Road Cycling - Riding in the rain, Benefits?

Riding through many an English summer (I commute on the bike so have no choice on some days...) often involves wet weather. Whilst this is not generally what we want for "perfect riding conditions" I often feel that in warm damp conditions (light rain, drizzle) I have more energy and find it easier to breathe - the spray also helps the rider to stay cool. The upshot being that it is sometimes easier to sustain a high level of effort, and I finish the ride feeling great.

So, I was wondering, does anyone else enjoy riding in the rain?

Cheers,

Ed

APOLOGIES FOR THE DOUBLE POSTING FOLKS - I HAD A COMPUTER "MOMENT" WHILE SUBMITTING - Ed

Riding, as I have, through many an English summer often involves wet weather (I commute on the bike so have no choice on some days...). Whilst this is not generally what we want for "perfect riding conditions" I often feel that in warm damp conditions (light rain, drizzle) I have more energy and find it easier to breathe - the spray also helps the rider to stay cool. The upshot being that it is sometimes easier to sustain a high level of effort, and I finish the ride feeling great.

So, I was wondering, does anyone else enjoy riding in the rain?

Cheers,

Ed

I enjoy riding in the rain.. as long as its just light showers.. Heavy rains, well i get cold easily.

I tend to have more energy, and climb better. Since its cooler I can push harder without "overheating".

Riding in the rain earns you big 'Flandrien' credits. The only thing I hate about it is having to clean the bike afterwards.

i dislike it simply because it means i have to clean the bike well and i always think about how the grease is wearing down in my hubs >> and i find more drag in the tires. my bike handling skills are already suspect, so rain doesn't help me any.

but i can understand your glee.

Riding in the rain is a good topic, but two threads at the same time? Here's the other one (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=58077).

I not only enjoy it, I prefer riding in the rain to riding in anything else! What I love the most is getting to the point where one is totally and completely saturated, can't possibly get anymore wet. That would have to be the most liberating feeling in existence.

Riding in the rain is a good topic, but two threads at the same time? Here's the other one (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=58077).

Threads merged.

Unless you have to you, should avoid riding in the rain. Cars visibility is cut way down.. Your own visibilty is also lowered. Painted lines can be dangerous when wet. As far as making you breathe better never herd of that, your prolly breathing in acid rain, be careful.. People complain about drivers not leaving enough space, and driving recklessly, and about people not wearing helmets, but then put them self in a very danger situation for the heck of it? Don't get it.

Unless you have to you, should avoid riding in the rain. Cars visibility is cut way down.. Your own visibilty is also lowered. Painted lines can be dangerous when wet. As far as making you breathe better never herd of that, your prolly breathing in acid rain, be careful.. People complain about drivers not leaving enough space, and driving recklessly, and about people not wearing helmets, but then put them self in a very danger situation for the heck of it? Don't get it.

I've never known riding in the rain to be dangerous, quite the opposite in fact. It washes off the oil build up on the road, making traction much better with pretty much any kind of tyres (we went two years without rain a couple of years ago, you reckon the roads are slippery in the rain? You couldn't even brake gently without skidding in the dry). It forces people to be more careful, and you can always make yourself more visible with lighting.

I remember a totally gratuitious ride I went on earlier this year, a night where we copped 10 inches of rain in five hours! Now that was awesome! The best part was, I felt like I had the whole world to myself.

Forces people to be more careful? Unless its pooring so hard you can't see, really people don't even slow down.. Theres no way to say that the roads are not as slick when its not raining, because the road are always slicker with rain. Have you ever went down a mountain in rain? Its dangerouse because your brakes work 50% worse. It is fun, until someone doesn't see you till last minute because of vistibility, and skids into you. You can't say riding in the rain, is safer than riding when its not raining.

Theres no way to say that the roads are not as slick when its not raining, because the road are always slicker with rain. Have you ever went down a mountain in rain?

Yep. Six passes in two days of pouring rain last January. Loved every minute of it. Again, I will point out that there was no discernable loss of traction. Unlike the big dry we had up here a couple of years ago, when the oil deposits on the road built up to such a level that even braking gently was not possible without skidding. You see, it's not water that makes roads slippery, it's oil that sits on top of water. Now this might provide a problem in light rain, but in tropical downpours where the oil gets washed away, it provides improved traction.



Its dangerouse because your brakes work 50% worse.

I ride in the rain all the time, and I'm yet to see any evidence of that.


It is fun, until someone doesn't see you till last minute because of vistibility, and skids into you.

Again, I'm still waiting for it to happen. I have, however, been hit by cars on numerous occasions when it wasn't raining. The fact of the matter is that every human activity carries risk. I choose mine on the basis of where the odds are in my favour.


You can't say riding in the rain, is safer than riding when its not raining.

I can say whatever I like, this is a public forum. I can also speak from experience in this area because I do it. As I said, I go looking for the rain whenever I can. If the rain stops, I ride through the puddles.

I can say whatever I like, this is a public forum
I think it was just a figure of speech...

Yeah, but not everyone knows what that is.. You've been hit by cars several times? Do you know how to ride a bike? And the reason you've been hit more when its not raining, is because it doesn't rain as much as it does. Like you said you went 2 years with no rain, so you prolly ride 98% of the time in no rain.. But i've just noticed your from Austrailia, so that explains everything. Come to the US and ride in the rain.. The traffic here is a little more heavy and drivers have a bit more rage.

Yeah, but not everyone knows what that is.. You've been hit by cars several times? Do you know how to ride a bike? And the reason you've been hit more when its not raining, is because it doesn't rain as much as it does. Like you said you went 2 years with no rain, so you prolly ride 98% of the time in no rain.. But i've just noticed your from Austrailia, so that explains everything. Come to the US and ride in the rain.. The traffic here is a little more heavy and drivers have a bit more rage.

The drivers out here have plenty of rage. Something I've noticed in the last four years on this forum (and many others) is that the sort of things people overthere get riled up about from drivers are the sort of things that I see every day. I'd love it if the traffic here was heavier, because gridlock is probably the safest riding environment there is (and yes, contrary to what you might believe, I've ridden in that plenty of times, too, particularly during the tourist season).

Driver rage really has nothing to do with it. I know because I've been physically attacked by drivers before -- and this is not something that varies whether or not it's raining (unless, of course, you get enough rain to reduce the level of traffic).

Yes but however you'd like to put it i think its a little more intense riding in the USA than in Austrailia. By the way when I say heavy I mean cars/trucks coming one after another at high speeds... Most of them not paying attention to their surroundings.

Living in Hong Kong, the rain is a godsend! Usually its 30C+ with super high humidity. The rain makes riding far more enjoyable, all be it, far more dangerous.

What tires do you guys ride in the rain?

I am currently riding Continental 3000's but find them a little dicey on wet roads.

By the way Austrailia has about 13 million registered vehicles in all. In the USA just the state of california (2nd biggest) has 22 million vehicles... theres still 50 more states.

I LOVE riding in the rain. :D
I HATE cleaning my bike afterwards. :p

Yeah, but not everyone knows what that is.. You've been hit by cars several times? Do you know how to ride a bike? And the reason you've been hit more when its not raining, is because it doesn't rain as much as it does. Like you said you went 2 years with no rain, so you prolly ride 98% of the time in no rain.. But i've just noticed your from Austrailia, so that explains everything. Come to the US and ride in the rain.. The traffic here is a little more heavy and drivers have a bit more rage.Chris has been riding on wet roads longer than you've been alive. He's fully qualified to speak on the matter.

Ryan, the more you type, the more you demonstrate your ignorance of the subject at hand (AND English grammar/syntax). Chris is correct. A solid rain can actually make the roads a bit safer. Come to TX where the tar starts to melt on hot, sunny days and then try braking at a light. Oil deposits are also a problem, as Chris said. After the first few minutes of a good rain, much of the oil is washed off and that tar has steadied up a bit, making the roads quite safe. Furthermore, using a decent light in the rain can actually make you more visible as Chris said. Just try driving "into the sun" when it's low one day and see if it's easy to see what's ahead. With the new hi-intensity LEDs, I can be seen for a half-mile or more in average rain, something I can't always accomplish on a hot sunny day. I spent several years on the East Cost in VA near DC (as well as growing up in NC) and never felt like drivers drove worse in rain. If anything, I was always a bit annoyed that everyone slowed down because they were worried about the rain (I had Rain-X on my windows and could see better w/o wipers than with them). You also don't seem to know what you're talking about with the brakes. If your rims aren't very clean, you'll always have trouble. A little rain can actually improve braking if your rims are in bad shape (dusty, etc). If not, a little pressure to the brakes from time to time keeps them in good working order. I've had to stop sharply in the rain several times and the bakes worked so well, I was actually able to leave some tire on the road...

I can only assume you're a younger rider who "speaks first, thinks later". Your comments comparing Australia to the US are lamentably arrogant and do little more than demonstrate your ignorance (I'm still wondering when we added a 51st state ("In the USA just the state of california (2nd biggest) has 22 million vehicles... theres [sic] still 50 more states." :eek: )). As you grow older, you will learn the virtues of thinking about what someone else says and considering that they might be right and *you're* wrong (especially when it's someone like Chris who has, oh, I dunno, basically already ridden the "TdF" more than 3x this year and is on track for a 12,000+ mile year (7,300 so far, right Chris...?)). Join the BikeForums team on ActiveBody.org and put your "money" where your mouth is... :mad:

And Chris? Amen on the "saturated" comment, espcially when it stops raining, you lift your toes up in your shoes and water squirts out! :D

I'll echo the sentiments of CarlJStoneham and others; I love riding in the rain, but I hate the fact that I have to drain water out of my bicycle's frame afterwards.

Ok but my father is a State Trooper, and has been in the Fatal Accident Incident Resconstruction team for 6 years, all they deal with is fatals, bikes and cars.. 70% of bike fatals happened in rain. ANd almost every time it rained, there was usually a fatal. I don't give a **** how long hes been riding the day he gets hit maybe that will put sense into him. I down know what kind of puny rain storms you have in TX, but where I am its not fun. But i'll have to tell my Dad not to wonder anymore why theres a cyclist in the pooring rain in an accident.. Its because some idiots think its safe to ride in the rain.. case close investigation over.

Im sorry I don't look at how much someone rides, or how many posts they have left to determine my opinion. Im sorry but I don't know about you but i'll always state my opinion regardless of other, You know some people have a life outside of this board and are not afraid to not be like on here... By the way did you notice as much as you think I am bashing his opinion, your doing the same to mying.. I can tell you are the type where you'll follow a group do what they do, before going on your own.

traction is wayyyy too poor for me, and for drivers, to ride around

Ryan, please, proof your posts. They're becoming so much garbled nonsense :(

Anyway, I can promise you that 70% of bike fatalities do NOT happen in the rain. A significant majority of cyclists stay indoors when it rains. Cycling accidents may be more serious in the rain, but rain is not the leading cause of cycling injuries (all you need to know: http://www.velomondial.net/velomondiall2000/PDF/GEARY.PDF (be sure to read when it says "Bicyclists are much less likely to be out riding in the rain or snow than pedestrians or motorists..."))

As for bashing your arguments, you bet I am. What separates my critique of your arguments from yours of Chris' is that your were actually quite poor, supported by little or no fact (51 states?) and usually resorted to some comparison of Australia versus the US as if that mattered. Chris' arguments are quite sound and based on years and miles of experience. Yours are-- to put it simply-- not. You're welcome to an opinion, but when you try to shoot down someone's stance with poor arguments, terrible writing skills and generally unreasonable insults, you're just asking to be knocked down (something at which I excel)...

Anyway, as with most of these conversations, this is getting boring. /addignore Ryan

PS As for "puny rain storms in TX" I can only laugh. You haven't experienced weather until you come out here. As I said, I lived in VA near the coast for 4 years. There was nothing that compared to TX thunderstorms. Three weeks ago, we had over 33,000 lightining strikes in a two-hour period in a 50-mile radius... Inland winds up to 80 mph. 10 inches of rain in 2 days. And that was only slightly out of the ordinary... Delaware pales by comparison...

Are you guys really arguing about this?! raise your hand if you have actually ridden in the rain. When riding in the rain you do have less traction, and brakes dont work as well. I'd say that it makes riding in the rain more dangerous. anyone need proof? go and look at the tour de france 2003 time trial when jan ullrich skidded out. (in the rain) however, thats not to say that you shouldn't ride in the rain, you just need to be more careful. take corners a bit slower, and be cautious. avoid the lines on the road. The part about riding in the rain that I hate is the decents of the hills around here. we have these rolling hills where you stand and pop up over them, then coast at 30 mph down...rain ruins the fun becuase you have to ride the brakes a bit before turns. Also, the rain clean up is a *****, especially with a steel bike.

Practically what I said, but was blown way out of proportion by others. But wait according to them they have better brakes and traction while riding in rain. But they probably take a shot of crack before riding and can't tell.

yes, riding in the rain is a little more dangerous. usually it's manageable, though, and sometimes i look forward to it, to clear out the mind and remember why i ride.

i did my first centuries, metric and imperial, in the rain, and i guess it's just a reminder that you can do what you set your mind to.

sd

Ryan, please, proof your posts. They're becoming so much garbled nonsense :(

Anyway, I can promise you that 70% of bike fatalities do NOT happen in the rain. A significant majority of cyclists stay indoors when it rains. Cycling accidents may be more serious in the rain, but rain is not the leading cause of cycling injuries (all you need to know: http://www.velomondial.net/velomondiall2000/PDF/GEARY.PDF (be sure to read when it says "Bicyclists are much less likely to be out riding in the rain or snow than pedestrians or motorists..."))

As for bashing your arguments, you bet I am. What separates my critique of your arguments from yours of Chris' is that your were actually quite poor, supported by little or no fact (51 states?) and usually resorted to some comparison of Australia versus the US as if that mattered. Chris' arguments are quite sound and based on years and miles of experience. Yours are-- to put it simply-- not. You're welcome to an opinion, but when you try to shoot down someone's stance with poor arguments, terrible writing skills and generally unreasonable insults, you're just asking to be knocked down (something at which I excel)...

Anyway, as with most of these conversations, this is getting boring. /addignore Ryan

PS As for "puny rain storms in TX" I can only laugh. You haven't experienced weather until you come out here. As I said, I lived in VA near the coast for 4 years. There was nothing that compared to TX thunderstorms. Three weeks ago, we had over 33,000 lightining strikes in a two-hour period in a 50-mile radius... Inland winds up to 80 mph. 10 inches of rain in 2 days. And that was only slightly out of the ordinary... Delaware pales by comparison...



sorry, i have to disgree with both you and chris l here. traction is indubitably worse in the rain. the permeability of roads is that so oil does not wash away in a matter of minutes. what's more, the water alone on the lowers friction. and then there is the pad&braking surface contact... there is absolutely no way one can claim or prove that braking/handling is favorable in the rain. i have better luck braking downhill than i do after riding through a puddle....

not only are the injuries in the rain more serious, they are more likely... the only thing that your linked showed was the trend of injuries vs fatalities... not occurance vs riding time. they did acknowledge that the rain increased the likely hood of motor vehicle crashes in general.. its quite reasonable--obvious, even--to postulate that the same applies to bicycles.

anyways, i think ill just stay in doors for now. if you do decide to ride: keep safe

asdfsd

Sometimes you can't avoid it, I did my first metric century in the rain.. Its not what I like doing but sometimes you have to cope with it.. The chances of getting hit in the rain is probably lower because of not riding in it as often. However I don't go looking for rain, and would rather ride the trainer if its raining. It is more dangerous no matter how those two try to put it.. And thats my final on this topic, you two guys can argu more that riding in the rain is safer blah blah blah but im done..

Last time I rode in the rain I was going up a pretty steep hill and my back tire actually did a burnout . :) , Just got some new tires and Its like I got a new bike :) . I put 65 miles on the tires today , even climbed a 7 mile 10% grade . I felt great . My arms started cramping though
Jar

Well, that's all a very interesting debate, especially where Chris L.'s viewpoint is concerned. I won't dispute either party's experiences, but my .02 is:
The road can be slippery, braking ability drops some 70%, car people are even more stupid, soggy feet are bothersome, and I hate the cleanup afterward.
Sometimes invigorating, but generally a drag. Race trainers got something I ain't got.

Phat, I'm raising my hand in answer to your request and saying "Whenever I can" :) Also, remember that Joseba Beloki skidded out and sustained far worse injuries on a hot, sunny day... Tar...

Red, all my link was meant to do was counter Ryan's mistaken assertion that 70% of all cycling fatalities occur in the rain. It shows that only 5% of biking fatalities can be linked to rain (assuming I'm reading it right, and I think I am), and that nearly 94% are not related to "adverse weather conditions". Heck, it even shows that pedestrian fatalities are twice what cycling fatalities are when it rains. Surely we're not suggesting we not walk in the rain? :D (PS I think there are links for the websites with the actual numbers at the bottom of that admittedly fascinating resport)

As for braking, I only know that I've had a harder time braking on a 98 degree day on some of the roads around here than I do when it rained. As I ride in the rain, I make it a point to lightly apply the brakes on a regular basis to keep them from being saturated. I guess I have never actually taken the time to measure my stopping distance, but neither have I noticed a significantly reduced ability to brake when I needed to. Perhaps if I had to emergency brake, the results might be different...

As for visibility, I am DEFINTELY more visible in a shower when I have my high intensity LED "brake" light on than when I'm riding into the sun around 6pm. This has been confirmed by a few friends...

Now, granted, I don't ride in just insane downpours, simply because they're usually acompanied by lightning OR because I simply don't want a million raindrops pelting me at 15 mph :D . I'm talking about your normal rain shower that lasts 30 mins to an hour. (Then again, in TX, weather moves so fast, this could translate to several hours elsewhere.)

PS Back to the skidding thing... The roads can get fantastically hot around here and, on numerous sunny occassions, I have applied moderate-to-heavy pressure to my brakes only to feel my rear wheel begin to skid. This was due to extremely hot, dry roads with a fine layer of grit and possibly oil (and decent speed on my part). Those same roads "handled" much better during/after a good rain... I guess it's just a matter of environment. :)

Ridding in the rain rocks, for the same reasons Chris mentioned. But having said that, I must add that the WOST wreck I ever had was in the rain! Doing about 25 and thought I could bank into a rather tight corner, nope, wrong! Went horizontal and over an embankment; when I woke up I was a bloody mess! My right leg and chain rings became one! So, now if it's wet I just slow down for tight turns and enjoy the rain. Hell with the stats, I just want to enjoy the days I'm given to be alive. So I ride.............!

OK, let's switch tracks a bit: WORST weather conditions (doesn't have to be rain) in which you've ridden. For me, it *will* be the Hotter'n'Hell 100 in Wichita Falls in August. Up to 110 on the course they say... As for what I've actually done, the last part of an MS 150 last year into a 25 mph headwind for the better part of 40 miles :p

rain is fun??

Guess when its that hot rain is something to look forward to regardless of any dangers.. Worst conditions is probably cold.. When I first started cycling I thought well i'll warm up in a bit, so went out with leg and arm warmers in very cold weather, bout a mile down the road i was cursing.. Now I have goretex from head to toe, for the winter... Other than that on a tour across PA, there was a terrible down poor, plus no shoulders and a truck route, trucks flying by was worse than the rain.. Then it started lighting so we had to wait under a gas station for our sag vehicle to take us to the next camp..

If you are a racer, you get to race better than other cyclists in the rain. This is with better experience in rain, knowing the stopping distance in wet conditions, ability to ride more confidently etc. If you race, you have to do what you will and can expect in a race.

If you are not a racer, the cool weather is enjoyable, and you get to spend a pretty intimate time with your bike afterwards.

How do you clean a bike after the rain? Also, which parts of the frame tend to rust easily?

I have a steel frame, it really doesn't rust at all... What I noticed is bolts on the bike will rust, your chain will... Usually if I ride or it was on the roof in the rain, ill towel dry it.. When I drys completley i re-lube the chain. If its rains really bad and its real dirty I'll clean it, de grease it, and re-lube the whole bike, only takes about an hour or so...

OK, let's switch tracks a bit: WORST weather conditions (doesn't have to be rain) in which you've ridden. For me, it *will* be the Hotter'n'Hell 100 in Wichita Falls in August. Up to 110 on the course they say... As for what I've actually done, the last part of an MS 150 last year into a 25 mph headwind for the better part of 40 miles :p
gah, im gonna hafta do this one. i think i can take the distance fine--as long as i keep myself fed and hydrated... its the heat thats got me buggered =X

I need to learn how to work on my bike. No skills or tools here. Can you recommend a site with info?

I need to learn how to work on my bike. No skills or tools here. Can you recommend a site with info?
http://www.parktool.com/

Guess when its that hot rain is something to look forward to regardless of any dangers..

Apart from the fact that rain also reduces a lot the other dangers. I'm talking about things like dehydration, skin cancer and heat stroke. Every summer in this part of the world, a number of people die of causes directly related to the heat (regardless of whether they're cycling or not). Even I find it difficult to get more than 3 or 4 hours sleep most nights. Consequently, if it starts raining outside, the best thing to do is simply get out there -- even if you don't cycle in it.

Chris has been riding on wet roads longer than you've been alive. He's fully qualified to speak on the matter.

Unfortunately, we're not all big lovable gorillas.
To highly exaggarate, that's like asking michael schumacher if it's ok to drive 150mph on the autobahn. Yes if you're him, but that might not apply for everyone else.

How do you clean a bike after the rain? If I'm really on top of thiings, I put some dishwashing detergent in a bucket, fill it up with about 2-3 inches of water and then take a large brush I bought from an auto store (made for cleaning cars) and just run over the whole frame *in the rain*. The rain will loosen up some of the oil on the chain and it will splatter all over the frame near the drivetrain. If you act while it's still wet, it's much easier to clean off. The chain is typically the only thing that rusts and that's more that kind of surface rust that goes away as soon as you oil the chain. Just try to dry to dry the bike with a towel after cleaning it and take a few paper towels to the chain after spinning it a few times. All this should only take about 5 minutes. If you let everything dry and then come back the next day, it'll take longer. Many bike shops have brush "kits" with several diferent types for cleaning the frame. As for what you do if it's not been raining and your bike just needs it, that's a different matter and requires a bit more time andeffort... :)

Thanks for the input folks.... I was originally considering possible physiological benefits of riding in damp & wet weather, but safety is important too.
Personally, I have not felt unsafe in wet conditions for a long time - since I abandoned steel wheel rims (ooooh the horror). I simply have no alternative to riding in the wet, as mentioned in the original posting. Bike clean-up is an issue, especially cleaning up the chain - every 200-300 miles (more frequently) in the winter. For all weather riding it pays to invest in decent wheel hubs - decent seals that keep out water/salt/grit mean that bearing lifetime is much improved. I've had good luck with sealed bottom bracket units for the same reasons.

Oh yes, apologies for the original double submission, and thanks to the moderators for fixing it - I was unable to delete for some reason. :rolleyes:

I am surprised by the arguments that spun off - perhaps a thread on Campy vs Shimano next, surely we ought to be able to sort that one out this time? ;)

Cheers,

Ed

OK, let's switch tracks a bit: WORST weather conditions (doesn't have to be rain) in which you've ridden.

Worst: Wind. Wind. Wind. Wind. No contest, there.

Rain is fine, as long as it isn't totally pouring. You're going to get soaked anyway, right? I'll take rain-soaked over sweat-soaked ANY day.

bkr