I have just committed myself to a voluntary position which will entail me cycling there one day a week. As it’s a journey with no straightforward public transport, I’ll need to go by bike no matter what the weather does. So, I’m considering buying new waterproofs. I already have a gore-tex jacket which I have had for lots of years but is a bit past its best. I also have a pair of gore-tex overtrousers. They work well at keeping me dry but are a real pain to take off and put on without first removing my shoes.

The upgraded version of my jacket includes a hood which is something I’ve not really considered before in a cycling jacket. I’m thinking that a hood which fits over my helmet could be welcome, especially as my commute will be along the canal towpath so I won’t have traffic to keep an eye on. When I was cycling regularly I often put off wearing the overtrousers because of the difficulty getting them on after I had set off and a good few times this resulted in me arriving wet.

If I can convince myself that the upgraded waterproofs will be more comfortable it may be easier to also convince myself that I should spend the £300 or so I will be spending.