Wet Weather Gear - What Do You Wear ?

Hi All,

now the wet season is starting here in the Western Canada, I'm looking to replace my 1 piece 14 year old leaky oversuit with something new as its long overdue.

Undecided if to go for a 2 piece oversuit to go over my leathers or whether to bite the bullet and buy 2 piece textile waterproof jacket / pants and store the leathers until spring comes back.

Oversuit - lightweight / can carry packed away and just put on when wet / cheap
2 Piece Textile - probably warmer / no need to carry additional gear / more $$$ / drying speed ?

I'm dimensionally challenged in the arms (extra long, but no knuckle dragger !) so jackets that are a little more generous in the arm length would be better.

Interested to know what equipment others have and your opinion of it. How long you had it, any problems, would you buy it again etc.

If a 2 piece textile, I would prefer something with same kind of protection as my leathers, ie body armour, back protector etc.

Cheers beer.gif for the input.

I've been looking for an oversuit recently that I can keep stashed away and put it over whatever I happen to be wearing that day.

I like the Firstgear equipment @ newenough, but its a little expensive for rain gear IMO.

The Rainman jacket $65
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and Rainman pants $49
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And they both stash away...

Jacket
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Pants
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fing02.gif

Have a black bike, but think I will go with the yellow seeing as how many people have quite the time driving in the rain. blink.gif



If you prefer one piece and want some cold weather protection in a raingear / thermal suit chek out the

Firstgear Thermogear
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Don't have any first hand experience, sorry. beer.gif

Aerostich Roadcrafter baby, Aerostich. Then you don't have to stop, did it out, put on the rain gear, and then keep going. It's always on, and I haven't found any leaks whatsoever. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

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Ditto on the Aerostich. Got the one-piece. It is a breeze to don and doff. In the upper 90 degrees F, it is tolerable with all the vent zippers open while moving. At a stop, it will be hot. At 20 degrees F, with fleece pants and top, and electric vest it is nice and comfy. The one-piece eliminates that drafty overlap between the jacket and pant at the waist.
Not having to stop riding to put on rain gear when it starts to rain, is a huge benefit. Another plus is not having to carry rain gear. The Aerostich stuff is made of goretex so it will allow perspiration to pass through and the wearer remains confortable.

I agree, Aerostitch 1 piece.

Had mine for 7 years and is just breaking in. In hot weather, i tend to splash water on my t-shirt and with the vents open, i actually get too cold even on 100ish days. Evaporative cooling works!

I wish they could learn hot to cut these things so that i could reach my hand above shoulder height though, pulls tight in a forward crouch from shoulder to armpit.

torrential downpour tested, and i even soak mine in Camp Dry silicone spray to keep it from getting wet at all, keeps it warmer. If the outer surface gets wet then it evaporates and makes the fabric colder.

That and fleece underneath, im good to about freezing temps with my hiking boots (waterproofed too) and thicker gloves (yes, silicon spray here too...)

Chris

personally for wet weather i chose this... has a nice mesh lining for cooling comfort.

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unfortunatley someone chose this...

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i have a tourmaster transition textile jacket and firstgear textile overpants, they both work great and keep my clothes underneath dry, but I still get a little water come in through the top of the neck but its not bad as long as you dont decide to go swimming in them

heres the links from newenough about $300 for both

http://www.newenough.com/tour_master_trans...jacket_page.htm
http://www.newenough.com/firstgear_ht_2_overpants_page.htm

klrtovfr, Sep 18 2006, 01:18 AM
i have a tourmaster transition textile jacket and firstgear textile overpants, they both work great and keep my clothes underneath dry, but I still get a little water come in through the top of the neck but its not bad as long as you dont decide to go swimming in them

Wow, that's errie? blink.gif

I wear a Tourmaster Flex Jacket and Firstgear Textile Air Overpants. Both work great. My only complaint is that the zipper on the overpants is cheap (I broke mine off), but maybe the newer 2.0 overpants have better zippers.

http://www.newenough.com/tour_master_flex_jacket_page.htm
http://www.newenough.com/firstgear_ht_air_...rpants_page.htm

I finally gave my Alter-Ego set a full rain check. They are OK for short distances.... less than ~50 miles, but after that water starts to seep in, and then the fun is over. I also found that my turtle-neck acts as a wick towards the inside of my jacket, so a turtle-neck may not be the undergarment of choice.

On the positive side, the rain "proof" liners are wind proof, and temperature is not really an issue.



So, how do you keep rain from seeping down your leg into your boots? Do you wear your pants over them and wrap them tight with zip ties? I know stuffing your pants inside your boots will not keep the wet out.

I wear a helmet and nekkidness.
Skin is waterproof. fing02.gif

Hey Falco1UK,

Aerostich is good but it's not 100% waterproof. The 1 piece suit I have leaks through the zipper on the left leg just below the crotch. The rest of me was dry though. My old 2 piece suit never leaked even after a couple of hours. Still, I'd recommend the Stitch for its all-round versatility and protection. I did Nikwax my suit earlier this year. I guess I'll have to apply some seam sealer to the zipper.

