wet weather gear

[erik]

Man I can't wait till I can afford some decent wet weather gear. I've posted before about how my pants leak, and how I treated them with Gecko Guard to try to waterproof them. And how that didn't work.

So on sunday I went to the warehouse and got a pair of $8 rainpants (I guess that's what you'd call them?) and tried riding to uni in those today (had my bike pants on underneath them).
They seemed to be doing ok, until I was nearing the end of the motorway coming in to town when I started to feel water leaking in. I think it was getting in through the pocket holes in the plastic pants. So I've melted them shut with the soldering iron, hopefully they'll keep me dry now.

Thanks to whoever it was that suggested putting your boots in the oven and then putting dubbin on them and repeating until they're pretty soaked with dubbin. I did that on sunday too and they seem to be more waterproof now .

Really, this post was just because I wanted to grumble. I guess my gear isn't so waterproof because it's a cheap brand? I'm not going to be getting new gear for ages, I think, but I'm interested in how other people cope with the rain, what kind of gear you use, etc. I've heard several people just say they just wear their leathers and get wet. I dunno if I'm just a wuss or what, but I think there's gotta be a better way to deal with it?

Oh, for anyone thinking of buying new gear, I'd suggest you be wary of the Fieldsheer gear if you want waterproof gear. Maybe it's just their cheaper gear, or maybe I was just unlucky, I dunno, but my jacket and pants I got from them are not so waterproof (the jacket is mostly ok, except for the sleeves leak a bit, and the pockets are not waterproof at all).

[Andrew]

Man I can't wait till I can afford some decent wet weather gear. I've posted before about how my pants leak, and how I treated them with Gecko Guard to try to waterproof them. And how that didn't work.

So on sunday I went to the warehouse and got a pair of $8 rainpants (I guess that's what you'd call them?) and tried riding to uni in those today (had my bike pants on underneath them).
They seemed to be doing ok, until I was nearing the end of the motorway coming in to town when I started to feel water leaking in. I think it was getting in through the pocket holes in the plastic pants. So I've melted them shut with the soldering iron, hopefully they'll keep me dry now.

Thanks to whoever it was that suggested putting your boots in the oven and then putting dubbin on them and repeating until they're pretty soaked with dubbin. I did that on sunday too and they seem to be more waterproof now .

Really, this post was just because I wanted to grumble. I guess my gear isn't so waterproof because it's a cheap brand? I'm not going to be getting new gear for ages, I think, but I'm interested in how other people cope with the rain, what kind of gear you use, etc. I've heard several people just say they just wear their leathers and get wet. I dunno if I'm just a wuss or what, but I think there's gotta be a better way to deal with it?

Oh, for anyone thinking of buying new gear, I'd suggest you be wary of the Fieldsheer gear if you want waterproof gear. Maybe it's just their cheaper gear, or maybe I was just unlucky, I dunno, but my jacket and pants I got from them are not so waterproof (the jacket is mostly ok, except for the sleeves leak a bit, and the pockets are not waterproof at all).

I got some rain pants last year from Holeshot. They cost me $50 but they WORK!!

[James Deuce]

It is really important to wash your gear frequently. Dirt will blocke the fabric weave ad let water wick through. Take your armour out, and put it through the washing machine on a gentle cycle. Only use gekko where it leaks, because it effectivly blocks the fabric weave too.

My old Orina jacket used to leak inside the elbow because the fabric is all bunched there, but kept me perfectly dry elsewhere.

My Spyke has only leaked once, because I didn't zip one of the zip vents up properly. My Orina trousers have never leaked.

[Blackbird]

I've got a Teknics cordura jacket with armour and all the goodies which I bought about 3-4 years ago and cost around $700. It was completely waterproof for a year and then got progressively worse. Proofing it didn't work either. I recently bought a Spool plastic jacket and pants to go over the top in crap weather and they are completely waterproof. Only cost about $150 too. A new cordura jacket was out of the question as the Teknics is fine apart from leaking like a sieve!

