Vanmoof Boncho - reinventing the cape

[gaz]

[youtube]IGEYf8zJmow[/youtube]

Still at the kickstarter stage.

I'd give it space in my pannier.

[Graham]

I suspect that any moderate or gusty wind might reveal the same old cape problems.

[LollyKat]

I would give it a try if it came in brighter colours.

[Bensons]

I have been hankering after one of the yellow Carradice capes for years, every time I come close to ordering one my husband comes up with 1001 reasons why I shouldn't buy one/it won't work as I want it to/modern fabrics and designs are more functional than a cape, etc., etc.. and I go off the idea.

I will probably do it one day though. The last time I thought of it they were out of stock at Spa, we will probably pop in there next month when we are visiting family - that could be my moment.

You could adapt any old cape to form a similar structure with a bit of synthetic corset boning and webbing tape if you wanted to.

[Elizabethsdad]

I bought a cape recently from my LBS - a very basic £15 cape in a reasonably heavyweight bright yellow PVC material. It has been very good, the only issue I have is the hood not staying on or getting in the way, suspect a baseball cap or similar would fix that. Might look at trying something a little more upmarket but for something that is inexpensive, waterproof, reduces the overheating problem (you still warm up in one just not as much) and can be put on quickly over whatever you wearing including a back pack mine ticks all the boxes.

[reohn2]

I'd give it space in my pannier.

I reckon that is a good product for about town utility riding,It's also got the quirky fashion appeal about it too.

[ANTONISH]

I bought a cape recently from my LBS - a very basic £15 cape in a reasonably heavyweight bright yellow PVC material. It has been very good, the only issue I have is the hood not staying on or getting in the way, suspect a baseball cap or similar would fix that. Might look at trying something a little more upmarket but for something that is inexpensive, waterproof, reduces the overheating problem (you still warm up in one just not as much) and can be put on quickly over whatever you wearing including a back pack mine ticks all the boxes.

I'm not keen on hoods for cycling due to the restriction in peripheral vision and hearing.
In my youth the Sou'wester was commonly used.With that and a cape I would stay dry.
These days I mainly use the cape when touring - one of its problems is a greater difficulty with signalling - one has to disengage from the thumb loop and with heavier faster traffic I find it awkward.
That new version of a cape looks effective (apart from the hood) , The front seems reinforced in some way but as others have said there is still the problem of the cape lifting unless restrained by thumb loops - its not clear how this is managed.

[MartinC]

In my (relative) youth I used to use a cape and a sou'wester. I fondly remember them 'cos they were very effective at keeping you dry. The downsides were always that they were a bit of a liability in a gusty wind and made it hard to signal. Both of these put me off using a cape now because the volume of impatient traffic has increased the impact of both factors but I'm still occasionally tempted to dig them out or replace them, especially for summer use. These smaller capes look interesting - they may avoid some of the downsides, presumably at the cost of not being so dry. I'd be very interested in anyone's experience of using one.

[Brucey]

I wonder where the water runs off it when it is raining heavily? If the water runs off the sides in a crosswind, maybe your legs still get wet?

cheers

[reohn2]

I wonder where the water runs off it when it is raining heavily? If the water runs off the sides in a crosswind, maybe your legs still get wet?

cheers

May be you're expecting too much for a 'caught in the rain' cape,if it's piddling down when you set off perhaps a pair of w/proof o/trousers?

[LollyKat]

I find full overtrousers too hot but I think my Rainlegs could work well with this. I'd also tuck the hood in and wear a separate hat.

The main problem for many folk in this country, I think, is that it will obscure front lights mounted on the handlebars. Back in the day when I regularly used a cape (and sou'wester, which is still in the cupboard), my light mounted on a boss on the front fork, clearing the cape. Most modern bikes here lack that facility, though.

My OH still uses a big Carradice cape when it is really bad, but has to tuck the front of it behind the lights on the bars - doing this then forms hollows that catch puddles of rain.

[reohn2]

I don't like w/proof o/trousers for the same reason,so use Montane Featherlite Pants,good kit and water repllent enough to keep me dry and warm enough in all but longest of rainy days.

[DaveGos]

I still have my old heavy yellow cape. I dont use it these days , mainly as I ride light road bikes with faster groups , but I was still using my touring bike up until 10 years ago and if you have a carrier or saddle bag its still a good option as

1) You can put it on or take it off in about 5 - 10 secs great if rain stops and starts
2) You dont get sweaty and it keeps bottom half dry as well generally

If you are going to tour all day in the rain like in Western Scotland they are the best IMO


It has to be very windy for it to be an issue

The modern lighter capes blow all over the place and do not keep there shape

In the late 40s my father toured the continent and then you used your cape in cold conditions , to sleep on in barns, to sit on when eating

They were incredibly hard wearing. Mine is 45 years old and I took it to school everyday for 10 years and I am not good at looking after things

[mjr]

The main problem for many folk in this country, I think, is that it will obscure front lights mounted on the handlebars.

Fork-crown mounts exist for some lights and I think there's a bar-like adapter available too, to allow any handlebar mount to be used.

I used to use a cape. I had to wear waterproof trousers too, else I just got splashed from underneath (from my wheels or others nearby). It didn't really behave well in the wind and it was a heck of a lot of wet cape to hang up when I got to my destination. A jacket and rainlegs is much more acceptable IMO.

I still wear a hood when cycling in the rain. It doesn't usually impede hearing (it's thin) or visibility (my cycling glasses push it back if I turn my head) unless it's very tail-windy (and how often does that happen? ) and then it's usually quite easy to flip the hood down to get through a difficult junction and pull it back up after.

[Si]

I wonder how it moved when you try to signal....does it dump water straight down the opposite leg?
And I echo the comments about riding in hoods. No only peripheral vision but can stop you look behind properly in some cases.

I think for short, segregated, low wind, city rides it could be a good thing though.