What are your best tips for staying warm and dry?

Embro on the legs of course. Nothing worse than soggy leg and knee warmers sapping the heat out of your kickers.

A helmet cover.

Warmth & dryness & ultra-dorkiness, all wrapped up in one hideous but functional package.

Did my 7-mi commute this AM in my new Showers Pass Hybrid Zipoff pants, which cost me a little over $80. As advertised, not water “proof”. My legs did feel wet. But I was never cold and they were almost dry by the time I got to the locker room. My 10-yr-old REI jacket is waterproof, and I’ve always worn 1-3 layers underneath that. I wear a beanie under my helmet, which has a visor to keep some of the rain off my glasses, when it gets a bit colder than this. I previously wore a pair of tights kind of like my new pants, rain “resistant” and providing insulation even when wet, ’til they started to seaparate at the crotch. I’ve got Keen bike shoes and cheap shoe covers. Total investment in rain gear might come to $20-$30 per yr. I’ve always found that the fear of discomfort I get when seeing and hearing the rain otuside on awakening is never matched by the actual experience when riding in it. Once I’ve ridden the first mile or so equipped as above, I’m always feeling pretty comfortable and glad I got on my bike instead of in my car.

I definitely prefer a wool base layer over synthetics (they work better and stink less). And if it’s only sprinkling, I’ll opt to get a bit damp but not overheated over getting soggy from the inside out from heat. I only put on the unbreathable shells when it’s pouring and then I slow way down to avoid overheating (which probably has the added benefit of giving vehicle drivers longer reaction times with their limited visibility too).

Wearing a cycling cap under my helmet works well for me. The bill helps keep rain out of my eyes (though you still need glasses for heavy rain) and keeps rain off my scalp.

After six years in Portland I have concluded that Gore-Tex sucks when it’s mild & wet. Rain water smells better than sweat so might as well just get wet. My biggest whine is the rainwater that runs of my sleeves & shoulders and accumulates in my ‘waterproof’ gloves.

Wool ear covering cycle cap under helmet, Showers Pass touring jacket, wool liners with fingerless gloves, Rainlegs chaps, regular socks and mountain shoes (with an extra pair of socks in the bag), 700×28 Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, SKS chromoplastic fenders with 1/2 water bottles for mudguards (requires a little extra work). The mudguards, especially on the front wheel, are of supreme importance in keeping your feet and drivetrain cleaner and dryer. The rear mudguard is for the courtesy of your fellow riders. Chaps help your legs breathe better than full pants while fenders keep the backs of your legs dry. And lights – it doesn’t matter how wet you are on the way to the hospital. I run 41×15 on a Surly Cross-Check fixie.

I have a pair of Showers Pass full rain pants and a pair of shoe covers for when it really downpours or is extra cold. For longer, non-commute rides, I usually swap the jacket out for a long-sleeve Underarmour shirt.

It depends on your needs and specific situation, but I love wool. Wool cap (with brim, so water drips in front of my face instead of running down it), wool sweater, wool pants, wool socks, then throw a poncho over. Good water-resistant shoes. I basically stay dry except for my head and the bottom 6 inches of my legs, unless it’s really torrential. Then just take the poncho off and you’re on your way.

It works for me, but then, I don’t have to arrive everywhere completely dry all the time, and I have time/space to dry the poncho when I’m not using it. And I’m rarely out in the rain for more than 30 minutes at a time.

As I’ve gotten a bit older I’ve moved from the full embrace of rain model to a more geared up one. The embrace model is to just put shorts on, a warm top and get soaked. Then change where you arrive. Now I try to use rain pants and jackets, and some slower riding, to arrive dry and dressed to go. Both are only partially successful!

My Showers Pass Portland jacket has only leaked in the most severe downpour, and the water may have just been dripping in down my neck, arms, etc. It is a bit too warm for the55 degree and warmer days, but very reliable.

I also have rain pants and neoprene booties, but these are about 7 years old and they do not offer much protection anymore. For what it is worth, I have been on the fence about either
1) replacing them or
2) getting some cycling shoes, wool socks and tights and just changing at work.
The issue for me is wanting to minimize the amount of junk I am hauling to work every day in addition to lunch and a few tools/tube. The rain pants/booties may simply be lighter, smaller, easier to put on, and cheaper than the getting new pedals, shoes, tights (embarassing!) and socks.

