Rain pants

[IronArse]

Hey folks, simple as it says, rain pants.

I've had a search and can't find anything too relevant, so hope I'm not flogging a dead horse here.

So I came across a kickstarter website for Vear rain pants. Not protective pants, just rain pants. They zip up on both sides, and you can put them on while standing up. With your boots on.
This for me is key. I have size 13 boots. When I'm riding and it starts raining, I wonder if my pants will hold for this shower. The hassle of pulling over, taking off my boots one by one (while hopping to keep off the wet ground) and trying to get wetgear pants on over my bike pants. It is an enormous pain in the hoop. And very undignified too, for us cool-ass bikers.
So often I scoot on and wonder if the pants will hold, then I feel that first cold trickle. You know this trickle. If you are out for the day, it is a horrible trickle. Then comes the flood. Then you've got to pull over and do that bikers undignified rain-dance on the side of the road. Not a fan I've got to say.

I've been waiting years for these exact pants. Looking at the comments on the kickstarter website, they're still working through back orders, don't see them coming out for civilians any time soon. And they are expensive. Like $169.

Anybody know of similar pants available anywhere online that you can get, that don't cost a leg and another leg?

Here's a link to the video for the curious. If it's against site rules, admin just let me know and I'll remove.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...le/description

[IronArse]

Just curious for ANY reasonably priced rain pants that you can slip on with your boots on.

I'm living back in Ireland now, commuting daily on the bike, and I would give my left nut to get a good reasonably priced pair of rain pants that I could put on standing up. With my boots on.

[mollydog]

I don't know what rain pants are available in UK or Ireland. Here we have all kinds, but not sure about ones with leg zippers all the way up.

Most of mine zip up to maybe my knee or bit lower. I'm only size 9 foot. But here is how I get them on:

You DO have to sit ... which is a drag in the rain on wet shitty ground ... but at least I can get my boots through the leg.

What I try to do is to crunch up the rain pant leg like you would putting on a sock, then work it over your boot, one boot at a time. Yes, bit of a PITA.

I must have 5 different pair of rain pants. I find former ski wear in thrift shops and such. I do have a new pair of Frog Toggs, which come well rated. Not used them yet!

Most of mine will eventually leak in crotch if ridden in rain all day. But they do a good job over all for an hour or 3.

Most all the companies that make riding jackets and pants offer rain pants as well. In UK you've got Halverson's. Good eh? But look pricey. Dunno.

Here we have: First Gear, Joe Rocket, Tour Master, Alpinestar, Aerostich, AGV, Fieldsheer, MotoPort, Bilt and Sedici (Cycle Gear) and several others.
Not hard to find in shops or online. The very best? Who knows!!!

Just keep shopping, I'm sure you'll find something that works. Mine tend to get torn up traveling, but usually never pay more than $10 to $15 usd for them, so no big deal. Expendable item!

[mcguyver]

The pants in the link above link look great but $169 us dollars???

Also says delivery expected Feb 2017..

Sounds suss to me.

[markharf]

Lots of rain pants have full-zip legs. Look at outdoor recreation gear, like the stuff designed for skiers, climbers, hikers, etc.

You won't like the prices, which may have you looking back at those $169 pants with teary-eyed nostalgia. Quality gear costs quality bucks. Cheap gear leaks--if not at first, shortly thereafter.

That's the way it's worked for me, at least.

Mark

[Fern]

Triumph did some branded rain pants that zipped all the way to the hip. They, like most waterproofs lasted about a year. Were very easy to get on and off. Cost me about £30.

[mollydog]

Here is a page of close out priced rain pants from Cycle Gear. About 90 items, ranging in price from about $30 usd up to $100. A few are more but most fall within that range on this page.

All sorts of brands from Cycle Gear's in house BILT brand up to KLIM and other high end brands.

I've ridden with guys wearing $300 BMW or KLIM rain pants that leak in about the same amount of time as my $10 rain pants I found at the Good Will store.

Now how is that possible?

https://www.cyclegear.com/search?_ut...&commit=Search

[shu...]

Originally Posted by mollydog

Most of mine zip up to maybe my knee or bit lower. I'm only size 9 foot. But here is how I get them on:

You DO have to sit ... which is a drag in the rain on wet shitty ground ... but at least I can get my boots through the leg.

What I try to do is to crunch up the rain pant leg like you would putting on a sock, then work it over your boot, one boot at a time. Yes, bit of a PITA.

I bit the bullet and bought a pair of goretex riding pants (Klim) which are pretty comfortable in the hot and dry-and when I hit rain, I just keep going. They work well- yes they are expensive but they are well made and stout- well worth it, I think.

