Ok, appreciate “best” is somewhat subjective; however, after a week of riding in the rain decided need some better cycling waterproof trousers

So, what are people’s recommendations?

Madison dte not very packable but have seen me through winter and multiple consecutive days of lashings of rain ,vents from thigh to knee if if gets a bit too warm ,wore them for 3 days solid when I done part of the bigbear and no rain got in,one of my best buys can't recommend enough

Currently on Rab downpour pertex ones - available in different leg lengths, very lightweight, zips long enough to go over boots but not too long that you get wet through them and to date, waterproof and very breathable (4 hours in the rain last Saturday and Sunday) plus reasonably priced.

Last pair were berghaus goretex paclites and they were rubbish. Not very waterproof and not very breathable.

i've had a few pairs of the Montane Atomic ones over the years. Basically exactly the same spec as the Rab ones.
I think if i was buying again i would go for the Rab ones as the current version of the Atomic's have full length zips and are thus heavier / less waterproof / less breathable

I have the Madison ones with the zip off legs o you get shorts as well. Wore them for the BB300 and they were as good as you could reasonably expect them to be!

johnnystorm wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:55 pm I have the Madison ones with the zip off legs o you get shorts as well. Wore them for the BB300 and they were as good as you could reasonably expect them to be!

I have the same ones and totally agree. I don't think any waterproof trousers are ever comfortable, but these are much better than I expected.

So is these Madisons everyone keeps mentioning the same as what Stu is talking about on the other thread... Ie. The DTE... And are they standalone pants or over trousers???

My story of waterproof trousers is.

1st ones ever around 15 or so years ago were them Altura (Attack I think). To be worn on own and seemed breathable enoigh but a bit crumply (so probably not aa breathable as you'd want but i didn't know better). Used yo keep me dry and were 'well good' sold em on to a friend and upgraded to some Endura...

The Endura waterproofs.. standalone. Around the time the first singletracks were released or slightly before. Cor blimey... they were some nice trousers and seemed totally waterproof and able to handle a fullon downpour for hours (although in them days, hours was more like 3 or 5 max). Comfy and not crumply and over £110 I still remember I saved up for them desperately.... Got married (2nd time) and explained to the missus (pleaded more like) that if she doesnt mind and they're in fot a wash and she's doing thw washing... please don't put em on a hot wash as the material doesn't get on with heat and it'll delaminate... Well, she washed em at 90... Then I pleaded again and a few months later she gives em another 90s wash (I think)...

Now, please avert your eyes and please dont judge me. I think they came out of the wash a little worse for wear. As I'd been recently diagnosed with dyslexia and been doing some experimentation at uni with learning styles and creating memories/long term learning etc etc. Well, I went berzerk (just on the trousers ) and ripped em to shreds. To try and create a long term memory. Not sure if it worked - although missus did find it amusing - as after that day I've always washed my own cycling gear in the bucket and non-bio (maybe it created a long term memory but mainly for me)...

Then at some point I got sick of being wet again and couldnt afford another set of uber expensive ones (plus I think that was around the time when 'built in obsolence' and manufacturers making subStandard crap kicked in) so went Outdoor World and got a set of Wynnsters. Proper waterproof although a but baggy.

Then 6 years later or so, I thought I needed to try whats on other side of the fence (after having bought some Madisons which delaminated at the bum) and was getting bored of the flappy Wynnsters. So got some army issue ebay jobby goretex which have full length zippers...

Both the Wynnsters and the army Goretex is what I'd take for a 550 or BB200 special. But if threads concludes that Madison is the way forward i might need to consider

Sorry for the sob story, I'll now go for my break (or is it brake!)...

johnnystorm wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:55 pm I have the Madison ones with the zip off legs o you get shorts as well. Wore them for the BB300 and they were as good as you could reasonably expect them to be!

Oh... the Enduras were most comfy for me (and were waterproof) and then it was the Alturas... But the armyGoretex and Wynnsters aren't comfortable as such but they're the ones that (probably) work the best. Have tried both on extended substandard weather for multi days and in winter... Both worked well and kept me comfy hours and hours of 'cold and wet'

If you can find a pair, the cheap Tenn ones are superb value for a wear all day set. Comfy, waterproof and breathable enough, but not packable so only really practical if you know it's going to be cold and wet all day.

https://road.cc/content/review/142371-t ... g-trousers


I've got a pair of the alpkit parallax lightweight over trouser jobs too. Great packability and weight but I'm not overly convinced by their actual waterproofness, and they feel very clammy against bare skin if you're wearing shorts. I used them on a day of storms in last years TNR and was wanting a bit more protection in the hail through little Peru!

