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Hydrophobic Spray

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  • January 29, 2014 at 11:12 am #20592
    Scoob_84

    Cycling to work though the rain this morning got my me musing over the possibility of using hydrophobic spray to treat my mid-priced soggy DHB bib tights into something that could perform like the more expensive castelli nanoflex garments. My main gripe with cycling in winter rain is the cold wet feeling on my exposed thighs. Remembering something I watched a few weeks ago on some gadget show on the telli where hydrophobic spray was used to waterproof everyday items making them impervious to stains and water, I wondered if maybe if I could simply by a £10 can of the stuff and turn my bibs into high performance, exotic cycle gear. Hydrophobic spray covers stuff in tiny little nano rods which are so close together that water droplets don’t touch the fabric and simple bead up and fall off. Sounds good, so long as these nano-rod things don’t get in the way of breathability, but the show didn’t mention that.

    Anyway, I’m tempted to take the plunge and try it out for myself, but before doing so I want to ask if anyone here has tried this yet? If so what were the results? Does it affect the breathability of fabric? Does the water proofing work on stretched lycra? etc

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Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 29 total)
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  • August 25, 2016 at 4:13 pm #770963
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    CygnusX1

    Just ordered a can of Muc-Off

    Just ordered a can of Muc-Off Fabric Protect – will try it out on a pair of bibs that are not long for this world (flatlock stitching starting to unravel).  If successful, I’ll try it on newer/nicer kit.  Will report back here how I get on…

     

    August 22, 2016 at 12:54 pm #770961
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    CygnusX1
    Leviathan wrote:
    Have you tried an Ass Saver? a mini mudguard you put into your saddle, just cut down on spray from wet roads, though it makes no difference in direct rain. 

    Used similar – MuckyNutz butt fender – on my MTB, but they don’t catch all of the rooster tail (admittedly a MTB off-road kicks up a lot more sh*t than road spray, but then the fender was probably 3 times wider than the standard ass-saver).

    Being a martyr to clean lines until the winter months when the full mudguards go on, I would want the original (folding) ass-saver to keep the bike looking as good as possible when not pissing it down, but it isn’t compatible/is too much hassle with a saddle bag attached. 

    August 22, 2016 at 11:58 am #770959
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    Mungecrundle

    When you get to my age, a

    When you get to my age, a soggy crotch is a fact of life.

    August 22, 2016 at 11:32 am #770957
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    newtonk

    dunnoh wrote:

    dunnoh wrote:
    I have Sportful no rain bibs. Waste of time – they stop rain for all of 2 minutes. I’m going to buy a pair of proper waterproof trousers come payday, I’m sick of being soaking wet and I don’t care anymore that I don’t look like a so called proper cyclist!

    Sportful no rain – only to be worn when there’s ‘no rain’.  Absolute garbage garments.

    August 22, 2016 at 12:14 am #770955
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    Leviathan
    CygnusX1 wrote:
    Bumping this topic, as I’ve been musing the same idea.  My bib-shorts act like a sponge (especially the pad), too early to resort to mudguards (I try to limit them to Dec – Feb), too tight to fork out for some Sportful Fiandre NoRain bibs or similar… (my commute is not that long, and I can dry my kit on the towel rail in the changing rooms at work) but would prefer not to have that wet nappy feeling.

    Has anyone had any luck with hydrophobic sprays like NeverWet or others with “nano” technology, such as Muc-Off Fabric Protect, Woly Wet Blocker, Tarrago Nano Protector? What about more traditional waterproofing products as found in most outdoor shops such as Fabsil, ScotchGard or Nikwax?  

    Have you tried an Ass Saver? a mini mudguard you put into your saddle, just cut down on spray from wet roads, though it makes no difference in direct rain. 

    August 21, 2016 at 9:52 pm #770953
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    CygnusX1

    Bumping this topic, as I’ve

    Bumping this topic, as I’ve been musing the same idea.  My bib-shorts act like a sponge (especially the pad), too early to resort to mudguards (I try to limit them to Dec – Feb), too tight to fork out for some Sportful Fiandre NoRain bibs or similar… (my commute is not that long, and I can dry my kit on the towel rail in the changing rooms at work) but would prefer not to have that wet nappy feeling.