Geoff

[Coldkiwi]

dude, if you want ultimate waterproofing and you want it cheap, forget breathable (too expensive), forget leather (too absorbent), forget the warehouse (not designed for biking)... just go to Red Baron or Motomail and get a onepiece PVC suit. Won't cost you more than $150 (shop around) and if you do it up right, you'll NEVER get wet. Can get a little sweaty if its humid and you're not moving but if its worn over leather its not too bad. They also dry out really fast

best $125 I ever spent was getting my WFO rain suit because I know no matter what the conditions are, I simply will not have wet clothes at the end of my ride, no matter how long.

[fpsware]

I've just spent $1400 on new bike gear (jacket $700, pants $300, gloves $200, boots $200) and I still get wet. The gloves, Technic, soak up water like a straw. The pants, Technic, I get wet on the inside from the lack of them breathing so I sweat more. The jacket, also Technic, a little damp around my stomach where I lean on the tank, and the boots, Gaerne, they are bone dry.

I thought Saturday would be a good day to run the gear through its paces. It failed miserably.

[erik]

Jim, I'll try washing my jacket and see if it helps.

But to be honest, I have to admit I don't understand how anything can be breathable and waterproof. In an attempt to find out, I just did a bit of a search for goretex and found a post on usenet saying that it's basically got a fine teflon layer that's been stretched and has heaps of really tiny holes in it that are big enough to let vapour out, but too small for water to get through. I had a look on the Fieldsheer website, they don't use Goretex, they've got their own "waterproof" and "breathable" fabric.
http://fieldsheer.com/catalog/featur...633fa1759bcab2
But from their description, it also seems to rely on small holes that let vapour, but not water, through.

My grasp of physics isn't isn't too good, I'm having to do a catch-up course at uni to get into my mechanical engineering course, and this totally doesn't make sense to me.
I don't understand how a hole could be small enough that water can't get through it, unless maybe it was so small that a water molecule couldn't get through - but then water vapour wouldn't be able to get through either.
Maybe the holes are just so small that for the thickness of the fabric, it's like there's a really long narrow tunnel through it and the water tends not to make it all the way through?
Can anyone explain it to me?

Because as it is, I'm leaning towards what Coldkiwi has suggested, just getting a pvc oversuit and leathers. So what if it doesn't breath, I sweat like a pig anyway in my "breathable" bike gear.
Anyway, hopefully I'll get by with what I've got for now.

[Posh Tourer :P]

dude, if you want ultimate waterproofing and you want it cheap, forget breathable (too expensive), forget leather (too absorbent), forget the warehouse (not designed for biking)... just go to Red Baron or Motomail and get a onepiece PVC suit. Won't cost you more than $150 (shop around) and if you do it up right, you'll NEVER get wet. Can get a little sweaty if its humid and you're not moving but if its worn over leather its not too bad. They also dry out really fast

best $125 I ever spent was getting my WFO rain suit because I know no matter what the conditions are, I simply will not have wet clothes at the end of my ride, no matter how long.

Sounds very good CK, what is this stuff, how long does it last, how thick is it? I have inherited some 2-piece line7 reinforced PVC but they are old, sometimes a bit awkward to wear (kinda chunky) and the zip area leaks.

I normally just use this type of reinforced PVC stuff, but need some decent length waterproof pants. If I was going for a long time in the rain my jacket wouldnt stand up, but as it is a good half hour in pissing down conditions and it is dry as long as there is airflow over the entire area, eg no water pooling in loops on the front. This is a really cheap jacket, touring style maybe $150. Gloves I have given up on, I have some leather gauntlet ones but I dont care if my hands get wet, if it was a long rain riding period, again I would need some better gear. Definitely considering investing in some and using it when I'm in Europe next year.....Thats if my budget will allow the hireage of a motorcycle....

[Blackbird]

My grasp of physics isn't isn't too good, I'm having to do a catch-up course at uni to get into my mechanical engineering course, and this totally doesn't make sense to me..

