"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Training in the Rain.

This winter, I'll be training through the "winter" in SoCal. Believe it or not, we do get temps down in the low 30's and some cold rain to boot. What I was wondering is, what do you guys wear to train in temps down in the 30's and in the pouring rain? Price is of secondary consideration to warmth and waterproof-ness.

These are from head to toe (chest/legs is from outer to inner):
Rain Setup:

Helmet
Cycling Cap
Rain Jacket (Showers Pass Elite 2.0)
Standard Cycling Jacket (Mine is a Capo)
Long/Short Sleve Jersey
Long Sleve Base Layer
Gloves (Capo Wind Glove)
Rain Pants (I was thinking either Showers Pass Roadie or eVent Pants)
Bibs/Bib Tights
Booties (Not sure on brand/model yet)
Shoes
Winter Socks

The pieces I'm most interested in criticism regarding are the rain jacket (showers pass elite 2.0), the gloves (Capo Wind Glove, will it be enough for heavy rain?; if not, what gloves are good), Rain Pants (Showers Pass eVent?), and Booties.
Does my layering seem ok?
Keep in mind that I am a 110 lb, 3% body fat, climber. I get cold, really easily, and I'll be up high this winter.

I hate rain jackets. I'll wear six jerseys before a jacket. In Colorado, I'd only wear a shell if it dropped below 20F.

I like to layer it up and just deal with the fact that I'm going to be wet. Last year I did a couple weeks in 34F rain, and I did just fine with leg warmers, tights, toe covers, shoe covers, bibs, up to two ss jerseys, arm warmers, ls jersey, headband, skull cap, and either fleece gloves or lobsters (I'd bring both and rotate as needed).

Under armor underwear or underpants (cold or all purpose gear) depending on temperature and similar top with jacket. A hat or hoodie under my helmet, and full fingered gloves if it cold. The less clothes to absorb liquid the better. Keep pedaling, and once you are wet your wet, so don't waste too much time avoiding it.

It rains/Snows/Sleets all the time here.

http://alphabluetech.com/kj2/cyclinghome.php
Go there and scroll all the way down and click play on the very last video.

Here is a video from some of the rain on tour. Some of it was ice cold, the downhill was sleet as you can see and hail in KC. Not too mention tornadoes and standard rainstorms.

Unless you plan on having it stop raining mid-ride, and want to be a little bit dry in that event, leave the waterproof stuff at home, except for gloves, booties and maybe a vest. Rain pants will just turn you into a sweat factory, as will a full jacket if it's over 40.

Layer up, expect your arms and legs to get wet. It won't matter once you're warmed up anyway. Just keep your core, hands and feet warm and you'll be good to go.

Just wait a day and ride when its not raining. That's what everyone else does in SCal. Hell we have Santa Barbarians that won't even ride when it's misting.

temps down in the low 30's and some cold rain to boot.

I commute on a bike every day through my city's climate - I also train in this climate.

For commuting, I could give you a list of stuff that will keep you largely dry and warm.
For training, listen to Z and the others... you simply aren't going stay dry if it is raining, so focus on keeping the important bits warm.

I wear the Shower's Pass Pro jacket, which is comfortably cool in sub 50°F temps, while keeping you dry - as well as race/close fitting. Took forever to get one, but really glad I did for this winter's muck.

I've used Sealskinz socks for the last year. You have to be smart about the way you wear them though because if water gets inside them... it doesn't come out, and you end up wearing socks full of water. They are waterproof both directions, for sure.

This winter, I'll be training through the "winter" in SoCal. Believe it or not, we do get temps down in the low 30's and some cold rain to boot. What I was wondering is, what do you guys wear to train in temps down in the 30's and in the pouring rain? Price is of secondary consideration to warmth and waterproof-ness.

These are from head to toe (chest/legs is from outer to inner):
Rain Setup:

Helmet
Cycling Cap
Rain Jacket (Showers Pass Elite 2.0)
Standard Cycling Jacket (Mine is a Capo)
Long/Short Sleve Jersey
Long Sleve Base Layer
Gloves (Capo Wind Glove)
Rain Pants (I was thinking either Showers Pass Roadie or eVent Pants)
Bibs/Bib Tights
Booties (Not sure on brand/model yet)
Shoes
Winter Socks

The pieces I'm most interested in criticism regarding are the rain jacket (showers pass elite 2.0), the gloves (Capo Wind Glove, will it be enough for heavy rain?; if not, what gloves are good), Rain Pants (Showers Pass eVent?), and Booties.
Does my layering seem ok?
Keep in mind that I am a 110 lb, 3% body fat, climber. I get cold, really easily, and I'll be up high this winter.

slippers and a sweater. no way in hell would i chose to train in "pouring rain" when it was in the low 30s.

^^ agreed.
I went out last Saturday in the low 60s and pouring rain and when I got home felt like T-total-shart. I couldn't imagine doing it in the 30s.

