Rainy days can be pleas- ant in their own way if you have the right cloth- ing.

protective layer. In other words, you will create a “reverse greenhouse,” soaking yourself from the inside of your protective garment. The only way to stay warm and dry is to keep the external water out while allowing water created internally by your hard- working body an escape route. This is what high-tech fabrics are designed to do. Gore-Tex, Ultrex, Entrant...all are com- mercial attempts to provide the ever-hungry public with a fully waterproof and windproof fab- ric that is breathable. Actually, Gore-Tex and its offspring are not fabrics but “breathable” laminates or membranes fused PHOTO BY GREG SIPLE to nylon. The membrane con- tains billions of microscopic pores per square inch, each millions of times smaller than the average water droplet, but hundreds of times larger than a molecule of water vapor. Theo- retically, the external water can’t get in, but the internally ow that you have chosen which this option over the first). What do I mean by created water can get out. panniers and tent you’re going to “foul-weather gear?” I mean anything, The base layer, what you wear underneath use on this year’s tour (see March including a modified garbage bag, that will your breathable shell, may actually be the and April issues), you need to keep you warm and dry when the weather most important clothing you wear. N takes a turn for the worst. Combining good Polypropylene, Coolmax and Thermax are make some decisions about the next piece of the bicycle touring puzzle; foul-weather gear. ol’ ingenuity and modern technology, the most common materials used for this I know, I know, you’re not really going to today’s market is loaded with interesting clothing, but there are others. The purpose of need foul-weather gear, because for your products designed to protect you from the these garments is to quickly remove perspira- tour, Mother Nature is going to provide the snow, rain and cold. tion from the surface of the skin, transporting most glorious atmospheric conditions since When buying foul-weather gear you must it away from the body. This is extremely earth, air, fire, and water combined to fashion first ask yourself one thing: how wet do you important when cycling in cold weather. It is this wondrous planet of ours. Don’t get me want to get? O.K., that’s silly, but not too far most important when you stop and get off wrong. There is nothing wrong with being an off the point, which is this: no matter what your bike. It is not so bad being wet while in eternal optimist. This frame of mind will you wear to shield yourself while cycling motion because your internal engine is pro- serve you well as your tour progresses, but from rain, snow, sleet, hail or wind, you are ducing heat to keep you warm, but when right now, consider yourself a pragmatist. going to get wet to some degree. If you you’re stationary and wet, it can be danger- There are many ways to protect yourself decide that you’d like to stay as dry as possi- ous. This is when all the high-tech fabrics are from inclement weather. The surest way is to ble (like most people), you might also decide supposed to earn their price tags. In theory, stay home by the fireplace and read about that wearing something waterproof will help you should not feel wet, clammy, and cold. doing adventurous things, living vicariously you achieve that goal. Wrong! The only The base layer should wick away the mois- through others, while maintaining a state of materials used to make waterproof (not ture from your body and your breathable shell personal warmth and dryness. The second water-resistant) foul-weather gear are PVC should allow that moisture to escape into the surest way is to outfit yourself with foul- rubber and plastic laminated nylon. These atmosphere, leaving you warm and dry. weather gear, providing a thin layer of com- materials do not allow water to pass through Again, don’t expect miracles — but let’s just fort and protection between you and the “out their physical structures, from the outside or say that if you were to wear a cotton T-shirt there” that we all seek (I highly recommend the inside. And there’s the rub. While pro- under a PVC jacket and then wear polypropy- tecting yourself from external moisture, you lene under Gore-Tex, you would notice the will be vulnerable to internally created mois- difference between breathable and non- By Mike Deme ture, which will be unable to escape your breathable material. One piece of advice: base

Adventure Cyclist • May 1995 10 layer garments work best when they fit as your shell is wet. If you are going to be closely to the skin as possible, but the materi- cycling in foul weather your first set of cloth- als are prone to drastic shrinkage if put in a ing will become wet and need to be replaced, standard clothes dryer — so be careful. especially if there is a mountain pass to be Advertisement An important characteristic of foul- negotiated along the way. There is no better weather clothing is the degree to which it way to protect yourself from hypothermia Removed retains body heat when wet. Polar fleece is than to replace your wet clothes with dry (or the best invention in polyester to come along drier) ones for the descent. in the last 15 years. It is extremely light- With foul-weather gear you will get what weight, resists water, dries quickly and keeps you pay for. You can spend $30.00 on a rain- you warm when wet. It does not act well as a suit or $350.00. But remember to relate price windbreaker, unless treated to do so, but as a to your expectation of the product’s perfor- layering garment cannot be beat. mance. The performance of high-tech cloth- One key to staying relatively warm and ing designs range somewhere between nearly dry in foul weather is to carry at least two of perfect and better-than-nothing. Whether each garment you wear under your breath- manufacturers have achieved the “waterproof able shell. These will protect you even if yet breathable” goal is debatable. It is a con-

