Commuting - What do you do about rain?

I'm hoping to start commuting by bike this week, when I go back to work. What do you do about rain? If you ride, do you use a certain type of chain lube because of the rain? Anything special that you wear? I really want to get the most out of doing this.

I have a super lightweight rain suit made by Marmot. The thing cost about $175 and it packs down to nothing and I stick it in my bag.

I use tri flow lub, I don't know about others on the forum.

Have you got fenders on your bike? They are essential in the rain.

Fit fenders to your bike. The best are close fitting ones like SKS chromoplastic.
Fit some lights for poor visibility.
A peak on your helmet will improve visibility, esp if you wear glasses.
Clothing depends on the temperature, warm, cool or cold.
Wear a breathable water-resistant or waterproof cycling jacket in a bright colour. Use it over a wicking jersey.
In cool weather, cover your legs. Most cycling leggings work OK in the rain. In the cold, use over-trousers.
Wear waterproof footwear, or mesh footwear with neoprene booties.
Put all your luggage into plastic bags in your panniers. The only waterproof panniers are welded plastic like Ortlieb or Vaude.

I use pro-link chain lube in wet and dry weather, my chains last 3000 to 5000 miles. I carry a gore-tex jacket in my handlebar bag but only wear it if it rains hard and is cold, otherwise I just get wet, water dries and we don't melt, I find rain suits to be too hot. I have fenders with built in flaps by planet bike, they keep me drier and the bike clean. Where I live, if you wait for a nice dry day, you don't get to ride much. Do the commute thing, the rewards far out way the discomfort sometimes experianced on a cool wet day.

I just ride like it's any other day.
I use a rain jacket, fenders, and tri-flow lube. Nice way to wake yourself up in the morning!!

Pretty much what everyone else said. Fenders. Lights and reflectors. Breathable rain gear if it's getting cold; just get wet if it's warm.

I wear Shimano SPD sandals in the summer, and add Coolmax socks if it's chilly. These eliminate the issue of getting your shoes wet. If I'm caught with my riding shoes on and I think they'll get soaked, I either cover them with plastic grocery bags (rubber band around the ankle, big hole in the bottom for cleats) or put the bags over my feet inside the shoes, depending on whether I'll have time to dry the shoes before the next ride.

I use ProLink as well. Great stuff.

RichC

The great thing about lycra is how quickly it dries.

if the weather is warm, I don't like wearing rain gear because I get wet under the jacket from sweat. Even with a "Breathable" vented gore-tex jacket.

for light showers and warm rain I prefer to just get wet, and then hang up the lycra shorts & jersey at work. Its dry by home time.

Defenitely fit fenders. It keeps nearly all of the rain and road crud of your shorts and back.

waterproof overshoes are handy to keep shoes and socks dry as they can take longer to dry out than the shorts & jersey.

Stew

Fenders are really important. They allow you to ride without raingear when the roads are wet but rain is not falling. They also keep spray and grit off the moving parts of the bike, drastically reducing wear and required maintenance.

I have a long Gor-Tex hooded overcoat and Gor-Tex rain pants. I wear Totes over my shoes. All this gear rolls up compactly and fits on my rear rack. Oh, yes get a rear rack or panniers -- you need a place to stow the raingear when it is not raining. Even the best raingear is uncomfortable to wear on a warm day.

I never do anything with my chain except buy a new one every 3,000 miles or so. This probably would not work with an externally-geared (derailleur) bike.

Paul

This probably would not work with an externally-geared (derailleur) bike

Paul- are you using an internal hub shifter or a single speed? I got a bike with a Nexus-7 hub shifter about 3 weeks ago and I LOVE it. Hassle free and maintainance free so far.

Life is good derailleur free , no?

Originally posted by Repp5
Paul- are you using an internal hub shifter or a single speed? I got a bike with a Nexus-7 hub shifter about 3 weeks ago and I LOVE it. Hassle free and maintainance free so far.

Life is good derailleur free , no?

Yes, it is a German Kettler with a Nexus-7. It has been trouble-free for over 4,000 miles now.

Paul

Ditto. Gortex jacket (Race Face...best bike jacket I have ever owned), Gortex pants, fenders and Pro-link (works better than Tri-Flow in my experiences). Riding in the rain can be fun. :)

The normal tricks: full fenders with mudflaps, rain coat (depending on weather) and rain pants if it rains really hard and if I plan to ride a long time. For the hands, my best trick so far is to alternate between two or three pairs of gloves. Feet: I don't care, as I could ride in ice-cold rain before feeling cold.

