Making a bicycle rain cape

This is a rather long essay on my experience with various rain capes over the years, and how I came to make them myself.  

 

Here is a guy who is doing it right. Bike has fenders; cape drapes over handlebars covering hands and legs, and it fits him very well with minimal flapping in the wind. Carradice DuxBack cape is pictured.

 

It took many years of riding bikes in the rain before I eventually gave the rain cape a serious try. Having tried all sorts of expensive Goretex or H2O-No jacket and pants, and Showers pass E-vent garments, it just seemed there had to be something better. All bicycle rainwear eventually will fail me if the ride is long enough. I will be wet from the rain, mixed with my own sweat, which can’t evaporate fast enough. When I arrive at my destination, I am dripping outside and wet inside, and I bring a puddle into my destination where ever I go. Stripping off the failed garments just spreads the water to other parts of my body in cold, wet rivulets, and creates a lake on the floor underneath me. Easy to find the wet spot where the bike rider arrived. The only thing worse was trying to put all those cold wet garments back on for the ride home.

 

My very first bicycling rain cape was a plastic thing I got as a teenager from a camping store. Riding in the rain caused it to flap and snap, while my legs got wet. I would slow down to reduce the flapping. All the flimsy fabric seemed like a parachute. Riding thru a short downpour worked well though. It was quick to put on and remove. While it would help in a downpour, most of the water would come up as spray from the wheels. At first I didn’t understand that fenders were required for using a rain cape. Decades and lots of other raingear passed by before I would give the rain cape another try.

 

My first good quality rain cape!

… was from the Center for appropriate transportation. It was a cape made of Ultrex and was about $80. They are no longer in business unfortunately. 

Mine did not come with the optional hood

 

It is made of nylon with an Ultrex (similar to Gore-Tex) layer applied to the inside. The outside has a DWR (durable water resistant) finish on it that should be renewed at least twice a year, so that the water beads up and rolls away. The easier the water does falls off the outside of your cape, the drier you and the cape will be. Your sweat can flow thru the fabric better if it is not saturated with water. Renewing the finish is easy; just wash it with a DWR fabric product, and tumble dry it, or use an iron set on low it to set the treatment. When this is done, any water falling on the cape wants to badly roll the HELL off of it in the shape of a ball. It’s like magic.

 

It was a revelation using this cape while riding with rain. So easy and simple. I stashed it in my bag and left it there. I was never concerned about a cloudburst again. I would always arrive at my destination relatively dry no matter what clothing I wore, even if it was an hour bike ride away. Riding in the rain was FUN. During this time, I started waxing my leather shoes with Sno-Seal, which would keep my shoes and socks dry as well. I stopped looking at weather predictions, knowing that I was always ready for rain. And where I  live in Portland, OR, it’s a good idea to be ready for the rain all the time.

 

After a 2 or 3 years with a LOT of use, the Ultrex coating started to peel off at the areas of the most abrasion; the hands and the collar. The cape was always flappy, and was starting to look a bit tattered so Time to look for something new, and I found the Carradice Pro Route cape, a bright yellow cape, to be a good choice. It is available from Carradice in the UK, and may be found with a supplier in the US.

A properly applied Carradice Pro route cape. This person likes it so much, he wears it  in dry weather.

 

It’s a very bright yellow affair with a bit more material up front to cover the hands on a drop bar bike.  It is designed with an upright riding position in mind. On my drop bar bike, it would be a bit tight; stretched between my waist and hands/brake levers. I liked mine, but after a couple of years it started to wear out just like the last one. A waterproof membrane began to peel away from the heavy used areas. It was light (about 12 oz dry, without the hood that I cut off) and rolled up into a small bundle.  Both this and the CAT cape needed a complete air drying before stowing, or they would get a moldy smell. While I did like how it was light and easily stowed, similar to the CAT poncho, I was ready to try something heavier and more substantial.

 

Next, I tried the Carradice DuxBack (pictured on the top of the post), a waxed cotton rain cape. 

