What worked and what didn't...

[pritch]

Today, Sunday, I rode back from Raglan to New Plymouth in virtual non-stop pouring rain. Why? Well if it was the outward leg of the journey I may have thought twice but since it was the homeward leg options were limited.

Gloves are a conundrum; I have several pairs but not one pair that is right for rain. The Held sport-touring gloves are not waterproof but they have a nifty windscreen wiper on the index finger of the left hand. The Held super motard gloves also have this feature but likewise are not waterproof. Neither of my two pairs of (allegedly) waterproof gloves (Spid1 & RJays) have this useful wiper feature. So I chose to ride with the st gloves which were quickly saturated but which remained warm thanks to heated grips (highly recommended).

The H2Out lining of the Spidi suit sadly passed copious amounts of H2O. The suit has peformed well in the past but I think today would have really required a diving suit.

Similarly the Style Martin waterproof boots functioned perfectly, at least I didn't see any water leak out. Quite a lot got in though.

The Scott anti fog cleaner kept the visor crystal clear all the way and was worth the price of the bottle for this one trip alone.

The M1/Z6 tyre combination instilled a degree of confidence. Last winter every trip I did was at least partially in the wet, and on every trip the Bridgestone BT 020s provided at least one bit of excitement. No slides on the Metzellers though, so either they perform a bit better in the wet or I'm getting better at missing the shiny tar patches...

If looking for a silver lining I guess the upside is that the sort of speeds I travel at in pouring rain (100 to 110... mostly) are less llkely to attract the attention of roadside road tax gatherers than the velocities attained in fine weather.

The Hornet never missed a beat. We tend to take this for granted these days but reading the English magazines indicates that there is at least one make, and some models of other makes, which do not provide quite the same assurance.

If it's still raining in the morning I think I'll shout myself a taxi to work..

[Zapf]

The H2Out lining of the Spidi suit sadly passed copious amounts of H2O. The suit has peformed well in the past but I think today would have really required a diving suit.

I have learnt to carry some good outdoor water proof gear to wear over my leathers, tried and tested by the outdoor advanture types. Might be something to have next time

Sounds like u had a fun ride. riding in the wet teaches you about riding again.... much less traffic and cops on the road too.

[dhunt]

Today, Sunday, I rode back from Raglan to New Plymouth in virtual non-stop pouring rain. Why? Well if it was the outward leg of the journey I may have thought twice but since it was the homeward leg options were limited.

Gloves are a conundrum; I have several pairs but not one pair that is right for rain. The Held sport-touring gloves are not waterproof but they have a nifty windscreen wiper on the index finger of the left hand. The Held super motard gloves also have this feature but likewise are not waterproof. Neither of my two pairs of (allegedly) waterproof gloves (Spid1 & RJays) have this useful wiper feature. So I chose to ride with the st gloves which were quickly saturated but which remained warm thanks to heated grips (highly recommended).

The H2Out lining of the Spidi suit sadly passed copious amounts of H2O. The suit has peformed well in the past but I think today would have really required a diving suit.

Similarly the Style Martin waterproof boots functioned perfectly, at least I didn't see any water leak out. Quite a lot got in though.

The Scott anti fog cleaner kept the visor crystal clear all the way and was worth the price of the bottle for this one trip alone.

The M1/Z6 tyre combination instilled a degree of confidence. Last winter every trip I did was at least partially in the wet, and on every trip the Bridgestone BT 020s provided at least one bit of excitement. No slides on the Metzellers though, so either they perform a bit better in the wet or I'm getting better at missing the shiny tar patches...

If looking for a silver lining I guess the upside is that the sort of speeds I travel at in pouring rain (100 to 110... mostly) are less llkely to attract the attention of roadside road tax gatherers than the velocities attained in fine weather.

The Hornet never missed a beat. We tend to take this for granted these days but reading the English magazines indicates that there is at least one make, and some models of other makes, which do not provide quite the same assurance.

If it's still raining in the morning I think I'll shout myself a taxi to work..

Sounds like you had fun. I rode my new bike back from Hamilton yesturday in all the rain. A good test of the bikes capabilities - no cops helped as well as this things doesn't like slow. Had to stop in Te Kuti to take some clothes off as was cooking sooo much. My boots were a little damp today - I've got damp socks now But still was lots of fun.

[Lou Girardin]

How old is your Spidi kit and where did it leak from?

[Flyingpony]

I have learnt to carry some good outdoor water proof gear to wear over my leathers, tried and tested by the outdoor advanture types. Might be something to have next time

I've got that setup. Less than two years of riding and the expensive adventure jacket started to leak , it's now good for 10 minutes of heavy rain. Took 4 years, but the Warehouse $7 pants are now leaking too.

I'm now thinking about getting better gear, jacket & pants & boots, but it's very expensive. Sort of ruled out the material gear because it'll no doubt leak. Leather appeals greatly to me and appears to be rather leak proof though heavy when wet. Had a look at 2nd hand stuff but they've either been down the road, wrong size or really old and biker gang looking. In the mean time, I'll stay with my leaky house setup.