But, I too have several pairs of rainpants in a box somewhere that I used to use. Full zip lightweight hiking rainpants worked fairly well but my best was a pair with knee high zips. Now here's a tip for fast and painless on-and-offing of these pants on the side of the road.

-Keep an ordinary plastic grocery bag wadded up in the pocket of the pants.

-Open the knee zip as high as it will go.

-Lean against your bike and insert your wet and nasty booted foot into the grocery bag.

-Then pull the pant leg on, over the bag. Slippery stuff, it goes right through the leg.

- Remove the bag and repeat the process for the other leg.

- Stuff the plastic bag back in pocket.

You can remove them the same way, although it is a little bit trickier, but you can usually choose better conditions for the taking off process.

I forget where I picked up this trick, but it's slick.

...............shu

-

[markharf]

Your foot-in-plastic-bag trick is the one I've been needing all my life--without knowing it. Hiking boots, ski boots, running shoes, mountaineering boots and yes, motorcycle boots all present the same problem with struggling to pull on rainproof over-pants. Thanks for the tip!

[shu...]

:chug...............shu

[chris gale]

+1 plastic bag works evertime

[mollydog]

I just remembered about a pair of Alpinestar pants I bought recently on close out. I'd forgotten that these pants have leg zippers that zip up all the way up to your waist! They are quite good for the price.

Two reasons I bought them:
1. They do not have a separate water proof liner. The liner is built in and stays put. Much easier to deal with. I hate zipping in and zipping out liners. It does come with a quilted liner for warmth ... I doubt I will ever use it. I have my own system.

2. The FIT! These are not super baggy like so many over pants are, they are Italian cut, so fit really well, quite trim. If you have a HUGE BUTT and thighs, maybe not such a good thing!

I've not yet tested them in heavy rain, just a half hour Squall. No leaks!
I wore them recently on LONG ride in 39F weather, which is cold for California.
They did GREAT! My hands froze but lower half never noticed the cold! I was stunned how good they were!

For quality Alpinestars gear the $119 price is very good, IMO. They were a little long (inseam) for me (everything is for me), but I did a quick Hem job and all good.

These pants can be used a rain pants, regular riding pants or over pants, as you like.

I wore them as stand alone ridng pants, wore high tech dancers' tights under them with my Fox knee pads. They come with Hip and Knee armor. I took knee armor out, left wimpy hip armor in. My Fox knee pads ROCK! Super protective and you don't even know they are there!

These Alpinestars are COOL weather biased, even though they open up well and vent, using those full leg zippers.

I'm guessing the black synthetic fabric will roast rider in very HOT weather. Probably OK up to maybe 85F if you don't hang around in the Sun too much.

Here is the link to take a look at these pants.

Alpinestars Express Drystar Overpants - 2012 :: MotorcycleGear.com

[IronArse]

Hi folks, cheers for all the responses, much appreciated!

I have spent hours trolling the web and still can't find what I'm looking for. I came across one pair of Marmots for E80 which is fine, but the zip does not come fully off, as in you cannot separate the two sides, which is what I really wanted to find.

Here is said pant in case they are useful to someone;

https://www.marmot.com/precip-full-z...ng/41260L.html

I have large feet, size EU48, so big awkward boots, and I would love to get a pair of pants I can just "step in to", rather than negotiate my way in to them while hopping around on one foot like a clown on the side of the road haha

Anyway, the search goes on.

[GSPeter]

Hi all, best solution I have found was British Army surplus goretex rainpants. Cheap, taxpayers have already footed the bill, and deployment in Irak and Afghanistan is reduced. The shipping to Norway was at least as expensive as the pants.
You get really good quality, tough garment with plenty of room to get feet in and out, zip to the knee, and you will be invisable in the desert of course.
I changed out the fly zip to a "waterproof" one after a crotchfull of rainwater, so you have to add that to the cost. The weather was so bad I shouldn't have been on the road, I was dry otherwise, but on a motorway you have to keep going. Condensation is not a problem with normal activity, but they are not designed for hard physical exercise.
Shu, your plasticbag trick was pure gold - Thankyou
If you drive in shitty weather long enough water is going to press it's way in somewhere somehow. It's inevitable?

Safe travels

Peter, in Oslo

[Bones667]

I commute daily and have tried several waterproof trousers over the years.

The Army gortex ones are the easiest to put on from standing up but mine were not very waterproof if out for longer periods.

I currently use some cheap Weise ones but they are a PITA as the zips always catch in the material and the cloth lining makes it nearly impossible to put on unless you take boots off. BUT they are waterproof!

The best I had was a cheap pair of unlined trousers for about £20 which zipped to the knee but they only lasted about 6 months after melting on the exhaust .. and the inevitable crutch cold trickle was already starting to seep in

I'm going to try the plastic bag approach why haven't I thought of that before!!