Staying Dry

Donning rain pants as storm approaches on the Great Divide Trail

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Waterproofing

Because the design of ponchos and chaps allows tremendous breathability, inexpensive (non-breathable) fabric can be used. After some time you might find that these items no longer retard the wet as well as they did when young.

But don't think your only solution is to pop for new rain gear. Instead, the"K-Kote" waterproofing used on most ponchos and chaps can be restored with products such as "Re-Kote" and "Flex-Dri" available in some outdoor shops and catalogs. My poncho began leaking after six years of hard use, but it cost me only three bucks and twenty minutes to make it good as new. What a bargain.

Shopping

But where does one find a poncho in these rain suit days? Fortunately, some catalogs (like Campmoor) still carry them. They're sometimes billed as "bicycle capes" (a term I really like), cost around $30, are made of coated taffeta nylon, and are almost always yellow. Why yellow? Because in test after test, yellow is the most visible color in the rain. Unfortunately, chaps are another matter. You'll have to search hard or make your own.

In contrast, you won't have trouble finding rain suits.

Fabric Thoughts

Remember that even Gore-Tex can't breathe through water, so when it's really coming down, you're pedaling in a plastic bag. Nor can Gore-Tex or any technical outerwear fabric that counts on microscopic holes to keep the wearer dry function properly if these holes are covered by body oil or dirt. (The holes, by the way, are large enough to transmit water vapor from the skin, but too small to allow water molecules to enter.)

Partially for these reasons, and no doubt mostly because of the excessive heat (and therefore perspiration) generated by the human torso when pedaling hard, I've found over the years that while Gore-Tex suits do not work for me, Gore-Tex gloves, gaiters, and socks are godsends on my winter tours.