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  1. #11 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    Duct tape savant felix's Avatar
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    Yeah seriously, i second that. Does anyone out there have any gear that's actually waterproof AND breathable? Goretex is bullshit. I have a pair of fairly expensive Dainese winter gloves i bought in france that are supposed to be waterproof. They can take about 15/20 mins of rain but are soaking throughout after that. And yes, they take days to dry...
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  2. #12 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    C-Moto Senior
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    Found these on TaoBao. Things like these and a basic rain suit are most of what I used and that's with full time riding and Florida rain storms which in spring at least are intense and frequent. I would also wear some winter gloves but usually wouldn't put my three digit over gloves on unless I would be riding most of the day. My hands being wet never bothered me as much as my feet. When I get off the bike I'm going to take the gloves off anyhow. Also of course the main use of our feet is shifting or breaking so I never felt hampered by covers like these. Once I get off the bike I would rather just have some nice comfortable ankle high hiking boots on instead of anything soggy.

    Of these covers the third seem like the best as they have a rubber sole and might get the best grip. I doubt any of them would last more than two or three seasons.

    Looks OK
    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9...7d4fc017d63360
    Also Look OK
    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=5...5384da8604f7f1
    Looking much better (maybe the best?)
    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=5...5384da8604f7f1
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  3. #13 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    Duct tape savant felix's Avatar
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    I tried that style before and didn't like them. The sole is always too big for your shoes and are not tight under your feet so they flap around. Very annoying to ride and walk in. Now i use these and find them much better, they're tight around your shoes and do a good job of keeping water out.

    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8489620231
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  4. #14 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    I've had two pairs of Alpinestar waterproof boots in the last 5 years, never had wet feet. They're expensive, but they work.

    Cheers!
    ChinaV
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  5. #15 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    Senior C-Moto Guru
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    Quote Originally Posted by felix View Post
    I tried that style before and didn't like them. The sole is always too big for your shoes and are not tight under your feet so they flap around. Very annoying to ride and walk in. Now i use these and find them much better, they're tight around your shoes and do a good job of keeping water out.

    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8489620231
    Felix, please check your TB link. Doesn't work for me. Last year I bought a pair of gaiters (used for hiking) which proved absolutely useless. I was soaked in 5 minutes.
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  6. #16 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    grumpy old sod jape's Avatar
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    The link works OK outside of China, Naim, try again?

    When I was young and used to climb mountains, good quality climbers gear of various brands was both waterproof and warm, however, nothing that was 'breathable' was ever satisfactory. We spent a lot of time unzipping and cooling down, even in snow storms! Goretex was OK but I agree, not as good as they claim, in that it was not all that breathable or waterproof. I have tried various over-suits and sets of rain gear in recent years, both construction worker and motorcycling types. Some is OK for cold and wet but not hot and wet, some is OK for hot and wet but not cold. The best value so far is a cheap Aldi motorcycle over-suit which is indeed 99% waterproof at speed. The 1% of leaks is around the vents of course. But to stay warm, you have to leave the linings in and then you are wet from inside. Cannot win!

    Thin plastic bags are as good as anything for feet and hands over normal gear, good for feel and flexibility and cheap to replace when they inevitably tear and 'wicking' under garments do help with bodily comfort. If it is wet and warm, I now prefer to get wet and dry off later; if cold, I prefer to stay dry and over heat a little. Good helmet vents cool you down quite well as you can lose a lot of heat from head area.

    I keep a bit of real chamois leather handy for wiping rain and moisture from inside and outside of face screen/goggles/shades. A strip sown to the index finger of your glove is handy for a quick wipe in rain so you can see. These days, if it pours, I find shelter.
    Last edited by jape; 04-22-2011 at 09:47 PM.
    Kinlon R/T KBR JL200GY-2
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  7. #17 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maux View Post
    ... Florida rain storms which in spring at least are intense and frequent.
    "Intense"? I would call them bloody INSANE!! Got caught in one on "Alligator Alley" - and was too afraid to stop, else I'd be eaten! Good testing ground for gear.

    Chinabiker's waterproof mittens are fantastic. Ditto on the Alpinestar boots. They were great until someone stole them! Really, what kinda guy steals another man's well-used shoes?

    Best solution I've ever found is plastic bags & duct tape. Not very pretty, but a whole lot easier to carry than an extra pair of boots.

    Duct tape - a gift from heaven.
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  8. #18 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    Senior C-Moto Guru
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    Quote Originally Posted by jape View Post
    The link works OK outside of China, Naim, try again?
    all i get is this



    What exactly do you see?
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  9. #19 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    grumpy old sod jape's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slabo View Post
    all i get is this What exactly do you see?
    Just checked again, it is the taobao page! What does your image say?

    Screenshot-1.jpg
    Kinlon R/T KBR JL200GY-2
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  10. #20 Re: Waterproof gear? 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Great thread.

    Here's my take: In my experience, including riding through torrents and torrents of rain with ZMC888 in Qufu, Shandong, last summer, the problem with wet feet is not related so much to whether the boot itself is waterproof, but whether your rain suit is keeping water out. My current riding gear -- Joe Rocket jacket and paired pants -- is not particularly waterproof and when I come under heavy rainfall, I can feel water seeping in all over. Water running down the front of my jacket quickly seeps in around my waist, and within minutes I can feel it running down my legs -- straight into my boots, no matter how water resistant they are.

    The booties that Maux and Felix have posted can be totally waterproof, but they are still open at the top, and if water is rolling down your legs, even in small amounts, there is simply no way it will not enter your boots and ruin your day.

    Clearly, a huge part of dry feet is keeping water out of your jacket and pants and off your legs. So, as this riding season arrives, I'm in the market for a waterproof or water-resistant suit that will breathe but keep water out. I'm leaning heavily toward the Akito Desert suit that Mr and Mrs ChinaV modeled in October 2010.



    That said, your feet will still get soaked if your boots are not waterproof, and Goretex does seem to be the key here. I'm guessing that the AlpineStar boots that V mentioned do have Goretex or equivalent. Franki swears by the German Daytona boots that he carries on his website. But prepare for sticker shock: These run north of US$400 a pair!

    cheers
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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