Rainwear Manufacturers ■ Bellwether, Inc.- 375 Alabama St., ■ Patagonia - P.O .Box 8900, Bozeman, San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-863-0436. MT 59715, 800-336-9090. Line of expedition Full line of cycle clothing including AquaNo jacket, clothing as well as some lighter weight gear suit- pants and Shoecovers, as well as tights & tops. able for cycling, including the Velocity Shell. ■ Bike Nashbar - 4111 Simon Rd., ■ Pearl Izumi Technical Wear - 2300 Youngstown, OH 44512-1343, 800- Central Ave., Suite G, Boulder, CO 80301, NASHBAR. Comprehensive cycling catalog 800-328-8488. Extensive line of cycle clothing catalog which includes the Gore-Tex Rainsuit and catalog. Foul-weather line includes Kodiak from Saucony/Nashbar and the Nashbar Cycling jersey, Super Therma Fleece Windstopper Tight, Rainsuit. Clima Guard Trans Globe jacket and Clima Guard Trans Globe pant. ■ Black Bottoms - P.O. Box 57104, ■ Salt Lake City, UT 84157-0104, 801-262- Performance Bicycle - P.O. Box 6503. Line of cycle clothing including cold 2741, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 800-727- weather tights, tops, bibs, leg and arm warmers. 2453. Comprehensive cycling catalog which includes Gore Tex Century II rain suit, Perfor- ■ Burley Design Coop.* - 4080 Stewart mance Entrant Pro rain jacket and pants and Per- Rd., Eugene, OR 97402-5429, 800-423- formance rain jacket and pants. 8445. Line of foul-weather cycle clothing includ- ■ Sporthill, Inc. - 1690 Bertelsen Rd., ing Ultra Rider jacket and pants, Rainrider jacket Eugene, OR 97402, 800-622-8444. Line of and pants, Ultra Rider shoe covers and helmet all-season active wear including cycling line. 3SP covers. is the primary fabric used. ■ DeSoto Sport - 5262 Eastgate Mall, San Diego, CA 92121, 800-453-6673. ■ Sugoi Cycle Clothing - #1 3751 N. Offers line of cold weather cycle clothing, includ- Fraser Way, Burnaby, B.C. V5J 5G4 ing the highly water-repellent, tear-proof DeS- CANADA, 604-432-1334. Extensive line of otech jacket, the Windshell, the Fleece Jacket, cycle clothing. Foul-weather line includes Entrant and long-sleeve, first-layer shirts. G2 Ultimate jacket, Entrant G2 Extreme pant, tights, vests and tops. ■ Dirt Designs - 2962 Kalmia Ave., ■ troversial subject, which we hope our tour Suite 31, Boulder, CO 80301, 303-541- Swobo Clothing Co. - 255 Kansas St., #302, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415- leaders will answer as they field-test gear this 0662. Line of foul-weather cycle clothing includ- tour season. They will wear these garments ing jackets, vests and leg warmers. 487-1727. Line of all-season wool cycle cloth- ing. while cycling in places where encounters with ■ four-seasons-per-day weather are common. Fiasco, Active Sports Wear - P.O. ■ The North Face, Inc - 999 Harrison box 457, Mosier, OR 97040, 503-478- They will grind up some of the highest passes St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510-527-9700. in North America, putting various brands of 2425. Offers cold weather Cotton/Lycra tights Extensive line of expedition clothing, icluding foul-weather gear to a true test. We will pre- and tops. Climb Light and Hydrenaline jackets suitable for sent the conclusions in Adventure Cyclist ■ foul-weather cycling. Jackson & Gibbens* - 70 E. 39th, beginning in November 1995. Meanwhile, if Eugene, OR 97405, 800-448-3938. Afford- ■ Tinley/Avia - 9477 Waples Street, you have questions, talk to the folks we have able line of cycle clothing including rain jacket, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92121, 800- listed here. You want to know and they want pants, helmet covers and stuff Bag. 289-3339. Extensive catalog of recreational to tell you. Good luck! ● clothing. Full cycling line includes foul-weather ■ Moonstone Mountaineering - 5350 jackets, pants and tights. Ericson Way, Arcata, CA 95521, 707-822- Mike Deme is Adventure Cycling’s information 2985. Line of expedition clothing including *Adventure Cycling Sales offers Burley rainwear specialist and editor of The Cyclists’ Yellow Activent jacket and pants and Light Wave jacket and Jackson & Gibbens clothing. See your Pages. and pants which are suitable for foul-weather Cyclosource Catalog for details, or call/fax 1-800- cycling. 721-8719 for ordering information.