For lubrication, I use some Finish Line lubricants which have worked so far: the Cross Country Wet Lube in Winter or in hard rain. Fully satisfied with it.
When it's dry, I have used so far the KryTech Wax lube or the Teflon Plus Dry lube. I find the KryTech a bit too dry, as it keeps the chain very clean (no need to ever clean it!), but doesn't prevent squeaks. The Teflon Plus is longer lasting and accepts some rain, but it also keeps some dirt on the chain.

With the proper match of lubricants, full fenders and a proper mix of sunshine and rain, I'm able to keep the chain fairly clean, non-squeaky and adequately lubricated without having to perform any major cleaning. OK, I clean the derailleur pulleys once in a while.

Regards,

I commute year round in rainy Oregon. SKS fenders are great. I use Finish Line Cross Country lube in the wet. For clothes just wear wicking fabrics. Smartwool socks are wonderful (I use the hiking ones in winter, they are warmer than the cycling version) and neoprene booties are a must. A helmet condom helps a lot. I use an REI rain shell that keeps the water off fine. I always sweat no matter what, so I don't see gore-tex as worth the extra cash. I find rain pants to be uncomfortable and useless. Thick tights work for me with a water resistant front.

Good rule of thumb, don't worry about wet, worry about warm. As long as your body is comfortable, a little (or a lot) of rain never hurt anyone.

Originally posted by Repp5
I have a super lightweight rain suit made by Marmot. The thing cost about $175 and it packs down to nothing and I stick it in my bag.


Nice expressions. you stick "nothing" in your bag...
It is similar to this:

Go there, don't know where, bring that, dont know what...
:p

All winter I have ditched the gortex in favour of a pile and pertex jacket (made by Buffalo or Mardale). Its not waterproof, but its a whole lot more comfortable than goretetx even in heavy cold rain.

Here is what I do when it rains in one simple word: Rejoice!

I will now explain it in slightly more specific terms. I generally focus on keeping warm rather than keeping dry. This is because I have discovered that keeping dry is just about impossible in a big spanky tropical downpour. I always make sure I have a dry change of clothes for when I stop riding, which is achieved by keeping them inside a sturdy plastic bag in my panniers. Yes, I have "waterproof" panniers, but I found that waterproof doesn't extend to tropical downpours, so you need to take extra precautions yourself.

To be honest I don't bother with fenders because I know I'm going to be changing my clothes, so it doesn't matter how wet or dirty they get. I only use a rain jacket on unusually cold days because the weather around here is normally warm enough to negate the need for one. As far as motivating one's self to ride in the rain goes, the best thing to do is just get out and ride. If you take the time to think about it, you'll probably come up with a million reasons not to ride, and you'll miss out on what is truly one of the most liberating things you can do.

Re: Lube. I use Finishline Cross Country in both the wet and the dry. I like it. :)

Riding in light rain is great, I usually stay dry with a NorthFace rain jacket and pants - about $40 for both, but the pants are only good for about 25 minutes of total dry, then start seeping. I wear the jacket hood under my helmet until I can get a helmet cover. Feet just get wet, but fenders keep the road gunk off.

I'm one of the few(?) that use WD-40 for chain lube, even though it's not supposed to work well. I spray some on daily in wet weather, as WD-40 is a little on the light side and doesn't stick in the rain. I've commuted 3,300 kilometres in the past year on a 10 year old bike with the original chain and the WD-40 seems to do the job.

I get wet! Seriously in Florida during the summer I'm soaked in the first 10 miles so rain matters little. Maybe I'm missing something about wet and dry lubes. I use Finish Line Teflon Plus always and have never experienced any adverse effects from rain on the chain. Case in point; last week I rode a century, 50 miles of it in pouring rain. Looked at the chain the next day, not any rust formation.

Dressing for the rain is something that comes with experience. In the experience department, I would call myself an adolescent when it comes to rain.

But like some have said, if it's hot, rejoice!

For me, the finer points of riding in the rain have to do with:

1) Getting filthy on the way to work.

2) Safety considerations, since the rain makes it harder for me to see and be seen, plus in the wet things can be slippery or hidden in puddles.

3) In a cold rain, you really have to be prepared if you have a flat.
Keeping dry clothing handy is smart.

4) Since I prefer riding in dry weather (except when it's really hot)
I usually schedule rainy days as walking days and save the best days for riding, since I don't ride to work every day.

What is rain? Do we have that in Southern California?

I've found Burley's rain gear to be a enormous blessing...riding year round in ice/snow/torrential downpours/misting rain is no problem with them. You'll get sweaty when it's really warm, but less so than GoreTex (YMMV)

Fenders are nice, but on my road bike, I've only got a little snap on in back, and it's OK. Booties are a must (although mine are too big and wear on the crank...sigh) and visibility issues must also be conquered.

Basically, when it rains, I get wet (on the outside) and mainly stay dry (due to the rain-gear...when I remember to take it) on the inside.

