Granturismonut

This is my second summer commuting to work (18 miles each way) right now I'm a fair weather only commuter (forecast better be clear or days lol) I think it's time to take the next step and consider riding even if it's less than perfect. I have full use of locker room , showers at my work one I get there. Any hints or insight is appreciated.

WestPablo

Get a rack, fenders, gloves, and a plastic Poncho. Wear shorts and sandals on warm days whenever its raining...

cyccommute 

A rack and gloves come in handy. I'd suggest that you leave as much stuff at work as you can...toiletries, towel, spare shoes, etc...so that you don't have to schlepp that stuff back and forth. I even leave a rain jacket at work for those days when I get caught by a thunderstorm in the afternoon. (I actually have 3 jackets at work. I lone 2 out if someone needs one.)

I'm not a fan of fenders. I use them during the winter and early spring but I get them off as soon as possible in the spring. Summer rain in my area is short and intense but evaporates quickly. I don't know where you live so you'll have to decide for yourself if you want to mess with fenders but it sounds like you may live in a drier climate and may not need to carry them around all the time..

Now things change when you get to winter but you can wait until later to worry about that.

1nterceptor

Run lights day or night, sunny or raining.
Once you start riding in the rain/cold; experiment
with what works for you. Jacket w/ or w/out hoodie,
rain pants, gloves, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hheU...6zPoymgKaIoDLA

spare_wheel

i've never used a rack for commuting but when its raining i find fenders to be invaluable. i also love water proof bags and backpacks. after decades of commuting i now *prefer* commuting in the rain to dry days and i hate commuting in the summer (far too sweaty).

spare_wheel

lights have become the new commuting cargo cult. the lights we used 30 years ago were like a candle compared to the lights we have today and i still got home without dying.

tsl

Equipment is easy. The biggest barrier to all-weather cycling is psychological.

We are conditioned from birth to get out of the rain. Purposely going into the rain goes against that conditioning. That's the hardest part to overcome.

Winter is the same way for me. Eight winters under my tires and I still don't want to leave the house as I prepare for every ride. It's a daily battle. As is the first ten minutes of every winter ride, until the internal fires are burning hot enough to keep me warm. And yet, I've missed only five workdays in eight winters--all of them in this past winter.

Foul weather with a longer commute such as yours is another thing entirely. With the possible exception of June, July and August, you will have to consider what wind and temperature will do to you when wet, and dress accordingly. You will get it wrong a few times until you figure it out. Everyone is different, so woat works for me may not work for you. Experimenting can be fun, even when it goes wrong. So don't be afraid to try.

The thing that keeps me going is that I find joy in every ride. It's there, even if only for a brief flicker. And even if it's only after the fact when I realize I've made it. Most of the time joy consumes most of the ride, so generally it's easy.

The thing I remember to get started is that except for the past two or three generations, all of my ancestors got by without travelling in a climate-controlled bubble. It should be no surprise that I can too. It sometimes may be unpleasant, but it's certainly doable. The fact that I'm here at all is testament enough to the fact.

Mr. Hairy Legs

I love the rainy commutes. Somehow it just seems more peaceful and natural, and the smell is just awesome.

If the ride involves any potentially muddy spots, fenders are an absolute must.

Saving Hawaii

I grew up in the rainy port city of Seattle. I learned from a very young age that rain was the norm and you should enjoy the outdoors in it, and that umbrellas are for tourists and we never touch them. I'd still rather drown than hold an umbrella. But I did move to California so I'd have to assert my Seattle roots much less often.

Rainy day commutes can be a lot of fun if you're not forced into them. As long as you have a dry change of clothes and not too long a ride you could ignore all the advice this forum has to offer and still love it. Just make sure you wear good gloves. I can work harder to keep my body warm but nothing saves the fingers.

tarwheel 

I don't like riding in the rain, but it is inevitable from time to time if you want to commute regularly. The main problem, around here, is what I call the "thunderstorm roulette." Almost every summer day in the Southeast there is typically a 30% chance of afternoon thunderstorms. You quickly learn that if you don't ride on days when the forecast calls for a 20-50% chance of thunderstorms, you will never ride. So you take your chances and prepare accordingly.

I personally like having a rain bike with fenders. You will still get wet riding in the rain, but fenders will keep your bike and drivetrain cleaner and the mud off your back and seatbag. More importantly, it allows you to ride on many days when the rain has stopped but roads are still wet from overnight or afternoon showers.

Raingear is essentially useless in the summer unless you live in a cooler climate. When temperatures get warmer than about 70F, you will get as wet from sweating inside a raincoat than you would from the rain if you weren't wearing the coat. And the rain will keep you somewhat clean, while sweat just makes you stink.

