Waterproof trousers / shorts / 3/4 shorts ???
Waterproof trousers / shorts / 3/4 shorts ???
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JQ

Original Poster:

6,801 posts

208 months

Sunday 23rd September 2012
quotequote all
I wear cycling shorts with standard shorts over the top for my daily commute. It doesn't seem to stop raining and I'm getting annoyed putting soaking wet shorts on every evening on the way home.

What do people wear to keep dry? I really quite fancy some 3/4 length baggies (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/altura-attack-waterproof-34-shorts/) perhaps with some knee length waterproof socks underneath. However, I'm struggling to rationalise spending £65 (+£20 for the socks) on something I can only ever wear for cycling. I could alternatively buy some full length trousers, which could then also be used for golf, hill walking, etc. However, I find cycling in trousers really weird and not something I enjoy. Are full length waterproof trousers OK to cycle in?

What does everyone else do?

GBDG

896 posts

183 months

Sunday 23rd September 2012
quotequote all
Why are you wearing shorts over cycling shorts? The simple answer is just to wear cycling shorts, they dry out in about 20 minutes if you hang them up somewhere warm.

Waterproof trousers are just about the worst thing in the world. Who needs rain when you can soak yourself in your own sweat, you get the added bonus of them smelling awful as well.

What's your work dress code like. You could have a look at the Levis commuter range, they have some sort of pimpy waterproof coating.

Edited by GBDG on Sunday 23 September 21:56

Jimbo.

4,220 posts

218 months

Sunday 23rd September 2012
quotequote all
JQ said:
I wear cycling shorts with standard shorts over the top for my daily commute. It doesn't seem to stop raining and I'm getting annoyed putting soaking wet shorts on every evening on the way home.

What do people wear to keep dry? I really quite fancy some 3/4 length baggies (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/altura-attack-waterproof-34-shorts/) perhaps with some knee length waterproof socks underneath. However, I'm struggling to rationalise spending £65 (+£20 for the socks) on something I can only ever wear for cycling. I could alternatively buy some full length trousers, which could then also be used for golf, hill walking, etc. However, I find cycling in trousers really weird and not something I enjoy. Are full length waterproof trousers OK to cycle in?

What does everyone else do?
Get wet but keep warm. Anything properly "waterproof" (inc. the trousers to which you refer) will result on you getting wet from the inside (sweat) rather than the outside (rain). They're just not breathable enough, esp. for cycling.

JQ

Original Poster:

6,801 posts

208 months

Sunday 23rd September 2012
quotequote all
GBDG said:
Why are you wearing shorts over cycling shorts? The simple answer is just to wear cycling shorts, they dry out in about 20 minutes if you hang them up somewhere warm.

Waterproof trousers are just about the worst thing in the world. Who needs rain when you can soak yourself in your own sweat, you get the added bonus of them smelling awful as well.

What's your work dress code like. You could have a look at the Levis commuter range, they have some sort of pimpy waterproof coating.

Edited by GBDG on Sunday 23 September 21:56
I work in a very nice office where all cycling gear has to be stored in a small wardrobe - my cycling shorts don't dry during the day, and it's them that are wetter the my normal shorts.

It's only a 30 min commute, so I'm not sure I raise that much of a sweat in that time, less so during the winter presumably.

Maybe I'll just go for waterproof shorts.

Hollywood Wheels

3,689 posts

259 months

Sunday 23rd September 2012
quotequote all
In my experience, nothing is ever truly waterproof. In the wet I wear ron hills with camo shorts over the top. They are proper military shorts made of ripstop fabric, very hard wearing and dry out pretty quick (search ebay 'bdu shorts'). I do wear sealskin socks, purely because I have a hatred of wet feet. I wouldn't be seen dead riding around in lycra, but that's just me!