So yesterday was cold, rainy and just a really miserable day here in N.E. Tennessee. Rather than sit around watching TV or wasting time doing something else, I decided to do a shake down ride of 30 miles or so to test my wet weather gear. Part of being successful at bikepacking is knowing what works, what doesn't and to see what one can do.
So... My North Face Venture seemed to do pretty well. I did get a cool trickle down one elbow but nothing too noticeable. The best test of the fabric itself IMHO is to wear a long sleeve shirt and take a gentle walk in a good rain.
I ride on flats, Wellgo MG-5 to be exact. My Merrell Beluga "waterproof" hiking shoes are not. Some of it is probably from water running down into them. But they turned into a sopping mess.
My waterproof DIY rain pants did remarkably well considering that I hadn't sealed the seams. I did find that the material seemed to wear through around the knees which allowed some water to get through. I need to test that area to see if water will go through the fabric. For other uses, the material will be great but not for wear areas.
I rode with neoprene gloves and they did as expected. Sweaty inside but no rain getting through. A chain issue caused them to get so greasy that the last half of the ride was bare handed.
Areas for improvement. I might make a set of shoe covers that wrap to the toe and heel and come up the calf with some light elastic in them to hold them in place. Road spray will be mostly repelled and my shoes will not take the brunt of it. I have a DIY design in mind so I am sure that there will be a couple variations.
The rain pants were very comfortable. No binding and never got in the way. I do plan on making the legs a bit longer and making them more like cycling bibs up the back with straps over the shoulder. That will keep rain that gets up and under the rain jacket from running down my back.
All in all, it was one of the coldest rides that I've ever had. I ended up at the taproom of a local brewery and couldn't get my helmet unbuckled. A couple of pints later, while still shivering and teeth chattering, I put on all of my soaked gear and hopped back on the bike for an 8 mile ride home. About 2 blocks away, the blood was flowing and I was getting warm again. By the time I got home, all was well. A nice dinner with my wife and then curled up in front of the fire with one of my cats.
But... I learned a lot.
