Breathable waterproof shorts?

carlbiker

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Sep 15, 2020
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leeds england

carlbiker

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Sep 15, 2020
1,047
455
leeds england
All my jeans and work trousers are a 32” waist, and I wear a Large. They’re plenty big for me to pull over a pair of padded shorts and trail shorts (so I end up wearing 3 pairs!).
I could skip the trail shorts, but then I’d forfeit some useful pockets... as the one in the GTX shorts isn’t big enough for a phone!

Where are you seeing Large on offer? I was looking for another pair!

b34ff9f80cdd56dc45ecda96fddd34ed.png


I'm trying to get something ordered....I don't like wet sloppy buttocks! So the other thing with Keepa is its got a chrome extension too that will compare international prices, here I can order from germany for £106 basically....is it worth the tenner though to wait 5 days? I think if its £130 normally then maybe £116 is still reasonable, sure we missed on the £97 deals, feck it I'm ordering!
 

carlbiker

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leeds england
Ordered....would be very interested to hear about peoples experiences with Dirtlej however....I mean you could remove the need for a jacket, hard to find user reviews on this thing
 

carlbiker

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Sep 15, 2020
1,047
455
leeds england
All my jeans and work trousers are a 32” waist, and I wear a Large. They’re plenty big for me to pull over a pair of padded shorts and trail shorts (so I end up wearing 3 pairs!).
I could skip the trail shorts, but then I’d forfeit some useful pockets... as the one in the GTX shorts isn’t big enough for a phone!

Where are you seeing Large on offer? I was looking for another pair!
GORE WEAR C5 Shorts Men deep water blue at bikester.co.uk what do you think to these?
 

Jeffrey

Active member
Jul 29, 2020
97
461
Switzerland
Battle of the Onesies: Endura MT500 One-Piece vs. Dirtlej Dirtsuit Core Edition | ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine interesting comparison here, conclusion was actually to keep to separate shorts/jacket
I'm a dirtsuit owner since two years and I cannot agree with that. When cold and wet, a onesie keeps you warmer than a separate pants/jackets. Also no water/mud can enter through the gap! You stay completely dry and clean. When back home or at the car, just peel of the suit and you are ready to go for a drink ?

You should check this thread:
 

p3eps

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Dec 14, 2019
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Ordered....would be very interested to hear about peoples experiences with Dirtlej however....I mean you could remove the need for a jacket, hard to find user reviews on this thing

I just ordered another black pair from Gore. They had a 15% voucher for new customer signing up to their mailing list... so I used a different email address. £110.49 with free shipping.

To be honest, I’d rather pay full price and buy direct from Gore than save a few quid getting it somewhere else.
The previous shorts I had ended up with a hole in the bum, and Gore gave me a free return and refund as warranty without question, and I ordered another pair. Their GoreTex stuff has a 5 year warranty on it.

I had an issue with a jacket (that I didn’t buy from them), and had to go through the online store I purchased from. The experience was not nearly as simple!
 

R120

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Apr 13, 2018
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Surrey
there is a good reason for skinny pants no matter what discipline of cycling you're into.
Yeah fine if I am racing, for general riding no, there is a difference between slim fitting and skin tight, I dont want clown pants, just something a bit more relaxed. The Endura Singletrack pants are a great fit for example, just sadly not water resitant
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,026
4,588
Scotland
Struggling to find some decent shorts atm, I see stuff like Mens C5 Gws Trail Short but seems a bit bland to me.....any other suggestions?
I'm thinking of cutting up some f
Struggling to find some decent shorts atm, I see stuff like Mens C5 Gws Trail Short but seems a bit bland to me.....any other suggestions?
I'm thinking of getting something made of flexothane and chopping legs of I'm sick of a soggy end every 2nd day and washing and drying is a nightmare.
 

carlbiker

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Sep 15, 2020
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leeds england
I'm thinking of cutting up some f

I'm thinking of getting something made of flexothane and chopping legs of I'm sick of a soggy end every 2nd day and washing and drying is a nightmare.
That’s cheap as chips that flexothane, how does it compare to goretex or polyester? I don’t know any better so bought the C5 shorts last night but the price point is harsh at £116!!

just stumbled across Study Results: Gore-Tex Not Worth the Cost Based on Breathability Alone - Mountain Tactical Institute it says there’s a better performing product than goretex yet cheaper, I can’t qualify the source but could be interesting...NanoPro Coating although I don’t see any shorts, just full length

According to https://mountainwagon.com/the-blog/the-truth-about-waterproof-breathableit says

Membranes - like Gore-Tex and eVent tend to breathe better, but the jackets also tend to be heavier, less packable and more expensive. Coatings - like Marmot's NanoPro or Pertex Shield+ are lighter, less expensive, but less breathable and often less durable that their membrane counterparts.

