Which brand of kit do you swear by for bad weather?

[the_mikey]

I would like to put forward a full set of SKS mud guards in the mix for the bike and rider

Absolutely this, I've just replaced an old set of SKS bluemels, on one bike and I've got a set of SKS Edge for a hybrid/commuting bike.

 

[PaulSB]

they salt the roads locally if the overnight forecasted low temp is 0 or below, but it can be anything up to like low teens again by morning, so perfectly safe to ride, but the roads which are just permanently wet in winter and the molasses residue they use with the grit , your bike and kit just take the brunt of it.

whilst certainly the front edge of the shoe wears because thats the bit Im walking on when off the bike, the zips corrode quicker in those conditions, to the point they get stuck or become practically useless, even if the rest of the overshoe is still usable.

We must live in very different parts of the UK. I'm in Lancashire and yes roads are gritted at 0⁰ or below but its not something which happens that often and certainly not often enough to leave the molasses you describe.

As for safety. In my area only bus and commuter routes are gritted. As a general rule I don't ride on either so gritting is of no help. My riding is usually on back and rural roads, quiet lanes etc which are never treated. If the main roads have been gritted there's every chance quieter roads will be either icy or frosty. Under those conditions it takes very little to bring a rider down and I would always give a lot of thought as to whether or not it's safe to ride.

If it's cold enough to grit temperatures don't rise as rapidly as you suggest, If there's frost down at 6.00/6.30 it will potentially still be there, in patches at least, at 8.30/9.00 when I might start riding.

 

[Webbo2]

As PaulSB says not all roads are gritted in North Yorkshire, just the main roads through the night and they start to grit the school bus routes about 7 in the morning. I lived in a village in East Yorkshire that had just one road gritted through village. If it was icy there was no way I could ride my bike to get to the gritted road half a mile away.

 

[MichaelW2]

Montane pertex shield overtrousers are good. They probably have a completely different product now.

 

[Tom B]

Brand is irrelevant to me.

I'll ride in all weathers and have used the car to commute once in 9years when I was ill.

My top tip is layers, I can be out from 5am to 2am depending on shifts, using layers allows me to adjust when I need. If it's really cold I use a use a cotton tee, decathlon thermal under layer a cycling jersey and a thermal jacket, of it's raining I'll use a waterproof outer coat.

I have thermal bib tights, but my current go to are thermal running tights. I don't usually bother with waterproofs, but if it's obscenely wet or cold I'll add cycling over trousers. The cycling bit is key for the cut.

Gloves, I've tried lots, some cheap, some expensive some middling. They all leak sooner or later, mostly sooner. If it's cold my preference is for lobster claws, my current ones are PX and an unbranded but moderately expensive LBS types. If it's cold and wet I have been known to add a park of XXL latex gloves over my gloves and ride looking like some sort of sausage fingered burglar / crazy surgeon.

Shoes... I have some Shimano MW7 winter booties. I love them, they're about 8years old and getting tired now. Theyre not a panacea and water gets in, largely through the two big holes common to all shoes. Clothing can cause water to wick in too.

Hat, I have a selection of beanies, and cycling caps that go under my helmet, I also have one of those covers that goes over your helmet. It looks ghastly but stops rain, snow and crucially wind getting in.

I use SKS Chromoplastic mudguards and get them fitting well. Id insist on this brand as they're better than most. Mrs Bs bike has some Oxford copies that are going okay though but don't fit as well.

The other thing to bearing (stay with me) mind is that the bike will need more love if you are using it daily on salty gritty crappy roads. Chains foul up, grease gets washed out, bearings don't last as long and a particular issue I've found is if your freehub is getting sluggish the grease gets more viscous in the cold and stops the pawls playing. One memorable occasion saw me walking home at 2am at minus ten with 24 Neutrals. (Peeing on it sometimes works).
If you are thinking about parts think about sealing and MTB parts. I use hubs with cartridge bearings,.my thinking was that if they fail changing them is a simpler and quicker affair with less fettling needed. I know not everyone is a fan but so far I've never had to change one, or even touch one, unlike cones.


Finally I've gone to be of the opinion I don't mind being wet, as long as I am warm.

 

[Tom B]

final point... I also Use an Alpkit Goudon 20ltr rolltop bag to carry my crap. it's simple, effective and works without breaking the bank. They're so good I've bought 5 now of differing sized and for differing jobs

 

[katiewlx]

We must live in very different parts of the UK. I'm in Lancashire and yes roads are gritted at 0⁰ or below but its not something which happens that often and certainly not often enough to leave the molasses you describe.

As for safety. In my area only bus and commuter routes are gritted. As a general rule I don't ride on either so gritting is of no help. My riding is usually on back and rural roads, quiet lanes etc which are never treated. If the main roads have been gritted there's every chance quieter roads will be either icy or frosty. Under those conditions it takes very little to bring a rider down and I would always give a lot of thought as to whether or not it's safe to ride.

