Spire

Hi,
I plan to start communting fairly soon and I like in a fairly wet part of the world (not as bad as England, sorry ). I would like to hear what exactly people wear/do when it rains, anything from a light drizzle to a heavy rain. What sort of gear do you use?

Are most clip shoes waterproof?



Spire

Richard D

Light drizzle I generally ignore - cycling jerseys dry out quickly enough anyway. Heavy rain goes through hust about anything so I either get wet or chicken out and catch the train. Mid-showers I use a 'showerproof' Ronhill hi-vis jacket.

Richard

PaulH

The worst part of the rain is the stuff that your tires throw up from the rain -- sand, grit, salt from last winter, and most of all oil from cars. The sand and grit are bad for the mechanism of your bike. The oil will leave a black "skunk stripe" down your back. These conditions persist long after the rain has stopped.

Fenders are good for you and for your bike. I really wouldn't want to commute without them. Damp clothing dries out. Oil soaked clothing may be totally ruined.

Raingear has to be well-ventilated. It also has to be light and compact, so that you can easily carry it on the rack or in a pannier. I have a long Gore-Tex coat with a hood that works really well and some Nashbar rain pants that work much less well. Totes are good for dress shoes, however, they are thin stretch neoprene and will tear when used with cleated bike shoes.

I find it fun to ride through hard rain. Good situation in which to sing, "Riders on the Storm." Around here, rainstorms immobilize the automobile traffic, which makes for an especially pleasant commute.

Paul

MichaelW

It rains a lot less in the SE of England than people imagine, but we do get the occasional shower and storm.
There is warm rain, cool rain and cold rain.

Full length, close fitting enders are essential. A wider splash guard at the bottom of front fender is very effective, but SKS have stopped making this on their models. The roads are wet long after the rain has stopped, and you can get away with a highly breathable windproof rather than a waterproof.

I have a gortetx cycling jacket, but only ever wear it during rain. Its too clammy for normal riding, and you wear it out and risk damage with constant use. Im becoming partial to pertex as a good showerproof material. Its a fairly standard material for cycling windproofs.

For legs, I only wear showerproofs when its cold. My normal leggings (Ronhill tracksters) can deal with dampness OK.

Footwear is the real problem. Most cycling shoes are mesh, and useless for cold rain. You can use neoprene over-booties for longer rides, or just use water-proof material for your shoes.
Helmet peaks work well in the rain. Use lights in heavy rain, and keep your rims clean by applying your brakes. Be aware of longer stopping distances for all traffic, including yourself. Think ahead more than you would in the dry.

Rich Clark

This morning I tried something; it was drizzling but warmish (65F) so I put on a pair of Coolmax socks with my Shimano SPD sandals.

Worked great! The socks got wet, but my feet never felt cold. And they're already dry, being Coolmax. The sandals are mostly rubber and plastic anyway.

I'm definitely going to look for some Neoprene socks and keep them with the nylon rain suit I carry in my panniers on threatening days. I can really see the waterproof sock over a regular sock (for warmth), worn with SPD sandals, being a very flexible rain combo for commuting in weather down to 50-ish. Colder than that, booties over shoes.

RichC

MichaelW

I met a German guy who used SPD sandles with waterproof gortex socks. It seemed more practical than getting your socks damp from the neoprene wetsuit material.

RainmanP

Hey, Paul! You been readin' my old posts? Check around last June. I had one subject "Riders on the Storm" when I rode home as Tropical Storm Allison moved through our area.
Regards,
Raymond

MediaCreations 

We had our first rain for a long time in Perth, Western Australia today. I quickly remembered all the fun of commuting in the rain.

I wear a fairly thin rain jacket. It keeps out the light showers but I still get wet when it buckets down.

I've got a shower at work so I don't mind too much.

One thing that I've found really useful is the suggestion of a friend. He told me he works in an office with a room containing heap of airconditioning equipment - including the air intake.

I immediately went and strung up a line in the one in my building. It's a very blowy room that only gets used once every few months when the airconditioning is serviced. It's a perfect place to dry cycling clothes.

Chris L

On the (recently) rare occasion that it actually does rain around here, I wear the same stuff as I do in the dry. As long as you can keep the clothes you're changing into dry (i.e. plastic bags inside your panniers), the act of riding should keep you warm when you're out in the rain.

Having said that, my home town of the Gold Coast is currently in the middle of it's worst drought ever, so maybe I'm not the person to ask.

Allister

Spoken like someone who's never ridden in cold rain. Believe it or not, in some parts of the world it get's cold enough for riding alone to provide insufficient warmth.

The trick with rain riding, especially in the cold, is not so much staying dry, as with sweating and all staying dry is impossible, but staying warm, especially the extremities. Windproofing is therefore essential when it gets cold. Let the water in, but let your body warm it up. It's kind of nice riding around in your own little coccoon of warm water - kind of womb-like. The legs are not so vital, but on your chest and feet, and to a lesser extent your hands, it's important not to let the wind cool the water down.

In warm tropical rain like we get here in Queensland, like Chris said, shorts and jersey let you really [i[feel[/i] the environment. In all cases plastic shopping bags are essential to keep your change of clothes dry.

ps. for cycling, Gore-tex isn't worth the money. There are plenty of fabrics that, while not waterproof, and plenty windproof enough, breathe better*, and are a lot cheaper.

* when I say 'breathe', I of course mean 'leak'. Water is actually pretty good at regulating your temperature. I work on the same principles that scuba divers do: let the water in, but keep it warm.

Chris L

Point taken. However, my point is still the same - no matter how cold you get when riding in the rain, it will be twice as bad when you stop if there are no dry clothes to change into.

Juha

Exactly! And if it's not so cold, you have a choice of getting wet due to rain or getting wet due to your own sweat. I've tried a couple of materials supposedly waterproof and breathable (Gore and DrymaxX), and neither have been breathable enough in warmish temperatures (say, +10C or more). Additional ventilation zippers e.g. in the armpit area help, but not enough.

Regarding footwear, I've noticed that Gore-Tex hiking boots are excellent in really cold winter conditions or in heavy rain. But then I don't use clipless pedals that require a special shoe.

So, if it's warm, moderate rain, I say take it. If the rain's heavier or it's relatively chilly, change to Gore / DrymaxX or similar and suffer the consequences.

--J

chewa

Goretex top, lycra shorts.

Chris L

I've actually never seen anything that was genuinely waterproof in tropical downpours either.

MichaelW

Not even a cycling cape? They dont come any more breathable than old fashioned capes.