My tip would be that you don’t need cycling specific rain gear. Buy what’s breathable and on sale.

I’m thankful for the switch from warm and rainy to cold and rainy. I was dying inside all of my gear there for a while.

I’ve been using a Showers Pass Elite 2.0 jacket for about 3 years now. I love that the eVent fabric MUST be washed, and in warm water with liquid detergent even. With this jacket all I’ve ever needed was a thin base layer even in 30+ degree weather. I have the Showers Pass Club Convertible pants and while they keep me dry they are a little bulky. I’m still trying to get used to them. On the feet I keep Gore Bike Wear full foot (with open bottoms for SPD) protection. I’ve never really worn more on my head than my Bern helmet which for some reason seems to keep my head 99% dry. I use Endura waterproof gloves, but again they are for cooler wet weather.

I hate being wet when I get to work so I opt for the most waterproof gear I can find, but I’m always trying to balance the temperature thing and am looking for lighter gear to wear when it’s not so cold, but still raining.

I should also say, I only wear any rain gear at all if I’m going to be soaked when I get where I’m going. If I’m just going to get a bit damp, I just get a bit damp, to me it’s not worth the hassle unless I’m getting a big benefit out of it. Thankfully, it’s actually not as often as you might think that it really dumps rain. I carry my poncho with me always, but probably only wear it a few days per month.

i wear a bern snow helmet with ear covers to keep them warm. the helmet has no vents so your hair stays dry too. the small visor help keep rain out of my eyes.

marmot rain pants and a good waterproof but breathable snowboard jacket keeps me warm and dry.

for me snow gear works better than rain gear. its just as waterproof, but warmer and more breathable. rain gear is always the plastic lined stuff which traps in heat and isnt very waterproof over time.

I did this morning commute with a light rain jacket, shorts, wool gloves, headband under helmet. Change of shoes and clothes loaded up in my kid trailer.

Rain gear from REI (seriously a life-saver–I stuck my jacket in the washer last week and the ENTIRE lining came out! But REI had my back…)
Shoe dryer at work, shared with other folks who bike. Change of socks in my waterproof Ortlieb, and extra slip-on shoes at my desk.

If you’re gonna be riding year-round, it’s worth investing in some good gear. Cheap raingear keeps rain out, but keeps sweat in, so you’re still wet, but it’s grosser. I have a Showers Pass e-vent jacket, and it’s amazing how breathable it is. Besides that, it’s all smartwool for me: long-sleeve t, longjohns, socks, and gloves with hot glue on the finger pads for grip. Regular wool is too itchy for me, but smartwool feels fine. Wool is great because you get wet but you don’t feel wet, and it doesn’t get smelly as fast as synthetic. Oh, and shorts over the longjohns to try and retain one tiny shred of dignity. And don’t wear cotton. And for the love of science, don’t wear jeans; the only thing in the world worse than taking off wet jeans is pulling on wet jeans.

Fenders. get them. Love them. Chain guards, Highly recommend. I’d actually recommend a “nasty-weather” bicycle, that can be exposed to unpleasant circumstances without risk. Plaster that bike with big fenders, durable tires, and bring a carradice duckswear cloak.

Experience has taught me there is no such thing as waterproof, unless you want to dress like the Gorton’s fisherman. Even then it’s doubtful. That leaves two realistic winter commuting options in this town:

a> Wool, synthetics, and a windproof layer to keep you warm even after the water has seeped through. Change at work.

b> Mass transit.

Yeah, there is gear that can keep you dry up to a point, but sooner or later you’ll discover the limits, and it only takes sitting through one 9am meeting with your crotch soaked for the novelty to wear off.

Proper gear is essential (for me generally nylon on the outside and wool or cotton on the inside). But the best piece of rain gear money cant buy is a resilient, adventurous, and somewhat detached attitude, that doesn’t make mountains of suffering out of molehills of being a bit wet. This comes with time. “Dry” and “warm” are relative terms. Acknowledge whatever body part gets wet and give it a mental shout-out. “Sorry, foot, we’ll be indoors soon.” Immediately it will feel warmer. You mark my words.
Some mantras:
“This too shall pass.”
“My ancestors went through much worse.”
“The rain’s lovely. Few others are seeing this scene in this way right now. I rule.”

