FLCC> Rain gear

[William Lodico]

I'm a profuse sweater, also, and I've found that staying dry in the  
rain is hopeless.  Either the rain soaks me or my sweat soaks me.  I  
currently opt for a layer of light weight wool (leg warmers, arm  
warmers, and an under-jersey sweater vest) if I'm going to be out in  
the rain long enough to get cold, with the expectation that if it  
rains hard I'll be miserable.  I will grab a wind vest and/or a light  
water resistant wind jacket, but this is not to keep me from getting  
wet, only to provide a little layer of wind barrier between the cold  
water on the outside of it and the warmer water on the inside of it.   
I don't even try to stay dry.  I focus on not getting too cold (or  
too hot, which can be just as bad).  Sometimes it's necessary to ride  
much harder than I really want to just to keep core temperature up in  
the safe zone.  I've ridden for hours on end in low and mid fifties  
temperatures in pouring rain, and managed to stay warm as long as I  
kept moving.

Once the rain stops, the jacket comes off, if I've even bothered to  
put it on, and I look forward to the next hill.  The heat I generate  
on the climb usually has me dry by the time I'm at the top.  My rain- 
suited companions get to complete the ride in their portable steam  
rooms.   I avoid the heavier gore-texy fabrics for the jacket, since  
I want to be able to roll it up in a small enough package to fit in a  
jersey pocket; a plastic trash bag may be a better, more compact  
alternative.  Vests can be more substantial, since you can leave them  
on and just zip and unzip to regulate temperature.

I've used these methods in temperatures ranging from just above  
freezing (which can be really miserable in the pouring rain) on up.   
Obviously, if temps are in the high seventies, eighties, or above,  
there's no need to worry about temperature, nor about getting wet.

In winter, in cold-cold weather, I have a gore-tex suit I sometimes  
use for very short rides.  But notwithstanding its claims to  
breathability, I can't use it if temps are not cold enough, of if I'm  
not taking it easy enough, to keep me on the dry side of the sweat zone.

Bill L







On Apr 4, 2008, at 2:30 PM, eric smith wrote:
My own impressions are that how well "breathable" rain gear works
depends a lot on the level of sweat production by the person wearing it.
   There is a lot of stuff out there that works pretty well for  
"average"
levels of sweat production.  I'm probably well up at the 95th percentile
or above, and my clothing ends up pretty well drenched on a clear, low
humidity day once the temperature gets up over about 65 or 70 degrees,
without any water-retardant layer, and regardless of what a great job
the high-tech material is supposed to do about wicking.  So don't get
your hopes up too high if you are a profuse sweater.

Eric

Peter Hutchins wrote:
> Does anyone have a recommendation for a good brand of rain gear?
> Something which is breathable, water proof and durable?
>
> My current gear is waterproof but hardly breathable, I end up soaked
> from the inside out.
>
> I don't think trash bags or ponchos are going to do the trick, though
> plastic bags are my favorite winter bootie solution...
>
> Thanks,
> -pH
>
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> Peter Hutchins
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> Ithaca, NY 14850
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