This Duxback (water rolls off the ducks back) is a very different type of rain cape because it was made of waxed cotton. It’s noticeably heavier than the previous capes (about 20 oz without hood, compared to 12 oz). The coverage was great, and there was less flapping because of the heavier material. I felt like I was riding with my head poking out of a stout tent.

 

The hood comes attached to it. It’s an odd looking conical thing that limits vision and seems too small to accommodate a helmet,  so I just cut it off. While riding in the rain I found it to be quieter and less flappy. Like the CAT cape (and unlike the Pro-Route cape) it was not tight around my waist and hands on my drop-bar bike. The cut was more generous. It has straps that cinch around the waist and hook over the thumbs or brake levers, which help keep the cape in place. These straps proved unnecessary except in higher winds, because the fabric was heavier.  I loved it! It was easily rolled up into a lump that I could fit somewhere. Not that much bigger a load than the ProRoute or CAT cape.

After a year or two of using the DuxBack intermittently, I had a ride in a heavy rain and over the course of an hour got rather wet! Water apparently seeped in thru the fabric and along some seams. This garment is meant to be waxed now and then, and I guess it was time. Carradice makes their own wax, which is not easily found in the US, but I used a fabric wax bar that I found locally. A great how-to on re-waxing the garment is here. The next heavy rain event showed that the cape was (mostly) water tight. But the way water gathers on the waxed cape is different than on a DWR surface. Instead of balling up and rolling off, beads of water tend to crouch and cling. The cape stays wet much longer, and when water gets inside it, it will stay wet inside.  Putting on a cold wet cape is not fun. I can hang the wet DuxBack cape up in the cold dark garage, and it will still be wet 3 days later. I still loved my waxed cape, but I couldn’t help thinking that there was a better material out there.

Cleverhood is a company in Rhode Island that currently specializes in making rain capes in a variety of styles. Although I have not tried them, I would suggest the reader check them out if making your own is not something thats going to happen.

Advantages of rain capes:

 

1) It covers the hands, arms, torso, most of the legs, and most of the bike, with just one easily applied and stowed garment.

 

2) It’s very fast to apply and remove. Less than 10 seconds; without getting off the bike. Between cloudbursts, I can ride without any rainwear!

 

3) Movement of the bike creates a considerable amount of ventilation underneath. Fabric that is breathable is hardly necessary.

 

4) Removing the cape takes only a few seconds, and doing so will not make me wet like jacket/pants rainwear does. I can arrive at my destination dry, in normal clothing, and looking like I just stepped out of a car.

 

Disadvantages of rain capes (with my observations):

 

Fenders are required.  (but they protect from mud and dirty street water whether it is raining or not).

 

Not very aerodynamic (maybe adds a few minutes to my hour long commute. I don’t know or care.).

 

 Flaps in high wind. (it can flap depending on wind/fabric/and fit. A cape that fits well and made of stout material may hardly flap at all).

 

A headlamp must be located away from the handlebars so it won’t be covered up by the cape. (There is no way around this. The headlamp mount must be at front brake or rack)

Electronic devices mounted on the handlebars will not be visible. (no way around this)

The front wheel is not visible, (this takes some getting used to; it’s weird at first)

 

 Shoes are not protected. (The feet can get wet because a cape does not provide enough coverage there. I use leather shoes that I treat with a wax (SnoSeal), making the shoes highly water resistant. A mudguard with a generous mudflap greatly lessens any spray, and it is only after cycling for a long time in heavy rain and thru puddles when my socks may get wet. Matching chaps are available for the Carradice ProRoute, although I find them to be a hassle.)

