Rain jacket

• a total must, but keep in mind that “waterproof breathable” is an oxymoron. You will be drenched in a downpour regardless, but a good jacket will keep you drier longer.

Rain pants

• a total must

Shoes

• look for a sturdy sole. You don’t want flexible shoes as they will hurt your feet after hours of pedaling

Shoe covers

• a must. You will be thankful for having dry shoes and of course consequently dry feet. Tip: in a strong downpour, wear your rain pants with the shoe covers so that the water does not leak from the top of the covers.

Cycling pants, aka chamois

• Will greatly extend the comfort of your buttocks on your saddle. Buttocks pain at the end of the day after 100+km of cycling is unfortunately unavoidable though.