If the temperatures drop below ten degrees in the morning, many bikes wait in vain for their owners in the basement. If it’s raining, your car keys or Germany ticket really make the environmentally friendly two-wheeler stand out. Everything could be so easy. Because it’s usually less about the desire to get on the bike and more about wearing appropriate clothing. There is always something in the closet for summer. However, things look thin when water-repellent and windproof cycling clothing is required. Dressing for wind and weather can be expensive. But it doesn’t have to.
In stern you can find out what you should pay attention to when buying rainwear for cycling and which parts are particularly important.
Let’s start where the raindrops hit first: Modern bicycle helmets are equipped with ventilation slots. This is important in summer so that the heat doesn’t build up on your head and can escape easily. In rainy weather, especially heavy rain, the drops not only hit the shell, but also the head. If you don’t feel like having wet hair, you can elegantly put a rain cap over your helmet. They may not be very fashion forward, but function seems to be the more important point here. The Abus rain cap can be adjusted to the helmet size using an elastic band. Both the black and the green cover have been provided with reflective elements.
The ventilation slits just mentioned also play an important role when looking for a cycling jacket. No matter how you look at it, a waterproof jacket can hardly be breathable at the same time. Only very complex membranes can achieve this balancing act. The products are correspondingly expensive. As a rule, manufacturers use a simple trick. They focus on a high water column membrane that can withstand the rain for as long as possible. To do this, they hide small ventilation slits under the arms or on the back that let sweat out. The waterproof and windproof women’s cycling jacket from Protective has a water column of 20,000 mm. According to the manufacturer, the jacket’s functional membrane transports 60,000 grams of moisture per m2 from the body into the fresh air within 24 hours. Nice: The hood can be conveniently stored in a fleece-lined collar.
A cycling rain tool that is particularly popular with commuters is the rain cover for backpacks and laptops
If your hands are cold and wet, cycling is no fun. And that’s why waterproof gloves are part of the basic equipment in cold, wet weather in autumn. If thin fingered gloves are enough in the cool morning hours in late summer, in the foggy autumn you can use the ones with thicker fur. To keep your fingers not only warm but also dry, they should be equipped with a waterproof membrane on the outside – like these overgloves from Triban. They work particularly well if you keep the thin gloves on. Clever: After a rain shower, they quickly disappear into a small sewn-in pocket and fit easily into any saddle or jersey pocket. Why do hand warmers only have three fingers (plus thumb)? According to the manufacturer, this cut keeps your fingers warmer for longer. The water column is given as 15,000 millimeters.
The trousers are particularly hard hit when it rains. In addition to the shower from above, good cycling rain pants should also keep splashing water from the front and below at bay. As with the rain jacket, attention should be paid to two points. Rain pants must be waterproof and as breathable as possible. The Proviz “Nightrider” rain pants are suitable for short showers and distances. Here the manufacturer paid particular attention to ensuring that the jeans or chinos underneath do not get wet and dirty. However, due to the lack of ventilation slits, hardly any water vapor comes from the inside to the outside, which disqualifies the trousers for longer journeys. Because who wants to sit in the office with damp jeans that smell like sweat? Thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane, this works better with the Gorewear C5 Partial cycling shorts. Here the warm air can escape to the outside and the skin remains dry. This means the trousers are also suitable for longer rides. However, it also costs a little more.
Last but not least, we come to rain protection for feet and shoes. Smart minds have been smoking here and creating so-called overshoes. The principle: Take a waterproof membrane, preferably breathable, shape it into a shoe shape and equip it with a zipper and additional Velcro fastener on the side or on the heel. The sole remains free so that shoes with cleats can still slide into the clipless pedals. Advantage of these overshoes: They can be put over almost any sneaker or sports shoe. They are also easy to clean. And best of all: overcoats like the Shimano model keep your feet cozy and warm.
In contrast to ordinary cotton fibers, the membranes of functional textiles, which also include rainwear, are very sensitive. In order not to damage the sensitive fabrics and thereby destroy their function, four points should be taken into account when washing.
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