I commute about 10 miles a day in Portland, OR. Needless to say rain is a big part of many of my rides. My current rain pants leave me almost as sweaty as if I had just ridden without the rain gear. So I'm looking for pants with a hard shell/ gore-tex/ dwr front and soft shell sides and back. I figure that this combination has to exist out there and that it would help with my moisture transfer issues. Who makes my Holy grail of rain gear?
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Which pants do you have right now? And did you enjoy that downpour yesterday? There wasn't a dry cyclist in the city, breathable pants or not. Some days we're just going to get wet. Showers pass is made right here in portland, and I use them on all the nasty days, for me they work great http://www.rei.com/product/821425/showers-pass-roadie-event-bike-rain-pants-mens Arc'teryx, even though I can't pronounce their name, make the top of the line holy grail rain gear. I was just looking at these for myself yesterday: http://www.rei.com/product/836409/arcteryx-micon-insulated-pants-mens |
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Gore-tex and equivalents don't make water disappear -- it has to run off someplace. I think pants like that would just result in the water running off and soaking the sides and back of the pants. EDIT 12/18/2012: although someone on Quora just recommended these, which are like rain chaps, somewhat similar to what you're talking about: http://www.rainlegs.com/en/home |
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If you are "not worried about getting wet when it is super rainy" I would suggest to skip rain pants completely. Ride with good fenders in normal cycling clothes you would use at the same (or slightly lower) temperatures if it was dry. For me that often means tights with woolen, thin knee warmers. Change into civilian clothes at work. I have yet to find one good pair of waterproof cycling pants. The better ones all look fine in the shop. But they either fail more or less completely to keep me dry in the first heavy downpour, or they are less comfortable than damp tights. After instead using them as a wind breaker during winter for one season they will definitely not be waterproof in the saddle area any longer... |
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Get a Rain Cape (basically a poncho) if you want to keep drier on the legs without overheating as much. The design diverts water away from your legs and has more ventilation than a standard jacket since it has the open bottom. If you've got fenders to keep the splashing to a minimum, a rain cape, and cheap water resistant pants (for days with heavy rain), then you'll stay pretty dry on your commute. |
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According to my experience, the gore-tex promise, i.e. breathable and dry is a myth*. The combination you are looking for might become available if you're using so-called "rainlegs" http://www.kurbelix.com/products/Fahrradbekleidung/Rainlegs-Regenschutz-Sportlich-Grau.html?cat=165795&pa_option=871 in combination with whatever you consider "soft shell sides and back". (*) According to my experience from rainy Germany, if you cycle during heavy rain, you always end up being soaked. The only difference you can make by using different gear is the initial source of being soaked, i.e. either (external) rain or (internal) sweat. After another half an hour, these initial conditions become irrelevant... |
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I use cheap water resistant nylon pants, then use Nikwax wash-in waterproofing to make them more waterproof. They are still relatively breathable, and I stay dry beneath. I have a pair of cycling rain pants that are completely waterproof, and though they claim to be breathable, they aren't. The nylon pants work just as well and are much more breathable. |
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