Rain Gear

Happy International Car Free Day!

....and of course it rained buckets this morning so it was a wet commute!  I had planned on a different post this morning but decided the time was right for rain gear. 

At the office I'm expected to look presentable/professional.  I'm not sure if we have a dress code per se and what the real expectations are but I just use the excuse that I bike , don't see the public, and have clean clothes on to make up for the fact that I usually wear jeans/khakis and some type of top/shirt and some form of exercise related shoe.  Which makes it a lot easier to deal with inclement weather and time constraints.

Colmbia brand Arcadia rain jacket

I keep this rain jacket handy (I have a purple version) along with a pair of LLBean black rain/wind pants that I pull over my clothes, and a pair of somewhat water resistant Salamon trail rnning shoes.

Salamon GTX trail running shoes

These shoes are GREAT!  They have so many features that I look for in an all purpose shoe.  There's the reflective tape around the shoe, the solid rubber toe area, the comfy fit, non lacing closure, and of course the gortex lining that keeps my feet warm and dry.  Most of us in the family have owned at least one pair of these and I'm on my second pair having worn out the pretty red pair last year.  These are perfect for bike riding and walking.  These were designed for winter/trail riding - a compromise shoe that's a bit heavier than a running shoe but less sturdy then a hiking boot.  The retail price is about $130 but I usually pick them up on sale at REI or last year's model on Amazon for about $80.  We were even able to find a very large men's size for my son at Cabella's for $40.

Astrid