Keeping dry: OVERSUITS

In the UK rain is inevitable. No worry if you have textile kit but in leathers or vented clothing a purpose-built oversuit is the answer. Bob Pickett grabbed three of the most popular to see what’s what.

I tried three: Richa Typoon ( picture 1) one-piece (RRP £49.99) and two twopiece suits, Hevik Rainstop ( picture

2) (RRP £74.92) and Tucano Urbano Diluvio Plus ( picture 3) (£69.99). The Typhoon and Rainstop are 100% Polyester, the Diluvio Plus has a Polyamide Jacket/Polyester trousers. The Typhoon and Rainstop fasten with zips/Velcro, the Diluvio Plus using zips/studs.

Their primary objective is to keep you dry. During the test I got rain, but nothing heavy. None of the suits let in a drop (speaking to other owners not one complained of the suits letting them down). The Diluvio Plus is rated to hold off pressure equivalent to a 10,000mm column of water, the Rainstop slightly less at 8000mm. I couldn’t find this information on the Typhoon, but it is sold as “100% waterproof”, backed up by testimonials.

Main test passed, I concentrated on practicality. How did they fit? What were they like to get on and off? How did they perform when riding?

The maxim of ‘try before you buy’ applies. All three suits came via mail order. The manufacturers had my measurements, but Hevik insisted I look at their size chart. Just as well; The Typhoon and Diluvio Plus came in Large. The Rainstop? 2XL! Slipping over ordinary clothes, all three were the correct fit. With two-piece leathers underneath, the story changed.

All three give bags of room (in theory), with legs that undo up to or close to the knee, and the Typhoon unzips to the waist (the others unzipping completely). The Typhoon wasn’t too bad once I had the technique (haul legs up as far as they go, adopt a stance with which Quasimodo would empathise, wriggle), but taking it off was a nightmare as the shoulder armour on my leathers caught and I found myself struggling to get free! The Typhoon is cut to be worn over other kit, but try it first, starting off a couple of sizes larger and working down.

The Rainstop and Diluvio Plus were much easier, being two-piece outfits. The jackets slipped on easily (unzipping all the way), but the trousers on the Diluvio Plus are narrow, so more of a squeeze (but do feature a nice little waist toggle... which I managed to pull off after the first ride!). Talking trousers, the Typhoon and Diluvio Plus are fairly short in the legs (which suits me), the Rainstop being a more conventional leg length.

To me the benefit of waterproofs is being able to put them on at the roadside in a sudden downpour, so over your boots. The Typhoon was difficult, but I got in after a fight. The Rainstop was quite easy with the generous cut and wide opening leg vents. The Diluvio Plus? I quickly gave up trying to get my boots down the narrow profile legs.

If you’re carrying the kit, you need it to be compact. The Rainstop is great, tucking away into a cushion-size pouch. The Diluvio Plus goes into a two-pouch holder (at a push would squeeze into a single pouch). The Typhoon folds into itself via what I thought was a Napoleon pocket, but turned out to be an integral pouch. That’s the theory. I struggled to see how... and lost patience with the Seven Minute Twenty Second (no, really) instruction video! If it takes closing on eight minutes to put it in a bag, I don’t have the patience! To compromise, I suggest one of those bags you keep sleeping bags in.

As I mentioned pockets... the Typhoon doesn’t have them. So stopping to fill up, you have to undo it to get at your wallet. The Rainstop is great, having a Napoleon pocket for your wallet and a big, friendly velco-sealing external pocket. The Diluvio Plus has two external pockets, sealing via studs.

Once you’re in it and moving, the Typhoon is lovely to ride in. Being cut to fit over leathers, it just works with them so well. Being a one piece, it means there are no gaps to let in a draught, which also keeps you warm. That said the collar is quite low leaving space between jacket and helmet. The Rainstop is aimed at the touring biker and is the baggiest kit, but the rear venting in the jacket prevents flapping and helps prevent moisture build-up. It has a tall but thin collar. The Diluvio Plus, being made of Polyamide has the best breathability (and a corduroy lined collar that goes right up to the chin). It is the only one that flapped at motorway speeds.

The Rainstop and Diluvio Plus are practical off the bike, both have integral hoods. The Rainstop is cut to be worn over camping gear, the Diluvio Plus works as a light urban waterproof. The Typhoon can’t compete here. I was expecting this test to be a price point comparision. But the real finding is how role-oriented each piece of kit turned out.

The Typhoon is great for people who ‘only’ have one- or two-piece leathers. The Rainstop? Aimed at the touring biker; light, folds away to a very compact bundle, big friendly external pocket, venting to let moisture out. The Diluvio Plus is great for the short to medium distance commuter: highest waterproof rating (polyamide opposed to polyester), nice warm corduroy inner collar. No Napoleon pocket, but two external pockets.