CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

"Severe weather warning"

(7355 posts)

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  1. Roibeard
    Member

    @unhurt - you might wish to consider Paramo's jackets with the "Analogy Light" fabric (Velez, Quito, Mirada). Paramo jackets are usually considered very cosy, hence the suggestion for the Light version. Plenty of vents, breathable (I mean you can actually breath through the fabric!) and yet somehow waterproof. Not the "sit in a puddle and remain dry" waterproof of Goretex, but remain dry all day when outdoors waterproof.

    I think the difference (which some attribute to magic!) is because Goretex (and similar) have effectively a plastic bag which lets vapour out (slowly) but prevents liquids getting in. Paramo's fabric seems instead to be designed to "pump" liquid out, hence keeping the wearer dry and comfortable.

    Downsides include cost, more frequent washing (but no need to reproof Paramo do recommend particular wash and proofing additives) and probably style!

    Robert

    Posted 6 years ago #

  2. SRD
    Moderator

    @unhurt this is why i like my rain cape/poncho - extremely waterproof yet also extremely ventilated.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  3. spytfyre
    Member

    Poncho you say.... Hmm. Now I have the tunes of Ennio Morricone and the mental image of you with a Clint Eastwood stare.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  4. jdanielp
    Member

    @Roibeard I have Paramo waterproofs for walking, which had been doing very well up until the point that I was rained upon very heavily in Skye a few weeks ago. Probably time to give them a wash. When you say no need to reproof, do they not require Nikwax Tech Wash/TX.Direct wash-in to be properly cleaned and rewaterproofed? I may give 'Analogy Light' a try when I replace my current cycle waterproofs.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  5. urchaidh
    Member

    I have a Paramo Velez smock which I reckon is one of the best bits out kit I've ever owned. It does work differently fro other waterproof, it seems to reach a sort of equilibrium, but I've never had rain come trough to my wet the next layer.

    I've swam in it (fell out of a canoe) on a cool spring day and started to warm up and dry out through the jacket very quickly.

    I wash it three or four times a year with Tech Wash and re-proof it maybe once a year with the Tx Wash in. This seems to keep it working well.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  6. amir
    Member

    I bought a Gore Goretex cycling jacket in the sales quite a few years ago and it's very waterproof but not boil in the bag, even though I usually run hot (except for my fingers and toes these days). It's so good that I only use it at the weekends. In the week I have a perfect good altura jacket - but that can get a bit sweaty in comparison despite being labelled as very breathable and having vents.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  7. Roibeard
    Member

    @jdanielp - I think they don't rely on a surface coating to work ("durable water repellent" coating), but they work better when kept clean. (Wanders off to check) However Paramo do advise reproofing although I think this isn't quite the same thing as with DWR coatings... I'll amend my post above!

    Although they do have Nikwax cleaning products to sell too, I can't deny the manufacturers care guidelines!

    Robert

    Posted 6 years ago #

  8. Darkerside
    Member

    Had to trundle through a particularly bad flood on the way in this morning - probably 5" deep in the centre of a four-lane road. Impassable on the pavements.

    Glad I wasn't on a trike...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  9. spytfyre
    Member

    Years ago I got tired of hunting for the sweat free option of water proofing and decide to leave a toweklfull change of clothes in a locker/drawer/box/bag at work. Wore nowt but shorts and hi-vis with flip flops in the warmer rain and accepted the fact I was going to get drenched. Flip flops vs puddle on east bound shandwick bus ditches was fun as lake water went in front and out the back.
    I was one step away from having the shower gel bottle hanging from the handlebars and taking a quick comical festival shower at Haymarket lights to amuse folk...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  10. SRD
    Moderator

    I'm with spytfyre here - came in to work in a cycling jersey and mountainbike shorts - they didn't get particularly wet. my arms and legs dried off easily.

    I almost posted in 'commuter confessions' though - lesson is to change immediately, not start checking emails while wet...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    "not start checking emails while wet"

    Such discipline!

    Posted 6 years ago #

  12. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I put the roof and the spraydeck on the torpedo and didn't get wet at all. Just wore t-shirt and shorts. Then I arrived at work and had to climb out!