I avoid polyester best I can, hate the sweaty stuff so I’m all ears to a goretex alternative!
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,026
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That’s cheap as chips that flexothane, how does it compare to goretex or polyester? I don’t know any better so bought the C5 shorts last night but the price point is harsh at £116!!

just stumbled across Study Results: Gore-Tex Not Worth the Cost Based on Breathability Alone - Mountain Tactical Institute it says there’s a better performing product than goretex yet cheaper, I can’t qualify the source but could be interesting...NanoPro Coating although I don’t see any shorts, just full length

According to https://mountainwagon.com/the-blog/the-truth-about-waterproof-breathableit says



I avoid polyester best I can, hate the sweaty stuff so I’m all ears to a goretex alternative!
I know but they are waterproof. I wear Shite like that at work and just think it might work. I don't even wash my jackets now or very rarely I just hose mud off and hang outside till dry . Have a few so get away with it. I cringe when I see the price of a gortex cycling jacket as you well know the mess they get in washing them over and over won't do any good. I used an all in one slicker suit for dark night riding its colder in winter so get away with it for a couple of hours.
 

p3eps

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Dec 14, 2019
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I think I’m going to bite the bullet and fit my hideous ‘MudHugger Rear Large’ to my bike.
Last weekend I scraped about an inch of gloopy mud off my ass, legs, backpack and the base of my jacket.

My shorts and jacket are both GoreTex, but as above - continual washing doesn’t do it any favours. I tend to hose it down, and let it dry. I wash it a few times a year... but I think cleaning it and putting decent (fugly) mudguards on is the solution for just now!

There will still be the odd specks of mud get on, but the MudHugger is about 95% effective, so I won’t need to do nearly so much cleaning!
 

Konanige

Active member
Feb 29, 2020
422
336
Mendips
Been using Altura Attack 360 shorts for years, bloody great piece of kit. I wouldn't worry about breathability too much theres 2 massive vents where your legs stick out!! If your troubled by wet heavy shorts or pants slipping down as you ride then good old fashioned braces are your friend.
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,026
4,588
Scotland
I think I’m going to bite the bullet and fit my hideous ‘MudHugger Rear Large’ to my bike.
Last weekend I scraped about an inch of gloopy mud off my ass, legs, backpack and the base of my jacket.

My shorts and jacket are both GoreTex, but as above - continual washing doesn’t do it any favours. I tend to hose it down, and let it dry. I wash it a few times a year... but I think cleaning it and putting decent (fugly) mudguards on is the solution for just now!

There will still be the odd specks of mud get on, but the MudHugger is about 95% effective, so I won’t need to do nearly so much cleaning!
I washed it 3 times last week. I've tried all kinds of mudguards yet to find one that really works if it's wet enough
 

p3eps

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Dec 14, 2019
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I washed it 3 times last week. I've tried all kinds of mudguards yet to find one that really works if it's wet enough

I’ve had quite a few rear mudguards over the years, but the only one I’ve ever found to do a decent job is the MudHugger Large.
It’s not perfect, and will eat your seat stays if you don’t wrap them in Heli Tape... but it’s the best one I’ve tried. I still get some splat marks on my clothes, but the difference between with and without is night and day.

Here’s my leg after an hour round the woods last weekend. My bum and back (pack) were way worse than that!
5A71E899-990B-4017-83EA-FECD36D3BE17.jpeg
 

R120

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Apr 13, 2018
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I am going to say Race Face Agent again, had mine for two winters and are brilliant, proper 3L construction, not just a coating

 

7869hodgy

Well-known member
Jul 15, 2020
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Reading
I’ve had quite a few rear mudguards over the years, but the only one I’ve ever found to do a decent job is the MudHugger Large.
It’s not perfect, and will eat your seat stays if you don’t wrap them in Heli Tape... but it’s the best one I’ve tried. I still get some splat marks on my clothes, but the difference between with and without is night and day.

Here’s my leg after an hour round the woods last weekend. My bum and back (pack) were way worse than that!
View attachment 43340

#longtrousers.

I bought some Endura Humvee Trousers and Humvee Waterproof Trousers at the end of the summer. I bought the non-waterproof as I’d had enough of stingers but I have worn them exclusively since apart from one ride in the waterproofs last week to test........luckily I did as got caught in a downpour. Nice and dry legs when I got home....even after the hose down.

Never thought riding in long trousers would work but it does.....Endura have the design spot on....flexible knee elastic etc.