FENDERS
Wool shirt/jacket.
Rain cape (covers upper body and hands)
Gloves – multiple layers to modulate warmness and if they get wet I can
FENDERS
separate them so the dry faster
Spats (covers shoes and go up over my knees.
Thin wool hat w/ brim
FENDERS

I’ve been commuting year-round by bicycle in Portland for 15 years, I wear jeans, cotton socks (on all by the coldest days), canvas shoes pretty much year round but manage to stay dry (enough) and warm. The rain cape+spats combo is super effective.

The old saying: “There is really NO bad weather to bike in; you’re only as good as your gear” really does ring true.. But, you’ll be pretty well-set for 90% of PDX rainy weather if you have:
1) a waterproof jacket/shell with hood (over the helmet- yeah stylish!)
2) rain pants, and
3)gloves/mittens, and a pair of crappy shoes that you don’t mind getting soaked..
Fenders are awesome- a must-have for anyone who is gonna ride in the rain!
Keep spare underwear and socks/work-shoes at the office.. Oh, and never forget the scarf when it gets below 40degrees!

I’ll add my support to the Showers Pass eVent jacket. It works great for all but the hardest downpours or 55F+ days. I’ll wear one or two layers underneath (except for those Feb. days in the 20s; then three underlayers are necessary).

I carry a change of clothes to work since my 12-mile commute leaves me sweaty every single day. I don’t worry too much about keeping my legs dry, though I do try to keep them covered (with knickers and/or tights).

I hate riding with soaked feet, so I have a pair of Garneau shoe covers. They don’t keep my feet completely dry, but they keep the worst of flying water out of my socks.

Fenders and lights are mandatory for me.

Finally, I take along a willingness to slow down. The four horsemen of the winter apocalypse (cold, wet, wind, dark) will get anyone who insists on July speeds in a December storm.

A pair of back-up (wool) socks in me kit bag.

For a dry, sweat-free body: My bike poncho (with thumb loops and waist strap) is probably 30 years old and working fine. I recently recoated it, silicon-sprayed, and seam sealed it so I should get another 30 out of it. It keeps me dry and I don’t sweat because its good ventilation. The hoodie with visor on it fits well under my helmet to keep my head dry.
For dry, warm feet: thermal, waterproof oversocks (made by Sealskin, sold by Bike Gallery). My shoes get wet, but my day socks stay dry and my feet stay warm.
For warm hands: army surplus wool gloves. If it’s really cold, a nylon shell over them. If it’s raining, my hands are under the poncho.
Legs: medium weight nylon lycra leggings under my bike shorts. If really cold, I have lycra knee warmers as another layer.
Body wear: cotton short sleeve plus cotton long sleeve, as thermometer dips further, I’ll add either a pile vest and/or a medium weight polypro long sleeve turtleneck. If it’s arctic, then add a raggedy wool sweater to the above and/or a nonbreathable nylon shell jacket.
For warm Head, ears and neck: thin balaclava under the helmet.
Thus equipped, I ride 3,000 miles commuting year-round.

Oh yeah, and fenders are a must. I saw a guy today without fenders and a very wet butt heading into work.

If your shoes or gloves get wet inside, wad up newspaper and shove it inside them. The paper will absorb all the water and you’ll have dry shoes and gloves in no time. I keep a stack of paper at work just in case.

Oh, and wool socks and leggings/pants are awesome. As is my Agu long raincoat, Clarijs panniers, and ordinary knee high leather boots. http://ladyfleur.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/gear-talk-head-to-toe-rain-coverage/

Wool, a change of dry clothes, and a really bright headlight.

I love that this is such a passionate topic.

To the various and excellent suggestions above I would only add, allow extra time. It takes me a few minutes to get my gear on at home and strip it off wet on the other end. Also, as others have said, I need to ride slower in weather.

I like to wear sandals in the wet weather. If it is cold and wet I will sometimes wear waterproof socks under my sandals. The sandals dry a lot faster than shoes. I sometimes pack a pair of shoes and dry socks in my pannier for longer rides to a destination.

-Mentality-
Riding a bike in the rain is still far more fun than driving in the rain. In truth, my winter rides are some of my absolute favorites. There is something about the sound of riding through the rain that is wonderfully peaceful.

-Clothing-
Wear normal clothing with breathable rain gear that zips off easily. I don’t like stripping down and changing into a space suit just to ride my bike.

