Rain Gear on a Budget

Hey Everyone. So I'm riding my first fall / winter around town and have gotten caught in the rain enough to warrant buying some gear... But I'm on a student budget and want to get the most for my money. I'm thinking rain coat and pants for starters. I have a mud flap. Any brand, store, or website recommendations?

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on September 29, 2012 at 4:15am

The least expensive way to go is a poncho with a hood. A separate rain jacket, rain pants and a cheap shower cap works well, but is bulkier and harder to stow for unexpected use. If you want to spend more, get a breathable rain jacket that you can use in the spring and fall as your outer layer, which solves two problems. I am unsure about protecting the feet. Maybe another Chainlinker has an answer.

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on November 18, 2012 at 7:44pm

I bought a waterproof London Fog "windbreaker" type of jacket from the Thrift store for $3.

I will be looking for a set of waterproof pants (like the ones that I had while I was still in the Army) as well.

As for my head....my helmet covers the dome, and a set of ESS Land Warfare (an extra set I "discovered" while still in) googles cover my eyes.

Maybe not the greatest collection, and I won't win any fashion contests......but I get to work/home relatively dry, or at least I only have to take off my wet socks & shoes.

 

Hope it helped.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on November 19, 2012 at 3:30am

Two words:

Glad Bag.

Permalink Reply by spencewine on November 19, 2012 at 3:44am

Frogg Togg Dri-ducks:

http://www.froggtoggs.com/store/outerwear-rainwear/suits/driducks/f...

Breathable, lightweight, cheap, and they really do work. The downside is that they are not very durable. I use them for hiking and the seams came undone on the pants. Nothing a little duct-tape didn't fix :)

Permalink Reply by Bill Savage on November 19, 2012 at 5:04am

Join REI.  You get discounts, and while their bike shop stuff is insanely overpriced, their winter and rain great is great. Best time to buy, of course, is spring when remnants from Winter are on sale.  But I've gotten good pants and a bright winter coat for reasonable prices.  The member discount on socks and so forth make it worthwhile.  I ball up the coat and pants and leave 'em in one of my panniers at all times, so I'm never caught in the rain without gear.  Also, I wear a baseball cap under my hood/helmet, to keep rain out of the eyes.  Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on November 19, 2012 at 5:40am

+1 for thrift/used shops.

You may need to hit a few different ones but you'll find what you need at a fraction of the cost.

Permalink Reply by Bikefreeek on November 19, 2012 at 6:36am

Army/Navy surplus, I've scored German Army Gore-Tex pants for $14. The jacket was going for $20 but I already was covered on that front.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on November 19, 2012 at 6:44am

I have to second the not very durable observation. Cheap breathable rain pants that can hold up to the butt friction of biking don't seem to exist. These are great for camping and hiking - but not for biking or canoeing.

Also, I'd like to nominate Dug's pic for Chainlink Photo of the Month.


spencewine said:

Frogg Togg Dri-ducks:

http://www.froggtoggs.com/store/outerwear-rainwear/suits/driducks/f...

Breathable, lightweight, cheap, and they really do work. The downside is that they are not very durable. I use them for hiking and the seams came undone on the pants. Nothing a little duct-tape didn't fix :)

Permalink Reply by Jeff K on November 19, 2012 at 9:30am

Sierra Trading Post has great deals. I really like my Canari Razor Eclipse Jacket from them. It's water "resistant" though, I have not tested it in a real rain storm.

Sign up for their emails and you will constantly get 30% and 35% offers (seemingly 10 times a day, but worthwhile when you are ready to buy).

Another tip is wearing wool layers. It's a lot more comfortable when wet than cotton. And the thrift stores abound with good sweaters.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on November 19, 2012 at 12:46pm
1. Campmore Poncho + Rivendell spats

2. Hardware store rain suit

3. Frog toggs

I've tried all of these options and they'll all keep you dry on a budget.
Permalink Reply by Anika on November 19, 2012 at 4:04pm
Costco is currently carrying pack able rainwear. It was $50 a few months ago and is now $30. Includes a decent jacket and pants that packs into a lightweight smallish bag.

I however lucked out and thrifted some nice REI rain pants last winter. Keep your eyes open and you can get by for under $10.
Permalink Reply by Bill Savage on November 20, 2012 at 5:00am

All the thrifting suggestions are great, though I usually don't have the patience to do that kind of shopping.  It can take many trips and a lot of flipping through useless stuff to find those REI pants for $10; time being money, I just buy new.  The rain pants have now lasted 3 winters, nowhere near worn out, so worth it IMHO.

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