Heavy rain

Just seen 2 cb5's blue and red between junctions 14 and 15 m4 in really heavy rain. Safe journey to you both I you are on here. Horrendous conditions my heart goes out to you.

yes hope a safe ride home for them both

American john wrote:Just seen 2 cb5's in really heavy rain

The CB goes everywhere, anytime!

This morning, the rain came to Denmark. So I went and immersed myself in the downpour, taking the bike with me. Plowing through the watery world, it didn't miss a beat.

And then return to the dry and warm couch with a mug of coffee and a duvet. Ahhh.

did you have a snorkel

I rode from Reading to Croydon on Friday through the middle of it, albeit on the XJ900. Found out my Alpinestars textile two piece is only waterproof for about 90 minutes.

yep its a bit depressing when you realise your riding kit isn't working

Stooby2 wrote:Found out my Alpinestars textile two piece is only waterproof for about 90 minutes.

Which is better than my Macna textile kit. 500£ worth of HiViz-tech with goretex-like membrane and C2-level protectors got me all soggy. Everything except my socks had to be changed when I got home.
Funny thing is that my lid didn't let anything but air in through its vents despite them being on 'All open'. No fogging, no nothing.

I think we can rule out textiles from the waterproof-category.

Leathers? Can they be made fully waterproof?
@Badseeds talked about returning from IoM (I assume wearing leathers), not getting all drenched and looking like a drowned mouse. What do (ex)couriers do to stay dry?

What do you do to stay dry in the rain?

My best tip is to get hold of a Helly Hansen polyurethane fishermen's suit. Got one of those - kept me dry riding to/from the UK last year, riding mway in the rain for hours. Much better than the expensive textile kit!

Think about it: Norwegian fishermen don't wear textile. I wonder why...

Note: I'm writing this, sitting in a recliner (glass o'scotch within reach) in my conservatory (do you lot really use that word for a glass-clad extension to a house?) listening to the almost deafening sound of heavy rain. In the midnight hour...

Note2: Added Roxy Music: "In the midnight hour" for effect. Crank it up to overcome sound of rain...

HI,

good ol' rain, certainly thins the number of bikes on the roads.

I have found british army goretex trousers pretty good, no leaks. ALl jackets seem to be the cordura absorb-it-until-its-a soggy-sponge type (weise, hein gericke) or let-it-run-off-into-your-seat (leather) and these can make a ride in a shower look like an incontinence issue. I've a yoko cordura/goretex one that whilst it lets draughts in does keep me dry. Gloves seem similar to jackets, fabric ones go soggy, leather ones the same, but quicker.

A good plan is to wear a neckwarmer/buff to stop it dripping into your neck and to have a towel in the topbox to dry your visor with when you stop. If its damp spare gloves are a good move too.

Forecast tomorrow, very wet, coming week, wet/showers...

muttley1

muttley1 wrote:good ol' rain, certainly thins the number of bikes on the roads.

fabric ones go soggy, leather ones the same, but quicker.

A good plan is to wear a neckwarmer/buff to stop it dripping into your neck and to have a towel in the topbox to dry your visor with when you stop.

Sunday riders...

Leather goes soggy faster? The only thing that held up for me was my leather boots, smothered in Bonedry NZ following @Badseeds' advice.

Neckwarmer - check. Towel+topbox: replace with Pinlock.

Note: Now playing "Delicate sound of thunder" by Pink Floyd

if you decide to wear leathers in the rain then do it along with a quality rain suit and you'll be fine - leather alone absorbs water and you'll end up soaked and freezing - when rain stops you can just pack your rain suit.

rukka (finnish brand) and halvarssons (swedish) make quality waterproof textile gear, for winter riding too.

http://www.motolegends.com/Info/the-meaning-of-waterproof.html

muttley1 wrote:HI,

good ol' rain, certainly thins the number of bikes on the roads.
...
muttley1

Just as the sun brings them out...

I live (for a couple more months, at least) right on Junction 11 of the M4 and the number of bikes visible is very profound between the differing states of the weather.

what I have worn in the past is a one piece rain suit from a builders supply, these suits are intended for site workers to be worn all day in heavy rain and I can confirm that mine works 100% forget all your fancy expensive bike shop gear just get down to your local builders supply you wont regret it

How do they stand up to crash tests (not that I'm planning on having one, of course)?

I'm guessing he's wearing the rain suit over his normal biking gear.

skyrider wrote:what I have worn in the past is a one piece rain suit from a builders supply, these suits are intended for site workers to be worn all day in heavy rain and I can confirm that mine works 100% forget all your fancy expensive bike shop gear just get down to your local builders supply you wont regret it

Ha! Similar to the HH fisherman stuff I talked about. Going for cost-effective kit worn by professionals - craftsmen - may be the way to go.

My kit comes as a two-piece set. You might think this would be bad, but it turns out it's good; this vents out the moisture.

And yes - of course I wear my usual riding kit underneath for protection.

HI,
I've worn outdoor kit a lot - I used to be a greenkeeper. Yep, the pvc stuff does keep you dry but you will get pretty cooked. Its cheap mind and might be worth keeping the reflective stripe trousers in the topbox for nighttime use
http://www.screwfix.com/p/endurance-rainmaster-2-piece-waterproof-rain-suit-yellow-large-42-44-chest/33820 or http://www.hivis.net/113/Workwear/Hi-Vis-PVC-2-piece-Rainsuit/?productstyleid=418&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shoppingfeed&gclid=CKfdrbz4-sYCFcTItAodESYD0A

The camping type overtrousers are ok too, a bit flimsy, but cheap.

muttley1

I'm in Spain about 500 miles South of France and the CB5 is coping well with the mid 30's heat still has the temp gauge in the middle when riding around. I could fake it and say the ride down was OK but she sat on the trailer behind the car.
Only issue is my UK insurance (especially travel insurance) states that I must wear protective clothing on bikes over 125cc so it is hot. Only the riders on the motorways seem to wear anything other than flip flops,T shirts and shorts.

I use a waterproof one-piece over my leathers - this works quite well. It isn't breathable, so if it is summer/sunny and it stops raining you need to take it off or you will get cooked...

Found this 1 piece on offer while browsing if anyone's looking for a new set.

M&P have something similar for £25

http://www.mandp.co.uk/index.php/default/shop-rider/waterproof/tech-7-w-p-1-pce-suit-blk-hi-viz-sml.html

Not sure what postage would be. They have more expensive ones too. They sell stuff on eBay, so they would probably have these with a p&p shown.