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Berghaus Deluge Waterproof Overtrousers Review
Review Date 20-1-16
By Ren Withnell
Wow. Brace yourselves folks, this is going to be a positive review.
I have long since given up on the notion of waterproof bike gear. Sure, Cordura pants can keep a light shower out when they're brand new but will they survive 6 hours of endless Scottish Highland rain? Not any that I've ever purchased won't, unless you have the budget of a film studio. No, I find the much cheaper overpants do the trick. Not the expensive "motorcycle" gear but common or garden waterproof pants that walkers, builders and gardeners might use.
You'll never look sexy in overpants...but at least your sexy bits will be dry.
I was drawn to these particular Berghaus pants because of the almost full length zip on each leg. Rather than hopping around at the roadside with plastic bags over my boots I can unzip each leg, step into the pants, pull them up and zip down the long zips and pop the pop studs. Job done, easy style. This also allowed me to buy the pants in the right size, usually you have to purchase them extra baggy to stand a chance of getting a booted leg into them. I also have full leg zip Cordura motorcycle pants for the exact same reason.
So the pants are easy to get on and off. They are light weight. They are comfortable. And most importantly of all they are actually genuinely properly waterproof. We're talking all day dry, Scotland in winter dry, December 2015 floods dry and hosing the dirt off them dry. For well over 2 years and probably 10-20 thousand miles of wearing them they have always left me with a dry crotch, something of a miracle for an all weather motorcyclist.
The full leg zip makes taking them off and putting them on a breeze.
If...if I am forced to make a negative comment it is that they are not exactly breathable. On a warm yet wet summer's day they will inevitably leave you somewhat sweaty. This is an unavoidable side effect of being waterproof. Yes there are clever breathable membranes but even these can be equally clammy and they are rarely as truly waterproof and long lived as these pants have proven to be.
But alas, everything must come to pass. After giving me such long and happy service I returned to my home after another drenching to find a small damp patch on my bottom. I suspect that rather than the pants failing it is quite possible I have punctured them by sitting on a sharp bit of gravel or similar. I shall forever be thankful to these pants for keeping me dry and allowing me to put them on/take them off easily. They have been a top piece of kit.
Reader's Comments
Bob said :-
I feel that after many years of experimentation that I have hit on the perfect waterproof riding gear setup.
I use a SPADA one piece oversuit. I've tried separate jacket and trousers but they always let water in round the middle. The key to the suit is that it's a 4XL, I normally wear just L sized clothing, the 4XL suit means I'm not restricted and it's easy to get on and off.
For boots I've got a set of those stretchy rubber overboots that come in a little pouch, again I bought the XXL so that they're easy to get on and off.
Gloves - this is the bit I'm most pleased with, Showa freezer / arctic working rubber gloves! They are one piece of (orange) rubber with a fleecy lining. I just take my leather gloves off and stow them in the luggage.
With this set-up I can ride (and have) for hours in driving rain and arrive totally dry, albeit a bit strange-looking.
25/02/2016 09:38:17 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I've tried the one piece suits and I can never get into the blasted things. If they came with the leg zips like these pants then that would be absolutely ideal. I concur that there can be some ingress around the waist but even over a full day this has never actually got all the way through my many layers to my body - but if your camping it's not nice to have soggy cold jumpers.
Boots - I've tried the overboots of various kinds with some degree of success. The stretchy rubber ones I tried were worse than useless. If you read around you'll know I have to have one boot with an extra-thick sole which makes getting the rubber over boot on impossible for that one boot. I'm rather pleased with my ex army waterproof boot liners.
http://bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=633 - Overboots
http://bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=815 - Boot Liners
http://bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=695 - My Boot problem
Gloves - Do these Showa freezer / arctic working rubber gloves offer any protection? IE if you have a spill with they stop your hands from being shredded. I ask because I have considered something similar in a large size then wearing thin but protective summer gloves underneath.
25/02/2016 17:29:34 UTC
Bob said :-
The freezer gloves probably don't offer much protection. I just don't fall off....
26/02/2016 10:53:21 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I do my best not to fall off...but I'm aware sometimes my best is not enough. I'm also aware that other road users might make these decisions for me.
