[Closed] Waterproof > Long road rides

I want to know this also.. Is it best to have a gilet and arm warmers as well?

I hear castelli is very good

Lots of people rave about the Rapha jackets.

Me? I use a thin wind jacket or a gilet and accept I'll get wet. Seems to work in winter - I just layer up underneath.

Just buy two sizes too small. I'm 5'11 and 14.5st and I often wear small sized waterproofs. Usually I wear a windproof, but when it's 4 degrees out and hammering down before I leave, nothing beats being cosy, warm and dry snug in my waterproof top, trousers, gloves and overshoes 🙂

when it's 4 degrees out and hammering down before I leave, nothing beats being cosy, warm and dry snug in my waterproof top, trousers, gloves and overshoes

I know one thing - being cosy, warm and dry snug in front of my fire at home 😛

Skip to point 3 if you can ‘t be arsed with my reasoning/debate/rant

1. Rapha, if you do some digging you’ll find out their products aint that great...considering the price + press! I nearly fell for their marketing shite until I had and epiphany that they’re a bunch of pretentious brits trying to be chic...sorry lads, but the black-n-white phots of you on holiday in Europe aint getting me to part with my hard earned.

2. Assos, awesome; had a Proline jersey with windbloc...but one has to accept getting wet... but warm (I’ll be revisiting this option).

3. GORE OXYGEN IV: the reviews speak volumes – I’m going for one of these first, road and mtb, then I’ll save mi pennies and complete with an Assos.
Hope this helps, bottom line; go for a company with HISTORY. You can’t learn experience!

GORE BIKE WEAR oxygen, or if you can find one a Xenon Race.
Both made of GORE-TEX and both proper 3D cut to designed to be comfy in the road position.

Event fabric is best.. but not many jacket makers use it. So I reckon the Montane Stormrider is best. Not cheap tho...

I just wear a montane velo and accept dampness. It's normally a case of wet from the outside, wet from the inside. I worry about being warm, not dry.

I would never carry armwarmers, a gillet and a waterproof. A thow a long sleeve jersey into that mix and decide what the weathers going to be and just take appropriate clothes. Gillet and armwarmers or the waterproof with long sleeve jersey.

i got a gore oxygen which does the job.

I got a gore-tex jacket from Gore a few years ago. I still have it. It rolls up small enough to fit in the middle kidney pocket (and I'm larger than the average roadie) it's breathable, waterproof and reasonably lightweight.

I can't speak for any of the other brands mentioned but I certainly have no complaints.

I've also gone 'the other way' and used a merino wool base layer and just accepted the fact that I'd get wet but at least I'll still be warm.

Sportful used to do some good narrow fit rainjackets, as did Vaude, as did Jack Wolfskin. Otherwise go for rapha/assos/gore (delete as to which price point/ demographic you prefer)

The Craft stuff is pretty good. Though I can't recall the last time I wore a waterproof on the road. For summer a gilet and warmers and for winter a nylon fronted or laminate fronted normal jacket.

Craft performance rain jacket. Some of the money wanted for what are basically nylon shells is bloomin daft.

1. Mudguards for proper wet winter raining training.
2. It stops when it gets to your skin.

I've a gore oxygen softshell and mudguards 😉

Are you talking long rides in the winter or the summer.

Anyway Gore stuff is very good as is rapha, and I've actaully used the kit rather than '[i]doing some digging you’ll find out their products aint that great[/i]. I've got the first generation stowaway jacket which is great all year round if the temperature isn't too low. I use a gore fusion jacket for really bad days in winter and it's fantastic but way too hot for spring/summer/autumn.

And as I live in the west of scotland I do a lot of riding in the rain.

Santini H2 Zero jersey is amazing. Waterproof fabric, and feels lovely on.
Wore it in the pissing rain for about 2 hours and it was great.

No waterproof is going to keep you dry because you produce so much water through perspiration. Just make sure you have a decent shell and wicking or merino underlayers to keep warm even though wet. I have a Goretex top which initially I was very disappointed in but now I have realised its limitations and layer appropriately it's fine.

1. Rapha, if you do some digging you’ll find out their products aint that great...considering the price + press! I nearly fell for their marketing shite until I had and epiphany that they’re a bunch of pretentious brits trying to be chic...sorry lads, but the black-n-white phots of you on holiday in Europe aint getting me to part with my hard earned.

excellent review based on you not actually using the products 🙄

The Rapha stowaway seems to get good reviews even from places/people who dis other stuff of theirs. I have one of their softshell gilets. It is brilliant in the cold and wet. You do need it to be cold though as it is a pretty warm piece of kit. If I had the money (or any money) I'd probably buy a Stowaway. Presently though I am getting away with an Altura gillet and arm warmers. I am yet to be out in a 6 hour down pour and even when it's raining at the moment I still find it a little sweaty.

Thanks for the replys, justifies the Gore purchase I had planned, cheers.

I hear what you say Dirty Rider, and you do have a point. However, if you conduct enough research (I’m a self-confessed geek on this aspect, I’ll trawl all the TT, Tri, Roadie, MTB sites etc) you can form an educated decision...stacking the odds in one's own favour - patterns do emerge. On that point, I don't take any notice of Magazine reviews (I'll not go there) ...the people will decide 🙂

As was the case with Rapha, I would say 85-92(+ - 4ish)% of the readers/users/owners reviews I read conveyed a message of disappointment; which isn’t the statistic I’m looking for.
It was the complete inverse for the Gore Oxygen, hence my decision.

Hope this helps 🙂

The thing is, sweat tends to be warm, and rainwater cold. So it pays to keep the rain off your skin 🙂 And a good enough waterproof will keep you dry enough to be comfortable. I've done the warm and wet thing, and it works fine unless it's raining so hard that cold water is washing through your merino/fleece etc.

Plus, if you get an eVent jacket, chances are you will be dry anyway since it's so breathable.