I'd also recommend a Fog City insert to prevent your shield from fogging up. Works well though you can get the Dr. Who light effects at night with oncoming headlights. And for a few dollars, get a little rubber wiper that wraps around your index finger. It's great for clearing away the rain from your visor.

wayne , he rides a buell and he keeps 39 gallon trash bags as emergency rain gear..LOL. ITS TRUE.

auggius, Sep 19 2006, 12:32 AM
Aerostich is good but it's not 100% waterproof. The 1 piece suit I have leaks through the zipper on the left leg just below the crotch. The rest of me was dry though. My old 2 piece suit never leaked even after a couple of hours. Still, I'd recommend the Stitch for its all-round versatility and protection. I did Nikwax my suit earlier this year. I guess I'll have to apply some seam sealer to the zipper.

I'd also recommend a Fog City insert to prevent your shield from fogging up. Works well though you can get the Dr. Who light effects at night with oncoming headlights. And for a few dollars, get a little rubber wiper that wraps around your index finger. It's great for clearing away the rain from your visor.

I wear my one-piece 'Stich in all weather, and have crash tested it in a 50-60 mph low-side (minor repairs required, handled quickly). It's as good as everyone says, but you may need dry pants after 30 minutes in a good hard rain. I'm looking into buying some leathers with full armor for track days and good weather sport rides, but the 'Stich is still the ultimate commuter and touring suit.

I've used the Fog City shields, and switched last season to the Respro Foggy breath guard, which works better, with no annoying optical effects, and allows you to switch visors. Try it.

I picked up a Nelson-Rigg AX-1 2-piece suit for around $40 at my local dealer. I have a 30 minute daily commute. I get rained on about once a week- always on Friday, it seems... except for yesterday. I've ridden the AX-1 through some of the hardest rain I've ever seen. The only part of me that has gotten wet was the cuff of my jeans from when I was riding through 6" deep water blink.gif I can highly recommend this rain suit as an economical solution.

I plan on upgrading to a 1-piece 'Stitch in a month or two as I'm looking for an all-in-one solution that is a bit more breathable. The AX-1 is a bit bulky to carry w/o side bags or something (I use a backpack) and will broil you in the summer sun. Haven't tried the Fog City or Respro...those'll be on the shopping list next!

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New Enough

Alter Ego pants and a Tour Master/Cortech Transition jacket. Works great.

Frogg Toggs over my usual leather.....light, small, pack em' in the tank bag or whatever.

Darien jacket and pants - all of the advantages of the Aerostich one piece without the occasional leaking. [In fact, it is the RidersWarehouse recommendation for touring.]

I have ridden with folks carrying rain covers for their leathers. As said earlier, less than instant-on. Meanwhile, I'm at the back of the pack with the four-ways on at the side of the road in the rain sitting pretty. It only takes two or three cycles of on-again-off-again before it becomes clear to all that fabric beats leather for long-distance riding.

Ditto on the Aerostich.

I have a 2 piece aerostich Roadcrafter like the one pictured in my avatar. Black suit with Blue ballistics. I've never had any water leak in through the crotch or any other area.

My regular two piece First Gear set came labeled "Water resistant". I think everyone here knows what that means. You'll stay perfectly dry until the water soaks through and then you'll get wet. To be fair, it was good with the light sprinkles for twenty minutes but after I've washed/scrubbed it through four industrial cleanings, the "water resistant" label is cosmetic. I have found a light weight gore-tex rain suit with tons of reflective striping that fits over my regular gear and works 100%. I'm happy because I still have the crash protection, stay completely dry, and didn't pay $800 to be that way. My most severe test was riding in a torrential down pour from Denver to Vail and not a drop got through. I wasn't crazy about heading over high mountian passes in freezing rain but I knew the rest of the week would be worth the hassle. I also use XXL rubber gloves over my regular Cortech riding gloves and some XXL Totes brand high rubber boots over my regular riding boots. The rain suit, gloves, & boots only take about 1/3 of my tank bag space when folded.

Chev, Sep 18 2006, 12:36 PM
So, how do you keep rain from seeping down your leg into your boots? Do you wear your pants over them and wrap them tight with zip ties? I know stuffing your pants inside your boots will not keep the wet out.

Bump?

Nozz, Sep 18 2006, 04:20 AM
Aerostich Roadcrafter baby, Aerostich. Then you don't have to stop, did it out, put on the rain gear, and then keep going. It's always on, and I haven't found any leaks whatsoever. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

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YEAH, BABY!!!! Best investment I have made to date...except the VFR, of course...oh, and my wife biggrin.gif . HiViz with silver balistics - no one can miss you unless they are blind and you stay dry.

Chev, Sep 19 2006, 12:01 PM
Bump?

I would expect pants to go into the outside of the boots. If your boots are not waterproof then boot covers are needed.

And your hands? I have Aerostich waterproof glove covers. Tucking them UNDER the outer sleeve is necassary though to keep water from rolling down your arms and through the opening of the covers.

mgtx73, Sep 19 2006, 01:07 PM
I would expect pants to go into the outside of the boots. If your boots are not waterproof then boot covers are needed.

And your hands? I have Aerostich waterproof glove covers. Tucking them UNDER the outer sleeve is necassary though to keep water from rolling down your arms and through the opening of the covers.

Thanks alot fing02.gif The gloves thing makes a lot of sense, too.

No matter how good your gear is, it'll leak if you don't wear it like it should be worn.

I'm starting to think the Oxtars are water-proof since the really did fill up with water. I just have to keep the water from coming in the top.