Ahhh Rain

I was about halfway home when it started raining in earnest last night. Time to bring out the poncho! I've tried it once before, but it's just sorta intimidating. This is not your basic poncho with a hole for the head and then a big drapey thing. Oh no. This is a technical poncho.

First a history. I never meant to own the poncho at all. I bought it as a gift for a friend...but she wound up not needing it and it eventually reverted to me. This is why it is orange. It comes in a lovely red color that would make me so much happier. But no, it's orange, bright orange, blinding orange that you could wear in the woods during hunting season. It is a durable rubberized nylon with zippers and a zip-away hood and reflective striping and lots of loops and snaps. It's made by Agu, a company located in the Netherlands, and I bought it on a UK (Petra Cycles, I think) website for about £35. No, I have not received any money for reviewing it (regrettably).

Photos were taken indoors 'cause, you know, it was dark and rainy.

The Ghastly Orangeness

It kept me very dry. The ride home was absolutely comfortable with only my ankles and feet getting wet at all. You can really get lost in this thing, though. It has these loops that are either supposed to go over your hands or over your handlebars. I don't like having them over the handlebars since I am then "attached" to the bicycle, which seems unsafe. But if I put them over my hands, then the poncho flaps all around every time I shift (shifter is on my stem). And I have to take my hand out of the loop to signal turns properly. Any suggestions? Well, maybe I just have to get used to it. I couldn't even get it positioned quickly enough to satisfy the camera self-timer...hence the kickstand still down in this photo.

From the side (stopped position)

Details on the poncho