Keeping it dry

[Pascal]

Well, my car is without a WOF. The work to be done to get it running is minor, but it will take me a few months of spending an hour or two a week to get the hoses tightened and all the bibs and bobs done.

So, it's the motorbike to get to and from work. Which, normally, is a brilliant option because when people ask me about traffic I can honestly say: "What traffic?"

But today. Oh woe is today. It is wet. Very, very wet. Inside my helmet it sounds like monsoon meets tin roof and everytime I brake the water sloshes inside my pants, leaving me with that uncomfortable cold feeling in the crotch. I can feel the water around my elbows and when I put my feet down there is this squealchy sound.

Right.

The gear I'd picked up was "waterproof". I'm not sure today was what was intended with waterproof, but then - it was bought on a budget. (Yes, yes, mistake number 1!)

It's Cordura. It's not a name brand. And in light rain it keeps me perfectly dry and content and happy, except for the odd wet patch around my stomach area. Then I discovered that if I zip up the side pockets, that wet patch doesn't happen anymore. (Yeah, genius in the making)

Now you've read this ramble and you're wondering what I'm on about? Well. Rather simple.

Do you need to do anything to Cordura to ensure it STAYS waterproof? Like apply some kind of paste / oil / spray / something? Or is this a case of having a few open spots that will leak through? Or, worst case scenario - do I need to buy different gear or a wet weather, tropical storm type of oversuit for when it gets to winter proper?

[fizbin]

It is quite simple. All bike gear is going to leak eventually. my bike gear although is brilliant willleak after 20min of constant rain like this morning, and there is bugger all you can do about it.
i keep a spear set of cothes at work for this exact reason. i have tried most of the sprays, oils, waxes, rubbing strange animals on my gear, and praying to the weather gods for relife but alas i still get wet.
but at the end of the day rideing even in this weather beats the car hands down.!

[scracha]

It is quite simple. All bike gear is going to leak eventually. my bike gear although is brilliant willleak after 20min of constant rain

Nope, not true. There's lots of gear out there that won't leak. Get a good goretex oversuit and you'll stay dry without sweating like a mofo.

[Pascal]

Nope, not true. There's lots of gear out there that won't leak. Get a good goretex oversuit and you'll stay dry without sweating like a mofo.

Alright, so the basic principle is:

Even if the gear is marked as waterproof, it won't be. You need an oversuit to stay dry.

Is that about correct? And thanks for the words of wisdom so far guys. Hopefully this will be the last patch of rain and we'll have a glorious summer. But I'm going to have to get ready for when winter hits us again full force.

[FJRider]

There is spray on waterproofing stuff... most sports shops sell it. Doesn't last that long in heavy rain though. To keep ALL the wet outside... You have to get the good stuff... not good news to those on a budget...

[Trollkid]

Just rode back Napier to Wellington on Sunday. Rained the whole freakin way but I was wearing a borrowed BMW rain suit (one piece) and stayed dry the whole time. Mind you the gloves got drenched.

[Road Guardian]

I was given this piece of advice recently.

If you want to keep your essentials dry, when in the wet (e.g. crouch). Get a plastic rubbish bag, a black one, with the draw string opening. Cut two holes in the bottom of the bag for your legs to go through.

Wear the bag like a big nappie (I know it sounds stupid), tie the top of the bag with the drawstring so it sits under your arm pits and wear it under your jacket (So you dont look like an idiot), and zip the jacket up.

It should keep the essentials dry as well as your torso.

[vifferman]

There is spray on waterproofing stuff... most sports shops sell it.

Nah, sports shops (and bike shops) are expensive.
I buy Scotchgard (the stuff in the green can, for tents and outdoor gear) at the supermarket for about $7 or thereabouts. It's cheaper than the SnoSeal equivalent and has more silicone.
Spray your jacket and pants till they're dripping wet, paying particular attention to the seams and zips.
Allow to dry (mostly), then repeat.

This will make most of the water bead up and run off, rather than sitting on the surface of the fabric and being sucked into seams or whatever by capillary action.

