Keeping warm and dry
Reg writes:
The following is from personal experience, so please don't take it as absolute -
Where to buy
(This is the easy one, although see - rainproof jacket section).
Cycle shop. Cycle clothes have a different cut to the "cloth" because of the riding position of the cyclist on a bike.Warm
Natural fibres have that instant warm feeling and so initially feel good and if a decision was based just on insulation they would be good contenders in the man made/natural fibre choice, but -
Natural fibres - can retain a maximum moisture content of up to 20% of their own body weight - bad news if you have some or all of the following:
- no choice but to wear it at the time
- low temperature
- high wind chill
- no shelter
- no ability to dry out and get warm. It will take a lot of energy from your body as it dries out.
Man made fibres cannot retain the same amount of moisture - good news. A fibre like polypropylene is only able to retain a maximum moisture content of 2% of its own body weight - good news if you have to wear it and dry out in adverse conditions - you will lose less energy
If you go into any "outdoor" shop, eventually the salesperson will mention the magic words - "Breathable Fabric". A breathable fabric is produced by many small holes in the waterproof fabric - holes small enough to stop rain getting in but big enough to let moisture (sweat) out.
There are a number of companies producing these fabrics - they are all relatively expensive.Rainproof jacket
(This is the tricky one)
I must state at this point, I am not a racing cyclist, I am a plodder and so I can only speak from a "plod" view point. I have a "breathable" top with hood, "breathable" trousers and "breathable" gloves. To date I have found nothing that will keep me dry for longer than 5 miles when it is raining.
A living human body gives off moisture. If this moisture is trapped by a non breathable fabric it will condense and you will get wet from the inside - even if it isn't raining, and even if you are only resting. A breathable fabric will keep you dry when you are resting and so are excellent in these situations
There is a limit to the breathable fabric's ability to let the body moisture escape. The harder you cycle, the higher the body temperature and the more moisture is produced by the body in an attempt to keep the body temperature stable. Eventually the fabric's maximum breathability is reached and condensation results. You get as wet from the inside as if you didn't have any rain protection - it is however warm moisture as opposed to cold rain - but depending on geographical circumstances it can still result in a life threatening situation. I've tried cycling slowly. You might be able to go that little bit further in distance but condensation eventually wins. I was cycling through St Pauls (Bristol, England), it was a warm summer day and it was raining. I saw this black guy cycling - wearing just trousers and shoes but carrying an umbrella - now that is the ultimate breathable fabric. With this in mind, I tried pulling my breathable hood of my £120.00 breathable jacket over my cycle helmet (it was uncomfortable as it wasn't designed to do this). The idea being to create a through flow of air - from the top of the head over the back to cool down the body so that less moisture is produced and allow the moisture that is produced to escape easily before condensing. It part worked for the main body but as the air flow was poor around the arms they become wet
I now never wear my £120.00 breathable jacket, I wear an ordinary £30.00 waterproof long coat that is a size too big for me and so, very loose fitting (racing cyclists need tight fitting clothes for aerodynamic speed). This permits air flow easy access to the body - it is highly successful in the rain - it keeps me warm & dry. I am thinking of trying a cycling cape to try and keep my lower half dry
So Bill, if you are determined to buy a cycle specific jacket get one with plenty of zips for air flow. Zips in the breathable jacket seem to me to be the jackets own answer to:
"Does this fabric really breathe" - if it can breath - why does it need zips? and
"How much dirt can these micro breathable holes take before they stop breathing?"
These questions seem to flummox salespeople.
Rainproof trousers
Bill don't waste any money on these - I never wear my £60.00 pair - Unless I am going short distances. You are better off wearing man made trousers that will dry out quick and take a pair of dry socks.
Rainproof gloves
I have two pairs each as useless as the other - fine for short distances. Rowland, at the BCC 21/12/03 ride mentioned that there are waterproof gloves that work - I will have to talk to him.
As mentioned before I am a plodder cyclist - if someone contacts you who is a racing cyclist they may provide some better tips for you - and me.
Regards
Reg