Another important issue is how to handle days when thunderstorms pop up during your commute time. If it's morning, I will either drive to work or delay the time I leave. If it's afternoon, I either delay my departure or catch a ride home with a coworker. IMHO, it's important to have a backup plan if bike commuting on days when thunderstorms are possible or likely. I personally don't think it's safe riding in thunderstorms for a variety of reasons -- high winds, lightning, runoff on street edges and poor visibility to name a few. I try to avoid commuting in such conditions, but sometimes you get caught. Eg, on Wednesday this week, a massive thunderstorm generated very quickly after I had left work on my bike. I had checked the radar before I left my office, and there were just a few spotty showers showing at that time. It started raining as I was unlocking my bike, so I waited a few minutes for those showers to pass. I managed to make it most of the way without getting too wet, but the thunderstorm hit in full force when I was about 2 miles from home. It quickly turned into a full-bore storm with torrential rain and high winds, and I got totally soaked but lucky to have avoided any hail, lightning or trees falling. In retrospect, I should have caught a ride home with a coworker.

The length of your commute is another important factor. My commute is shorter than yours, about 31 miles roundtrip, but still pretty long. It takes me 1:00 to 1:20 hours each way, depending on how tired my legs are, how many red lights catch me, and the weather. That is a long time to be exposed to extreme weather conditions. If my commute only took 20-30 minutes, thunderstorms would be much less of a threat.

ill.clyde

I've grown to enjoy riding in the rain too ... preferably a warm rain, but I can survive a cold rain too if I have to.

It's definitely psychological sometimes ... just getting myself out of bed, out the door and on the bike. That's the focus. Once I do that, the hard part is over, even with hills and headwinds

I don't use fenders, I keep a rain jacket in my backpack, and my backpack has an integrated rain cover as well

I keep toiletries, a towel, shower shoes (flip flops) at work. The only thing I carry each day are my clothes and sometimes lunch.

The only kind of rain that gives me pause are thunderstorms, but generally you can wait those out.

For me it's just a matter of keeping an eye on the weather/forecasts.

alan s 

"Fair weather" has different meanings depending on who you talk to. For me, fair weather is any day it's not snowing or thunderstorming or super cold in the single digits. So, I'm a fair weather commuter, because I'll try avoid riding during those conditions if possible. Dress appropriately, equip your bike with the right tires, fenders, bags, and lights and keep an eye on the weather. Once in a while I'll get caught out in bad weather, and unless it's dangerous, I'll just slog along until I make it to my destination.

Walter S

+1. It's always interesting to see people that share attitudes I have that I sort of thought was "just me". I get downright depressed when the weather starts turning cold in the fall. It's even hard to fully enjoy the fall because I know winter is around the corner. Then by the time winter really sets in and it's cold every day, I've adjusted my dress, relearned exactly what I need for what temperature, and adjusted to the hassle of it all. The hassle is a significant part of it because I miss the days when it was just shorts and shirt and I'm gone.

I don't mind hot weather much at all by comparison. Some people don't seem to want to get real sweaty. I could care less. I don't like to be cold.

Rain in the summer time is no problem. Like you say, the barrier is psychological. And you can kind of self-train that attitude away. I've noticed that the only thing very unpleasant about riding in the rain is right when you start - you get wet. Getting wet is the problem. But if there's much rain that's over in less than a minute. You're no longer "getting" wet, you're just wet. Seems like that would be the same problem but it's not. Once I'm wet, the rain falling on me is just not much of a problem.

In warm weather I don't wear a rain jacket or pants. That's way more uncomfortable! I usually just wear a waterproof hood over my helmet. Less water running down my face and eyes. A visor is good for keeping rain out of your eyes too.

But riding in the rain in the winter is different. Cold can be tolerated. Wet can be tolerated. Cold and wet can be pretty difficult, especially if you haven't trained and equipped yourself to stay warm. I have never had to figure that out completely - like for riding in the rain all day in cold weather. I just don't do that. And I also have the option, if it's cold and wet when I leave work, to just leave my bicycle at work and take mass-transit home. That involves 1.5 miles of walking in the rain but it's so much easier to stay warm walking in the rain than riding in the rain, for me at least.

Walter S

Different strokes. I love fenders! Fenders work well in the rain. But the BEST time for fenders is when it's not raining but the road is wet. That might last for hours after it rains. No fenders and you might still get soaked, and not just with water. Really nasty grime all over you. By comparison you stay clean and dry as a bone with a good set of fenders.

Walter S

+1. I love it when I feel like I'm cheating the odds. The chance of rain seems to have some funny psychology with some people. I've trained myself to think differently than I used to about it. For one thing it takes realizing that if it DOES indeed rain, it won't be the end of the world. I used to be inclined to avoid riding when I saw let's say, a 30% chance of rain. But flip the numbers around and you realize that a 30% chance of rain is a 70% chance that you'll stay dry!

If you had 70% odds of having a great bicycle ride wouldn't you want to jump at the chance?

fietsbob

My hands were finally dry once I adopted a Cycle Rain Cape that was long enough to drape over the handlebars.

But it also covers any handle bar mounted lights , so they have to be placed lower on the bike.

Headlight on fork crown , tail light on the back of rear rack.

pdlamb

There's a few "it depends" you'll see up-thread.

If the roads stay wet after a rain (e.g., you think 30% relative humidity is dry), fenders help a lot.


Raindrops in the eye are no fun, so some sort of glasses or goggles are nice. You might want to have a cycling cap with a brim or a "MTB" helmet with a visor to keep off all but the worst deluge.

If it's over 60F, I'd skip the rain jacket; your choice is to get wet with sweat and stink up a jacket, or get wet from the rain. I'll take the rain.

The kind of downpour tarwheel described is no fun, either in a car or on a bike. Most showers, though, are either brief (wait 15 minutes and it's gone) or much lighter, and a light shower is kind of fun to ride in.

ill.clyde

Oh I've had a few experiences this spring where fenders would have been nice ... and there's a persistently wet/muddy spot on the MUP where I'd like fenders, but I don't want to hassle with putting them on and taking them off when CX season rolls around. And really, in the summer around here, getting a little wet is no big deal

wphamilton

This sounds like a good plan to me "to take the next step and consider riding even if it's less than perfect". One step at a time, learn as you go what it takes for your route and conditions.

18 miles is fairly long for a bike commute and I think you may run into physical constraints, mainly concerning the duration of exposure to the elements. My commute is short, under 8 miles door to door and the total time is about 25 minutes. I can handle just about any weather GA throws at me for just half an hour - I've missed one day in the last 260 commutes - but an hour or an hour and a half is a different story. I'd be cautious and work into it with small steps.

Leebo

OP, where do you ride? Fenders are a must for me on all my commuters. I prefer a disc brake bike for rainy rides so I don't have clean the rims all the time. I like a rack and bag to carry the daily stuff, phone, wallet, ice coffee etc. I do a reverse commute. Since I need my car to do my job, I leave it at work. Pedal home and then pedal back in the am. I drive Monday am with clean clothes and friday pm with dirty clothes.

Walter S

My commute is 40 miles RT. I agree on the general sentiments of your post. But I thought I'd point out that I check the radar before I head out. If there's rain moving in I might see that it's going to probably get me before I reach the destination. But if you're not actually leaving in the rain you can get some headway down the road and you might do most of the commute in the dry and have just a short time in the rain.

In the summer I kind of like to play dodge with the thunderstorms. The other day I was leaving work and saw storms coming from the west. The storms had a mean looking edge but then light rain behind them. I decided to go for it in the hopes I would make it home dry and took off, all the while reminding myself that if I don't make it all the way home, I'll at least make it most of the way.

Then I made it to the house, a single drop of rain hit my leg as I pulled up. Went inside and about 30 seconds later the bottom fell out.

That's a nice feeling!

wphamilton

I do that to, looking at the radar and playing dodge-storm - all I need is a 30-minute window. My wife hates it but I sometimes like riding in the summer storms so I wait until the last minute that I think I can get home before the storm does. I beat it Monday, got drenched Tuesday which was that big front line from the West.

Notso_fastLane

Like most of the above posters say: It all depends on your comfort level. I commute on a recumbent, but it's not really any different than when I used to ride a DF. I love having fenders, and I don't bother taking them off, just leave them on all year.

In Arizona, I had rain gear, but only used it in the winters, cold and wet is a bad combo. Warm and wet, I was always good. I've ridden in downpours where the water was up to my feet on the downstrokes, and I was going around stalled cars. Pretty typical desert monsoon, in other words.

I also lived in Seattle for a couple years, and pretty much commuted year round there too. Different experience, because the temperatures are much milder, so I had to carry rain gear with me more of the year (not just because it rains more frequently, but mostly because of the cold/wet combo).

Gloves are a must, IMO, as my hands can get cold quite easily, even in relatively mild temps, but you'll have to figure out where your threshold is.

MichaelW

What is your climate zone?

rumrunn6

avoid lighting

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