UKC

Does anyone think that wet suit pants (trousers) would be a good solution to keeping warm and dry in the wind and rain on a bike?

I'm not sure if wet suits (neoprene) is particularly water repellent...

Cheers - Adam

In reply to KingStapo:

It's called a wet suit becasue it lets water in (as opposed to a dry suit). The idea being that your body heat creates a layer of warm water between you and the cold water.

No idea if they're good for cycling in.

In reply to Jimbo C:
they would be dreadful

In reply to Dr.S at work:

That's what I'd assume, but have never tried

In reply to Jimbo C:

Dry suits can also made out of neoprene. The material itself is non-permeable, it's the seals at the neck, wrists, ankles etc that let the water in (or not, in the case of a dry suit).

That said, neoprene would be awful for cycling precisely because it is non-permeable. I imagine it would quickly end up like a sauna in there, and chafe horrendously.

In reply to KingStapo:

I've got about 7 assorted wetsuits. I wouldn't want to cycle in any of them. Apart from the fit, you'd melt in it.

Anyway, for info, my swimming suit is single lined, the outer surface is slick, for speed through the water. Windsurfing suits are also typically like this to dry quickly and so minimise windchill.

The rest of my suits are double lined, which are more durable than single lined. On 3 of them, the outer layer is hydrophobic treated, so water beads off - windchill again.

Neoprene is watertight - water normally gets in through cheap/damaged seams or cuffs/neck. By definition, a wetsuit only works when there is water between you and it, so you'd end up pretty hot and clammy.

You'd be better with a highly breathable dry suit.

Thanks everyone. Wet suits are out then - but surely people do triathlons in them....?

So I guess what I want is something water proof or very resistant and also kind of skin tight (i'm into that sort of thing...)

Any recommendations. I'd be interested in not spending over £40

In reply to KingStapo:


Only the swimming bit


Cling film?

In reply to nufkin:


Breathable?

In reply to KingStapo:


'...not spending over £40'

In reply to nufkin:

go on then, just recommend one, ignore price constraints. i'll shop lift it.

In reply to KingStapo: http://www.probikekit.co.uk/sports-clothing/sportful-no-rain-cycling-bib-ti...

Castelli also do nanoflex which is water resistant.
Hincapie do arenberg zero bib tights.
Endura do some but I don't remember their name.
Gore bike wear you'd want to go for windstopper soft shell bib tights.

In reply to KingStapo:
My mate did a three day tour of the Yorkshire dales wearing a wet suit top and claimed it was really comfortable. For the bottom half he was wearing triathlon shorts - don't think they were waterproof but warm and quick drying with only minimal padding.

In fact he ran a 10k in them yesterday, but he as annoyingly fit, and often just plain annoying!

In reply to KingStapo: These are about as close as you'll get and practical for riding a lot in, not £40 though! http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sportful-fiandre-no-rain-thermal-bib-tights-1/

In reply to KingStapo:
My experience of cycling gear is this:

1) Buy the cheapest shit possible, because I'm a cheapskate.
2) It falls apart in a few months
3) Buy the medium quality stuff.
4) It doesn't fall apart, but when cycling in 'difficult' conditions it leaks/chafes/sweats/gets cold etc
5) Buy the expensive stuff
6) Enjoy, comfortable, misery-free* cycling in all conditions, at the expense of having had to buy the same item three times.

Moral of the story - if you want water resistant, breathable, comfortable cycling gear, it is cheaper to buy expensive first.

Personally, for a set of winter bib-tights, I wouldn't even bother looking at anything that cost less than 80 quid. But, of course, it depends on how comfortable you want/need to be. 40 quid puts you in between cheap and medium.


*no guarantees!

In reply to KingStapo: Have a look at Fourth Element Thermocline (http://www.fourthelement.com/wet_thermocline.php). Its like a windproof, water resistant powerstretch material (made by polartec I think). I sea kayak in it and while its not the same as cycling it is warm, non-sweaty, very stretchy, machine washable and dries very quickly. They do shorts and a long-legged bib top.