Not cheap at £75 each but I find their stuff bullet proof and can be washed loads of times without looking old.

I also blast the backside and shins with Liquiproof which helps repel the sh*te the tyres kick up.
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,026
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Scotland
I am going to say Race Face Agent again, had mine for two winters and are brilliant, proper 3L construction, not just a coating

But you still have to wash and dry every
I

I Ride with my fly down, plenty of ventilation, that way.
only lads that do that are usual horse hung and hand reared
 

p3eps

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But you still have to wash and dry every

Most garments will need washed / dried unless you want to put them on filthy next time.

Personally, I like the over-shorts as I drive to where I’m going to ride and put them on.
After my ride, I give them a rub down with an old dish cloth (or 3 last weekend!), and then take them off and stick them in the boot. It means I can take them and my jacket off, and drive the car home without getting it filthy.

When washing the bike at home, I hose off any remaining dirt, then hang them up to dry. When dry, I give them a brush to get any dried in dirt off.
They probably look pretty grotty when I put them back on... but I’ll get a good few wears like this before washing / and applying the GoreTex treatments.
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
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Scotland
I just hose them down after a ride and hang em up, wash them once every10 rides or so
That's why I want something like flexothane cheap as chips hose down an hing on the tow for an oor . It's not a catwalk my wife shakes her head when I come home clarity in dubs
 

R120

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Apr 13, 2018
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Maybe just get a pair of army surplus gore tex trousers which are super cheap, and cut them into shorts? I have a pair of the over trousers and used them for when it rained on my motorbike, doing 20,000 miles a year in all weathers.

 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,026
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Scotland
Maybe just get a pair of army surplus gore tex trousers which are super cheap, and cut them into shorts? I have a pair of the over trousers and used them for when it rained on my motorbike, doing 20,000 miles a year in all weathers.

That could be the ones pal definitely.
 

urastus

⚡The Whippet⚡
May 4, 2020
1,548
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Tasmania
That’s cheap as chips that flexothane, how does it compare to goretex or polyester? I don’t know any better so bought the C5 shorts last night but the price point is harsh at £116!!

just stumbled across Study Results: Gore-Tex Not Worth the Cost Based on Breathability Alone - Mountain Tactical Institute it says there’s a better performing product than goretex yet cheaper, I can’t qualify the source but could be interesting...NanoPro Coating although I don’t see any shorts, just full length

According to https://mountainwagon.com/the-blog/the-truth-about-waterproof-breathableit says



I avoid polyester best I can, hate the sweaty stuff so I’m all ears to a goretex alternative!
I'm not a goretex fan. It has quite a narrow ideal usage - and I'm rarely in that range. I've only used it walking. Great for rain coats, jackets etc, not footwear. Where I walk it is either really wet or really dry. When it's really wet goretex holds the water in. When it's really dry your feet sweat like crazy because of the goretex - you're always hot and wet. If it's really wet now I just wear something that lets water out and I don't avoid water - so much easier. Non goretex boots dry much quicker too.

For outdoor active gear (walking, mtb etc) I look for stuff that dries quickly. When it's cold I use polypropylene - that stuff gets wet and it's dry 10 minutes later and you're always warm.
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,936
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Scotland
Maybe just get a pair of army surplus gore tex trousers which are super cheap, and cut them into shorts? I have a pair of the over trousers and used them for when it rained on my motorbike, doing 20,000 miles a year in all weathers.


I’ve just ordered a pair! £15 + £6.25 postage. I’m 6ft 2” tall, and have ordered a 28” leg (all I could find in my waist size!), but doesn’t matter if I’m chopping the legs.
They might be a nice 3/4 length solution ??
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,026
4,588
Scotland
I'm not a goretex fan. It has quite a narrow ideal usage - and I'm rarely in that range. I've only used it walking. Great for rain coats, jackets etc, not footwear. Where I walk it is either really wet or really dry. When it's really wet goretex holds the water in. When it's really dry your feet sweat like crazy because of the goretex - you're always hot and wet. If it's really wet now I just wear something that lets water out and I don't avoid water - so much easier. Non goretex boots dry much quicker too.

For outdoor active gear (walking, mtb etc) I look for stuff that dries quickly. When it's cold I use polypropylene - that stuff gets wet and it's dry 10 minutes later and you're always warm.
Yes I'm a keen hillwalker and even top range don't last , you see how the rain drops off when new but don't last long. Lot of my club folk swear by the paramo setup but no use for getting dirty. I swear by leather boots and use short gaitors but still soaking water. The mud etc comes up from front tire you would need a full mudguard like a touring road bike i have tried and broken so many over the past 35 years mtbing. Yet to find one . Rant over
 

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