-Pace-
Remember that you are commuting and not racing. If you succeed you will get to work dry and happy. I am really good at this until somebody passes me. Sigh…

-Bike Gear-
Fenders with good mud guards to keep the feet dry. A waterproof bag to keep all of your stuff dry. Dry stuff is far more important to me than a dry body. GET GOOD LIGHTS!!!

On any given soggy 3 mile commute, you can find me clothed in:
-Thick wool socks
-Leather shoes
-Waterproof Rain jacket (Showers Pass Touring)/fleece
-Wool cap
-Ongoing Pant Experiment (OPE):
-just got Otter Wax (natural, made in Portland) and waxed up some denim pants; seems to work well in moderate rain – we’ll see about the heavy stuff
-gaiters if it gets real soggy
-Waterproof synthetic glove w/ good articulation:
-presently using Mtn. Hardware’s mountaineering glove and while expensive they are excellent at keeping my hands warm and dry
-Sunny (smug?) disposition

Merino wool. Watch steepandcheap.com for good prices.

Showers Pass eVent jacket. Fantastic! I have some Marmot rain pants that are ok, but not super.

For wet weather commuting make sure that you have waterproof shoes. Find something made for hiking (not high tops!) and forget the clipless pedals. In crappy weather I want to be ready for anything. Clipping in isn’t compatible with that, in my opinion. Along the same lines, keep your hands warm & dry. Keep extremities warm and your core cool.

Fenders. Get the longest you can, then add a mudflap to the front one (if not both). Mudflaps should be as close to the ground as possible. Skip the stylish “flat” wooden fenders that don’t wrap around the sides of the tire. The water comes right off the them & hits you anyway. You want to channel the water towards the ground. Make sure your fenders are wide enough, too. Too narrow might look ok, but they need to be at least 8-10mm wider than your tires.

LIGHTS!! For serious bad weather commuting, I now consider a generator hub (with appropriate lights) a must-have. Make sure the lights have a standlight function.

I often have meetings before/after school (and an early start school!), combined with having to pick up my son from preschool before a certain time, which makes commuting from NE Portland out to Hillsboro really difficult. So, I decided to let go of the guilt and do a partial commute as much as possible (and a full commute whenever possible). I figure some is better than none, and I am much more motivated to commute more often when it’s dark, cold, and wet now. I load my bike onto my car and drive up to the archery range by the Zoo. From there I jump on the bike and make my way out to 185th. Aside from still getting in 20 miles on the bike, I get to avoid HWY 26 altogether.

i really look forward to fall rainy commutes. rain is refreshing if you’ve got dry clothes in the pack.

Outlier pants and jacket. After fenders, they’re the best things out there for the rain.

I refuse to do any special dressing for my commute, so I wear the Outlier pants, which (along with a normal shirt tie and jacket), look quite professional and plenty suitable for my law office. Add in a good rain jacket, and I’m set for a no-change commute even in the worst of weather. The outlier pants seem expensive until you realize how incredibly well they work and how hard-wearing they are.

I do keep an extra pair of wool socks at the office in case the pair I’m wearing get soaked.

More important than any piece of gear, however, is a good attitude. On the worst days, it’s best to have a sense of humor and laugh a little when the wind pushes you backwards, or the rain is so heavy you have to slow to a crawl.

Here is my set up for wet weather with temps in the 30’s to upper 40’s.

Ride time 1 to 3hrs.

Fenders. Especially if you are riding when it is dumping.

Waterproof backpack/pannier with your daily supplies. Ortlieb products are great.

Cycling cap with bill (wear it under your helmet, one not made of cotton will work best)
Cycling Glasses

Defeet Blaze wool socks
Your favorite cycling shoes
Louis Garneau Neo Booties

Performance Tri flex pants (wear your favorite riding shorts or bibs underneath)

Performance Winter Jacket (wear base layers according to temp)

Microfiber Glove liners and Manzella Gloves (these will keep your hands warm even when the gloves get wet)

Hang this stuff up to dry when you arrive to work and repeat once you get home.

You will get little wet from sweating and a little wet from the rain, however, this will keep you warm. The hardest part about riding in the in climate weather is motivating yourself to do it. Once you do, you will be glad you did.

B-line riders are covered head to toe w/ Showers Pass gear, Icebreaker layers and socks…..and a dryer back at the warehouse for rounds 2 and 3 🙂