    Posted 6 years ago #

  13. spytfyre
    Member

    I love that torpedo of yours. If only we hand a ping in Sean Connery accet...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    Vertical downpour like this with not much wind is perfect cycling rain cape weather.

    However it's also a good day to take a brolly and travel by bus! :-)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/flood-warnings-issued-for-edinburgh-and-other-parts-of-scotland-1-4467469

    Posted 6 years ago #

  16. spytfyre
    Member

    Yes Ashley Terrace had a new lake that went from kerb to kerb and at one point wall to wall... Can see why when the council fail to clear the drains of all the tree detritus along Harrison Gardens

    Posted 6 years ago #

  17. threefromleith
    Member

    Never mind building the flood prevention walls on the far side of Roseburn Park; there were some puddles on Roseburn Crescent this morning before 6.30am which were millimeters away from rising above kerb level and flooding the front doors of the houses there!

    Posted 6 years ago #

  18. amir
    Member

    About 45 mm in 24 hours now at the KB weather site. And the curve is getting steeper.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  19. minus six
    Member

    @unhurt

    If you want to maintain a bone-dry torso on a torrential commute, look no further than the Rapha Hardshell

    There are no vents, but I size up one to create agreeable breathing space

    You'd need a lengthy commute to make it justifiable on cost/benefit ratio

    Posted 6 years ago #

  20. Rosie
    Member

    This was the kind of rain that caused the flood at Roseburn in 2000. No wind, no storms, just 2 days of relentless rain.

    A test for the new flood defences...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/a-week-s-worth-of-rain-in-a-single-day-1-4467469

    Posted 6 years ago #

  22. gibbo
    Member

    Late morning, there was already flooding on Davidsons Mains Main Street. On the corner with Quality Street. (Westbound lane.)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    "A test for the new flood defences"

    Not sure about that.

    Think in 2000 there were two other factors -

    Reservoirs were full (some people said that they should have been emptied more in previous weeks, but I have no idea if that's true or would have been possible).

    There had already been quite a lot of rain so there was more runoff than should be the case today.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  24. fimm
    Member

    The reservoirs (well Threipmuir anyway) are/were really, really empty - we thought Threipmuir was empty last year and it it/was worse when we went to swim there the other day.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  25. remberbuck
    Member

    @unhurt

    The Rapha Classic Winter uses a similar fabric to the Hardshell, with the same impressive results, and has zipped underarm vents. The cost is there, but being patient till the sales can get you about 25% off. It's race cut.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  26. SRD
    Moderator

    "There had already been quite a lot of rain so there was more runoff than should be the case today."

    Not sure how well that works. If the ground is really dry, runoff will be bad because of poor absorption, won't it?

    also more gunge clogging up sewers that hasn't previously been washed away (yesterday's flash rains may have solved that)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  27. minus six
    Member

    @remberbuck

    i employ the classic softshell throughout winter - highly dependable in most conditions but find it doesn't really cut it in heavy torrential downpour, if you're on the bike for more than an hour each way, which is where the hardshell excels

    but splitting hairs really as these heavy torrential episodes are what, maybe four days a year at most

    meantime, that is..

    Posted 6 years ago #

  28. Klaxon
    Member

    Reservoirs were full (some people said that they should have been emptied more in previous weeks, but I have no idea if that's true or would have been possible).

    Reservoirs are the way to control flooding.

    If one knows rain is coming the spill rate should be increased in advance to allow room for more rain to fill in behind.

    Overtopping over a spillway should really only be in exceptional circumstances of sustained rainfall as you lose all downstream control.

    I have no idea if the valves are automated up in the Pentlands. If control is manual this becomes a lot harder and labour intensive.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  29. Min
    Member

    35mm since about 8 this morning and still filling. I went out from work to look at a gas cylinder. Must have been outside for all of 20 seconds but got so wet I had to dry my back with a hairdryer.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  30. bill
    Member

    @fimm were you on a folding bike at Livi North this evening? I definitely saw someone in a red cape there!

    Posted 6 years ago #

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