I've ordered the £99 one from chequered flag, so we'll see. This is almost scientific testing
!
I've worn the Drizabone on all my winter runs over a few miles and am impressed. I used a waxed shooting jacket as my first ever bit of bike kit. This means I'm used to two things. First of all I expect the annual boil/paint on/get nostrills fumigated/go to the pub until the house is habitable again/spend a week chipping wax of the kitchen table/don't sit on auntie Maud's white ermine sofa routine. These things are more work.
Secondly I expect to be dry. The first thing I did when I switched to Goretex (early stages of Toura**** syndrome) in the late HHhhhmmmm's, was to bin my rain suit. I used to ride in the waxed jacket and leather trousers until I either got where I was going or found a convienient spot to put the PVC on. I could ride hundreds of miles without the PVC trousers, but PVC is very very easy to dry compared to treated leather trousers. My expectations of Goretex were dashed in Norway, 3000 miles wearing bin bags and cut up marigolds UNDER the jacket and trousers to keep dry. There were two factors at play, the outer getting dirty (tends to happen on dirt roads) and fashion over function collar and cuff designs. I ended up with a PVC one piece oversuit which while 100% effective is a PITA to put on, find your wallet in, can't be worn off the bike without cooking you etc. etc.
Unlike Horrible Gherkin, Drizabone know how to design a collar and cuffs and sat on an outfit the leg bit mean I can go all day in showers without resort to the plastic. My plan for the summer is to combine the Belstaff type coat with kevlar jeans and have a shower proof set up for the odd ride to the coast. The one piece will be staying for days when it tips it down.
I guess I'm going to be easier to please than some here. The good news is that using the melt and paint or spray on stuff, wax cotton can IMHO get very close to that perfect kit where you can bin the rain suit.
Andy
