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Sealskinz goes 100% waterproof with cycling kit – shorts, tights, jacket & more

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UK based Sealskinz built their name on providing totally waterproof and windproof accessories to keep our hands & feet warm and dry in weather conditions that would otherwise make being outside for extended periods of time unbearable. While protecting fingers and toes has been their specialty across all outdoor activities, there have always been cyclists at the company. They’ve even produced a number of water-resistant pieces of riding kit for cyclists over the years. But now Sealskinz has gone all-in with a new fully waterproof line of apparel designed for the road cyclist – including a jacket, bib and standard tights, bib shorts, and leg warmers – for when the weather turns really foul…

Clearly wet weather cycling kit is a new thing. From the advent of Castelli’s Gabba jacket & even their water-repellent CX bibs from many years ago, to more recent developments such as Rapha’s Shadow kit and just last week’s more affordable Armour line from Void, the cycling apparel industry is offering more and more solutions for us to ride comfortably in the worst, wettest weather year round.

Sealskinz has taken what they know – the combination of waterproofness and breathability – and put it into a well thought out complete line of wet weather kit. The foundation of the new Waterproof Cycling Apparel are two key pieces the Waterproof Cycling Jacket & Waterproof Bib Tights, that combine to offer maximum protection. (As you can tell the naming is no-nonsense.)

Waterproof Cycling Jacket

The jacket uses a lightweight 3-layer stretch fabric to deliver complete protection from rain & wind with a close to the skin fit and laser perforated vents under the arms for optimized breathability and venting. The £190 jacket gets fully taped seams for total waterproofing, and an offset waterproof locking zipper with an inner storm flap.

Yes, it is black, as is everything else in the line, so it gets reflective detailing for visibility from all sides.

Storage wise it gets a waterproof front pocket, three traditional rear pockets with drain holes, and another waterproof zip pocket centered in the rear. Long extended sleeve cuffs, a soft extended collar, and an oversized drop tail aim to keep the elements out at all ends.

Waterproof Bib Tights

The bib tights use a combination of fabrics to keep water & wind out,with fully taped seams. From the waist down the fabric is again completely waterproof, designed here to have water bead up and roll off  before it has a chance to seep in.

The £130 bib tights get a lighter set of bib straps that are said to breathe well, and a heat molded Liege HP chamois from Italian pad maker Cytech. To maintain a close fit and ease on & off, they also get waterproof locking leg cuff zips, as well as featuring reflective accents and small rear pocket on the bib straps.

Waterproof Bib Shorts & Tights

For more versatility beyond the absolute worst weather, Sealskinz also has some more modular solutions. The £110 Waterproof Cycling Shorts use exactly the same tech as the bib tights, minus the long legs for warmer wet weather riding. Or if you want the full leg protection without the comfort & convenience fit of straps over your shoulders, the £110 Waterproof Tights are identical to the bib tights minus the bibs.

Waterproof Leg Warmers

Lastly, if you get the shorts and want all-season range, or even if you are just tired of riding with wet legs with any other shorts, the £70 Waterproof Leg Warmers offer all of the protection of the tights from thigh to ankle. We’ve really come to appreciate even water-resistant leg warmers for winter road riding, and these fully seam taped, pre-shaped warmers would probably make a nice addition to and year-round cyclist’s closet.

One last note, if any of this sounds good to keep you riding through the rest of a wet winter into spring, Sealskinz is currently running a deal where if you buy any two of these pieces of kit together you will save 20% off of both. Use Valentine’s code “VL20” until midnight on February 14th to save.

Sealskinz.com

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Cowtowncyclist
Cowtowncyclist
7 years ago

This actually looks like really nice kit, but why is there not more reflective material on it? I will never understand why companies make kit for riding in bad weather with no thought towards visibility. If you are riding in the rain, chances are you could use some help being seen.

Robert
Robert
7 years ago
Reply to  Cowtowncyclist

They do offer halo LED gloves and overshoes to counter the visibility

monstercrosser
7 years ago
Reply to  Cowtowncyclist

Because in the end its your lights that matter. Also if it’s crap weather you’ll stain any other color over time. black is best

Allan
Allan
7 years ago
Reply to  monstercrosser

Disagree that only your lights matter. If that was the case, why not paint all road signs black or white and coat them with reflective material? You ever go into a school zone and see those very bright fluorescent green signs just jump out at you? Have you seen motorcycle police in the UK? Just look at what they wear, and their bikes. I can guarantee you that wearing bright (fluorescent) colors is better than wearing black. I know this because I have eyes. So colors in combination with lights is always better than just lights.

Also, in regards to getting dirty, most road riders I see in the rain have mudguards/fenders. So, that should keep most of the muck off of you, at least on the road. If you are on the trail, that’s another story. In any case, even if we disagree about black, there could at least be more reflective tape on the jacket. Just having an all-black jacket with only reflective “detailing” seems to be more about being trendy or cool than it does functionality. I would never go out in an all black kit on a gloomy, dark, rainy day. It’s foolish IMO.

Invisible rider
Invisible rider
7 years ago
Reply to  Allan

If you factor in cars seeing you, you should buy some life insurance so someone benefits when you get run over.

mudrock
mudrock
7 years ago

I can understand why they don’t. Nothing replaces lights. Basic black works for almost everyone – anyone riding in the rain gets filthy.

Robin
Robin
7 years ago
Reply to  mudrock

Yeah that ignores the whole “increasing visibility” thing, especially in the case wherein a car is approaching a cyclist from behind or the side. I get it, though: we shouldn’t try to hard to increase our visibility.

Mike
Mike
7 years ago

How durable is their waterproofing? The Gabba stuff is great at first but the water-resistant treatment has not held up well for me.

LowRider
LowRider
7 years ago
Reply to  Mike

You should wash your garments with something like nikwax tech wash to keep the water repellent on. Once it’s off you can reapply it. Everything is up on castelli’s website.

Mike
Mike
7 years ago
Reply to  LowRider

I had no idea, thanks!

LowRider
LowRider
7 years ago
Reply to  Mike

You’re most welcome 🙂

Robert
Robert
7 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Looking on the site it is a membrane inside instead of treatment

STS
STS
7 years ago

What kind of colour are those reflective parts on the shorts, tights and leg warmers. In the photos it looks like pink rather than red. While I agree with putting on some reflective material but why not use something like silver?
I think that colour keeps more than just me from buying that stuff which I would certainly do otherwise.

Joseph Maki
Joseph Maki
7 years ago

Black makes you look slimmer.

VeloKitty
VeloKitty
7 years ago

> Looking on the site it is a membrane inside instead of treatment

Duh… Of course there is a membrane.

Rich
Rich
7 years ago

Seems like the lights and visibility is about normal day time or night. What about the two worst times of day: in a sunny day in a road near woods where you’re in and out of shadow and drivers are sun blinded then in shadow in and out; then dusk where street lights come on but it’s only just starting to get dark (bike lights are too dim to stand out in the near day light, car headlights dazzle and we’re invisible).

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