CrankyOne

I ride a Workcycles Oma so it comes with good fenders, good grips, and Schwalbe Marathon tires which are all critical in the rain.

I wear normal sunglasses most days and do have a pair that are extremely light tinted for cloudy rainy days if I still want something. Generally if I don't need them for sun I don't wear them though. For grips try some Velo Ergogel (Handlebar grips). They work exceptional well wet or dry.

I often use an umbrella as well.

RubeRad

Hi again bikesd. I got misted on this morning as well! I had an interesting ride (for the purposes of your question) this morning. Usually I don't wear gloves. But this morning I ran 2mi, and was totally sweaty, so I wore biking gloves, because otherwise my sweaty hands are quite slippery on my bar tape (drop bars, regular bar tape). But on the way to work I stopped at a place to get blood drawn for my annual checkup, when I left there I was no longer sweaty, so I didn't put my gloves back on. But then because of the mist, all of my skin got wet, including my hands on the bar tape.

Short story: wear biking gloves to control slippery grips.

In the rain, the grips will still get wet, but the gloves will probably absorb and not slip around so much.

Also I've heard that Schwalbe Marathon Supremes are very good rain tires (just one of the characteristics that make them the gold standard for commuter tires), but they are pricey. Others probably have other recommendations.

All in all though, this is San Diego, you shouldn't have to worry about too much rain. Although 1.5 inches in one weekend in July? Unheard of! (And I've heard this is going to be a crazy wet El Nino winter...)

One last tip: I bought an Ikea rain poncho for like 6 bucks, and carry it around with me. It packs into its pocket, which is pretty convenient. Haven't gotten a chance to try it out yet though...

Gresp15C

I actually enjoy braving the elements, so I don't mind going out in the rain. Also, we get random storms during the summer months, so there's always a chance of getting caught in the rain.

What works for me is rain jacket and pants, and sandals. I carry my rain gear in a small bag, to keep sunlight from destroying it.

I agree about gloves. Even those cheap brown cotton work gloves help provide better grip. I keep a pair of those in my sag bag for repairs anyway.

Something that helps me a lot is to keep all of this gear organized in one place, so I don't have to think about it, or search for everything, when I leave the house.

GovernorSilver

I don't know what thunderstorms are like there in South Dakota - maybe being struck by lightning over there is like being shocked by your classmate in 3rd grade class after he rubbed his shoes on the carpet.

I lived in Tampa, FL for 3 years - during which it claimed the title of Lightning Capital of the US. Even the toughest looking guys that I met there would run for shelter at the first sight of lightning. I heard that Tampa eventually lost its title of Lightning Capital to another city, but Florida is still at the top in lightning deaths and injuries. Some lightning facts and myths from Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council: TBRPC ~ Emergency Management Tampa Bay Prepares

GovernorSilver

I grew up in San Diego, CA so I get where you're coming from. I didn't experience winter or truly strong storms until I'd lived for a bit in Florida, started visiting relatives in N. Carolina regularly, and living in the DC area.

My approach now is - instead of preventing myself from getting wet - to wear attire that dries fast. I wear quick-dry socks, shorts, shirt, and underwear/cycling liner. My helmet is my "rain hat".

Speaking of, I'm disappointed with myself allowing myself to be psyched out by today's forecast for thunderstorm (50% chance). There wasn't any rain at all today! I could have enjoyed a commute ride instead of being stuck on the metro due to "signal problem".

MichaelW

The first rain after a dry spell is always slippy due to deposits on the road surface. Regular rain washes these off. Road surfaces are usually a bit grippier in rainy climates, but white paint and metal covers carry usual warnings.
Drivers are used to poor visibility, but it helps to use lights and hi viz clothing.
Wear gloves/mitts and use modern foam bar tape.
Tyres make a big difference in grip and some are known for being good grippers in cold and wet.

BobbyG

+1 on using long fenders, especially in the front where they should curve under the wheel towards the ground with that little flap...what a difference even when compared to lesser coverage. I will wait out the rain when it has become so heavy I feel that most drivers can't see well enough to see me. I also use my lights in the rain. +1 on slowing down to allow for wet rim brakes, and possibly slick roads.

hardboiled718

Commuting in the rain is pretty miserable no matter how you cut it. I used to enjoy the challenge of it but now I only do it because it's still slightly better than the bus.
Give yourself more time for your commute, I usually leave a little earlier because cornering and braking will be affected when riding in wet conditions. Also you might want to wipe down the bike and will probably need to change when you get to work. Maybe get some good gloves for riding in the rain. For really heavy rain I use a poncho, good for keeping the upper body fairly dry, but legs and feet still get wet.