In reply to KingStapo:

I did wonder about these for wet winter cycling:
http://www.chillcheater.com/aqshop/catalogue.php?id=2676&page=
Aquatherm is not neoprene. Its much thinner, stronger and (allegedly) breatheable (I beg to differ!).
I have a Reed drytop and a T-shirt type top for paddling, but have never tried the trousers.
You DO have to be happy with the Gimp look of Reed gear tho'

N

In reply to cousin nick:
They may be fine, but I just don't understand this desire to buy non-cycling gear to be used when cycling. There are dozens of brands making excellent gear which is designed exclusively for cycling, and to suit all price ranges. The majority of this gear will, unsurprisingly, work very well for cycling!

In reply to KingStapo:

Legs - sub-£20 Decathlon winter runners' tights. Warm and wet in the pissing rain. When the person in front of you goes through a puddle, you get a spray of cold water, but that soon warms up.

YOu can then annoy the proprietor of you post-ride cafe by slowing oozing all the collected rain onto the floor.

In reply to KingStapo:
Continuing the theme of being tight. I use my sailing base layers for cycling in the rain. Not waterproof but warm when wet.
http://www.roostersailing.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_...

Meets the price criteria but not the waterproof/breathable.

Interesting ideas everyone.

Turns out I've firmed up my brief and decided it's probably impossible to be dry and breathable, therefore being warm is more important.

All these sailing-type garments sound ideal, with their warm layer of water just next to the skin, so I may well invest.

In reply to Alun: I comletely agree! Why buy a sailing product for winter cycling? Whats wrong with a winter cycling product? I commute roughly 30 miles most days and wouldn't even think about using anything other than cycling kit. I have in the past, running leggings for example, they slip on the saddle. Winter climbing gloves, the super grippy palm catches on the hoods. Rab softshell, the hood acts like a braking chute and flaps around.....
Just go to your LBS and buy good quality, cycling specific kit designed to work in shitty British conditons whilst riding a bike.

In reply to T_Mac:

I agree with climbing waterproofs - useless sails. Gloves- Marmot XT (for cold) and BD punisher for cold and wet have been way better than any cycling-specific gloves I've ever had. I've never felt the need for cycling leges, because the Decathlon runnners' ones are so good (they get worn ice climbing too).

However, my Castelli softshell is utterly brilliant for when it's baltic. I'm a sweaty little beast though and it needs to be 5 degrees or below with no sun for me to wear it. 6 degrees and sunny/cloudy is thermal top, jersey and arm warmers weather.

In reply to KingStapo:

I don't mean to be offensive, but I think you're crazy. You are prepared to actually spend money on a product designed sailing, with the intention of using it for cycling, when there are multiple cycling specific options at a range of prices?

Well I hope it works out for you, honestly. Don't come complaining here about your sweat-rash though!

Could I at least convince you to buy a set of cheap cycling tights and cover them with an equally cheap pair of plastic waterproof trousers? At least your bum will benefit from some sort of padding, and you can remove the waterproofs if it stops raining. The pair of them should cost less than 40 if you go to decathlon or somewhere similar.

In reply to KingStapo:

The best winter bibs (Roubaix fleece lined) I've ever owned are the same ones I've used for about 20 years, made by Lusso here in Bury, Lancashire. They are in remarkably good conditon after years of abuse, they have been stitched together at the knees and hips after various falls and they retain their stretchiness and repellancy and the zip is as good as new. I won't hesitate to buy the same again when they do die in a couple of years.

In reply to KingStapo: DHB do an amazing winter bib long. they are wind proof, very breathable and cheap, i use them for mountain and road. have done for the last 5 years. enough said

What about these then?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sugoi-midzero-rc-pro-tights/

In reply to KingStapo:

I just accept that if you cycle in the wet, you get wet. If you cycle in the cold, you either start out cold and warm up, or start out warm and get too hot.

Actually, it's a bit more complicated, in that the bits that start warm (hands, feet, face etc) always get cold no matter what, but the bits that feel cold straight away (eg torso) usually become warm (or too hot, which is far worse)!

In reply to KingStapo:
They look toastie!

In reply to Rigid Raider:

Yep, Lusso max repel bibs are what I wear in winter - superb kit and made in the UK.

N