Hey folks, simple as it says, rain pants.

I've had a search and can't find anything too relevant, so hope I'm not flogging a dead horse here.

So I came across a kickstarter website for Vear rain pants. Not protective pants, just rain pants. They zip up on both sides, and you can put them on while standing up. With your boots on.
This for me is key. I have size 13 boots. When I'm riding and it starts raining, I wonder if my pants will hold for this shower. The hassle of pulling over, taking off my boots one by one (while hopping to keep off the wet ground) and trying to get wetgear pants on over my bike pants. It is an enormous pain in the hoop. And very undignified too, for us cool-ass bikers.
So often I scoot on and wonder if the pants will hold, then I feel that first cold trickle. You know this trickle. If you are out for the day, it is a horrible trickle. Then comes the flood. Then you've got to pull over and do that bikers undignified rain-dance on the side of the road. Not a fan I've got to say.

I've been waiting years for these exact pants. Looking at the comments on the kickstarter website, they're still working through back orders, don't see them coming out for civilians any time soon. And they are expensive. Like $169.

Anybody know of similar pants available anywhere online that you can get, that don't cost a leg and another leg?

Here's a link to the video for the curious. If it's against site rules, admin just let me know and I'll remove.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...le/description

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Mini-on-Tour

Just curious for ANY reasonably priced rain pants that you can slip on with your boots on.

I'm living back in Ireland now, commuting daily on the bike, and I would give my left nut to get a good reasonably priced pair of rain pants that I could put on standing up. With my boots on.

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We're here for a good time, not a long time...
Mini-on-Tour

I don't know what rain pants are available in UK or Ireland. Here we have all kinds, but not sure about ones with leg zippers all the way up.

Most of mine zip up to maybe my knee or bit lower. I'm only size 9 foot. But here is how I get them on:

You DO have to sit ... which is a drag in the rain on wet shitty ground ... but at least I can get my boots through the leg.

What I try to do is to crunch up the rain pant leg like you would putting on a sock, then work it over your boot, one boot at a time. Yes, bit of a PITA.

I must have 5 different pair of rain pants. I find former ski wear in thrift shops and such. I do have a new pair of Frog Toggs, which come well rated. Not used them yet!

Most of mine will eventually leak in crotch if ridden in rain all day. But they do a good job over all for an hour or 3.

Most all the companies that make riding jackets and pants offer rain pants as well. In UK you've got Halverson's. Good eh? But look pricey. Dunno.

Here we have: First Gear, Joe Rocket, Tour Master, Alpinestar, Aerostich, AGV, Fieldsheer, MotoPort, Bilt and Sedici (Cycle Gear) and several others.
Not hard to find in shops or online. The very best? Who knows!!!

Just keep shopping, I'm sure you'll find something that works. Mine tend to get torn up traveling, but usually never pay more than $10 to $15 usd for them, so no big deal. Expendable item!

The pants in the link above link look great but $169 us dollars???

Also says delivery expected Feb 2017..

Sounds suss to me.

Lots of rain pants have full-zip legs. Look at outdoor recreation gear, like the stuff designed for skiers, climbers, hikers, etc.

You won't like the prices, which may have you looking back at those $169 pants with teary-eyed nostalgia. Quality gear costs quality bucks. Cheap gear leaks--if not at first, shortly thereafter.

That's the way it's worked for me, at least.

Mark

Triumph did some branded rain pants that zipped all the way to the hip. They, like most waterproofs lasted about a year. Were very easy to get on and off. Cost me about £30.

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I bit the bullet and bought a pair of goretex riding pants (Klim) which are pretty comfortable in the hot and dry-and when I hit rain, I just keep going. They work well- yes they are expensive but they are well made and stout- well worth it, I think.

But, I too have several pairs of rainpants in a box somewhere that I used to use. Full zip lightweight hiking rainpants worked fairly well but my best was a pair with knee high zips. Now here's a tip for fast and painless on-and-offing of these pants on the side of the road.

-Keep an ordinary plastic grocery bag wadded up in the pocket of the pants.

-Open the knee zip as high as it will go.

-Lean against your bike and insert your wet and nasty booted foot into the grocery bag.

-Then pull the pant leg on, over the bag. Slippery stuff, it goes right through the leg.

- Remove the bag and repeat the process for the other leg.

- Stuff the plastic bag back in pocket.

You can remove them the same way, although it is a little bit trickier, but you can usually choose better conditions for the taking off process.

I forget where I picked up this trick, but it's slick.

...............shu

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Your foot-in-plastic-bag trick is the one I've been needing all my life--without knowing it. Hiking boots, ski boots, running shoes, mountaineering boots and yes, motorcycle boots all present the same problem with struggling to pull on rainproof over-pants. Thanks for the tip!

:chug...............shu

I contacted VERA about the leg jackets and they said, "as much as I would like to guarantee you that our product wouldn't leak from the side where the zippers are, I can't stand by it 100%. One backer bought it and it he uses it for motorcycle ride but we don't have official lab confirmation for that extreme conditions. The material itself is not a problem because it can stand much more but side-zippers are a weak spot when going 100+ km/h."

Could they just trying to be safe? Or could the zippers really be that weak?

I would not stress too much on rain pants. The real answer is simply doing more rain riding.

Over time/ miles you'll get better dealing with rain riding and learn how to arrange your gear for the best result, hopefully can stay reasonably dry.

Hard to do if riding day after day in heavy rain. Sometimes taking a break from the road is best solution. Let things dry out a bit ???

Biggest challenge for me is keeping face shield clear, not fogged up. Lots of little tricks that can help on this.

Seems wet crotch syndrome is common issue with many rain gear outfits.