This year has not been good for me for bikes.

I've binned it due to some driver cutting me up.
I've blown it, due to my own fault.
I've swapped an engine, that runs great.
I bought brand new trousers... They leaked (but took 4 months to rain)....
I've bought brand new boots, jacket, and gloves of which..
The gloves leak, and the jacket leaks.
And now we're in winter...

Now i don't mind riding in the winter, always been able to cope with the cold, the rain etc.. But just recently im really getting fedup of it all every day.. I spent £450 on kit at the bike show to replace stuff that got damaged in my accident, its lasted me all summer, the odd rainfall etc with no problems, its just got holes in it. I thought "hmm, it might leak on a heavy downpour so i'll replace it while im at the show".... Hmmm.

Im soaked around the gut area, its just like the rain eventually seaps through. Its 3 bloody layers for christ sake, how can it get through 3 layers and 2 zips and a velcro zip cover??? Its a Frank Thomas (supposidly "New" jacket) Aqua Pour (morelike Aqua Poor).

Now i've got the issue of wet hands. Gloves outside the jacket, rain runs back down the glove from the jacket (never had this in 7 years!!!) resulting in a freezing cold water trickle into my glove, and nothign I can do but stop the bike, take it all off etc... Thing is, if I put them inside the jacket arm and i can hardly move my wrists as they are thick gloves.

Also, now this winter they are doing major roadworks on the A2, the main road from the SE into London... As you can imagine, my 35-40 minutes trip is now over an hour, and constently having to filter between traffic from the moment i get on, to about 1 mile from my house.. 2 weeks Friday ago it hammered it down. 26 miles, and not out of 3rd gear all the way home. Its the first time i've truly been really "scared" on the bike, I actually was worried about even making it home as it rained so hard and I couldn't see FA.

Last year it hardly rained at all, this year it seems to be raining i'd say 4 days out of bloody 5.

Now im sitting here, tissue wrapped round my shirt, tissue wrapped round my wrists held on by an elastic band, just to soak up the water from my shirt.

Im really getting fedup of this, im not enjoying riding my bike to work anymore, its just a complete hassle. Problem is now, i've moved to my house, and until the new Ebbsfleet stations built, i can't even really get to work another way. People have attitude for the things THEY do wrong, and generally Im just awaiting someone to just pull out a gun 1 day (see that Heathrow murder last week?).

Oh, and my old man got knocked off his bike breaking his leg in 20 places and 2 ribs. £13,000 of bike written off.

Just on a general downer and p1ssed right off.... And looking forward to getting equally soaked on the way home again....

[TSM]

Water will always find a way in through the smallest gap.

My old kit didn't leak.
Nor the jacket before that.
I've NEVER had the issue with the gloves

[fizzwheel]

Kit, its just one of those things it took me a while and 3 or so purchases off stuff that didnt work before I found kit that keeps me warm and dry. Its just one of those things, you buy it you try it, you try some more and then you find stuff that works, its just one of those things unfortunately.

The kit I've got now kept me dry through a torrential ride from Ireland all the way back to Somerset. My left boot was a little wet and so was the little finger of my left glove but that was it. I dont think your alone in finding that the frank thomas stuff doesnt keep you dry. Mind you in a torrential downpour if you ride through it long enough eventually it will get wet. What you could do is pop into Milletts or Blacks and get some of the Nikwax spray on waterproofer and give everything a good spray with that and see if that helps.

IMHO you really need to find some gloves that you can get the sleeves of your jacket over otherwise your always going to get wet hands.

I always find a few extra minutes faffing around before a long journey to make sure everything is done up right and I'm comfortable is invaluable. Make sure everything is done up as it should be. Water will get through even the smallest gap.

As for the weather, well its another one of those things about riding in winter. I've had a fair few moments over the winters where I have sh*t myself or done stupid stuff and nearly come off. But you learn its all experience and if you can stomach it, come spring / summer boy will you notice a big difference in your riding. You'll be smoother and faster and you'll have a much better feel for you bike and what it can do.

As for the rain well its winter not much we can do about it. Just keep your visor clean and maybe get one of those rubber V Wipes and that should help keep your visor clear. Just keep doing what your doing, slow down and stay safe. After a while your confidence will improve and you can pick the speed up.

IMHO no shame in admiting you cant hack it anymore, maybe time to purchase a cheap car and use that to get to work.

Keep your chin up, it will get better.

Sorry to hear about your dad, Daimo. Hope he heals quickly.

Yep, it's done nowt but rain here as well and I've been commuting by train the last month or so because one bike doesn't run properly in general and the other needs new discs and hates the rain. Makes me wonder why I've got a bike sometimes.

Chin up, it'll get better I'm sure

Thing is Fizz, i've had the bike a year n a half and have already done 1 winter and 2 summers on it.

ITs jsut i've been riding like 7 years now, and i've never ever had so many problems with kit and such. Usually it was just the awful bikes i was riding that were the problems.

Wish I could buy a cheap car and cummute, but its central London and i'd be spending 2-3 hours just getting TO work in the morning.

You know what its like, bad morning, gets worse, gets a bit worse, some stupid idiots cut your up, you have a row, it gets worse, you carry on, get soaked, get to work, don't want to be here etc.

But im just generally getting fedup of it. Its just becoming so much of a hassle and not "fun" anymore

I've sort of got the opposite problem. My kit's not too bad but my bikes are sh*te instead I'm going to buy something sensible I think

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Daimo

You know what its like, bad morning, gets worse, gets a bit worse, some stupid idiots cut your up, you have a row, it gets worse, you carry on, get soaked, get to work, don't want to be here etc.

Could you not buy a cheap car and then use that to get you to the nearest train station and then use the train / tube ?

I know exactly what its like. I've had spells of that where just everything goes wrong and its one thing after another it really gets you down.

I feel your pain

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I dont think your alone in finding that the frank thomas stuff doesnt keep you dry.

Tell me about it. I was spitting blood when I was discovered a few weeks after buying them that my 'Aquaguard' boots "aren't actually sold as waterproof boots, sir".

I hike a fair bit and I know that waterproof kit is possible, so it really winds me up when we get shoddy gear like this. Boots are my biggest bugbear. It really isn't that difficult to make a boot that's waterproof. I've actually taken to wearing my hiking boots once the rain gets really bad, for this reason.

RE: Gloves, as Fizzwheel says, tuck 'em in under your sleeves, or else the best glove in the world will just hold water in.

As a fix for leaking kit, I found the Spada 406 oversuit to work well with my first set of textiles (which weren't remotely waterproof). Although it is delicate (I put a knee through, just kneeling on the floor to put a chain on) and like many one piece suits, a bit of a faff to put on. I currently use Hein Gericke Cruise jacket & trousers and provided you remember to close all the vents (doh!) and re-waterproof it from time to time with Nikwax, it has held up even on 7 hour slogs in the rain.

I know the feeling of being thoroughly hacked off with biking. Getting absolutely soaked (to the point where I literally may as well of sat in a cold bath in my kit) one day made me decide to lay my bike up for the winter the first year I was riding. That lasted all of 6 weeks before I missed it too much. I've riden all year round since then and good kit makes it so much better.

Did Frank Thomas EVER make good kit? I'm just wondering how come they seem to be the most readily available kit everywhere, but they are pants? I'll never buy FT again. I kinda want to start a campaign against them in my local bike shop!