xena_miller31•1d agoProlific Poster

The rain cape looks silly but beat my full fenders on the 520 bridge last Thursday

I used to swear by a $140 set of fenders through the Seattle winter, but after getting soaked from below on the bridge deck spray last week, I grabbed a $12 poncho from the gas station and rode dry the whole way home, anyone else ditched the hard gear for something you can fold into a pocket?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerl321d agoTop Commenter

Ngl, that gas station poncho is the ultimate power move. Spent two winters and a small fortune on clip-on fender systems that rattled loose every third ride, meanwhile a trash bag with arm holes would have done the same job. The real secret is you look so ridiculous that drivers give you extra space, which is basically free safety gear. Plus when it's done raining you just stuff it in your backpack and it becomes a weird crinkly pillow for your lunch. Fenders are for people who believe in fair weather, the poncho crowd knows the bridge deck spray is just nature's way of testing your commitment.

margaretk8921h ago

My last poncho lasted three rainy seasons before the plastic finally gave out at the shoulder seam. I keep a spare in my frame bag, rolled up tighter than a burrito, and it costs less than one bus fare.