Cheap waterproof, windproof jacket and gear

N

Nicholas

Banned
First, there is a related thread: Cold weather gear

I got into a car accident last Friday, so I will have to commute to work 2+ miles away for a while. I have to be at work by 4:30 am and none of my current jackets are suitable for bombing down hills during night at 25-30 mph in winter. In that past thread, many said to dress so you are cold when you leave off, but for me, seconds outside my house I will have to bomb down a very steep hill. So if I leave cold I will never recover properly in a 10 minute or barely more ride.

There is a TJ Maxx and Marshalls near me, so I would rather go there because you find stuff that retails for $100-250 selling for $50-$100. From that other thread alot of people mentioned Goretex gear and I found out that Goretex's patent expired. That book link states that one alternative using their expired patent is called Omni-tech which is what Columbia makes, and they are very heavily stocked in those stores. Other names that companies use to market their own wares based on Goretex's expired patent are: Sympatex, Triple Point Ceramic, H2NO, and Storm HB.

Does anyone ride with a Colombia Omni-tech?
Also what about cheaper, windproof gloves and hats?
 
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For a 2 mile commute, I think any warm, comfortable jacket you have will do just fine. Even if you creep along at 10mph you won't be out there longer than 15 minutes. The ride is just not long enough to risk hypothermia.

If you want to get gear without spending too much, Spend your money on a good balaclava(under armor) and just fleece gloves over your cycling gloves should suffice. You can find blingier base layers but if you find any brand with soft wool or wicking material, you'll do fine. I bought a bunch at BJ's over the last 2 years that have been more than adequate.

I'd spend more on rain gear because you can get significantly wetter(miserable) than cold in a 15-20 minute commute. And cold and wet is not going to start your day right. On the ride back you won't even need that much since you'll get heated up nicely on the climb home.

Good luck.
 
This is the hill I have to go down immediately:
Penn Avenue top view, looking down:

Penn Avenue bottom view, looking up:

You can reache 30 mph going down. I have to turn down a side street with another hill which is however less formidable. Also I have to leave off at about 4:10 or 4:15 am, and it is very cold at that time of night.

I will definitely need a better coat than those I have now. The only coat I have now which is semi-suitable is a thin Snozu shell which is I believe only wind resistant, water resistant with no hood. I remember once commuting to work earlier in 2011 I believe, but I cannot remember what jacket I choose, however I remember being epic cold on that downhill, my hat, gloves and I believe also jacket all let wind penetrate right through.

I look at it this way: the money the average lazy American would spend to taxi to work, or rent a car, after such an incident, is the money I will instead spend to get the proper winter gear which I would have liked to have anyway.
 
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Anything you get will be trial and error.

Liong, who is almost as tough as Bruce Lee, would tell you to put a section of the morning paper inside your jacket, tights, shoes and gloves and tough it out for 10 minutes. But we all know he's just crazy.

PS definitely wear glasses with clear lenses so your eyeballs don't turn to ice.
 
Layers are the key to staying warm and warding off the wind.

Start with a base layer such as a thermal (under armor cold gear, nike, no-name brand). I have a few pieces from Under Armor to no-name brands and prefer under armor for my base layer. If you go for a compression type base layer, it helps reduce the 'bulk'.

Second Layer - just put on a cotton t-shirt to help add an extra layer to your torso.

Third layer should be a long sleeve turtle neck. I've picked up some at Macy's and even JC Penny's on sale for 12 bucks or so.

Forth layer is a sweatshirt

Fifth layer is whatever jacket you want.

On the bottom, usually a thermal base layer and then a pair of whatever pants your want to wear are fine. If it's very very cold, go with two pairs of thermals. You could go cheaper and pick up thermal undies from walmat or go for something like UU's coldgear leggings.

Good wool socks, good gloves and a balaclava under your helmet and you are good to go.

Don't forget to backpack clothes for work 🙂 You could also skim off some of the layers as you find what gear works and what doesn't, but it's only a 2 mile ride. You won't have a chance to to go hypothermic unless you get a flat tire!!!
 