If it's cold enough to grit temperatures don't rise as rapidly as you suggest, If there's frost down at 6.00/6.30 it will potentially still be there, in patches at least, at 8.30/9.00 when I might start riding.

well yes, unsurprisingly the weather is not a constant across the UK, we rarely get snow here for instance in winter, Im sure you get plenty in Lancashire, also we're the driest part of the country, fairly sure it rains alot in your part of the world, but it doesnt mean the temps dont drop overnight to freezing, mainly in January, though being near the coast yes they do bounce up again fairly quickly during the morning, its rare for a deep frost to last through a day, so its perfectly safe to ride the majority of the winter

but from October to April on average they dump 8,000 tonnes of this stuff on about 2000miles worth of roads, which is about half of the road network, excluding trunk roads I think.

so the roads get coated in it, and even roads which arent treated the stuff seems to spread by osmosis it just gets picked up by the wheels of vehicles as spray as they move around, and it just wrecks components on your bike & the gear you wear, with zips on overshoes being particularly vulnerable to seizing/breaking or just literally corroding away.

 

[ade towell]

they salt the roads locally if the overnight forecasted low temp is 0 or below, but it can be anything up to like low teens again by morning, so perfectly safe to ride, but the roads which are just permanently wet in winter and the molasses residue they use with the grit , your bike and kit just take the brunt of it.

whilst certainly the front edge of the shoe wears because thats the bit Im walking on when off the bike, the zips corrode quicker in those conditions, to the point they get stuck or become practically useless, even if the rest of the overshoe is still usable.

Plenty of winter boots that don’t use zips. My Planet X ones have been going strong for 5 years now, look like they’ll last at least another 5

 

[Binky]

Regarding overshoes if it's just cold or slightly damp I use DHB toe caps, perfectly good. If it's properly wet I wear Endura neoprene overshoes and they are warm and dry. Never had a problem.
I'm a self confessed and unashamed fair weather cyclist so I tend not to ride that often in the wet anyway, if I did I might get winter boots but I don't see the need.
SKS mudguards are good, lightweight and effective but of course if it's raining hard your body still cops it.
I asked recently about jackets and whilst a lot recommended Gore Shakedry they are discontinued although some still availalable apparently.
The alternative i'm looking at for this winter is the Galibier Tormulet. Reviews are very good and at £83 a bargain.
Unless it's properly winter cold I have some ALDI winter gloves which are remarkably good, warm and importantly dry. Think I paid £6.99 which was bargain of the century! When it gets really cold I have Galibier winter gloves but my hands still feel it a bit even in those.
As for riding if icy, no. Just no.

 

[Happy_Days]

This Castelli clobber looks novel. And it’s a big change for one of the Italian brand’s best-known products:

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/castelli-unveils-revolutionary-aircore-fabric-315783

It’s interesting that Castelli’s moved away from Gore-Tex to Polartec Aircore for better breathability.

 

[tinywheels]

showers pass, absolutely no doubt they are the mutts nuts

 

[freiston]

Whatever waterproof I wear, I tend to sweat out and often over-heat if I keep the pace up. Best jacket for me is the Galibier Courchevel. The ability to unzip but keep the stormflap closed plus the pit zips make it a lovely jacket with plenty of ventilation. It's not the lightest or most compact jacket to pack away but I am so impressed with it that I bought a second Galibier jacket that's more lightweight and packable. It's the Tourmalet 4 Jacket and doesn't have pit zips or outer storm flap. On account of our very dry summer, I've only put it on a couple of times and then not for long, so I can't really comment on its performance but nothing has given me any doubts.

I avoid wearing overtrousers if I can because they're a PITA to get on and off when out but they are first choice for the commute or for very wet days when I can put them on before leaving the house/tent. In my experience, full length leg zips, whilst good for walking, are not good for cycling because the zips let significant water in where they bend at the knee.

When wearing waterproof trousers, I do wear overshoes but not the tight neoprene stylee - instead I wear Eager spats which I believe are no longer available, or some Decathlon overshoes - easy to get on and off with velcro fastenings - they're more like short walking gaiters that go over the toes than your typical overshoe.

I have a pair of Lake MXZ200 winter boots which are excellent but I think no longer available. I would have no hesitation in buying Lake winter boots again.

Except for the commute, I almost always ride in Endura long trousers, whatever the time of year. They dry fast too, so good in rain without overtrousers.

Above the waist, I tend to wear merino long-sleeved t-shirts, whether on or off the bike - I practically live in them. For extra warmth, I wear non-cycling specific fleece jackets (preferred brand Berghaus) and/or a quilted gilet or jacket (usually Decathlon). When the windchill is high but the weather is dry, I will use an Endura windproof gilet or Montane smock over the top.

