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.