Yesterday I got caught out by the weather. Read The Harold and it basically said it would be OK. Given that Monday was really warm, I took the waterproof liner out of the jacket to maximise the aairlfow through the meshy bits.
Then I tarried too long at work, and it started to rain about 4:45-ish. So, I hurriedly put the liner back in. However, the jacket has a removable front panel that covers the mesh (and zip) that was at home, with my H2Out gloves.
I arrived home with a huge wet patch across the front of my shirt from the water being sucked/blow through the zip, and very damp gloves, and feeling rather chilled (my grip heaters conked out too).
Everything's hanging in the lounge now, with the A/C on.

It's the wettest I've been in about... 8 years(?)

[Pascal]

Get a plastic rubbish bag, a black one, with the draw string opening. Cut two holes in the bottom of the bag for your legs to go through.

I can hear the rest of the office now when I take my garbage bag "nappy" off. But then, I'll be laughing and waving as I drive past them on the way home, so all's fair, eh?

Thanks for that, it sounds like a reasonable option to play with.

I buy Scotchgard (the stuff in the green can, for tents and outdoor gear) at the supermarket for about $7 or thereabouts. It's cheaper than the SnoSeal equivalent and has more silicone.

Ahah! Okay, so here is my revised plan for staying dry then:

1. Scotchguard the gear
2. Wear a black diaper
3. Buy a rain oversuit

That should work. Now I just need to convince the wife that we can spring for waterproof boots ...

And thanks again all!

[BMWST?]

a good pair of plastic leggings is the only way you can sit in a puddle and stay dry....plastic rubbish bag will surely sef destruct at any speed..i got a good pair of leggings that sorta have a bib front..cant for the life of me rememeber where.(many many moons ago)A ate also had a pair of line 7 legging that also had a bib front(under jacket keep the leaks away)

[vifferman]

... keep ALL the wet outside...

This is the key.
Many/most suits rely on a waterproof liner. It's far better to keep the water out, and it's not necessarily expensive to do this. I have a pair of Motoline overpants, which were not expensive ($49 a few years ago), which are nylon (so compact), treated with PVC on the inside, and seam-sealed. Worn over leathers, they were completely waterproof, and after wearing them in the rain, all I needed to do was shake them out. If they are still available, Motoline also do a similar jacket. Otherwise PVC stuff is available from The Wrewhare and other places - not as good as bike-specific stuff, but still waterproof and cheap.

In contrast, yesterday I ended up with a jacket that kept most of the water out, but will take a couple of days to dry completely. The goretex liner in my pants (Spidi Gran Turismo H2Out) kept all the water out, but the pants will take hours to dry. Also, the water that soaks the outer shell makes you cold while riding along. It also FEELS like you're getting wet when the cold water runs down over the thin liner if you're not wearing the thermo liner. This is very distracting...

I know why the bike gear designers design gear like this: it's so the outer shell can be abrasion-resistant, and protect the fragile waterproof material. However, it actually makes more sense to have a cheap(ish) and effectively waterproof outer shell, except this means you have to put it on over the other layers, some of which are very bulky with armour in them, so it has to be loose-fitting by design, which means it's flappy and unaerodynamic. This also means it's easy for it to catch the wind and self-destruct (I've had a couple of cheap jackets blow out zips).

[pritch]

My Spidi jacket leaked from day one so I don't rate H2Out at all. (Ymmv...)

After one particularly wet trip home from Auckland I decided enough! So I bought a full GoreTex suit and GoreTex Sidi Boots. First decent rain and the trousers leaked. I wasn't happy. I'm told that if they leak they will be replaced but I haven't had a long ride in the rain since.

In the fullness of time when all things have come to pass I might write the gear up in the appropriate forum.

After I've written up my account of what's under the Christmas tree...

[Guided_monkey]

My two cents....

Use a R-Jays Voyager 2 jacket which is used all year around. Beginning to leak at the 2 yr use mark.

For trouser an old pair of Musto Yachting overtrou works best. Large bib so no jacket to trou seam leak and easily fits over boots for those side of the motorway down pours.

[CM2005]

hi mate
use NZDF wet weathers. they really are waterproof. army surplus stores and trademe have them.. I've abseilied down a wtaerfall in mine and been dry so should be sweet

[BMWST?]

something like this will keep your butt dry