Head and hands - on the hands, I used to use Louis Garnier mitts but I can't get them any more so switched to Endura Hummvee Plus II mitts and I like them so much, I bought a pair of the gloves too. For really cold weather, I'm still using a pair of Aldi winter cycling gloves that were bought over 10 years ago. I think they will need replacing soon. On the head, I wear a peaked cap - in the winter, a fleece peaked cap with extended sides and rear to cover the ears and neck. I always wear a peak because it keeps the sun out of the eyes and the rain off the glasses.

I haven't used it for ages, but I have a Carradice ProRoute cape which is really nice to wear when it's raining heavy all day, especially when the weather is warm rather than cold.

So to answer the question succinctly, Endura and Galibier for clothes, Lake for boots.

Edited to add links.

 

[Binky]

Whatever waterproof I wear, I tend to sweat out and often over-heat if I keep the pace up. Best jacket for me is the Galibier Courchevel. The ability to unzip but keep the stormflap closed plus the pit zips make it a lovely jacket with plenty of ventilation. It's not the lightest or most compact jacket to pack away but I am so impressed with it that I bought a second Galibier jacket that's more lightweight and packable. It's the Tourmalet 4 Jacket and doesn't have pit zips or outer storm flap. On account of our very dry summer, I've only put it on a couple of times and then not for long, so I can't really comment on its performance but nothing has given me any doubts.

I avoid wearing overtrousers if I can because they're a PITA to get on and off when out but they are first choice for the commute or for very wet days when I can put them on before leaving the house/tent. In my experience, full length leg zips, whilst good for walking, are not good for cycling because the zips let significant water in where they bend at the knee.

When wearing waterproof trousers, I do wear overshoes but not the tight neoprene stylee - instead I wear Eager spats which I believe are no longer available, or some Decathlon overshoes - easy to get on and off with velcro fastenings - they're more like short walking gaiters that go over the toes than your typical overshoe.

I have a pair of Lake MXZ200 winter boots which are excellent but I think no longer available. I would have no hesitation in buying Lake winter boots again.

Except for the commute, I almost always ride in Endura long trousers, whatever the time of year. They dry fast too, so good in rain without overtrousers.

Above the waist, I tend to wear merino long-sleeved t-shirts, whether on or off the bike - I practically live in them. For extra warmth, I wear non-cycling specific fleece jackets (preferred brand Berghaus) and/or a quilted gilet or jacket (usually Decathlon). When the windchill is high but the weather is dry, I will use an Endura windproof gilet or Montane smock over the top.

Head and hands - on the hands, I used to use Louis Garnier mitts but I can't get them any more so switched to Endura Hummvee Plus II mitts and I like them so much, I bought a pair of the gloves too. For really cold weather, I'm still using a pair of Aldi winter cycling gloves that were bought over 10 years ago. I think they will need replacing soon. On the head, I wear a peaked cap - in the winter, a fleece peaked cap with extended sides and rear to cover the ears and neck. I always wear a peak because it keeps the sun out of the eyes and the rain off the glasses.

I haven't used it for ages, but I have a Carradice ProRoute cape which is really nice to wear when it's raining heavy all day, especially when the weather is warm rather than cold.

So to answer the question succinctly, Endura and Galibier for clothes, Lake for boots.

Edited to add links.

As and when you ride wearing the Tourmalet 4 jacket in the heavy rain, could you let us know how it was? I'm thinking that's the jacket for me this winter and it's very competitvely priced so for a cyclist(me) that tends to avoid the rain but will do when needs must I'm very interested to get some genuine reviews.

 

[freiston]

This Castelli clobber looks novel. And it’s a big change for one of the Italian brand’s best-known products:

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/castelli-unveils-revolutionary-aircore-fabric-315783

It’s interesting that Castelli’s moved away from Gore-Tex to Polartec Aircore for better breathability.

That looks very interesting

 

[freiston]

As and when you ride wearing the Tourmalet 4 jacket in the heavy rain, could you let us know how it was? I'm thinking that's the jacket for me this winter and it's very competitvely priced so for a cyclist(me) that tends to avoid the rain but will do when needs must I'm very interested to get some genuine reviews.

I will do, but don't hold your breath - I bought it primarily as a summer emergency jacket, something to pack when it's warm and I don't think I'll need one, so I don't expect to use it much over the next few months. In the winter, I sometimes wear the Courchevel as a jacket even when it isn't raining - it's a good winter top layer.

The couple of times I did wear the Tourmalet, it was very high humidity and very warm, so I did get some sweat on the inside but to be fair, I was wetting out with sweat with the jacket off too. I suspect that another jacket would have faired worse.