Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

[Travis]

The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
matters more.

I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
shield the legs from all that muck.

My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.

I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.

What solutions do you guys use?

[Geoff Lock[_2_]]

On 1/06/2011 12:18 AM, Travis wrote:
> The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
> rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
> matters more.

> I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
> but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
> often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
> shield the legs from all that muck.
>
> My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
> extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
> some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
> because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
> bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.
>
> I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
> experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
> indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
> another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.
>
> What solutions do you guys use?

I use plastic shopping bags wrapped around my feet and taped down with
electrical tape but the pedals sometimes rip holes in the bags and my
shoes get wet anyway. I have managed to work out how to pedal carefully
without ripping the bags and my feet have been dry the last coupla times
it's been raining. I simply rip off the old bags at the end of the ride.
I also carry spare bags and a roll of tape with me. Environmentally
unfriendly and the electrical tape costs money :(

Mudguards fitted just above the wheels, eg hanging off the front fork
and hanging just above the rear wheel will stop virtually all the spray
from the tyres. Well-worth the cost if you ride a MTB but as I ride a
road bike, mudguards kinda spoils the lines on my *ahem* racer and I
look less than Thor Hushovd so I don't use mudguards on my road bike - I
just live with the spray and pretend to look cool. Heheheheh!! Well as
cool as having shopping bags at the end of my feet will allow me :)

I am still trying to find the ideal wet weather gear myself as I
currently use a hodge-podge mismatched set consisting of a sorta
waterproof Adidas wind cheater top and sorta waterproof Rainbird pants.
My wet weather gear kinda works but I do still get a bit damp when it
buckets down. Once I start warming up under the wet weather gear, being
a bit wet doesn't really worry me. I just make sure I try to get to
somewhere warm and dry at the other end. Doesn't always work out in
which case I try to at least stay warm.

I used to have a problem with water seepage thru the seat of my wet
weather pants but I think it was Zeebee who suggested using a garbage
bag down the back, inside the pants and yes, it works a treat :) Now to
find some kinda spray which will put a rubberised skin on the inside
seat of my wet weather pants.

I am yet to master wet weather riding and staying completely dry whilst
still being reasonably aerodynamic but I am sure it must be possible
without too much hassle. I dunno, maybe some kinda coverall lightweight
waterproof suit with strong material for the soles where it contacts the
pedals. I think I am babbling again and not being very helpful to you :)

[terryc]

Travis wrote:
> The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
> rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
> matters more.
>
> I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
IME, you need the full mudguards and flaps on the bottom(especially for
the feet).

Otherwise/in addition, rain pants.

[Zebee Johnstone]

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 31 May 2011 07:18:00 -0700 (PDT)
Travis > wrote:
>
> I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
> experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
> indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
> another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.
>

Proper mudguards will make a big difference, whaletails not so much.

maybe a set of legwarmers? take 'em off when you get to uni.

A size large set of sock protectors from a farm shop? Those are the
elasticated legging things you sometimes see outdoor workers wear that
cover a chunk of shin down to the top of the boots to keep burrs and
cement out of your socks.

Zebee

[Rob]

On 1/06/2011 1:26 PM, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
> In aus.bicycle on Tue, 31 May 2011 07:18:00 -0700 (PDT)
> > wrote:
>>
>> I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
>> experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
>> indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
>> another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.
>>
>
> Proper mudguards will make a big difference, whaletails not so much.
>
> maybe a set of legwarmers? take 'em off when you get to uni.
>
> A size large set of sock protectors from a farm shop? Those are the
> elasticated legging things you sometimes see outdoor workers wear that
> cover a chunk of shin down to the top of the boots to keep burrs and
> cement out of your socks.
>
> Zebee

You can get these gaiters from Saddlery type shops as well. waterproof,
strap under the boot etc

[Dave Hughes]

On Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:26:34 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:

> A size large set of sock protectors from a farm shop? Those are the
> elasticated legging things you sometimes see outdoor workers wear that
> cover a chunk of shin down to the top of the boots to keep burrs and
> cement out of your socks.

I'd completely forgotten doing that a couple of years ago. It worked
pretty well, but the commute was so short that I tended to just wear full
overpants and not worry about getting sweaty.

--
Dave Hughes -
"If you're bored, find something and break it"
Jamie Rapson - 1996

[Geoff Lock[_2_]]

On 1/06/2011 12:18 AM, Travis wrote:
> The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
> rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
> matters more.
>
> I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
> but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
> often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
> shield the legs from all that muck.
>
> My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
> extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
> some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
> because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
> bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.
>
> I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
> experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
> indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
> another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.
>
> What solutions do you guys use?

Hmmm... my post didn't show up!!! Oh well, here it is again. Sorry about
that...

===begin===

I use plastic shopping bags wrapped around my feet and taped down with
electrical tape but the pedals sometimes rip holes in the bags and my
shoes get wet anyway. I have managed to work out how to pedal carefully
without ripping the bags and my feet have been dry the last coupla times
it's been raining. I simply rip off the old bags at the end of the ride.
I also carry spare bags and a roll of tape with me. Environmentally
unfriendly and the electrical tape costs money :(

Mudguards fitted just above the wheels, eg hanging off the front fork
and hanging just above the rear wheel will stop virtually all the spray
from the tyres. Well-worth the cost if you ride a MTB but as I ride a
road bike, mudguards kinda spoils the lines on my *ahem* racer and I
look less than Thor Hushovd so I don't use mudguards on my road bike - I
just live with the spray and pretend to look cool. Heheheheh!! Well as
cool as having shopping bags at the end of my feet will allow me :)

I am still trying to find the ideal wet weather gear myself as I
currently use a hodge-podge mismatched set consisting of a sorta
waterproof Adidas wind cheater top and sorta waterproof Rainbird pants.
My wet weather gear kinda works but I do still get a bit damp when it
buckets down. Once I start warming up under the wet weather gear, being
a bit wet doesn't really worry me. I just make sure I try to get to
somewhere warm and dry at the other end. Doesn't always work out in
which case I try to at least stay warm.

I used to have a problem with water seepage thru the seat of my wet
weather pants but I think it was Zeebee who suggested using a garbage
bag down the back, inside the pants and yes, it works a treat :) Now to
find some kinda spray which will put a rubberised skin on the inside
seat of my wet weather pants.

I am yet to master wet weather riding and staying completely dry whilst
still being reasonably aerodynamic but I am sure it must be possible
without too much hassle. I dunno, maybe some kinda coverall lightweight
waterproof suit with strong material for the soles where it contacts the
pedals. I think I am babbling again and not being very helpful to you :)

===end===

[Geoff Lock[_2_]]

On 2/06/2011 5:35 AM, Geoff Lock wrote:
> On 1/06/2011 12:18 AM, Travis wrote:
>> The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
>> rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
>> matters more.
>>
>> I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
>> but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
>> often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
>> shield the legs from all that muck.
>>
>> My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
>> extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
>> some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
>> because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
>> bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.
>>
>> I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
>> experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
>> indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
>> another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.
>>
>> What solutions do you guys use?
>
> Hmmm... my post didn't show up!!! Oh well, here it is again. Sorry about
> that...

DAMN!!! I am looking like an amateur here :( My post has shown up TWICE!!!

My apologies to all.