Ooops...forgot about your lube question...I really like White Lightning and it seems to work like a charm. Even when it rains and snows and the like...you just have to apply it when it rains more (e.g. every ride)

Happy trails,
Tom

I have a bright coloured breathable rain coat..expensive but worth it..so I don't get too hot, and carry a change of clothes in plastic bags, as mentioned above. The idea of plastic bags inside your shoes is a good one..I tried them on the outside, but that was a bit of a failure. I wear nylon shorts on wet days because they dry out in time to go home. Stuff my shoes at work with newspaper, and again they are usually fairly dry for home time.

I'd sooner be wet and at least moving, than be stuck in traffic in the rain!

a basic rain jacket and a regular set of clothes. I don't usually "waterproof" myself due to I hate the feeling of being wet and having a rain jacket over that, it's like having a wet plastic bag stuck to you. everything in the bag gets wrapped in those plastic bags you get from the grocery store or x-mart. cheap and easy. besides in TX rain is something to get excited about. Nothing like drifting a corner on an empty street.

Since I use two bicycles to commute into the city and each ride is about 2 miles each time I get on one bike. As a result, heavy rainwear isn't necessary. I carry my rain jacket from Columbia sportswear and glasses are a must. The glasses are racketball type with no shades since you don't need sunglasses in a rain storm.

The trouble I have are the rain pants. I hate them. They stick on the seat and they're hot. If the rain is coming down hard, I have no choice but to use it.

White lightening wax is about all I use. I go through a couple of bottles every six months. One thing is certain, I'm not using any lubricant that has the potential to stain my clothing.

Wax comes off, 3 and 1 oil does not.

Everyone makes good points. As for the lube, you can use just about any kind of lube (although, I wold suggest shying away from WD-40 despite the previous accolades) you just have to properly maintain the lubrication. If it's just a little rain, no big deal, just occasionally (once a week during rainy times) clean off the chain and relube it. That cleaning off before relubing is a key step that many people miss and that leads to quicker wear on the chain. Also, don't overlube the chain. Just put enough to get into each joint and then let it soak for a couple of minutes. Then. . . wipe it down. Lube on the external part of the chain attrackts dirt and grime, you want the internal part lubed not the outside.

anyway, just my 2 cents worth.

Originally posted by Crack'n'fail
Everyone makes good points. As for the lube, you can use just about any kind of lube (although, I wold suggest shying away from WD-40 despite the previous accolades) you just have to properly maintain the lubrication.

WD-40 is not a lube, and I don't use it as such. However, I do use it to get rid of corrosion that may creep into things if a tropical downpour washes off all of my lube.

With all the rain in my neck of the woods, I've had the same questions myself. Instead of fenders, my rear rack seems to do the trick. The front doesn't seem like much of a problem. I use front and rear lights. I use tri-flo lube. Still experimenting with just getting wet or a poncho. The poncho seemed a bit warm today.

well when it does rain here (those 4 days out of the year ;)) people tend to scatter like roaches.... guess that is what you get when you live in a desert. Anyhow, I normally wear a wind/water proof jacket and leg and arm warmers, I agree with Chris L. and try to stay warm rather than dry because I just change clothes no matter where I go. No fenders, but my rear pannier rack is so big it kinda acts like a fender, lights are a must, and of course I break out my orange colored sunglass lenses for overcast weather :)

I just turn on the "blinkies" and ride. Seriously, once you you decide that you will get wet, its all good.

Is it possible to think out of the box and have the bike wear the rain coat to keep the rider dry? Say a canopy or some kind of attachment much like what motor scooter have. I understand the wind draught and visibility is a concern but with slower speed and some innovation maybe riding in the rain could be a dry experinece one day.

Originally posted by justdo
Is it possible to think out of the box and have the bike wear the rain coat to keep the rider dry? Say a canopy or some kind of attachment much like what motor scooter have. I understand the wind draught and visibility is a concern but with slower speed and some innovation maybe riding in the rain could be a dry experinece one day.

Isn't that what Henry Ford said?

Here in rainy Vancouver, what do I do?

I get wet. (all the time)

You'd be amazed at all the people who think getting wet is the equivalent of a death sentence!

I reply that I won't melt.

Love the rain but have a healthy respect for your front brake when things get wet.

Your best bet is to try and keep your work clothes separate from your commuting stuff that way it doesn't matter how wet you get.

With your shoes (if you've got bike ones) fill'em full of newspaper during the day until they are reasonably dry. Never use mechanical means (like hand dryers etc ) as you will damage the seams.

Originally posted by justdo
Is it possible to think out of the box and have the bike wear the rain coat to keep the rider dry?

Keeping dry defeats the whole purpose of riding in the rain.

Yeah, in the hot Gawgia Summers a good downpour comes straight from Heaven!

:beer:

I usually get wet.