Do I need rain pants? Ireland in June....

[azfiddle]

We're doing a self-guided cycling tour in Ireland in June for 8-10 days. I have a rain jacket, but no rain pants - we hardly ever need to ride in rainy weather in the desert. Any thoughts?

[Eden]

I ride all year round in the Pacific Northwest and I prefer not to have rain pants… I do wear long tights when it's raining out unless it is very warm and in the winter those tights are heavy ones (my current ones are cross country ski tights), but I find water proof rain pants to be too bulky and too hot and sweaty.

[salsabike]

Az, if you take, say, three pairs of shorts/tights, so you can rotate among them and let damp ones dry, you should be fine. We started cycling in the rain here in the PNW around 2003, with rainpants, and dropped them totally within the year. Last use was our trip to Iceland, where everybody walks around in rainpants for very good reasons.

Cycling tights are meant to absorb AND dry reasonably well. I think you'll be more comfortable and do just fine without rainpants.

[ny biker]

I'm pretty sure my friend did not feel the need for rainpants for cycling while she lived in Dublin. I will check.

[azfiddle]

Thanks - I was there in 2010 and only did 3 short cycling trips, none in the rain but this time we may be riding the the rain by opportunity or necessity. My longest rain ride was a century (80 miles in the rain out of 113), and I wore an extra layer of exercise capris over my shorts, along with a lot of wool accessories.

[Crankin]

Well, I would say it depends what the temperature was. When I was in the Czech Republic, the beginning of the tour was about 53 and rainy two of the beginning days. I very much needed my rain pants. I can't imagine riding in wet shorts or tights at that temperature. It would have to be at least 75 degrees before I could do that, without feeling hypothermic! I am talking about steady medium to hard rain, for hours. Sure, some of the others made fun of my booties, rain gear, wool socks, helmet cover, but you know what? I was dry and they were not. It was freezing to me... but of course, I also bring enough pairs of shorts for each day of the trip, which makes me the odd one. I guess being self supported, weight is an issue, but I don't think I could wear a pair of shorts that had been rinsed out in the sink.
I might consider those Gore rain shorts, which look cooler and easier to pull on and off.

[salsabike]

Az, I meant to say--I would definitely bring waterproof or water-resistant booties. We are long time fans of Sugoi Resistors, but there are lots of variants people like. Booties are essential--nothing so miserable as wet feet and sloshing in your shoes.

[OakLeaf]

Slightly OT (though I concur, to me it depends on temperature not amount of rain, and the issue is blocking wind not water, since I've never had anything "water resistant" that didn't leave me literally swimming in sweat inside) ...

I don't think I could wear a pair of shorts that had been rinsed out in the sink.

Shampoo is detergent. I wouldn't just rinse and re-wear either, but you can wash things with hotel shampoo, roll them in a towel to squeeze out most of the moisture, and unless it's super humid they'll dry overnight, as clean as if you'd washed them with "real" laundry detergent. Most people would characterize me as way over-packing, but as far as workout clothing, unless it's going to be super humid or I need to pack for a variety of weather conditions, I never bring more than one set to wear and one to wash. I *have* had housekeeping cut me off shampoo ...

[ny biker]

From my friend who lived in Dublin and cycled in various parts of Ireland:

It depends. If she is touring (as opposed to a one-day event), probably. If it were a one-day event and it rained, she could just get wet and get dry later. Occasionally there is crazy summer weather where it is sunny for day on end, and there is likely to be a lot of sun in June, but that means it might only rain for half of the days. It will be wetter on the west coast. It will probably be in the 60s. If she ever wears rain pants in the US, she probably would want to wear rain pants when it's a high of 63 and raining at the start of her ride. My husband never wore rain pants, but didn't mind getting wet. I didn't wear rain pants on long rides, but I did wear them commuting.



I will add -- I did a ride in October 2013 that had temps in the low 60s with light-moderate rain. I wore Sugoi Midzero tights with Pearl Izumi mid-weight booties, and I was comfortable. And the tights dried fast after the ride.

Also I should add that her husband is a randonneur. He rides in all kinds of weather, for days on end.

[BikeDutchess]

How about some Rainlegs? We bought some for our son recently, and he loves them. I think you can get them on Amazon too.

[Crankin]

It's well known I am a weather wimp. I had a bad experience in rain/50 degree temperatures about 10 years ago and it left a huge impression. I'd rather sweat a bit then be wet.
Oak, my Terry Bella's do not dry overnight. Maybe something to do with the high Lycra content? My Sugois do.

[Blueberry]

There are also these (rain knickers) right here on TE and highly recommended by Susan (who does lots of riding in wet conditions!).

[ny biker]

Btw you will also want to put fenders on your bike if it doesn't already have them. They can make quite a difference.

[azfiddle]

Thanks- we are renting the bikes- I assume they will come with fenders ....since we're in Ireland.....

Those suggestions are good. I guess the rain legs don't actually keep you dry, based on the reviews. I also saw these advertised: Tenn Driven Cycling Waterproof Breathable 5K Cycle Trousers Black http://www.amazon.com/Driven-Cycling...ustomerReviews

I guess we will invest a little more in clothes to stay comfortable. When I rode in Ireland before, I dodged the rain except for a little drizzle because I just rode 3 times- this will be daily rides for most of 8-9 days.

[khg]

Btw you will also want to put fenders on your bike if it doesn't already have them. They can make quite a difference.

This a thousand times over!

Here in the Pacific NorthWet, I sometimes wear a rain jacket, but I've never worn rain pants. I find that it's much more important for me to stay warm than dry (since I work up a sweat anyway), and to that end, windbreak layers and wool are my go-to for wet weather. The Ibex wool knicker, though not my favorite chamois, has kept me cosy and warm on some pretty wet and cold rides. Though not wool, I really like the Rapha winter cycling tights/bibs too. They are somewhat wind resistant, and have a fleece inside that is super soft, causing me to call them my "Rapha jammies".