Scummer

I take off my glasses when they get foggy during rain. During snow and ice I put on tires with studs. Crashed once on black ice, that won't happen again. During the heat, I have no problem. I rode in 100F weather for 150 miles, just make sure there is enough water and a few salty snacks, banana, etc to keep the electrolytes topped off.
My commute is only 9 miles one way, so on a rainy day, i throw my rain gear on (Jacket, pants, booties) and go about my business.

I cycle year round and have fun doing it year round as well... well, there was one time where the snow was coming sideways with a very strong crosswind, that was less than stellar. But I still made it.

I just love cycling. ****ty weather is not a deterrent.

ItsJustMe

Simply put, just ride. I honestly don't even notice the weather when I'm riding, unless it's hail or something. Rain stops even being something that I notice.

As for rain on goggles, I don't have any trouble seeing just fine through the drops. It's only when they get foggy that I have to wipe down with a finger once in a while.
If it's bad I just drop them down my nose a bit and peer over them. The helmet visor keeps the rain out of my eyes unless there's a lot of wind.

Tundra_Man 

I'm not saying that someone won't be good and dead if they get struck by lightning. For sure it will end your day (and then some) on a low note.

What I'm saying is that the chances are extremely slim that I'm going to be struck by lightning. Much lower than the chances I'm going to get mowed down by a vehicle, but that doesn't seem to stop most of us from riding our bikes.

So the original question I was responding to was, "How do you deal with thunderstorms?" My response is, "I keep riding and play the odds." Certainly everyone has the right to choose to do the same, or not do the same depending on their comfort level.

ItsJustMe

I have a similar opinion on lightning. Even during a thunderstorm, we just don't get the frequency of strikes that places like Tampa get.

My house has been sitting in one place for > 20 years, with a giant grounded steel rod sticking up 30 feet in the air, in every thunderstorm that's rolled through, and it's never been struck. I'm much closer to the ground and less well grounded. Statistically I'd probably have to ride in every thunderstorm for 300 years before getting struck. Riding in one or two a year, I'm not too worried. Much more likely to die by MANY other causes.

tjspiel

Seems like thunderstorms either happen in the heat of the day or overnight. It's rare to for me encounter a thunderstorm on the way to work. On the way home, I have a little more flexibility time wise and can wait out a storm at work if need be. They don't typically last long. I've also ridden home during a lightning storm but if there are high winds or very frequent lightning, I'm going to wait.

If it's just plain rain with some infrequent lightning/thunder I'll ride.

mgw4jc

This is a good point. I think my aversion to storms is more a visibility issue. Around where I live, if a thunderstorm is rolling through, the accompanying rain is usually so torrential that I have a harder time seeing and/or am not as easily seen. These types of storms don't usually last that long that I couldn't just wait it out somewhere.

And the OP calls them "goggles." Are these just glasses? Goggles to me are enclosed and meant for extremely cold conditions or snow sports. Glasses on the other hand would help keep rain out of your eyes. Yes they'd get drops of water on them, but those can usually be seen through/seen past well enough.

tjspiel

Since he took a bee to the eye, the OP might really mean goggles. I wear ski goggles when it's really cold or with the harder varieties of frozen precipitation but they've got some features to prevent fogging like ventilation and double lenses.

For the OP, I've got this picture in my head of a leather helmet and old-style motorcycle goggles... Probably not accurate.

GovernorSilver

It was a guy from NC who laughed in the faces of me and my buddy in San Diego when we were complaining about the "heavy" rain. Sure enough, when I started visiting my aunt in NC, I saw what truly heavy rainfall looks like.

My concern about yesterday's thunderstorm forecast simply robbed me of what probably would have been a decent commute ride. Not only was there no lightning at all, but there wasn't any rain either.

Florida rainfall came in spurts - it might hit hard and heavy, but then be gone after like 15 min. DC rainfall for the most part is gentler, but last longer too. We did have that one storm in early July that just kept raining and raining for hours, with frequent heavy downpours. Tried to wait it out but too much time passed, got soaked on the walk to the Metro.

ItsJustMe

Heavy rain and fog are two of the big reasons that I have very serious rear lighting (DS500, before that a series of relatively bright lights).

As for "goggles" what I use is safety glasses, sometimes tinted. In the summer, often polarized sunglasses. I have a pair that makes a very good seal with my face right around my eye socket and keeps out most of the dirt and bugs. The clear safety glasses that I wear almost count as goggles as well since they also touch my eye socket all the way around my eyeball.

Neddog

Yup. I was a motorcycle instructor for 5 years and we always taught riders to wait out the start of the rain to let all that oil and grease run off.

wolfchild

You don't need any special tires for riding in the rain. The only thing you need to do, is to slow down and don't lean too much when taking corners and making turns on wet roads. Slowing down is the best strategy and 100% effective for preventing crashes on wet roads.