 

 The head gets wet unless there is a hood. (Most capes come with a hood, but I find they make it harder to see what is behind me, and a helmet offers enough protection from water)

 

I will look like a dork. (or maybe I will look like Strider from Lord of the Rings)

 

Taking it to the next level; a rain cape of Sunbrella Plus

Sunbrella fabric is used for outdoor furniture applications, awnings, and boat covers. Casting about for ideas, I thought of an umbrella we have that goes with our outdoor table. It’s made of Sunbrella fabric, and it had been out there for years in the elements.  I tested it by pouring a cup of water into a fold. The water made a giant bead and just stayed there. An hour later, nothing had changed. It was totally dry underneath. Maybe this is the rain cape material I am looking for? Time to think outside the box.

Then it dawned on me. A fabric meant for standing around or walking in is not the best choice for an activity like riding a bike at 15 mph. Now it seems so obvious.

The regular Sunbrella fabric for furniture and pillows is quite supple and about 8oz/sq yd. That’s what the umbrella I tested was made of. It’s breathable and remarkably water resistant. Then there is the Sunbrella fabric for marine applications (boat coverings and awnings) which is substantially stiffer because of the application of a resin. From this class of Sunbrella fabric, there is the regular (9.5 oz sq yd), the Sunbrella plus (which has an added polyurethane coating underneath to increase water resistance, about 10 oz sq yd), and Sunbrella supreme, which is completely waterproof/non-breathable and a rather heavy 13 oz sq yd. Then there is the Sunbrella Seamark, which is also a water impermeable fabric; and rather heavy at 16 oz per sq yd. All the Sunbrellas are breathable fabrics except for the supreme and seamark versions.

I ordered a couple yards (60″ wide) of the Sunbrella Plus, and it came in the mail a few days later. I opened the package and found it to be some rather stiff fabric! No flapping around with this stuff. The intended exterior of the fabric (slightly darker) allowed water to bead up and roll off mostly. A film of water would remain on some of the outside material. But it IS water-tight; no water could make it thru. The other side of the fabric is completely hydrophobic. All the water balls up and rolls off, leaving the material completely dry. I liked this because it means the cape will never be wet on the inside. A bit of gravity will make the inside of the cape as dry as the Sahara.

Since the DuxBack had the best fit for me, my thought was to copy it’s design pattern. I measured the 4 panels of the cape and transferred the measurements to the new fabric.

Carradice Duxback size large. These are my measurements. Hems not included. Not to scale.

 

Pretty simple construction. A long front panel, shorter back panel, and 2 side wings that are mirror images of each other. I added a half inch to each of the above measurements so I had a quarter inch hem.

 

 

Some chalk lines going in.. DuxBack hanging in the background.

 

After cutting the pieces it was quite straightforward sewing them together. I used regular household sewing machine which worked okay on 2 layers of this stout fabric. I put it on and found the shoulders were a bit wide, so I took the hem in where it would form around my shoulders. That made a better fit. I made a cut down the collar under my chin so the opening would be big enough so I could pull it over easily with my helmet on. I didn’t see the need for a zipper or an elaborate collar, and I still don’t even after lots of use.

 

The basic sewn cape.

 

 

Next I put reflective tape around the lower edge and collar area. During my first rainy ride, I found that the seams did not leak water. Not a drop. If I find that a seam sealer is needed, I will probably use Iosso sealer, which is what they recommend.

Reflective tape sewed on. Draped over chair. The picture makes it clear that this is not a saggy or flimsy cape.

The first ride in heavy rain left me with a big smile. This is some serious rain protection. It’s a solid tent around me, and makes the other capes seem flimsy. A downside is that it does not fold into as small of a package as the others. While I could just roll the other capes into a ball and stuff them into my bag, I really need to fold and roll this one. But this is not a big deal, and I intend to use this cape going forward because it offers so much better rain protection.

Sunbrella plus cape. It’s like a tent over me and the bike.

Looks like a giant wizards hat, standing up by itself. This cape is stiff enough to not need any internal tie-downs. No waist ties or thumb loops have been added. Riding over a tall bridge on a windy day I may get a gust from below that could flap it up, but that is quite rare, and I can always grab a fold of fabric to prevent that.

