What makes a good cycling raincoat?
First off, it should be cute. That's assumed. Beyond that it should be short enough to not interfere with your wheels, it should have long enough sleeves that your arms are covered even when you reach for the handlebars, it should be brightly colored to keep you from looking like the roadway to passing cars, and it should be waterproof. Finally, it should be inexpensive as it will inevitably, eventually, get dirty and worn.
From the Gap this yellow coat is darling! The front will split to accommodate pedaling and the sleeves are long enough to reach the handlebars without exposing a lot of arm to get wet. It's waterproof and bright for cars to see. Perfect!
$69.50
JCrew has a stylish option (love the collar!) in a cotton fabric that looks delicious which they call "Italian paper-poplin". In addition to the bubblegum pink it is also available in a cute light lemon yellow. As a downside, I don't care for the sleeves. Particularly on a bike these sleeves will be entirely too short, they could be worn with a short sleeved shirt but anything longer would inevitably end up wet. I'd prefer the raincoat were a little longer too.
$158.00
I didn't see anything suitable at all at Banana Republic.
To be completely over-the-top, Saks Fifth Avenue has this Burberry Trenchcoat with all the details I describe. It is certainly visible, long sleeves, good length, and a statement piece! Of course, it doesn't coordinate with my bike, and it doesn't conform to the 'inexpensive' rule, so I'll have to pass, but I'd love to see someone fabulous rocking this trench on a bike!
$995.00
Has anyone seen any others?