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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 14 replies - 16 through 29 (of 29 total)
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  • January 30, 2014 at 3:23 pm #770933
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    Scoob_84

    bikeboy76 wrote:Scoob_84

    bikeboy76 wrote:
    [quote=Scoob_84]This is the stuff i want, not the usual water repellent spray.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/superhydrophobic-spray-neverwet-enters-us-market-in-a-20-can-8668784.html%5B/quote%5D

    I am thinking of trying neverwet but not on clothes, on my bike.

    This stuff looks great, but having read user reviews yesterday on amazon.com, there are a few downsides. Its gives your everthing a rubbery feel, it attracts dust, you can’t wash the dust off because water doesn’t come into contact with it, the nano stuff rubs off easily and easily washes off with the use of detergent. Other than that its ace.

    Didn’t think about using it on the bike though, that could be a great idea.

    January 30, 2014 at 3:18 pm #770931
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    Scoob_84

    Aside from not looking Pro,
    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.

    January 30, 2014 at 12:51 pm #770929
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    dunnoh

    I have Sportful no rain bibs.
    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!

    January 30, 2014 at 11:08 am #770927
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    PJ McNally

    Martyn_K wrote:Do as the

    Martyn_K wrote:
    Do as the pro’s do and rub dollop of vaseline in to your thighs, knees and shins.

    Can’t see that helping my morning routine – note the OP was asking about cycling to work, not all-day pro riding.

    Personally on rainy days i supplement my bib tights with a cheap pair of “waterproof” overtrousers – the dirt-cheap basic ones scrunch up nicely to fit in the bottom of a pannier until you need them. Doesn’t look very pro but keeps >90% of the rain off, so you stay warm.

    January 30, 2014 at 10:05 am #770925
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    Martyn_K

    Do as the pro’s do and rub
    Do as the pro’s do and rub dollop of vaseline in to your thighs, knees and shins.

    It makes it harder for the water to penetrate the skin, thus keeping you a touch warmer.

    The only drawback i have found is that the road grime does stick to your legs a bit more.

    January 29, 2014 at 10:54 pm #770923
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    movingtarget

    Are your dhb tights already
    Are your dhb tights already DWR treated? I’ve used Nikwax TX.Direct treatment that you just dump into the liquid softener chute in the washer for my technical gear to replenish their water repellency but not sure if it would work as well for untreated clothes. I *think* it would because the DWR finish gets washed off over time and what you’re doing with the Nikwax is reapplying the DWR but maybe the fabric has to have a special substrate for the DWR to stick to first? The nice thing is it’s definitely made to maintain breathability so wouldn’t turn your kit into a steam suit. It might not hurt to contact Nikwax and see what they think. Here’s a link to the Nikwax TX.Direct webpage just in case http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=267

    January 29, 2014 at 10:40 pm #770921
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    Leviathan

    Scoob_84 wrote:This is the
    [quote=Scoob_84]This is the stuff i want, not the usual water repellent spray.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/superhydrophobic-spray-neverwet-enters-us-market-in-a-20-can-8668784.html%5B/quote%5D

    I am thinking of trying neverwet but not on clothes, on my bike.

    January 29, 2014 at 1:58 pm #770919
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    Scoob_84

    This is the stuff i want, not
    This is the stuff i want, not the usual water repellent spray.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/superhydrophobic-spray-neverwet-enters-us-market-in-a-20-can-8668784.html

    January 29, 2014 at 12:43 pm #770917
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    Scoob_84

    more on the stuff, just need
    more on the stuff, just need to find the right product that can withstand my washing machine

    http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/super-hydrophobic-spray-makes-all-your-stuff-liquid-proof

    January 29, 2014 at 12:41 pm #770915
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    notfastenough

    Not tried it, but I can’t
    Not tried it, but I can’t wait for Neverwet to come to market – the demo videos of that are crazy. I’ll be able to buy a pair of nice white sparkling trainers (an indeed cycling shoes!) without being broken-hearted at the first sign of dirt.

    January 29, 2014 at 12:18 pm #770913
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    andycoventry

    You could try something like
    You could try something like this:

    http://www.snowandrock.com/grangers-30-degrees-proofer-300ml-bottle/clothing-care/ski-snowboard-outdoor-sports/fcp-product/2061

    Seems to work ok on re-waterproofing my snowboard stuff – although it probably needed to be waterproof in the first place.

    January 29, 2014 at 11:54 am #770911
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    allez neg

    What have you got against
    What have you got against hydros?

    Hydrophobe. 😀

    January 29, 2014 at 11:40 am #770909
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    Scoob_84

    It wouldn’t last a single
    It wouldn’t last a single wash #o

    January 29, 2014 at 11:33 am #770907
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    SamShaw

    The info on Crep Protect
    The info on Crep Protect states that it lasts “up to 2 weeks”, probably a lot less if you’re washing your clothing regularly!

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