Best wet weather gear ?

[RikPerry]

Guys/Girls whats the best lightweight wet weather jacket/pants combo for protection to weight ratio ?? Thinking about the TD boys this year and how much rain they had !! Whats best for that kinda ride ?

Rik

[Mike Brown]

With cost as a factor, you cannot beat the Sierra Designs products, IMO.

[ScottyJ]

I have a GoreTex Paclite shell made by Mtn Hardwear that I absolutely love.
It is made for mountaineering so the hood was made to fit over a rock climbing helmet.
I will never go shopping for a shell again without bringing my helmet along.
Oh and because it's paclite it compresses to the size of a large apple.

[wdlandparker]

i am in love with my llbean gore tex jacket, fully lined with mesh and is so breathable!

[bmike-vt]

I'm a fan of the Showers Pass eVent jacket... the Elite 2.0 It has seen duty for utility cycling and 24 hour road events. A bit warm... but that is a good thing in the spring, fall, and winter.

[Pivvay]

I rock a North Face Diad, Golite Reed pants hacked to knickers, MLD mitts and my feet freeze. It works and it's light (~10 ounces TOTAL) and reasonably cheap if you get it all on sale. Not sure if it's the best ever but I'm not switching unless a piece dies.

A Golite Virga is another hooded waterproof jacket that's cheap and light.

Tyvek pants weigh 2oz and work great too but they're super fragile. Best for short storms, not epic trips. They're super cheap too.

EDIT: If the TD was as wet as this past year again, a wool base layer instead of capilliene would be a welcome addition for those cutting every ounce. Smartwool is the value per quality option there IMO, I have 3 smartwool tops and tons of socks. Other than wearing out the socks faster than I would like, the stuff is ideal for me.

[daveB]

http://www.equinoxltd.com/the-gear/raingear/gazelle-ultralite-anorak.cfm
I made my own based on this; ditched the front pocket, better shaped hood, looonger sleeves and torso (I'm a smidge tall)

http://rainmates.us/
They'll definitely trip the dork-o-meter, but they'll keep you protected without undue condensation.  Also, there's no butt to wear out.

MLD mitts too.

[bmike-vt]

Big fan of the Rainlegs that daveB linked to.
Fantastic...

[daveB]

RainMATES are similar to RainLEGS, but with an extra section that snaps on/off for below the knee.
Both are coated nylon.

[bmike-vt]

Ahh. Thanks for the clarification. 

[Slim]

For cheap, light and beathable it's hard to beat the 3M Propore stuff, like the O2 Cyclists rain jacket: $30 ,a few ounces and more breathable than Gore-tex. How-ever they are not cut very well and are very fragile. I use them when I'm not expecting much rain.
I have been looking at the Endura Flight jacket lately, it's supposedly surpasses the breathability of Event with a corresponding drop in waterproofness, but it's affordable and Endura stuff is well thought out and designed for riding.

[RikPerry]

Thats cos its made in Scotland.... Lot of rain there! Lol

Has anybody tried the Marmot Mica or the North Face Triumph for cycling ??

Rik

[Pivvay]

The DIAD is pretty similar to the Triumph. Downsides to the Triumph anarack are no full zip and no pit zips. It's not much lighter than my old, slightly modded DIAD (6.1 oz) but quite a bit lighter than the newst DIAD's. Not experience with the Mica.

[RikPerry]

Can't find the old style DIAD over here Chris.. But i did find the Hagalofs Lim Jacket.... Little heavier than the DIAD but longer at the rear for biking .. Anyone tried one yet ??

Rik

[RikPerry]

Chris while your online ... How did you get on with that Z Packs pack ?? Usefull for the TD ?? Worthwhile for CTR ??

Just thinking about packs for CTR and as i will be without a frame bag i will need a pack but thought i might need a bladder in it .. Any tips ??

Rik

[Pivvay]

We don't get much Hagalofs stuff in the USA. Never tried one.

The Zpacks pack worked fine. It's super light but sort of flimsy. You could run a bladder in it if you want. I custom ordered mine smaller than normal and it still came out too big really but that was hard to gauge since I didn't quite know how he cut them. They're not super durable but I didn't baby mine too much either and it survived okay. It shows some wear in the back panel and bottom.

I would probably do it that way on the TD again since I could ditch the pack in lot of sections (esp with course knowledge from doing it once) but it was only a little over 2oz to bring along for the sections where I wanted to pack bulky food, extra water or whatever. For the CTR I might just carry my Black Diamond Flash 9L pack from the start but I haven't thought about it in depth yet. You need plenty of volume capacity for Coney/Cataract to haul enough chow.

[chrisx]

Cheap solid rain coat.  Some fabric is more water resistant than others.  Water proof fabric does not exist. 
Portland meter maids ride through the winter, they wear gortex, say it doesn't hold up.  Seattle police ride through the winter, they said they tried everything, still searching for something that works.  Wool helps, I like my Icebreaker shirt a lot.  Get socks with high wool content, 87% perhaps.  50%, 60%, = cold feet.  If you are in an actual race, you must suffer, so you can arrive 1 minute quicker.  The other 99.99% of bike rides must take hypothermia seriously, it kills.  Get a real rain coat, unless you can build a fire from wet wood with a trembling hand.

[DaveC]

I've found light, lined neoprene socks (NRS Hydroskin) to be very effective for hiking in the wet and cool.  Problem with neoprene is convective heat loss.  The neo socks with shoe covers might be pretty effective.

As for rain gear, I concur that after really riding in the rain for a bit, you'll be wet.  Best have a jacket that'll keep the wind off, layers that can keep you warm, calories, and when all else fails gets off and run for a bit.