Rain Cape review

I got the chance to try out my bicycle cape this morning. It admittedly was not pouring rain, just misty.

First, putting it on over your head: It won’t go over your helmet. That is a non-issue for me as I can just plop the helmet over it. Make sure you tighten the drawstring around your face to maximize your visibility.

Next the front: It has thumb-loops to hold it down or I believe you can insert your hands through the larger loops there. I actually hooked the loops over my brake levers leaving my hands free. That worked fine for me.

The back: There are leg loops available which I haven’t tried yet. I just sat on it. That’s fine if you aren’t going to come up out of the saddle, but I did. But I was surprised that it still protected me even when not fastened down. I am contemplating attaching the cape to the bike using those loops and a carabiner. It could clip onto the rack or the saddle rail.

Drawbacks: None that are dealbreakers. I have the probably bad habit of looking down to check my gearing and that is shielded from sight. It also takes a little more work to get to the water bottle.

But overall I am pleased with my purchase. It is much easier than going through the rain pants and jacket thing. I think it will keep me dry at least to my knees, possibly mid-calf if it’s really raining hard. For lighter rains I should be pretty much totally dry. It also cut the wind. Of course, of there are big winds, I might become a sail.

~ by susancyclist on May 16, 2008.