Erik - don't worry, I graduated as a mechanical engineer an awful long time back and most of the physics leaked out of my ears shortly after graduating! I doubt that the membrane works at molecule level, but relies on surface tension preventing water coming in, but air can pass freely out.

Who cares as long as you don't get soggy

Geoff

[Lou Girardin]

Waterproof/breathable membranes do work. But they can feel like they're leaking due to the membrane passing water vapour. In the one day monsoon we had in January, my Spidi gear didn't let any water in. If your 100% waterproof gear leaks, take it back. Most reputable bike shops/distributors will stand by their products.
You can get a two piece oversuit for as little as $88. Shop around.

[Morepower]

dude, if you want ultimate waterproofing and you want it cheap, forget breathable (too expensive), forget leather (too absorbent), forget the warehouse (not designed for biking)... just go to Red Baron or Motomail and get a onepiece PVC suit. Won't cost you more than $150 (shop around) and if you do it up right, you'll NEVER get wet. Can get a little sweaty if its humid and you're not moving but if its worn over leather its not too bad. They also dry out really fast

best $125 I ever spent was getting my WFO rain suit because I know no matter what the conditions are, I simply will not have wet clothes at the end of my ride, no matter how long.

Only used it twice in heavy rain and its great . I tend to ignore light showers as the fairing keeps quite a lot of rain off and I use Nikwax on my leathers that provides moderate protection for a short period.

If you are going some distance a second pair of gloves is great to put on when the rain stops.

Dave

[James Deuce]

This is an unashamed plug - I have a pair of Teknic "Thunder" gloves, and they are the coolest winter gloves I have ever owned. Well not the coolest as in cold, but coolest as in "Groovy Baby". They don't leak, they are warm at -5C, and the little wiper blades on the index finger are a neat touch. They are quite thick, so you lose some feel, but not as much feel as when your hands are cold, numb, and wet.

I've given them a thorough going over with SnoSeal, and 2 months later the water still beads on the surface of the glove. I heat the oven to 100C, turn it off and then leave the gloves in for about 10 minutes, take one out and give it a coat, then get the other out and give it a coat, paying special attention to the seams.

[LB]

I have had a Belstaff Explorer jacket for about 18 months now, and it seems to be 100% waterproof. The Spidi NT I had prior to that wasn't bad, but would soak up the rain that sat in the creases in my trousers in my lap.

My pants are Spidi, can't remember the model, but they are 100% waterproof too.

My gloves are supposed to be 100% waterproof, but they're not - they're Spidi somethingorothers - $259 worth. They're pretty good, but there's so many seams in gloves I don't believe they could ever be 100% waterproof. I always carry a spare pair with me. Jim2 - I'll have to have a look at your gloves some time.

My boots leak in even the lightest rain, they are Dainese Ducati race boots, and because of the design I knew when I bought them that they would leak. I have a pair of Spidi overboots which are a bit of a pain to put on when you're on the side of the road, but they are 100% waterproof.

I'm waiting for Doug Green to read this thread to say "but Lynda, you never ride in the rain" !!!

[PuppetMaster]

^^^^^All the gears


This may sound a little unusual. But I actually use my Golf rain pants. they are completely waterproof. If you want a cheap pair of waterproof pants goto a sports shop and find some wet weather Golf pants.
Other than that, my jackets leaks around the arms, my boots leak if the rain is heavy and my gloves are like sponges.
My helmets stays dry but

[SEAGULL]

Hi Erik. I have a similar problem with my gear. I paid $250 for a pair of Kevlar pants from Leather Direct what a waste of money. They say on the labels that they are 100% waterproof, absolute Bullshit, when its rains heavy or you have to stop at lights, it always seams to piss down. My ass gets absolutley wet, have a change of dry underwear at work. I suppose I should have taken them back, but didn't find out they leaked until the warrenty ran out, as always. Could have bought a $10 rubber pants and bought some decent leathers with the money. so I'm not the only one with the problem. Anyone else out there with any valuable suggestions to our problem?