Bicycle poncho is an essential rain gear for cyclists. Unlike the combination of rain jacket and pants, it allows cool air to flow through the bottom of the poncho and bring away body heat, so cyclists wouldn't sweat much. The greatest complaint from using rain jacket and pants is that the cyclists get soaking wet from sweat even with the so-called breathable Gortex fabrics. Bicycle poncho, when combined with full fenders on the bike and gaiters on cyclists' legs, can provide a dry and comfortable ride.

A new style of bicycle poncho made by Otto London makes it even more attractive to cyclists: http://www.ottolondon.com Otto London Poncho has a full zipper at the front, so cyclists could don or doff it very easily. It is also cut like a jacket, so cyclists could wear them in many more occasions. If needed, it can be folded into the size of a text book for storage. The biggest problem is that it came with a hefty price tag - US$127, which is similar to most quality bicycle poncho.

While dabbling a bit in cosplay, I noticed that the cape for Attack on Titan cosplay costs as little as US$10, and has similar cut as the Otto London Poncho. This gave me the idea to covert one to bicycle poncho. There are several problems to be solved to make it a bicycle poncho. The Attack on Titan cape lacks the full zipper, hand loops for keeping the front from flapping in the wind, and reflective piping. But most important of all, it is very porous and will not stop rain from going through!

單車斗篷是一個極佳的單車雨具. 一反雨衣雨褲, 斗篷讓新鮮空氣從底下流通且帶走體熱, 所以單車騎士不會流很多汗. 雨衣雨褲使用者的一大抱怨是身體很快就被汗水浸濕, 即便是使用所謂能呼吸的材質-Gortex.單車斗篷在配合配備擋泥板的單車及登山綁腿, 可以讓單車騎士有一個乾爽的騎乘經驗.

Otto London發售一款新的單車斗篷讓它更易使用: http://www.ottolondon.com Otto London斗篷有全開的拉鍊在前, 所以單車騎士可以很輕易的穿脫. 它的剪裁像是夾克, 所以可以穿著於更多場合. 如果需要, 它可以收摺成一本課本的大小以利收藏. 它最大的弊端是價格 - 新台幣$4136, 和許多高檔的單車斗篷近似.

當我接觸cosplay時, 我發現“進擊的巨人”斗篷最低只要新台幣$300左右, 而且其剪裁近似Otto London斗篷, 所以我興起改造“進擊的巨人”斗篷成單車斗篷的念頭. 改造的工程有些問題需要解決. "進擊的巨人”斗篷缺乏拉鍊, 固定用的把帶, 以及反光片. 更重要的事, 他有許多細孔所以完全不防水!

Step 1: Getting the Parts and Equipment 材料及工具

Here are the parts you'll need:

"Attack on Titan" cape: there are many sellers on Ebay or Amazon, and you could get one as low as US$10. There are also sellers offering a great variety of colors for the cape, so you won't get stuck with green. Make sure you get one that is long enough to cover your wrist while you are standing straight.
One-way or two-way zipper: you could salvage one from an old jacket. It should be long enough to run from the bottom to the button on the cape.
Hand loops: you could salvage the headband from an old goggle and cut it into two 15-inch long pieces.
Reflective piping (optional): you could salvage it from an old jacket. It should be long enough to cover the entire bottom of the cape.
Water repellent spray: I have great experience with Kiwi Camp Dry spray in 12oz bottle (around US$11), but other makes might also work as well.

You'll need a sewing machine, or know someone who can sew for you at low cost. The total cost for this job can be as low as US$21!

以下是材料:

“進擊的巨人”斗篷: Ebay和Amazon有許多店家都有賣, 有些甚至只要新台幣$300! 有些店家甚至有賣多種顏色, 所以你不會被限制在綠色上. 確定你買的尺寸足以在你站立時蓋住你的手腕.
單向或雙向拉鍊: 你可以拆下舊夾克的拉鍊. 它的長度要足以從斗篷低端至鈕扣的位置.
把帶: 你可以拆下舊護目鏡的頭帶. 將其剪裁成兩個38公分的把帶
反光片(可以略過): 你可以拆下舊夾克的反光片. 它的長度要足以蓋住斗篷的底端
防水噴劑: 我使用Kiwi Camp Dry 12oz噴罐 (新台幣$360), 但是其他廠牌可能亦可使用

你另外需要一台縫紉機, 或是認識價錢公道的裁縫師. 這個工程的價格最低可至新台幣$684!

Step 2: Installing the Zipper 縫紉上拉鍊

The installed zipper on the cape should look like this.

拉鍊縫上後應如圖所見.

Step 3: Installing the Hand Loops 縫紉上把帶

The installed hand loops should look like this.

把帶縫上後應如圖所見.

Step 4: Installing the Reflective Tape 縫紉上反光片

The installed reflective tape should look like this.

反光片縫上後應如圖所見.

Step 5: Waterproof Treatment 防水處理

Apply the water repellent according to the directions printed on the bottle. With Kiwi Camp Dry, I had to spray one side throughly, wait for an hour, and apply a second coating. I then flipped the cape over and repeated the process. After applying two coatings on front and back (just the outside of the cape), I let cape dry for two days. Test the waterproof treatment by pouring water on the cape. If it works, the water should bead up and stay on the surface.

使用防水噴劑如同噴罐上的指示. 以我使用的Kiwi Camp Dry為例, 我先仔細地把每個角落都噴過, 等待一小時後, 再加上第二層處理. 翻面後重複同樣過程. 在斗篷的前後(只需外側)都有兩層防水處理後, 我讓其晾乾兩天. 再者, 倒水於斗篷上以測試防水處理的效果. 如果成功的話, 水應只會凝聚在表層.

Step 6: The Completed Project 完成的成果

The completed project should look like what the pictures show.

完成的成果應如圖所現.

Step 7: How to Use the Bike Poncho 如何使用單車斗篷

There are three modes for wearing the bike poncho:

Rain coat mode: the cyclist would pull the zipper on, put his/her hands through the hand loops, and cover his/her head with the hood. This mode also provides more warmth to the upper body, and should be good for temperature between 55-60 deg F or 13-16 deg C
Arm warmer mode: the cyclist would put the his/her hands through the hand loops. This mode provides warmth to the arms, and should be good for temperature between 60-65 deg F or 16-18 C
Attack on Titan mode: the cyclist would let the bottom of the cape hang free to provide maximum air flow. This mode provides maximum cooling, and should be good for temperature above 65 deg F or 18 deg C.

There are limitations with the bike poncho. It works best when the rain is coming down straight, and doesn't work well when the rain is coming down sideways or when there are lots of road spray from nearby traffic. It also provides lots of air drag, so it is really meant for bike commuting or touring.

單車斗篷有三種穿著模式: