Say ‘waterproof baggy shorts’ to most American or Spanish riders and they’ll give you a puzzled look. Why would you want a half-leg length pair of waterproof trousers? And, in fact, what are you doing riding in the rain – don’t you know that it’ll be sunny and dry tomorrow?
As we all know, riding in the UK for a lot of the year can be a wet business. It doesn’t have to be raining because much of the moisture will be that thrown up by your tyres, leading to a wet arse and a soaking chamois along with chills and chafing. While mudguards can help keep some of this at bay, they can be awkward to use with suspension bikes, dropper posts – and the cool kids just don’t think that they look good.