I got a pair of Frank Thomas cheap £ 10 waterproof over trousers, last month which are sh*t. Went out, walking/climbing in the Lake District for 3 hours & my cotton trousers underneath were damp/wet. Over my Dianese leathers,on the bike, I didn’t feel damp, maybe because they were leather compared to cotton jeans. Still if the cheap Frank Thomas over trousers lets in a bit of light rain/drizzle, what are they going to be like in a proper down pour, plus they felt damp last night when I got home.
My question, what are the best water-proof over trousers or just textile jeans/trousers out there, other than the highly priced Rukka stuff.
You sure you didn’t work up a sweat being as you were walking and climbing, I mean, once you’ve got them on they aren’t really breathable material. Where as when you’re wearing them on the bike you are just sitting, not working up a sweat if you get my drift.
I have a pair of £10 ones, can’t remember the make but they’ve never let water in. I usually wear my all in one as it’s easier to carry around than just the trousers.
My FT all in one is fine, i do get wet around the collar because it drips down my helmet
They are not meant for yomping up mountains really. You need breathable stuff and a fat wallet for that.
For on the bike we have Spada waterproofs (approx £12 trousers & £29 top - but that is from Infinity) and they do work in extreme rain. Especially with a lucky conker in your pocket.
Rukka are the best, but are very pricy. But if your going to wear them every day all day then they are good value (start at £300) as you have a 5 year warranty and you can bung them in your washing machine and then tumble dry them (you MUST wash your Rukkas). If your not in them all the time try Dainese trousers. They are a very good fit with great armour and start at £130 (Frank Thomas money!!!) and go to £200 for Gore Tex.
BabyJ, your reply lead me to look at Rukka stuff. Bloooooo-dy Hell that is expensive! Surely no jacket can be worth £830 or even cost half that to make?
Being a tightass part time pikey i went 2 local workwear clothing shop £10 jacket n trousers over leathers warm n dry, even better than my hein gerick jacket thats ok in mild drizzle but 4get downpours
I’ve got Hein Gericke textile kit. My current jacket and trousers have just come through their third winter and still haven’t leaked a drop.
I’ve done a couple of 100 + mile trips in very heavy rain and they have never failed. They cost me in the region of £400, but as they say, you get what you pay for… All depends on how wet you’re prepared to get?..
I said it could be expensive! But as I said, you can wash it in your washing machine, tumble dry it afterwards, it will never let you down (leak) BUT if it does they will lend you another while they fix/replace the jacket…oh and the jacket you saw is probably an Armax- so thats a CE approved jacket with CE armour, its got a far higher abrasion resistence than any leather jacket you could buy, but is cooler than leather in the summer, yet warmer and dry in the winter.
Ive seen an Armax that a courier fell off in down the M4 in at 80ish…all that he needed was new popper on the front!..still completely intact…no wholes or rips. So expensive yes…but the best always is.
I have two sets, one is the cheap thin kind which is fine on a bike, has a very thin lining and it’s totally waterproof but not breathable, often called “boil in the bag” because if you do anything that makes you sweat the moisture can’t escape. Think these were £20 or so.
My other set is Bering with a removable thermal lining, breathable, zip fastening to jacket etc, about £120, waterproof and breathable, very comfortable but a bit warm over leathers.
I managed to kill 2 birds with 1 bush. I use my Berghaus overtrousers & jacket over my leathers, designed for walking up mountains really, but they work a treat.
I wear rukka, always keep me dry and warm. Also quite resilient to a slide down the road, as proved in an unexpected test, after getting side-swipped towards the end of November last year.
But as I said, you can wash it in your washing machine, tumble dry it afterwards, it will never let you down (leak) BUT if it does they will lend you another while they fix/replace the jacket…oh and the jacket you saw is probably an Armax- so thats a CE approved jacket with CE armour, its got a far higher abrasion resistence than any leather jacket you could buy, but is cooler than leather in the summer, yet warmer and dry in the winter.
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