With monsoon just around the corner, it’s the right time to invest some money on updating one’s biking gear and save oneself from getting soaked in the rain. Biking gear stores around the country sell a lot of these products from jackets, gloves, suits, shoes to pants — which is a must for every biker, whether one for long tours to some far flung area regularly, or just commutes daily in your locality — to keep yourself warm and dry during the monsoons. The important question however is, how do you decide which is the most effective gear for riding in the rain, and what must you have before you set out to explore the wet roads.
Deepak Saxena, of Team Road Rage, a bikers club based in Mumbai, says, “There are a lot of things which have to be kept in mind before you buy a bike gear for the rains. It should be waterproof and most importantly should be made of a breathable fabric. Otherwise you will end up getting soaked in your own sweat. One should never ignore the breathability of the rain gear, be it the jacket, gloves or the pants.”
Aaron Durham, a creative designer who rides everyday to his office on his bike, says that the most important thing is to keep your body warm and dry. “Most bikers only think about the upper body part, and forget that it’s equally important to keep the lower body part warm and dry i.e. your thighs and legs, failing which there are very high chances of falling sick,” he says. And in places like Mumbai and Bengaluru, where it rains heavily and very often, “Waterproof pants are a must,” he adds.
However, Deepak says that the hands and feet are the two most critical parts of the body that has to be kept warm and dry. So, it’s very important to buy the right pair of gloves and shoes. “Your feet will always bear the brunt of the rain, and there’s no way to prevent them from getting wet, unless you go for long boots, or shoes especially designed to keep water out,” he says.
The 25-year-old biker, however, advises to go for special biking shoes, which come with a padded lower shin protection, torsion cup for anklebone protection and anti-allergic inner lining. “You can get them for something around Rs 5,000,” he says.
According to Aaron, a complete raingear for bikers could easily come for within Rs 20,000. He says that many reputed brands like Alpinestars, DSG, Cramsters and Joe Rockets are now available in the country at major bikegear stores around the country.