The Best Waterproof Cycling Clothing We Wore On A Bike Tour Around The World

Stew and I have cycled exactly 24,027.79 miles (38,444.47 km) around the world. We were on the road for over two years, and as you can imagine, during that time, we saw all types of weather.

We left the U.K. in March 2019 and experienced our first downpour in the South of England (obviously).

It was during that rain storm that we learned that Seal Skinz’s “all-weather” gloves were not it. But, Berghaus’ overproof trousers are amazing, and Rab’s lightweight jackets really impressed us. More on the exact gear below.

During our first downpour, we cycled miles in the rain. With it being in England, it was, of course, freezing cold. Looking back, we should’ve just taken the day off, but we were so new to cycle touring that we had a plan (to cycle the world) and a deadline (to do it in one year). As far as we were concerned, we had to go out and make the miles!

We pulled into a little corner shop and stocked up on vending machine coffee. Stew doesn’t drink coffee, but when it’s that cold, you’ll drink anything hot. We wrapped our shivering hands around the paper cup and tried to warm up.

We left that shop with a pair of £50 Seal Skinz (soaked and useless) and a £2 pair of marigolds (washing-up gloves), which I can confirm are truly waterproof!

The rain in Europe (England especially) is a real test for cyclists. When it rains in Asia, it’s not that bad! A cold shower is usually welcome, and with the promise of sun not long after, you don’t mind getting wet when you know you’ll dry.

Anyway, enough of our experience cycling in the rain; instead, let me get into the information you came for: the best (tried and tested) waterproof cycling clothing.

You can trust us. We only review items we use on long-distance cycle trips or hikes. Or, items that made the shortlist for our trip's kit list; all items were heavily researched by us.

Do you really need waterproof clothing for long-term cycling?

If you’re leaving in spring or summer (we left in spring), then carrying winter cycling clothing might seem like a lot, and to be honest, it is! It’s heavy and if you’re cycling around the world as we did, you will carry a lot of extra weight a very long way.

When we started our trip, there was a huge focus on doing it as cheaply as possible. Buying top quality gear in the U.K. felt like the cheapest option, so we bought it before we left and carried it.

Admittedly, we did exchange some of our chosen waterproof gear and swapped it for other brands because our original selection wasn’t good enough. Don’t worry. In this article, I’ll share the stuff that worked and what we actually liked.

Best waterproof jackets for cyclists

Waterproof cycling jacket recommendation one: Rab Downpour Light

This jacket was less waterproof than the second one we took, but very packable and fantastic value for money, all things considered.

I would say that when balancing all the criteria above (weight, packable, ventilation, etc.), this jacket comes up top. It’s not super-super waterproof like the gortex jackets listed below, BUT it does hold out the rain well, especially for such a lightweight jacket.

It has long zips under the armpits, so you can zip them down if you need to be waterproof but cool. This feature is brilliant when you’re cycling. Being able to cool down is key because waterproof gear is generally stuffy. You notice the ventilation under the pits when cycling uphill in the rain.

The pockets are also massive. I used to shove my phone in the pocket when the downpour wasn’t expected to be too long.

I feel slightly biased toward this jacket because I think it’s a fantastic piece by Rab. We’ve owned at least two of them each in our lifetime, and I’d buy it again.

If you’re more interested in weight and packing, this is the jacket for you.

Weirdly, from what I can see, you can only get the women’s jacket on Amazon and the men’s jacket on Go Outdoors.

The only downsides of the Rab Downpour Light are a ) it’s not super-super waterproof, it’s not gortex, and b) it doesn’t have the helmet hood.

These things were a minor inconvenience to us on the first half of the trip. The jackets were that good, we didn’t actually notice this was an issue.

Rab Downpour Light is best for cyclists who value a lightweight, breathable jacket over anything else. Weighing up everything, I do think it’s by far the best overall and the best value for money.