Tenn are no longer selling bike wear. Based on my experience, I reckon they couldn't afford all the warranty replacements. The waterproof shorts were great but would only last a couple of months of use.

7Mesh Revo shorts.
They are no waterproof trousers, but 3/4, generously covering the kness a good fit. By far the best shorts I've had and really helped me to go through HT this year. Had OMM waterproof trousers, nice and light (under 200grams) and chopped them for last summer heatwave but they were useless after a few hours of rain. I rather have something solid, even if they don't fully cover the legs than having something I can't rely on.
I had been looking at the Parallax Alpkit ones but they were sold out, seems like lightweight and good fit but don't know how they perform in real life.

Is stupid waterproof 3/4 + gaiters?

for function yes assuming they can cover the bottom of the 3/4.

I use dry suit boot covers between the top of the boot and leg so water cannot roll down leg and into boot - never tired with 3/4 [thse or gaiters]- as i just hate cold wet feet.

I have used gaiters for said task and they do work but not as well and are heavier - prone to flapping and harder to seal [ though they are a cheap pair bought for dog walking in long dewy grass, ]

I use stealth when its long trouser weather but would not take them unless i was prepared to wear them constantly for the entire ride. [ can get cold as they neither hold water nor have it bead so sometimes you need knee warmers underneath for sustained periods of rain [ 4 hours ish + in winter]

I'm a fan of Gore Bike Wear and I've just bought a couple of new pants a few months ago.
One is the Gore C5 which I think are spot on, very breathable and love it when the water droplets trickle down them. The other is a lighter pair which I think are from the Gore Running range. There seem good for summer use and pack down really small, about a fist size.
I've had the Alpkit one's for 8 month's but have never used them. They feel like they are not in the same league as the Gore ones though.

A combination which works well is knee length sealskin socks and long shorts ( I used a cut down pair of Army goretex) keep you dry with enough ventilation

After a cheap pair (Aldi), then a medium priced pair (Altura) I ended up with some expensive ones (Madison I think).

My experience across the experiences is basically that waterproof cycling trousers are basically an exercise in futility. I just get my legs wet now. If they get cold now then it's into some shelter and proper trousers on for a while to warm up!

Cheddar Man wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:46 pm After a cheap pair (Aldi), then a medium priced pair (Altura) I ended up with some expensive ones (Madison I think).

My experience across the experiences is basically that waterproof cycling trousers are basically an exercise in futility. I just get my legs wet now. If they get cold now then it's into some shelter and proper trousers on for a while to warm up!

As previous post,you can never stay 100^ dry but you can make it more comfortable.

Vaude Drop Pants II.

Minimalistic in the right way. Can be donned without taking shoes off, tough fabric on contact point, no zip, straps on lower leg in the right place.
Just shy of 200 g and packs down very small.
Kept me as dry or drier as/than any other rain pant I used before, but I can't compare to eg Gore wear.
Takes me about 2 years to wear through a pair (worn through spots inside - damaged membrane) including regular use for commuting (mostly offroad), long distance hiking and every now and then riding/hiking in messy conditions (grainy muck, bush whacking), which is more than twice as long as similar weight pants.
I must admit that I get them 40 % off, so may be biased by what I consider a low price.
I also like the 'green' attitude of Vaude, which seems real compared to greenwashing of some other outdoor brands.

BigdummySteve wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:38 pm A combination which works well is knee length sealskin socks and long shorts ( I used a cut down pair of Army goretex) keep you dry with enough ventilation

Big fan of this approach. I have some Endura Helium 3/4s which I'm happy with, they've only had maybe 30 (relatively long miles) days actual use and I have guards of some sort on both bikes I'm on when packing them, but no signs of wear and very comfy. Work well with knee warmers and WP socks. Also got some Gore shorts but they're above knee fit and I much prefer 3/4s. Tend to use the full trousers that I have for commuting rather than 'packing trips.

There was a thread on Singletrack a couple of years ago about cheap RAF surplus waterproof over pants. I took a punt as I seem to remember they were only about £12.

I cut them down to 3/4 for a bit of ventilation and they worked fine. The only issue is as over trousers they need to be carried when not wearing them.

Not long after getting them Stu specially arranged for a bit of moisture in the air on a WRT a few years ago and they worked a treat and still do now.

Check out Showerspass US made UK seller in South Shields , looks good stuff