Advocacy & Safety - Rain

I am new to riding (two months-1000k miles) and here in California, we have started the rainy season. I am concerned about going down in the rain. I know you need to take the normal precautions, but, should I forego those rainy days, and hit the trainer or gym? Or am I being paranoid?

I don't ride if the rain is heavy but a lot of times it's just intermittent shower activity. I have a clip-on fender I use to keep the spray off my backside. If the roads are wet or if it's threatening, I'll stay away from riding in the Santa Cruz Mtns and ride where it's relatively flat. The main thing is to keep your speed down on downhills. Other than that there's no reason not to ride, IMO.

Went on a ride yesterday with the forecast calling for showers. I think we were rained on for all of 2-minutes on a 60-mile ride plus a little bit of drizzle. Today's AM ride did get rained out 'tho. Hopefully I can get some time in the saddle this afternoon.

Oh, man, rain is nothing. A lot of people, including myself, ride in snow and black ice.

If we can ride on ice, you can surely ride in the rain (we do that too).

Ride on, man, and enjoy.

If any rain is forecast, I leave the Bianchi and the Capo at home and ride the mountain bike or the UO-8, with its 27x1-3/8 cyclocross tyres. I leave extra stopping distance, gently drag the brakes periodically to dry them, and take it VERY easy on descents. I also depart from my normal front-only braking style and tend to use both brakes evenly. (A rear wheel skid is bad; a front wheel skid is disastrous.)

Don't ride! Californians are soluble in water.

California rains are different. Don't ride untill it has rained for 5 min. Since it rains so seldom the first rain mixes with (I'm told) oil and rubber on the road to make an icey covering. Also folks out there have trouble adjusting to this surface and ttheir cars run into things. So give it 5 let the foolish ones bash into each other and the rain time to clean the streets.

Joe
-;)

This is one of those deals where you need to go out and try it. How will you ever know if you like it if you don't. Some do and some don't it depends on the individual. I wouldn't mind riding in Kal'eefornia if it was raining in November, in Kansas it is often a different story. (sorry couldn't help myself :D )

Go slow and get proper tires. I've always looked at rain as if it were ice, slow in corners and easy on the brakes.

California rains are different. Don't ride untill it has rained for 5 min. Since it rains so seldom the first rain mixes with (I'm told) oil and rubber on the road to make an icey covering.
Joe
-;)Joe,

It's really just the first rain of the season that causes the problems. Since it doesn't rain from Apr/May 'til Oct/Nov, there's a buildup of oil and grease on the roads. The first time it rains in the fall the roads are very treacherous until it gets washed away. We've had a couple of good rains here in NorCal so the roads aren't bad now and should be OK through spring. It rained this morning but my wife and I were able to get a 25-mile ride in this afternoon.

SteveE

Steve

Ok when I lived in Cal. it was the Northeast corner of La county. I don't think it ever rained continuously enough to keep the roads clear. But I think you have made the point first rain or first few min. of the rain is the dangerious part.

Joe

California rains are different. Don't ride untill it has rained for 5 min. Since it rains so seldom the first rain mixes with (I'm told) oil and rubber on the road to make an icey covering. Also folks out there have trouble adjusting to this surface and ttheir cars run into things. So give it 5 let the foolish ones bash into each other and the rain time to clean the streets.

Joe
-;)

Well now that is an interesting suggestions and it makes sense. It is well known that the first couple minutes of rain make for the most slippery roads.

I would guess that if you get rain infrequently, the problem is exacerbated.

Good wisdom, joeprim.

Well, I ride in Central Florida. As mentioned above, if it hasn't rained for awhile, rain can float oil and cause slick spots.

But rain isn't bad to ride in. Remember, wet brakes take some time to bite so you need to give yourself more time to stop. You also should take corners a bit more slowly. Another thing to watch is wet railroad tracks, they can get slick enough to cause falls.

But I have ridden in hard rain without difficulty. I recall one ride we did, it was raining so hard that when we stopped at this light the water was about 3" deep. We did get a bit wet on that ride.

Also, riding in the rain means that your bike gets dirty and you should clean and relube your chain. I had a recent stretch where in 7 days, I rode in rain 4 times and on wet roads 2 more times. Only 1 day in 7 was dry.

Actually, I think bikes seem to do better in really wet conditions then cars. We don't seem to hydroplane. Also car's windshields can get so covered with water to make driving in hard downpours problematic. And bikes can go through deep water. I rode through one spot (road ride) that buried the hubs on my wheels.

I was talking to a friend of mine. On one of the recent club rides, they rode out to Center Hill (somewhere in darkest Florida). There is a stretch of rural road southwest of there that is low and floods in wet conditions. Well, it has been wet. So they started out and got into it and it got deeper and deeper and deeper but they kept going. Bob told me that they rode through water deep enough to reach their seat posts! He could see the wakes from them and only the tops of the wheels were showing. Shoot any deeper and it would be a triathalon.

Actually, I think bikes seem to do better in really wet conditions then cars. We don't seem to hydroplane. .
Sheldon Brown has a nice article on the subject

Hydroplaning
Car and truck tires need tread, because these vehicles are prone to a very dangerous condition called "hydroplaning." This happens when driving fast in very wet conditions, which can lead to the tire riding up onto a cushion of liquid water. When this happens, there is a sudden and total lack of traction.
Cars can hydroplane because: Bicycles canNOT hydroplane because:
A car tire has a square road contact, and the leading edge of the contact is a straight line. This makes it easier for a car tire to trap water as it rolls. A bicycle tire has a curved road contact. Since a bicycle leans in corners, it needs a tire with a rounded contact area, which tends to push the water away to either side..
A car tire is quite wide, so water from the middle of the contact patch can have trouble escaping as the tire rolls over it, if there are not grooves to let it escape. A bicycle tire is narrower, so not as much water is in contact with the leading edge at once.
Car tires run at much lower pressure than bicyles. The high pressure of bicycle tires is more efficient at squeezing the water out from under.
Cars go much faster than bicycles, again leaving less time for water to escape. At high bicycle speeds, hydroplaning is just possible for car tires, but is absolutely impossible for bicycle tires.

I believe that at 60 mph with more than 1/8" of water on the road surface, car tires will hydroplane, regardless of the tread condition.