    Has anyone had any luck with hydrophobic sprays like NeverWet or others with “nano” technology, such as Muc-Off Fabric Protect, Woly Wet Blocker, Tarrago Nano Protector? What about more traditional waterproofing products as found in most outdoor shops such as Fabsil, ScotchGard or Nikwax?  

    January 31, 2014 at 12:05 pm #770951
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    Scoob_84

    +2 on mudguards, they stay on
    +2 on mudguards, they stay on my commuter/#2 bike all through the year and consider them an essential bit of kit. I like a rapid commute as much as the next guy and the thought fixing what is effectively a parachute to my bike put me off them for way longer than it really should have, and making do with those ugly mountain bike mud guards that clip onto your seat post and deflect all the road s**t all over my bike.

    But having taken the plunge on some crud roadracers I barely notice them, even when going flat out. Most importantly they keep the crap off the road building up over my nice shiny break callipers.

    I think i have everything covered for wet weather. The rain coat, mud guards, overshoes, gloves, peak hat under the helmet….its just the legs, which isn’t really that much of an issue.

    January 31, 2014 at 11:46 am #770949
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    lolol

    +1 on full winter mudguards,
    +1 on full winter mudguards, most of the wet comes from spray off the road and bike, its also full of crap (not necessarily literally, but sometimes ). This winter has been brutal for the bikes, so mudguards help there too.

    January 31, 2014 at 10:32 am #770947
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    David Arthur @davearthur

    If you haven’t tried them,
    If you haven’t tried them, mudguards are really useful in the rain, stopping loads of surface water spray up onto your legs

    January 31, 2014 at 10:12 am #770945
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    OldRidgeback

    allez neg wrote:What have you

    allez neg wrote:
    What have you got against hydros?

    Hydrophobe. :D

    Could be rabies!

    January 31, 2014 at 8:42 am #770943
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    bashthebox

    I need something for
    I need something for commuting too – damn this wet january.

    As I wear normal cloths to ride in, the ideal would have been the Hincapie rain pants, which scrunch down small, are tapered in the leg and would be slingable over my jeans. But those seemed to come and go within a season, before I could buy them. Damnit.
    The Showers Pass trousers, similar taper but heavier, look like they might do the job, but I think they’d be too hot over the top of my jeans.
    Damnit.

    January 31, 2014 at 12:46 am #770941
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    FMOAB

    How a set of Rainlegs,
    How a set of Rainlegs, designed for just this very thing. Reviewed by roadcc http://road.cc/content/review/56364-rainlegs-wind-and-waterproof-leg-covers.

    I have a set and they work well.

    January 30, 2014 at 9:40 pm #770939
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    fernlyn

    I have a pair of Endura
    I have a pair of Endura Thermolite tights and find them very good for 8 mile winter commute even in heavy rain which we have had lot of lately, this winter has been quite mild here in London but last winter I was riding in them at -9. They go through the washing machine every couple of days but are are still good after countless washes though slightly faded.

    January 30, 2014 at 9:00 pm #770937
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    Manchestercyclist

    How about wearing tights
    How about wearing tights without bibs over your summer shorts, then you’d have two layers over your thighs.

    January 30, 2014 at 8:37 pm #770935
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    dunnoh

    Scoob_84 wrote:Aside from not

    Scoob_84 wrote:
    Aside from not looking Pro, the other significant trouble with waterproof trousers is breathibility and boiling up! And as usual with his game, you have to part with a wedge of cash if you want waterproof and breathable clobber.

    I think I’ll continue just getting wet legs when it rains and toughen up a bit.

    I commute 5 days a week in Manchester and although the gabba is standing up OK in the rain, my legs are so cold and wet that I’ve ended up with pneumonia resulting from a particularly awful mornings commute. I have a pair of gortex walking trousers that I will try for size and see how I get on

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