How was your cycle commute?

[DownwardDog]

Are there actually any waterproofs that are really waterproof?! Other than ones that cost riddiculous amounts of money?

Castelli Gabba 2 is the way to go - they are great. Go and read the reviews on Wiggle.

 

[a_chap]

Has anyone tried using a cape instead of waterproof trousers?

Me. And bloody handy a cape is too. Much better than a jacket for stopping you getting sweaty.

I have one of these - http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&under=range&product_id=66

If it's really chucking it down I also use a pair of these - http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&under=range&product_id=67

The only real downside is that a large pool of rainwater tends to collect between your hands so you have to develop a technique for dumping it overboard and not down your legs

 

[Onket]

I've said this before, but less is best. Stick with shorts.

Doesn't work for all circumstances. I used to do it in London- 15/20 min commute followed by a shower at work. Can't do it now because I'm on a train & bus for ages before I get to work.

 

[Dogsauce]

They lied about the rain again, which was painful at times as I also had a 12mph headwind to contend with. Not a lot of it, but some of the big drops felt like hail.

In shorts today, I'll generally wear them if it's a bit wet and not too cold as they dry pretty fast (as do my legs). The goretex comes out when it's proper fucking it down and I'm not going somewhere that I can have a shower at the other end.

 

[iamwithnail]

Are those cycle 'superhighway' strips as bastarding slippery as they look? Was coming back from Wimbledon last night, first time in ages on them, in the pouring rain, and was super cautious of them.

 

[Crispy]

Are those cycle 'superhighway' strips as bastarding slippery as they look? Was coming back from Wimbledon last night, first time in ages on them, in the pouring rain, and was super cautious of them.

No worse than regular smooth tarmac IME

 

[Onket]

Quit it with the Americanisms!

Got soaked on the way home yesterday but missed the rain this morning. Fair bit of surface water so was pleased with the mudguard.

 

[Crispy]

Got soaked on the way home yesterday but missed the rain this morning. Fair bit of surface water so was pleased with the mudguard.

Ditto
The simple joy of a dry bum cannot be overenjoyed

 

[pseudonarcissus]

got soaked this morning walking the dog, checked the weather forecast over breakfast predicting a fine day with showers at lunch time, and then got soaked again on the way to work.

It was super slippery....I'm scared of the blue paint too

 

[Virtual Blue]

Still loving the Whyte.
The braking system is noisy but it's super efficient.
Pannier bags, overshoes, rainlegs - cycling in this shit weather is rather tranquil.

 

[Onket]

super cautious

super slippery....

super efficient.

 

[The Boy]

I super agree.

 

[The Boy]

Disclaimer: I'm one of those super-annoying people that uses 'super' as a whatever-it-is. In my defence, I spent a hell of a lot of time over the Channel as a kid, and it was a very common thing over there.

 

[iamwithnail]

What's wrong with super?

 

[Onket]

Disclaimer: I'm one of those super-annoying people that uses 'super' as a whatever-it-is. In my defence, I spent a hell of a lot of time over the Channel as a kid, and it was a very common thing over there.

It does my fucking head in. Seems to have really increased over the last few years.

 

[The Boy]

It does my fucking head in. Seems to have really increased over the last few years.

Probably all them posh French Bankers that have moved to that there london bringing their foreign ways with them.

 

[Orang Utan]

It's just another word for very.

 

[Onket]

I know.

 

[Dogsauce]

Super smashing great.

I'm off the bike for a couple of days as I have some site work (they're letting me back out again). First bit of driving since March, and the hire car fairies delivered me a quite reasonable petrol Focus, nothing that would muddle my head too much (occasionally you get an automatic or something with weird controls). Avoided having to ride in the shitty stuff of heavy showers this morning, so for that I'm grateful.

 

[Virtual Blue]

Word snobs
So what if I'm super limited with my choice of words? It's super descriptive.

 

[BigTom]

Yesterday was the first morning I didn't see another cyclist on my commute since last winter but also because it's November and although it's always down to when the weather turns, that's later than usual.
Was pretty grim yesterday morning, lovely ride home though.

 

[Onket]

Nearly came off yesterday (or at least I thought I was going to). Foolishly adjusting one of my gloves and a gust of wind wobbled the front wheel and it felt for a split second as it it was going to slip out from under me.

I've probably not quite learned my lesson though, tbh.

 

[han]

Eeek!

My Gore jacket is so amazing! Can't believe I struggled along for so many years with my leaky old Altura jacket. It's like water off a duck's back. Combining that with leather pumps, Sealskinz socks and lycra (eek!) leggings and getting soaked is a thing of the past for me. Yay!

I tend to not bother with waterproof trousers unless it's absolutely Biblical rain -I find them a bit sweat-inducing. My Peter Storm ones are relatively breathable but I just get so hot.

 

[Virtual Blue]

Eeek!

My Gore jacket is so amazing! Can't believe I struggled along for so many years with my leaky old Altura jacket. It's like water off a duck's back. Combining that with leather pumps, Sealskinz socks and lycra (eek!) leggings and getting soaked is a thing of the past for me. Yay!

I tend to not bother with waterproof trousers unless it's absolutely Biblical rain -I find them a bit sweat-inducing. My Peter Storm ones are relatively breathable but I just get so hot.

what brand is your gore jacket?

 

[Onket]

Gore Vidal

 

[weepiper]

what brand is your gore jacket?

The clue's in the name.

 

[Virtual Blue]

gore is a fabric and exists in many brands.

 

[han]

Isn't Gore TEX a fabric?

The brand of my jacket is Gore. It wasn't cheap though. Reduced to 110 quid from 170 (eek) at Brixton Cycles. But a worthy investment, definitely. My last cycling jacket was 15 years old, at 50 quid. So I reckon I'll be wearing this one for 30 years, until I'm 71.

 

[Onket]

Does it look like a cycling jacket? My problem with a lot of stuff stocked by cycling shops is that they seems to have their own ideas about what looks good and they are quite obviously cycling clothes.

 

[han]

It doesn't, really. It's black, so that helps. It's got a cottonny look to it. It doesn't look like a waterproof jacket really.


I wear a hi viz waistcoat over the top when cycling then whip it off at the end of the journey. I'm quite liking the black ninja cycling outfit I have, and having a bike bedecked with lights means I am very visible.