When it comes to wisdom vs. experience it’s a no-brainer that the collective experience of the community is way smater than you’ll ever be. So I have no shame is accumulating received wisdom on good cycling practices and products. In the area of great goods for long distance riding one can do a lot worse than listen to Kent “Mountain Turtle” Peterson. When he enthused I’m wearing a pair of Rainlegs, a brilliant product that was obviously created by folks who value function far above fashion. These are not only really nice in the rain, they add a great wind-blocking layer on a cool morning like this one. I find these to be far superior to any other kind of rain pant but they do look rather odd I took notice. When he repeated his endorsement in an email, I ordered a pair.
They arrived today. Watching me strap them on Jennifer started laughing and making suggestive comments about chaps, cowboys and riding. This is far from the “dork” description from Kent’s 17 year old son on the appearance of these things. If you imagine knicker length chaps in a feather weight gray tyvek like material you can imagine what they look like. If you can’t imagine check the rainlegs photos on their website.
There is a 70% chance of rain on Sunday, with any luck I’ll get to try mine out.
[...] My quest for a better rain pant isn’t over, though. I recently read a piece at cycling blogger Michael Rasmussen’s site that introduced me to a product called Rain Legs. These are a knickers-like rain shell that reportedly accomplishes much of what the Triflex tights do, but without the extra material so you can wear them in warmer weather. I intend to give them a try. [...]