26/02/2016 11:26:21 UTC
Nick said :-
I was put onto sailing ship's gear about 30 years ago. I popped into the local ships Chandlers in Chatham and bought a pair of Henri Lloyd over trousers. They have a double reinforced seat. They are designed for seamen to keep them dry and the reinforced seat means they do not split. I am now finding that the knees are letting a little moisture through but considering I have had this pair for 26 years I can't grumble/ A friend asked me about waterproof trousers that would keep her warm and dry on the bike and when working in the fields looking after livestock. Finding that the Henri Lloyd over trousers weren't available we went for these Offshore bib and brace over-trousers and they are brilliant. I would advise anybody who wants genuinely waterproof gear to buy stuff that has been designed to keep people dry in extreme weather. For warmth I wear salopettes and a snowboarding jacket under my bike gear. As for boots I have had Dunlop trials wellies, good but a bit cold, and Derri Boots
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280928963943?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&var=580118270281&ss...
01/03/2016 09:53:18 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
In the days when I rode all year round (I'm now something of a softy) I too used sailing gear. I still have a pair of Helly Hansen salopettes which are similar to the ones you mention. They're completely waterproof and the bib part stops any trickles to the nether regions.
I also used the trials wellies you mention when commuting. Arrive in the office and the salopettes and boots could be removed as a unit then stood dripping in the corner for a fast getaway.
01/03/2016 10:29:15 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Cheers Nick & Ian! I have often joked that for complete dryness a pair of waders would be effective but provide no crash protection. I've also considered a full diver's dry suit! It could go over all the regular bike gear but boy oh boy I'd sure stink after an hour sweating in those things.
The sailing/boating people really must know about keeping dry in the worst of weathers. That notion has crossed my mind in the past but I never did anything about it. Maybe now is the time.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
I know I cannot find Derri boots any more, certainly not ones sturdy enough for motorcycling anyhow. Do Dunlop still make "Trials Wellies" and if so could you point me towards them?
01/03/2016 18:37:28 UTC
pocketpete said :-
Following our recent meeting and your free much needed advice I popped down to go outdoors and had a good look at the burghaus Deluge trousers. I took my motorcycle frank Thomas textiles in and tried these over the top.
As you said so simple to put on and off with boots on the zips don't get caught and the press studs make life very easy. I got the correct size and ordered a pair on-line which were £ 28.99 with free post and packaging off Amazon.
Go outdoors will price match other suppliers with the exception of amazon??? but they were dirt cheap at this price anyway.
They arrived in 3 days and was perfectly the same item I had tried on Berghaus AQ2 material and I examined the labels carefully and saw that the new version of these which I had is a breathable material. But only on the inside layer. The outer is 100% waterproof, I tested this with a pint of water and sure enough nothing gets through. The inside is breathable and allows sweat to pass through to the inside of the two layers and then its is supposed to drop down the inside to be released at the bottom rear of the leg.
Not sure if this actually works but I have tested these fully now once with my textiles underneath and once with jeans on underneath and on each Manchester monsoon I was left bone dry. I was pretty impressed as most of the bike gear I have bought has been described as waterproof but has turned out to be anything but waterproof.
I get to work and can take these off in a few seconds and hang them up and they are dry in a few minutes. They keep the wind off and don't flap around to much this makes them very warm and with my frank thomas textiles £ 99 which are pretty waterproof (after taking back some alpine stars, rst trousers and some furigan trousers all over £ 175))
Its funny how cheap as chips can give a much better result than expensive membrane lined badly designed crap from motorcycle shops.
05/09/2016 20:44:34 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Glad you approve Pocket Pete! The Berghaus won't last forever but then nothing does. What I like about the cheap(ish) overtrousers though is you can afford to replace them. It gets very expensive trying to replace £80 plus motorcycle pants every few months.
You will find on warm but wet days that you'll get very sweaty, almost to the point that you might have been better NOT wearing the waterproofs! That said those kind of days are few and far between in the UK. "Clammy" is the word I'd use for a wet summer's day.
In winter they're a great boon as they do keep the wind off, I'll wear my overpants even when it's not raining on the coldest of days.
06/09/2016 07:31:13 UTC
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