Winter Trousers

Although many people ride with shorts throughout the winter, extra protection on cold days is usually welcome, especially when riding after dark. There are different options and anything is better than nothing.

Ordinary tights.
Good for warmth, especially wind chill and perfect clearance from the crankset but rain soaks through and then you get cold muscles. They tend to pull threads easily on brambles but keep the mud off and the reflective strips show up in headlights on dark roads. Normally worn with Lycra shorts or padded undershorts but can be worn underneath baggy shorts if you are very fashionable.The fact that your ten-year-old son laughs like a drain when you put them on should not prevent you from wearing them.Water resistant tights - a looser fit but much warmer and are water resistant. Son still laughs.

Trousers. These can be either the waterproof over-trouser carried along with your rain jacket or a riding trouser worn instead of tights. They can be dry weather (or water resistant) designs, jump trousers or heavier weight waterproof trousers.

Altura Dryline.

An excellent design of good quality construction using a tough material and with lots of nice touches. Double poppers on the waistband, reflective strips, elastic and Velcro waist straps, stretch knees, adjustable length and both zips and Velcro at the ankles. Lots of pockets and son does not laugh.Robust, excellent value, waterproof and long lasting but a little sweaty - 8/10

Gore Profi

A comfortable cut of a warm very breathable material but water resistant rather than waterproof. Elastic and toggles at the waist, single button waist, lots of pockets including clever doubled cargoes and double Velcro ankle straps. Two different versions with either ¾ length zip off legs or knee length short option. After lots of rides, they are surprisingly useable instead of tights, waterproof trousers or even shorts. I have not used them in full rain but they seem preferable to tights. They do not catch, they do not carry mud and the zip off leg option makes them a flexible piece of kit. Buy the correct size for riding and not the neat fit for standing up at the bar.

Excellent value if discounted too - 9/10 (Not waterproof)

Gore delta xcr

Single hook fly with elastic and Velcro waist adjustment. Reflective strips but only a single rear zipped pocket, stretch leg panels, zip and Velcro ankle closure. Comfortable, waterproof and truly breathable - 10/10

The Profi is the best for the cold and dry, the XCR when it is actually raining, even when warm, and the Dryline on rough trails in rough conditions especially in the cold.