I won't mix rain with cold and rain with dark. I don't even want to think about training in the cold, rainy, dark.

just got these, the actually work. super fred, too!

http://www.rainlegs.co.uk/

keep quads knees warm, breath well. I mate them with thermal leg warmers and standard bib shorts.

Assless chaps for cyclists.
All you'll need is a pair of padded undies and pasties to cover your nipples. Maybe some gloves with tassels too.

:roflmao2:

cold is one thing, cold and wet is another. I'm a wuss, if it's raining outside and 30, I'll be on the trainer.

I see no reason to risk my health by training in the "pouring rain" if temps are anywhere near or below freezing.

It's not like I'm getting paid to do this.

Naw, cold rain is kind of fun.

It's a nice opportunity to pull out the gear I have from my cold-climate days. There's a suburban neighborhood across the street from my office that has a moderately hilly 3-mile loop, so I can ride at lunch, in a downpour, without much traffic, and really close to the same speed as the traffic.

FWIW: it's really rare for it to rain below freezing...

I've also snowshoe backpacked at night at -5F above timberline, and pitched camp on a 15' snowpack, so I may not be wired correctly. I guess I also head out for lunch rides in the 110F sunshine....

Naw, cold rain is kind of fun.

It's a nice opportunity to pull out the gear I have from my cold-climate days. There's a suburban neighborhood across the street from my office that has a moderately hilly 3-mile loop, so I can ride at lunch, in a downpour, without much traffic, and really close to the same speed as the traffic.

FWIW: it's really rare for it to rain below freezing...

I've also snowshoe backpacked at night at -5F above timberline, and pitched camp on a 15' snowpack, so I may not be wired correctly. I guess I also head out for lunch rides in the 110F sunshine....

i ride in the rain all of the time.

i ride in cold rain quite often (especially on my city bike).

i see no fun in riding in "pouring rain" when it's below 50° and i'm not racing.

Keep in mind that I am a 110 lb, 3% body fat, climber. I get cold, really easily, and I'll be up high this winter.

The you'd better get to the emergency room quick! Better yet call 911 and just lie down.


For clothes I'd also skip the waterproof pants. If you're at any kind of altitude I would use a waterproof jacket, though. Descending while wet and cold is a recipe for illness. At the very least I'd use a windproof vest.

No matter what you wear you will be wet whether from rain or sweat. The trick is to also stay warm while wet.

Don't scrimp on gloves or booties. Seriously.


And get to a hospital.

I wish I was up real high

Kinda like a cloud.

Add me to the list of those who don't train in the pouring rain|cold|dark (pick any two). It's not worth the risk of getting killed or crashing out.

5 minute intervals in the dark - spooky.

The only thing I can't do on the trainer is sprint intervals. I did 1.5 hours of warmup/cooldown and mixed type intervals for 100 TSS last night on the trainer. No way I would have done the intensity or duration muddling around on desolate roads in the rain and dark with only my headlight.

Besides, I noticed coming out of last season, learning how to stick it out on the trainer for months leads to some awesome mental gains on the road.

Kinda like a cloud.

A pretty pink cloud.

Believe it or not, we do get temps down in the low 30's and some cold rain to boot. What I was wondering is, what do you guys wear to train in temps down in the 30's and in the pouring rain?


Low 30's + rain? Buy yourself a really good indoor trainer. I recommend a Computrainer from Racermate. For me, the reason to pony up the dough vs a decent trainer (diff is $1000+) is the boredeom factor that the Computrainer alleviates.

How high is "up high"? It makes a difference. There's real mountains in SoCal.

I'm with Botto on this.... if it's cold and pouring rain, I don't ride. Light rain, ok. Not too cold, ok. But both? I have a used spin bike in the guest room for that. I don't ride if it's snowing at my house either.

Where I am in NorCal, we get about 50 inches of rain a year. Even if you're in the SoCal mountains you get what, 15? 20? There's not going to be that many rainy days. If you pay attention to the weather you can have some of your rest days coincide with rain days. (unless you guys get that thing we get sometimes where it only rains on the weekends).

When you do ride in the wet, fenders are great.

A pretty pink cloud.

When I w- We lived in Arizona, and the skies always had little fluffy clouds in 'em, and, uh... they were long... and clear and... there were lots of stars at night. And, uh, when it would rain, it would all turn - it- They were beautiful, the most beautiful skies as a matter of fact. Um, the sunsets were purple and red and yellow and on fire, and the clouds would catch the colors everywhere. That's uh, neat cause I used to look at them all the time, when I was little. You don't see that. You might still see them in the desert.

what do you guys wear to train in temps down in the 30's and in the pouring rain?

