Staying Dry
Lower Torso Tactics
By Chain Gang Expert Biker Dennis Coello
Commuter sporting rain suit and gaiters
Chaps
When wearing a poncho, one's lower torso can be soaked when the rain is horizontal; I am thinking about those days when the wet comes down in sheets blown by ferocious winds. Rain can also be splashed up by passing motorists after a real downpour. These are times when inexpensive chaps — individual waterproof tubelike leg coverings, open at the crotch and tied either to a belt loop or around the waist — come into use. Rain pants could be worn, but these close off the crotch and waist to airflow, causing dampness inside and hindering somewhat the pedaling motion.
Gaiters
A bit longer after a storm, when the roads are still wet but the feet and ankles alone are getting sprayed, I use gaiters in place of chaps. Gaiters are made of many different materials, but all are designed to shed water away from the tops of one's boots or shoes. Never seen them? Picture a stovepipe with a strap at the bottom. You put your foot through the pipe; the strap goes beneath your instep; and you secure the top of the pipe to your leg.
So now you can see how your lower half will remain dry (except for perspiration buildup, which, again, you won't have if it's cold out), whether or not you're pedaling with fenders. The chap bottoms overlap the gaiters, and the gaiters overlap a pair of shoe covers (a name I far prefer to the babyish term"rain booties"). Think of it as a system similar to roof tiles, with successive rain-shedding layers.
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