Bill in Houston from Houston on 3/29/2021 11:02:02 AM:
In light rain when it's not too cool, I like to just wear a fleece jacket and let it get wet. It keeps me warm enough and kind of breathes so you don't get soaked to the skin.
When the rain got heavier, we put on ponchos, and they kept us dry enough to stay comfortable, BUT the flapped and were so loud we couldn't even talk to each other. A waterproof shell sure would have been nicer.
Your feet and lower legs will get soaked and covered with trail grit.
Fenders are really helpful. if you have a rear rack, you can just make a short plastic extension to keep your stuff and your back side dry. If you don't have a front fender and don't want to shell out for one, you can rig a short piece of plastic with some zipties to minimize the amount of water and dirt on your front and in your headtube.