I wear several layers of Starter (Walmart brand) thermal gear and a Nike / Fila / Everlast synthetic hoodie under a Bontrager Commuter Shell. Hit 30+ down a hill the other night when it was 19 degrees out and felt no wind through the shell at all.

I paid ~$120 for the Bontrager jacket and I love it, but I'm pretty sure that a $50 Carhartt slicker would perform just as well (look for one with a zipper and storm flap).

Slip some $60 ski bibs from Dick's over your work pants and you should still be warm and dry when you get to work. Commuting only 2 miles gives you a lot of options to make it relatively comfortable.
 
The only jacket you need is a rain jacket - it will be wind and waterproof -- and it will allow you to wear any type of clothing underneath. The rain jacket doesn't have to be cycling specific and can be found in any sporting goods store or retailers like LL Bean and Lands End.

Similarly for your legs, get some rain pants. Either size up or get them from a golf store so they can slide over your regular pants.

Get a thin cap to wear under your helmet and a neck gaitor, or a balacava.

And since you're riding at night, get a reflective vest and lights (front & rear for visibility).
 
the route 10 across the tracks does have some might steep hills...

ski gear where necessary can be your friend.

Check the Costco to see if they have the HEAD-brand of ski gloves.

Dover ski shop on Rte 46 near Robbie's would have miscellaneous stuff, it base layers, gloves, googles, balaclava, socks, etc.

you can also bike down to Marty's Randolph on Rte 10 for miscellaneous stuff also.

One of my thin hardshell jackets is a Columbia with Omni-Shield... works fine for blasting down the mountain on my snowboard.

....also, car insurance companies do offer car rental option. Costs me $5 a month, but it came in handy when I smacked a deer in October.
 
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I have not commuted to work yet, since I am always sleep deprived and I don't feel like dealing with a ride in such a state, instead I borrowed a family member's car. Also just yesterday the insurance of the party at fault provided me a rental car.

I got a new red(very visible for bicycling) Omni-Tech Columbia jacket, which means it is waterproof and breathable.The exact name is the Free Fall Parka, SM4202-610. It was on Clearance at TJ Maxx in Rockaway for only $65, whereas the full retail price is $200. There are several others still up for grabs.

When I bought it, I tested it right away. Before I was using the layers theory, now I don't believe in it so much. I was wearing in order: a Champion polyester wicking short-sleeve shirt, an Izod fleece, a Snozu weather resistant shell, and finally a thin Adidas rain-coat. I removed all of that, except the tech gear t-shirt, but it in the bag and biked home using my new Columbia jacket and I was actually warmer than before, since it protected me better from the wind and retained more bodyheat than all the layers. Also I took it out this past Tuesday on the 3rd for a shopping trip to Denville, and the windchill was very brutal that day. The jacket was excellent, I would say it was windproof, but I contacted Columbia and they said it was not. Still it offers excellent wind protection. The thing that bothered on that Tuesday ride was the wind in my face, and my shitty gloves which are not breathable. Eventually the interior became damp with sweat and my hands starting freezing. I had to stop at TJ maxx because my hands were way too cold. After that I stopped AGAIN at a nearby friend's house on the way home as I could not feel my hand again. I also went for a 40 minute run on Wednesday at the Randolph trails. This time I wore a thin, long-sleeve Under Armour shirt(not coldgear), a crappy acrylic beanie and my Columbia jacket. When I started I was a little cold so I even wore the hood of my jacket. For most of the run I was fine, but eventually I started overheating and sweating a little. However when I unzipped the underarm vents I was very comfortable once again.

I am very happy with the jacket, hopefully I will venture out alot more this winter. What I really need now is decent gloves. The only question I am left with is what is a good protection for your face when there is lots of windchill? I had a baclava/scarf but I got sick of putting it up near my mouth, because it eventually got damp, it was uncomfortable with the helmet straps, etc. Also do powder skirts help trap more of your bodyheat or is their only purpose to prevent snow from penetrating when you fall?
 
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I have had the fortunate opportunity to get my hands on a sample pair of Glacier Gloves "Perfect Curve" Cycling specific gloves.

They are 2mm thick neoprene but the seams and lining are unlike any other neoprene glove I have tried. They are durable, warm and waterproof. You will not be disappointed. Ill be wearing them this sunday at the National Championships!

http://glacieroutdoor.com/landing_cycling.html
 
The glacier gloves would be perfect for a 2 mile commute. I wouldn't use them for anything longer then a cross race because they have zero ventilation and they will literally fill with sweat. Turn them inside out when you are done so they can dry.
 
I got new gloves finally:
$45 Pearl Izumi SELECT Softshell Gloves(not the lite version)

However I was worried they may not be warm enough for the coldest days so I got a size up XL, so I could wear a thin polyester liner glove underneath. But I am not sure if that was necessary or a good idea, the large fit much better.

While at Marty's I was also looking at helmet liners, but they didn't have the type that covers much of the back of your neck, which is the type I would prefer.
 
743power said:
The glacier gloves would be perfect for a 2 mile commute. I wouldn't use them for anything longer then a cross race because they have zero ventilation and they will literally fill with sweat. Turn them inside out when you are done so they can dry.
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I only have a few hours in these gloves. And the temps were very mild. I was racing in defeet duragloves...in Madison, WI...in January! I am still cant get over that.

We did talk with the rep and there are a few cool new things coming. One is a glove with a ventilated palm. Its on a boat and should be here soon!
 
743power said:
The glacier gloves would be perfect for a 2 mile commute. I wouldn't use them for anything longer then a cross race because they have zero ventilation and they will literally fill with sweat. Turn them inside out when you are done so they can dry.
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any experience with the Castelli Diluvio? It too is a non breathable neoprene glove... you're right though - your hand sweats like a whore in church but the sweat is what insulates your hands... I've used these in the mid 20's and they worked pretty well for me...

I am still looking for a solid winter glove rated for lower temps... these are rated down to like 35...
 
soulchild said:
any experience with the Castelli Diluvio? It too is a non breathable neoprene glove... you're right though - your hand sweats like a whore in church but the sweat is what insulates your hands... I've used these in the mid 20's and they worked pretty well for me...

I am still looking for a solid winter glove rated for lower temps... these are rated down to like 35...
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I have the Diluvio as well. These are much warmer. They have a fleece lining which feels like a warm blanket. 😀 Plus the ergonomics blow the castelli version away.

Warmer: http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/cycling-gloves/proof.html
Warmest: http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/cycling-gloves/100-prooftm-new.html

The later are tough to use on the road. But when its that cold you hopefully will be in the woods!
 
ArmyOfNone said:
I have the Diluvio as well. These are much warmer. They have a fleece lining which feels like a warm blanket. 😀 Plus the ergonomics blow the castelli version away.

Warmer: http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/cycling-gloves/proof.html
Warmest: http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/cycling-gloves/100-prooftm-new.html

The later are tough to use on the road. But when its that cold you hopefully will be in the woods!
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thanks! those Proof's seem to be rated similarly to the Gore Tool SO's I have... I'm gonna check out the 100's I think I saw them in Halter's
 
soulchild said:
thanks! those Proof's seem to be rated similarly to the Gore Tool SO's I have... I'm gonna check out the 100's I think I saw them in Halter's
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For me the Tools are good into the low 30's on the road. Anything colder I go to the Giros. just fyi. 😀
 
I picked up a pair of PI Barrier lobster gloves because they were 50% off (at a local shop too!) for 35 bucks I figure it was worth the shot. I wore these for an hour and 40 at 12* on the road with a 40* thin glove as a liner and they were good. They are good down to 20 (maybe lower) by themselves. The downside is they are alittle bulky looking, but don't feel bulky. These are the best winter gloves I have found next to the Assos glove system, but the Assos are $200, where these are $80.
 
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