Waterproof cycling jacket recommendation two: Berghaus Bramblefell Gortex

This is the waterproof jacket I took on the trip for the second half. To be honest, it isn’t my favourite of the three jackets. I bought it for a winter climbing trip in Scotland and felt it was too new to justify buying another waterproof jacket.

When I bought it I decided to prioritise cost, so I lost some really good features like the ventilation in the pits. I missed this feature a lot on the second half.

The jacket is nice. The fit is lovely. And, to its credit, it is waterproof.

This jacket is super waterproof compared to the Rab Downpour. You can wear it for hours in the rain without the water coming through. I owned this jacket for at least three years, and it’s actually still the jacket I’m wearing today. I must admit, after being used a lot over the last three years, it is losing its waterproofness now. It does have the helmet hood, but the pockets are smaller than the Rab Downpour's.

If you want a really good waterproof jacket without the bells and whistles, this one is for you. The quality of the Gortext waterproofing for the price is really good.

Berghaus Bramblefell Gortex is best for cyclists who want an affordable waterproof jacket above anything else.

Waterproof cycling jacket recommendation three: Mountain Equipment’s Garwhal

This is the jacket that Stew bought for the second part of the trip. Bear in mind that Stew deliberately looked for a jacket that was different from the Rab Downpour.

I asked him why he chose not to take the Rab Downpour again, and he said he didn’t think the Downpour was “heavy-duty enough.” The Mountain Equipment’s Garwhal jacket was just what Stew was looking for.

It is the most expensive jacket in this roundup, but Stew loved it. It’s super-super waterproof had a helmet hood, deep pockets, and brilliant ventilation under the pits.

Stew wore that jacket while cycling from Vietnam to the U.K. for just over a year. He wore it a lot, especially through France and England, and he’s still wearing the jacket today.

Mountain Equipment’s Garwhal is best for cyclists who want the full shebang! This is the most expensive jacket, but it does do all things really well, except maybe packability, but it’s not exactly bulky!

The best waterproof trousers for cyclists

Best waterproof trousers for cyclists: Berghaus’ Deluge Overtrousers

These waterproof trousers are amazing. They are windproof and completely waterproof. Get yourself a comfy size if you’re wearing them over cycling shorts because you want a bit of space. During the second half of the trip, I ended up with a pair of men’s trousers, which I found way more comfy than the women’s trousers.

The trousers are properly waterproof, but not the most breathable, but to be honest, when the rain is bad enough for over trousers, you’ll suffer it. Plus, although the material isn’t breathable down the sides of the deluge overtrousers, you’ve got poppers, so Stew and I would pop a bunch open, which allowed for some ventilation.

The poppers have a second benefit: you can loosen them around the thigh or knee, so if you find the trousers are pulling when you pedal, you can loosen them off for your cycling comfort.

Top tip: wear the trousers low down (a bit MC Hammer), and you’ll put some space into the left, allowing for more comfortable cycling.

Top tip two: whatever you do, do not wash your trousers!

Top tip three: consider these reflective trouser clips to stop your trousers getting caught in your chain. Stew always wore them.

We bought a pair of these for the first half of the trip, but I washed and destroyed them. We bought a second pair for the second trip, and we’re still using them today! We also walked West Highland Way for the first time and took those same trousers with us, they’re brilliant!

Best waterproof socks for cyclists

There is one and only one recommendation for waterproof socks for cyclists because DexShell Waterproof Socks are amazing.

When it came to buying waterproof socks, the only real consideration was that they needed to be waterproof. We didn’t care for anything else.

The only downside to these is that they are quite bulky, but honestly, do not let that put you off. I almost didn’t even want to write a downside because they are so good.

During the second half of the trip, I only took a pair of Trek sandals. When it rained, I would wear my sandals and waterproof socks only, meaning my socks were completely exposed to the rain.

In France, it was seriously torrential rain, and I had no choice but to go out to dinner in socks and sandals. I walked from our hotel to the restaurant and back again in pouring, pouring rain and arrived with dry feet.

