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Just booked a trip to wales for the start of November and been thinking a pair of waterproof trousers might be handy things to take along.
I normally run quite hot so have never bothered in the past when I can easily sack a ride off and head home if it gets too wet. But with a whole day of uplift assisted riding on the cards I might change my mind if there are some budget options out there that should keep me dry without being too expensive.
Anyone have any suggestions for pants I should be looking at or is this one of those cases where there isn’t really a good budget option?
Aye, you'll be fine on an uplift day with cheap boil in the bag trews, as you won't be working too hard.
Not tried them myself but yesterday someone in the group I ride in recommended the Decathlon trail running trousers for ~£30. Apparently they were super sceptical, but a friend who does endurance events recommended them, and they have been impressed.
I used waterproof walking trousers, a bit snug over the big pads but okay. In heavy rain, you are kept pretty cool and dry enough to ride the uplift all day.
I also bought some ex army goretex and would use with braces but they are so baggy I haven’t tried yet.
If you can deal with looking #combatwombat the British army mvp trousers are superb as cheap but breatheable waterproofs. For less features and less wombat look at the RAF ones I’m grey/blue.
i think my mtp’s were £20 new and my raf might have been a bit less.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/am-trail-mtb-pants/_/R-p-309674
I run quite hot, but can wear these all day.
I recently bought some RAF MVP trousers to cut into shorts but the legs were ridiculously baggy so it was never going to work so I had to send them back. Only £18.50 (new) off eBay.
^^ my experience of those too, need legs like a snooker table to fill them!.
I spent most of last winter riding in some lightweight Regatta walking trousers. They're more shower-proof than full waterproof, but light enough not to get water logged, and they keep all the mud off.
The bottoms are a bit wide, so I took them in a little on the sewing machine.
Underneath I wear knee length sealskins, knee warmers or pads, and winter weight cycling shorts.
Unless it's totally biblical I'm dry underneath, and if I get wet through I'm still warm.
Simarly, I bought a cheap pair of regatta isoflex walking trousers, 25 quid, I pretty much look like a binman/traffic cone in them, aa they're Day-Glo orange, but they're superb.
They're quite tight, stretchy showerproof softshell, you'll get wet if it pisses aw day, but they'll take a shower or puddle splashes.
I run quite hot, but can wear these all day.
Those aren't waterproof, showerproof perhaps till they wet out.
Try these if its properly raining
Sealskins underneath and you should stay comfortable.
I've got some of the decathlon trail pants already but experience has shown that if its properly wet out they won't keep you even remotely dry.
Guess there is enough positive experiences here to give a budget option a go, even if they don't turn out to be brilliant. Will start looking through my options.
Definitely on the budget side but I use these for biblically wet school runs on the bike. They pull on easily and have Velcro from the knees down. The best part is the shoe covers which have an elastic loop under them so you really do pull them straight over shoes, trousers etc.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/100-city-cycling-rain-overtrousers-black/_/R-p-169380?currentPage=1&filter=all&mc=8402040&c=BLACK&orderId=gb38922493
I bought some cheapo Sprayway ones for a monsoon-like weekend in BPW - elasticated waist and ankle zips so easy to chuck on/off according to the weather. They stayed on.
I think I've narrowed my list down to two options at £40; the Decathlon trail running waterproof trousers, linked above, or the Decathlong MH500 waterproof walking trousers.
Part of me is tempted by the slightly closer fit of the running pair but then the practical part of me thinks that the proper 3 layer fabric on the walking ones probably means they would be the better pair if I end up using them more than once. They weigh about twice as much as the running ones so I'm guessing they should be more robust.
Anyone have any specific comments around the relative benefits of 2.5 vs 3 layer waterproof fabric for this sort of thing?
I used those Decathlon trail running waterproof trousers for a couple of years. Overall they were fantastic - light enough to carry around all time while commuting, big legs zips for getting on/off easily and they have a tapered fit around the ankles. They aren't particularly durable though so if you're using them without a mudguard they wear through pretty quickly. Tbh by the time they were shredded the DWR seemed unproofable anyway. I've got a 3 layer jacket which is much more durable but also heavyweight. Mudguard is key for longevity on the trousers!