 

The cape folded up. It won’t quite fit in my pocket…

 

On a ride using other capes I would normally see sweat/condensation/moisture gathered the inside of the cape after a ride of an hour or so. At least when the cape was new, there were just a few beads of water inside of the Sunbrella cape after a long rainy ride. And they fell away just by holding it upright.

I found there was more airflow as well. The nature of the stiffer Sunbrella fabric makes it tend to stand off the skin and clothing, allowing much better air circulation.  This difference is HUGE and cannot be overstated. You really have to try it to understand.

The weight of this cape is equivalent to the DuxBack; about 20 oz dry (both without hoods). But as I noted before, the DuxBack takes a lot longer to dry. This Sunbrella cape presently stays mostly dry on the inside, while on the outside, in the same cold, dark garage, it can be mostly dry in less than a day. This is much faster drying time than the DuxBack which takes at least several days to get dry in the same environment. I like the idea of waxed canvas, but it does have drawbacks. The reluctance to shed water is the biggest one.

 

So far so good with the new Sunbrella cape, but many more wet winter commutes and rides is what I need to really know if it is truly the bees knees….

Update: after a few years.
There have been several wet winters. How is this cape on rides and commutes in steady, penetrating, light rains or heavy downpours?

This cape blows all the others I have used out of the water.

It does lose some water repellency over the course of a year or two with regular use. Over time, water does not bead up like it did when new, but it tends to spread across the surface and soak in. And it also seemed like there was some leaking through in the front of the cape. So I used the Sunbrella recommended fabric waterproofing renewal spray, called 303 fabric guard. First I cleaned the cape with a mild soap, and then on a warm day I sprayed it on the fabric outside with its pump sprayer, staying downwind of the strong fumes. It dried quickly with no residual odor. The cape was then functionally like new, with water flowing off the fabric in beads, and not soaking in at all. Now I treat my cape with fabric guard once a year, or every other year.

The feeling of dread with approaching precipitation has been replaced with a sense of (sometimes) looking forward to enjoying it! I will never go back to lighter weight materials for a rain cape again.

Update, 2021,  making a new cape with the heavy Sunbrella Seamark fabric:

I thought to take this cape to the next level may be to use Sunbrella supreme fabric, which is completely waterproof and has a flocked interior finish to the fabric. I did get a sample of Sunbrella supreme and found that the flocked inner surface would hold water like a sponge. So it is not an appropriate material for a cape.

The heaviest fabric in the sunbrella line is Sunbrella seamark, so I got a couple yards and I made it into a cape. It is 16 oz per square yard (compared to 10 oz for the plus). So this cape is heavy. Nonetheless it sewed up fine with the regular sewing machine and a heavy duty needle meant for sewing jeans. It weighed about 34 oz when done.. That’s as heavy as a lightweight solo tent!

Is it worth the extra weight? After a few rides in windy storms, I do like the extra sturdiness. Winds hardly affect it at all. It will not necessarily need any 303 fabric guard treatment because it is totally waterproof. The inner surface seems to be PVC coated, similar to the Ortileb bike bag material. It is completely waterproof and not breathable, but I found the ample air circulation underneath makes up for all that. Staying dry with this cape is just as good if not better than the sunbrella plus material, which is better than any cape I have ever used.

 I am very happy with the Sunbrella plus capes, but this one is even better in terms of durable weather protection. If I know heavy rain is likely to occur, I  prefer this cape to the Sunbrella plus capes, but either one would do just fine. This Sunbrella seamark cape is definitely the one I would want to have over me heading into a Colorado hailstorm! It is cape I usually take with me these days, especially on rides where heavy rain is a possibility.

 

The drape of this 34oz Sunbrella Seamark cape (pictured above) looks good and it is easy to move around in. I can use my hands and do things without feeling restricted. My wife thinks it looks like a tablecloth but I disagree.

Two capes rolled up. Left is the Sunbrella Seamark at about 34 ounces. Right is the Sunbrella Plus at about 22 ounces. The seamark is slightly bigger, but quite noticeably heavier. 12 ounce beer can in the middle for scale.

END