You can immerse your feet in water wearing DexShell Waterproof Socks, and they’ll come out dry. Don’t get me wrong, like all good waterproof gear, they’ve got their limits, and you can’t expect to wade through water with them for a long time, but they hold out the rain incredibly well.

Top tip: because they hold the water so well, they’re hard to dry after a wash; make sure you turn them inside out to dry.

Best waterproof gloves for cyclists

We have tried at least five pairs of gloves on our cycling adventures. We started with these Seal Skinz all-season gloves and were bitterly disappointed with them by the third or fourth day of our trip. It rained heavily, and they didn’t last a minute. Our hands were bitterly cold and shivering in no time.

In the end, we found and took a great pair of gloves during the second half of the trip because we discovered Lomo’s swimming gloves! They’re super affordable and made of neoprene, you know, wet suit material. So, they’re not waterproof per se, but they’re designed to handle water.

The gloves get wet, they let in a layer of water that your body temperature warms up, and they stay warm!

The major downside is comfort. Unlike proper cycling gloves, they’re not designed to be worn for hours on end while riding a bike, and the nature of neoprene means that you need a tight fit. I found the gloves made my hands really uncomfortable in a short time, but I’d choose to suffer that again to be dry.

Stew said the tightness of the gloves didn’t bother him at all, so maybe I just need to size mine up. The gloves are also hard to get off if they’re dry, so they’re best worn in a heavy downfall.

In our opinion, these neoprene gloves will keep you drier and warmer than anything else.

The next best glove combo for waterproofing is a cheap Karrimor base/windproof running glove and a marigold (washing-up glove). This combo won't keep your hands warm, but it’s super cheap!

The two options above are by far the best we’ve found. We’ve bought several other pairs of proper waterproof cycling gloves but have never been as satisfied as we are with the Lomos. If you’ve got recommendations for waterproof cycling gloves, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

Best waterproof beanie hat for cyclists

One of the main reasons we took a waterproof beanie hat was so we had some kind of waterproofing for our heads under our helmets. Remember, our jackets didn’t have the helmet hood on the first half of the trip.

We took the SealSkinz waterproof beanie on both parts of the trip and have no regrets!

It is really good, we both wore it, we wore it on the bike while travelling, while walking around towns and cities as a tourist. It’s super comfy, and we even slept in it plenty of times when camping.

The main downside is that it is quite crinkly, but I don’t think you’ll find a waterproof beanie that isn’t crinkly.

It’s a really well-made beanie that survived two years of the trip with us. Sadly, we lost one, but one is still going strong, today!

Best waterproof overshoes for cyclists

Waterproof overshoes make a world of difference when you’re out cycling in the cold and rain. In our experience, you have to raise your core temperature really high to get your feet warm.

When it's cold and raining, our torso, arms, legs, and sometimes even hands can get warm to the point of discomfort due to the waterproof clothes. But, feet are in another league. Feet stay incredibly cold in the rain. The thing is, when you’re riding a bike, your feet aren't doing anything and just get hit by the wind and cold.

A good pair of overshoes make riding in the cold and rain very manageable.

We took the BBB Hardware Overshoes and found them brilliant.

Stew especially likes to wear overshoes. I can often take them or leave them, but I do run hotter than Stew, and I get irritated by how tight and annoying they are to put on. Once they’re on, though, as I said, it's amazing.

Along with the beanie, I would say that overshoes are bordering on unnecessary for a bike tour, even a world bike tour, but Stew would disagree, and I just know he’d take them if we did another tour.

Trust us, just get the waterproof kit

If you ask us if you’re going on a long tour, we think you should invest in high-quality waterproof cycling clothing. The way we see it, the one thing you need is comfort if you’ve got any chance of cycling around the world.

What you decide you need will depend on how much you prioritise weight, waterproofing, and cost. It all factors into your decision.