterproof.

It seems my dririders are ok for a shortish ride in the rain, I must've just been in the rain too long on saturday.

[Ixion]

Yep, I use these for commuting. Very good actually as long as they don't fall apart, but if they do, quickly, then you just keep replacing them :niceone:

Only problem I find is that when you bend your legs onto the pegs, the bottoms ride up (the length from crotch to bottom of leg isn't enough - even in large sizes) so you end up with a band at the bottom that is wet.

But still bloody good at about (what I paid) $8.83.

GAITERS. What you need is GAITErs. They fix eactly that problem. $12.50 from the friendly K Road army surplus. Opposite the billboard of the chick with the huge tits. You can't miss them .

[XP@]

GAITERS. What you need is GAITErs. They fix eactly that problem. $12.50 from the friendly K Road army surplus. Opposite the billboard of the chick with the huge tits. You can't miss them .
You can also get overboots, from motomail i think (mine came from germany)

they slip ofer the front of your boots and velcro up at the back. bloody awsome. Only once have I managed to get water passed them, my own silly fault for standing in the river.

[Bonez]

I would not recommend their tops because the restricted movement over a bike jacket makes riding really hard.Tried using a size or two bigger?

[marty]

i've got a 2-piece tecknic rain gear. think it was $120. the pants are chest high with shoulder straps, and have zips on the legs to get boots over. i cut the liner out of the jacket to make it a little lighter, and now it packs down to about 5cm by 20cm square. it doesn't leak at all, and fits right over my leathers. and instead of fucking around with trying to keep my boots dry, i just either wear no socks, keeping them dry in my bag, wear 'seal sox' - awesome waterproof ones from any adventure shop, or put a plastic bag inside my boot (makes it a bit slippery though)

[Ixion]

<snippy>and instead of fucking around with trying to keep my boots dry, i just either wear no socks, keeping them dry in my bag, wear 'seal sox' - awesome waterproof ones from any adventure shop, or put a plastic bag inside my boot (makes it a bit slippery though)

Quite right, waterproof boots never are. What you need is GAITERS. From your friendly local Army Surplus place . $12.50 in Dorkland and cheap at the price.

[FROSTY]

Best/cheapest/most effecctive waterproof trou Ive bought were the $10 jobbies from the Warehouse. --they dons leak and keep my legs dry as a bone. Yep they are shite and only last a few months -but at $10 who cares

[Ixion]

Best/cheapest/most effecctive waterproof trou Ive bought were the $10 jobbies from the Warehouse. --they dons leak and keep my legs dry as a bone. Yep they are shite and only last a few months -but at $10 who cares

Actually , the Warehouse had two grades of leggings last winter - thickish PVC ones in yellow (and green - I think the green ones were the same as the yellow ones , except for colour); and black ones, that were a different make, different fabric, better made and (I think) $19.95, about twice the cheap ones anyway.

One advantage of the black ones , they are more flexible and easier to pull on - and you don't look like a roadworks. I bought some of both types, all seem quite waterproof. Up to 4 hours in heavy rain anyway, but maybe not under severe conditions or submerged.

[FROSTY]

Up to 4 hours in heavy rain anyway, but maybe not under severe conditions or submerged.
Mate I hate to ask --but WTF do you call severe conditions if 4 hours in heavy rain aint ?? and submerged -If my legs are submerged in water whilst Im riding--I got a shit load more to worry about than wet legs :devil2: :devil2:

[Ixion]

Mate I hate to ask --but WTF do you call severe conditions if 4 hours in heavy rain aint ?? and submerged - If my legs are submerged in water whilst Im riding--I got a shit load more to worry about than wet legs:devil2: :devil2:

S'ppose y'r one of those boring types wot stays on the actual road. :devil2:

Actually, for some reason I've found that 6 hours seems to be about the crunch point for waterproofs. Around then is when gloves and boots seem to pack up,leggings start oozing round the crotch and lower leg , and jackets get wet around the neck. Worst thing for leggings is not actual rain , it's heavy trucks going past (overtaking, or going the other way). They throw up a solid wall of water and it comes UPWARD , and gets in up the legs and into pocket slits.