Preparing For The Floods

[Jamz]

All you fair weather riders should look away now and go polish your swingarm or something.

Looks like we're in for a shitload of rain non-stop. Gotta love the Brishit Summertime!

How do you survive it?

My leathers are pretty good, but the elasticated bits around the armpits let heavy rain in, and it somehow finds it's way through my knees, too. Most of the time, all I do is through an anorak over the top of my leathers, and that does the job. I have some waterproof trousers for the really heavy stuff if I have to ride a long way!

And I didn't bother with these poncey expensive rainsuits - I went to Decathlon (an outdoory-type store) and just bought their fold-into-it's-own-pocket gear - jacket and trousers big enough to be comfortable over my leathers for under £10.

I've never suffered with wet feet like most people seem to - even though I've got Sidi Vertebra summer boots with more holes than a Georgian soldier. I don't bother with anything but my Summer gloves, either - I'll just dry them out at the other end of the journey.

What's you're set-up for riding in the rain?

[Gemini]

What's you're set-up for riding in the rain?

gem

[Scott221]

Like its not toad enough already.

[masterofinsanity]

jamz where's this decathlon? need to get some waterproofs, may pop over streetbike on friday cos they had a jacket for £25 and trousers for £15, only need trousers really as i aint got far to go.do you wear your leathers to work and change at work?

[superman]

LOL @ gem.

my set up for rain is tensing up and pulling a face like ren an stimpy as i feel the water soak through various parts of my leathers.

[rene]

texiles! I honestly dont no how i made it though 3 years of riding without them.

Give it a few years and i recon i'll get some of the gortex leathers, waterproff but leather at the same time.

[Caz]

depends where im going and what im going to be doing when i get there. But usually textiles - much nicer! Occasionally wear a one piece over suit over my leathers which works well.
Gloves wise - i always wear waterproof gloves if its raining. I hate waiting for gloves to dry out.
And I wear waterproof socks inside my boots weird sensation - but it works well.

[deviant]

depends.

Going to work I'll wear my textile kit. If I'm going a long way I'll wear leathers with waterproof romper suit over the top. Largely because my textile kit is now about 6 years old and only waterproof for about five minutes.

This might change when I can actually afford to replace my textile kit.

[Jamz]

my set up for rain is tensing up and pulling a face like ren an stimpy as i feel the water soak through various parts of my leathers.

PMSL!



Baz - Decathlon is in the retail park bit across the road from Merry Hill shopping centre - think it's next to PC World, but you can't miss it!

I just wear my shirt and trousers under my leathers for work, and leave my shoes under my desk.

I don't think I've bothered wearing my synthetic stuff since I found this raincoat over leathers thing works so well, but the synthetic jacket is about 8 years old now and the waterproofing isn't up to much anymore. The only problem is that it can get a bit warm - but that's rarely an issue because the temp has dropped to make it rain.

[Jamz]

depends.

Going to work I'll wear my textile kit. If I'm going a long way I'll wear leathers with waterproof romper suit over the top. Largely because my textile kit is now about 6 years old and only waterproof for about five minutes.

This might change when I can actually afford to replace my textile kit.

My Lookwell jacket was excellent for years, but seems to have lost it's waterproofing abilities these days. The big hole in one arm from where I slid down the road at fk knows what speed doesn't help, either!

I'd definitely recommend it - but then I payed £240 for it so it -ing well should be good!

[zimm]

when despatching my kit was 1 piece TT leathers with a buffalo jacket and cheap plastic waterproof trousers over the top, Frank Thomas aquaguard gloves and some daytona boots ..

the gloves were skunk and i took to just carrying a dry pair in the top box for when they got too wet to put back on, other than that i stayed warm and dry.

these days it's my 2 piece alpinestars, Frank thomas race boots, summer gloves and a snowboard jacket over the top, with snowboard trousers as well if its really hammering down..

preference though is to stay at home or take the car. But tbh, i've been caught in heavy rain a few times in just my leathers, and despite being as full of vents etc as they are, ive stayed reasonably dry..... for the first 10 minutes and providing im not stuck behind a lorry kicking up huge amounts of spray.

[rene]

My leathers are only leather on the outer parts (bit that would tutch the ground) the rest is just fabric to let though maximum airflow so as soon as we have 2 drops of rain and it all goes strate though them.

Plus wet leather stinks and weighs a ton when wet!

Textiles can be warm in summer (cant be arsed to open the vents mainly..) but in winter there brill, i road 2 and a half hours up to preston last year in -8 frezing fog all the way at 100mph + (not sure what wind chill factor that is?). With all 3 layers in the jacket and a t-shirt and jeans under them i never felt cold i was perfectly happy. Had to pull over a cuple of time though to get the ice off the inside of my visor from my breath lol.

[Gemini]

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/

gem

[masterofinsanity]

cheers Gem, think i'll go get some of them.

[superman]

i must admit iv been thinking of textiles for a while i got kangaroo race leathers at the moment which are great but if i wana travel to work i need somet i could wack over my trousers comfy would textiles do this or not?