Spidi Rain Salopette (LG Or XXL Only)

The SPIDI sport rain gear is already sized to be “over-sized” in order to fit over your jacket/pants. So go with the size you would normally wear.

I’ve spent some time with “most” of the Spidi rain gear currently available. At first glance, it is a large offering and can be confusing to sort between the choices. I’ve put together the discussion below to help you choose the best Spidi rain jacket/pants/suit for you.

Rain Suits:

“Rain Kit” vs “Rain Suit” : This just refers to the configuration. The “Kit” is a 2pc suit (separate top and bottom) and the “Suit” is a one piece design. Tips: From my observation, the suits are more difficult to put on, especially on the side of the road. And I found the suit to be barely adequate for my 6’ frame in the a size XL. For both these reasons, if you prefer a one piece suit, I’d suggest buying one size up. The advantage to a suit is the lack of possible water entry between the top and the bottom like with separates, so if you plan to ride in extremely wet conditions for a long time, then the suit will have a higher probability of keeping you dry.

“Sport” vs. “Touring” : This refers mostly to styling. Just glancing over the various versions, you’ll notice those with “Sport” in the name have more bold and racy graphics while the”Touring” products are more conventionally styled.

Urban: Translates to a suit made for lower city speeds. The materials are thinner than Sport or Touring models. For example, the Sport Rain Kit is listed as .80Kg weight and the Urban Rain Kit is rated .50Kg. In comparing to the two, I can feel the difference immediately. Tip: Why not get the Sport suit? It’s less money and more durable. The only reason I can see to opt for the Urban suit is to avoid the “sport” styling of the Sport suit and/or to have an easier time packing into small spaces.

H2 Life: This is a super visible rain suit, particularly at night with all the bands of reflective materials. If I were riding in the rain at night, this would be my choice.

Compatto: English translation: compact This suit is the lightest of all, rated at .45Kg. It uses H2Out as the waterproofing material, which I presume is a lighter material than the others (I haven’t seen this one in person). It also has the “urban” look to me, so styling-wise it compares to the Urban Rain Kit.

Atlantis: Admittedly I haven’t seen this one in person. It has the “urban” styling and is rated the heaviest of all at .90Kg. Judging by the price, and Spidi’s description, I’d say it is a more heavy duty, workhorse, but without much style, reflectives or bright colors.

Separate Jackets and Pants:

Sport Rain Jacket: This is only the jacket part of the 2pc Sport Rain Kit. For when you already have pants that are waterproof and/or don’t mind wet legs.

Salopette: English translation: overalls. This is a pair of rain pants with an integrated tall bib. This pair of pants avoids the possibility of rain coming in at the waist light you may get with ordinary rain pants. The Salopette along with a jacket would give similar security as a 1pc rain suit.

Rain Cover Jacket and WWR Evo Rain Jacket: These are both specialty rain jackets that have more sport cut lines. The Rain Cover jacket looks short to me and I’d recommend it for use with the Salopette pants as to avoid leakage. The WWR Evo Rain Jacket is a clear plastic cover for a race suit. I’m guessing the clear construction is to show numbers/colors/sponsors of the racer’s suit. What is to be done for a race suit rider’s legs? Beats me.

SC 485 Rain Pants: These appear to be the bottom half of a Rain Kit and would work well with the Sport Rain Jacket.

—Paul, 09-03-19