Cycling fashion

Nasqueron

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

Not so. Long rides in poor weather I use a 7mesh Revelation jacket which keeps the rain out and breathes enough to let sweat out hence me dry. For quick commutes to work and back or errands etc I use a Rapha City Rain Jacket.

Maybe if you didn't 'go cheap' and spent a bit more you too would benefit dry riding.

While I don't stretch to Rapha I've used Peazl Isumi, Gore and Aldi, the Aldi top I sweat a lot more in but even a £145 Gore top I can sweat in warm wet weather, it can just be you as a person are too hot for the clothing, even stuff classed as breathable.

The pros in the 2013 Milan-San Remo ignored their sponsors (and risked fines) and wore the Castelli Gabba and the v2 was out last year (at £180!)

Cycle weekly rated the B’Twin Aerofit 900 jacket (£49.99) 8/10 higher than some more expensive jackets (including the Rapha Pro Team Softshell Jacket @ £200 )

brat

Rapha is one of these brands that engenders a love/hate relationship with cyclists. It is expensive, but it is generally very good quality. The pro team soft shell jacket is excellent for cold wet training rides. It has a knack of keeping you very comfortable without overheating. I've worn it lots of times and wouldn't be without it. But it's not a commuting jacket, nor should it be confused for one or compared to them.

Rapha have a no-quibble, no cost returns policy, and they repair kit for free too.

I don't sell kit on, I usually wear it until it's out of fashion or worn, but my friend sells his Rapha kit on ebay every year, and he generally gets about 60% to 70% of the RRP back. That becomes even more of a financial no-brainer if you buy it on a 20%-30% off deal which they offer from time to time.

esuhl

I forgot to mention that I have some trousers from a camping shop to use in winter. They're designed to be lightweight, water-resistant (again, waterproofs would get too sweaty), quick-drying and have zip-off legs so you can turn them into shorts if you get warm. They were reasonably cheap (less than £30, I think).

Nasqueron

esuhl wrote: »

I forgot to mention that I have some trousers from a camping shop to use in winter. They're designed to be lightweight, water-resistant (again, waterproofs would get too sweaty), quick-drying and have zip-off legs so you can turn them into shorts if you get warm. They were reasonably cheap (less than £30, I think).

Waterproofs only get too sweaty if you are a hot person or you buy cheap, the Gore leggings I have are fine for cycling in winter and with shorts I don't have issues with sweat, they just keep you dry and are breathable

Throbbe

Generally I'm at the cheaper end of the market, but I have found that for nasty weather gear it is worth the spend. I too have a Rapha City Jacket and a Gabba depending on weather/mood and I think both are worth what I paid. They've lasted


Again, echoing what others have said, you can get substantial discounts by buying end of line or out of season. I rarely if ever pay rrp and both items above had a significant discount (but were still costly!)


I've also bought second hand, which if you're a bit tubby like me is great, because people often sell on fairly new stuff that no longer fits because they've lost weight. Unfortunately I've also dropped an X or two from in front of the L since taking up cycling, so am less able to take advantage.

Nasqueron

Aldi have a sale coming up next week as well (Thursday I think) with some cheap gear, could easily tidy you over until next year and then get some 2016 stock in the spring clearances