I usually wear my oldest, ill-fitting cycling shorts and go shirtless.






























































On the trainer. I won't ride in weather like that. Can't make me. Nope.

trainer, though I do hate it. I just hate the trainer a bit less than I hate riding in the cold rain.

however, I have raced and been on long rides in the cold rain this year. it's good to get out in it occasionally just to know what it's like etc.

to me, the biggest problem is not the personal / body stuff... that's nothing a hot shower and some laundry time won't fix.

the biggest problem is the bike. constantly having to clean, re-lube, scrub the rims, pick stuff out of brake pads. it sucks and gets old really quick.

I see no reason to risk my health by training in the "pouring rain" if temps are anywhere near or below freezing.

It's not like I'm getting paid to do this.

So Seizing the day only is only your motto in clear or paid for weather? Interesting...

ugh. nothing is worse than rain at 33 degrees. give me fifteen degrees over 33 and raining, any day.

I agree that just above freezing rain is not desirable but riding and training on those days makes the good days so much more enjoyable, exciting, and beneficial as you can focus on things you can't when it's raining. (sprinting, hard turns, proper launching) and you already did the mileage the day before, when it was raining.

In my eyes, nothing helps you train for the good weather like riding in the extremely poor conditions. It makes you a more well rounded as a rider and much better prepared for the single bad elements that may come to a race. (down tree, gusts of winds, a large puddle, or clumps of mud and dirt loose on the line.

A pretty pink cloud.

No, no. I was going for "I was up, way up in the sky"

I'd suggest you skip all that for a couch, some hot chocolate and large burger and fries.

So Seizing the day only is only your motto in clear or paid for weather? Interesting...

you've got the depth of a kiddie pool.

I see no reason to risk my health by training in the "pouring rain" if temps are anywhere near or below freezing.

It's not like I'm getting paid to do this.

Risk your health? Now there's an excuse I haven't heard before.. (edit: you're talking about ice - nevermind, I agree!)

OP, like WR I say go with layers, and on top of that I say layers of wool.

Plastic bags over the shoes and under some booties work wonders too.

you've got the depth of a kiddie pool.

Wow, you showed me. Try showing the rain.

Wow, you showed me. Try showing the rain.

You're doing enough showing to not need any help from me. :thumb:

Risk your health? Now there's an excuse I haven't heard before.. (edit: you're talking about ice - nevermind, I agree!)

OP, like WR I say go with layers, and on top of that I say layers of wool.

Plastic bags over the shoes and under some booties work wonders too.

I've used surgical gloves as a base under some long finger gloves while racing in rain at altitude (+2000m). They worked GREAT. I was also still able to use my hands to shift and brake which is hard to do sometimes with big mitts.

Risk your health? Now there's an excuse I haven't heard before.. (edit: you're talking about ice - nevermind, I agree!)

OP, like WR I say go with layers, and on top of that I say layers of wool.

Plastic bags over the shoes and under some booties work wonders too.

Another vote for wool. You could get yourself a old school wool jersey (like Lucien B. in my avatar) or let your Fred Flag fly and just wear a sweater.

Wow. This thread really took off while I was at school. Thanks for all the responses. Much fewer unhelpful responses than I anticipated. I just want to be prepared for whatever conditions come my way. I go by a weekly training plan (everything pre-planned the week before), so I might have to train through a sudden rain storm.

As for racing in the rain. Is it just arm warmers, vest/pvc jacket, knee warmers and booties?

yep

As for racing in the rain. Is it just arm warmers, vest/pvc jacket, knee warmers and booties?

And as much HTFU as you can fit in your jersey pockets.

The worst part about riding in the rain is usually just getting out the door. Once you get over the initial shock of leaving a warm, dry house, it's almost never as bad as you imagined and it makes you feel like a tough guy.

A few helpful hints about training in the rain from the PNW:

It's OK to be wet, as long as you are warm and wet. C'mon, it's 2 hour of suffering, then you can take a long, hot shower.


Fenders, ftw. They will do more to keep the soaking at a manageable level than any piece of clothing. Even if you don't have a real "rain bike," those clip on DeFenders or Race Blades actually work OK for riding by yourself, and can even be marginally acceptable in groups if you add buddy flaps.


Booties. If it is really raining, layer your tights OVER the booties, it will delay the inevitable point where your feet are soaked. Oh, and remember to put some duct tape over the venting holes in the soles of your fancy carbon shoes.


Agree with the comments about jackets and pants. I would never bring waterproof pants unless i was riding over some remote mountain pass. Generally, just go with several layers, a long-underwear shirt under a jersey or something. I often bring a waterproof/breathable jacket on long rides where I'm going to be a long ways from home - if it's raining, I know I'll eventually be totally wet, but at least it will hold in enough heat to prevent uncontrollable shivering... Usually just carry a vest though, especially when riding long hills to keep from getting frozen on the descents.

all you really need is these
http://www.powertri.com/productimages/kreitler/alloy_4_5_with_fan.jpg

that will probably benefit you more than ten hours you'll end up riding in rain. Something that is very nice though is a heavyweight long sleeved wool base layer, keeps ya warm when your wet or dry.