[98tls]

Leather is ok but once wet it stays wet for a long time...bloody heavy,i bought a good set of cordura gear a few years back and find it just cant be beat..no leaks and drys out in no time...a few westcoast rallys ago i rode back from hokitika to oamaru in very heavy rain and it was great,if i could just find some boots and gloves that were as good....plastic bags taped around the legs inside the boots works ok if things are really grim and you have a long way to go.

[dhunt]

Leather is ok but once wet it stays wet for a long time...bloody heavy,i bought a good set of cordura gear a few years back and find it just cant be beat..no leaks and drys out in no time...a few westcoast rallys ago i rode back from hokitika to oamaru in very heavy rain and it was great,if i could just find some boots and gloves that were as good....plastic bags taped around the legs inside the boots works ok if things are really grim and you have a long way to go.

I always wear wet weather gear over my leathers - doesn't let any water through. My boots look they might need a bit of work - they leak a bit after a while now

[Zapf]

I always wear wet weather gear over my leathers - doesn't let any water through. My boots look they might need a bit of work - they leak a bit after a while now

good point that too. cause a dry set of leathers will act as insulation as well.

[pritch]

How old is your Spidi kit and where did it leak from?

Basically the whole front of my jersey was soaked and the lower part of both sleeves. I bought it early '05.

It has previously never leaked like that before, only a very minor leak under considerable provocation.

Not so long ago I gave the suit a spray with Nikwax silicone. I've washed the thermal liner with techwash but haven't washed the outer...yet.

[James Deuce]

Not so long ago I gave the suit a spray with Nikwax silicone. I've washed the thermal liner with techwash but haven't washed the outer...yet.

There's your problem right there.

It will have stopped the jacket from breathing properly and instead of wicking the water down the lining the "waterproofing" has bunged it up, making the water wick straight through.

[Ruralman]

we got a flyer in the mail a couple of days ago. Oringi have a sale on some wet weather gear including some larger sizes of one piece rainsuits - like overalls only made from their flexible waterproof stuff. It is bloody good gear - we use it on the farm. Go to www.oringi.co.nz - sorry you'll have to type that in yourself.

[Zapf]

we got a flyer in the mail a couple of days ago. Oringi have a sale on some wet weather gear including some larger sizes of one piece rainsuits - like overalls only made from their flexible waterproof stuff. It is bloody good gear - we use it on the farm. Go to www.oringi.co.nz - sorry you'll have to type that in yourself.

looks interesting... wonder how heavy they weigh and how it folds down... and if Poos recommend any...

e.g. http://www.oringi.co.nz/product.pasp...6&productid=10

[Ruralman]

looks interesting... wonder how heavy they weigh and how it folds down... and if Poos recommend any...

e.g. http://www.oringi.co.nz/product.pasp...6&productid=10

Their stuff is really light (unless you buy the lined stuff) ,it is also flexible with an amazing amount of stretch which helps it avoid getting ripped in situations that would put a hole in other stuff. It also helps make sure it doesn't give way in places like your crutch which occasonally gets a stretch as you fling your leg over, especially if you've got a heap of stuff on underneath.
While its light and folds up reasonably small it probably won't fit in the small pocket under most bike seats (I could fit it in the pocket under my Transalp's seat but its bigger than most) , so you might have to carry it in a bag or something. Like some other breathable stuff you need to clean it every now and then to maintain its performance - you just put it in the washing machine. This is probably more of an issue with the mud and shit we get over it than you ever will.

[TLDV8]

The H2Out lining of the Spidi suit sadly passed copious amounts of H2O. The suit has peformed well in the past but I think today would have really required a diving suit.

I have to admit firstly that i am of the leather jacket with Belstaff jacket over that for rainy days school.That was until i bit the bullet some years ago and got the whole Spidi outfit.... First time in heavy rain (which i like riding in?) what happens,the water goes through the arms and runs down into your gloves..What am i missing ?..I was told that is how they work,the water hits the inner liner and then drains at the lower parts..Derr

[Hitcher]

Sunday was certainly a good test for wet-weather gear. Mrs H and I rode home from New Plymouth in non-stop and sometimes torrential wetness. My Spidi H2Out gloves failed progressively en route to Wanganui. My H2Out trousers, however, never failed. Nor did my Oxtar boots. The lower portions of the sleeves of my jersey got a bit damp under my Tecknic Goretex jacket, but I suspect that this was probably wicking up from my wet gloves.

Mrs H's Nibo liner Derby gloves failed spectacularly early on. Each appears to hold about a litre of water when wrung out. And the liner sticks to wet hands and pulls out of the glove. Lovely. Her so-called waterproof boots had also failed by Wanganui, each holding about 8 litres of water, in addition to her lovely feet.

However it should be noted that Mrs H rides a cruiser that offers little in the way of weather protection, indeed cruiser riders cop quite a bit of spray from the front wheel. How one sits on a bike seems to have a degree of influence as to how gear performs in the wet, to a point where gear that fails in wet riding on one bike works perfectly fine when riding another.

But, apart from the ones that vets wear, there is no such thing as a waterproof glove.