ngateguy,
Dont you mean it rains 12 months out of the year????!!!

I grew up in the midwest (Chicago area) and the summers meant a humidty and heat buildup until the mid to late afternoon and then all hell would break loose. So riding in the rain was always a possibility. However, as a credit to my luck (or lack thereof), if I ever wanted to see rain and it was nice and sunny out, all I had to do was go for a bike ride. The rain itself wasn't bad but I kinda disliked having the skunk-stripe on my back for half my ride.

I now live in the PacNW and avoiding rain means avoiding rides. An interesting thing always happens to me whenever it's raining out. I'll look outside and tell myself I don't want to ride in it but once I get out there, I have a blast. The only thing that bothers me is all those SoCal transplant drivers who can't drive in the rain encroaching on my lane or the shoulder while attempting to go 80MPH around a hairpin curve.

my biggest problem with rain is that I can't see with rain on my glasses. Sweat drips are bad enough.

and as for being cold, usually when it rains here it stays similar temp(30c plus), it just gets really humid.

I've found the Rain-X wipes to work reasonably well. It works even better the faster you go. Of course that also presents some other dangers. |8^)

Yesterday morning, torrential rain. Prior to that we'd only had light rain/drizzle at best for the last two years. Put it this way, it was the first thing that had caused our water supply to actually increase during that time.

Oh yeah, we had a minor flood in Feb 2001. That was the best of all.

Oh yeah it is just cold rain in the winter and warm rain in the summer ;)

and Khoun I know your from Chicago but don't buy into the SoCal propaganda take it from this native the locals are the biggest problem when it comes to bad driving.

And on the rainex thing I have been wary of using it the last time I read a bottle they said not to use it on plastic and my ridding glasses as well as my regular glasses have plastic lenses. Have you used it on plastic lenses?

IF I have a ride planned with friends etc I'll be the last ot back out
If I'm riding alone**********??

Ride some
Pat

I guess that's probably true as well.

I have used the wipes on plastic lenses with no noticable crazing or anything. I haven't used the name-brand Rain-X bottled stuff but I have used a competing brand called RVR Rain Repellent which is sold at pilot shops. I'm not sure why these products should harm plastic since Rain-X was originally sold for aircraft windshields which are typically made of plastic.

Some of our Northwestern scenery just looks wrong on a sunny day; especially north Clark County, Prune Hill, and the island areas of Puget Sound. Rainy-weather rides are maybe an acquired taste but a lifetime addiction once you've done enough.
I'll ride in any conditions except for frozen pavement.
Equipment helps--if you wear glasses, get a visor for your helmet.
If you ride a road bike, either trade for or get a second bike that will fit fenders properly; nothing says "idiot" to me like a $5k bike that needs the fenders monkey****ed on with zip ties and little clips. Over many the years, the headwind to tailwind ratio does even out--they say that if you don't like Northwestern weather, wait half an hour and it'll change.

I love it. I've got mud in my blood, I tell you!!


I have disc brakes, and when it rains around here the temperatures are usually pretty warm. Sometimes in the summer a cool shower is much appreciated. The only thing I dislike about it is the extra cleanup I have to do. But other than that I think riding in the rain is awesome, provided its warm outside. I won't commute in the rain at all, either. But for leisure rides, I think the mud makes things alot of fun.

Rain or not to rain, i`ll ride it anyway.

I like everything except HEAT, i remember my bike trips in France, awful hot and steamy!

:beer:

I don't mind riding in the rain. I don't like to ride below 40F. I'm in Oregon so we usually have light rain and mild temps. Like others have said--I hate the wind. I live in a rural area so it's usually just me, a fairly empty country road and a soft rain. Now if I could just afford a road bike...life would be perfect :)

kari

I don't particularly care to ride in the rain. I won't start off in the rain if I can avoid it but light rain isn't bad once you're on the bike and warmed up. If I think that I am going to get rained on, I will break out one of my old wool jerseys so I will keep warm. And if it's too cold or raining really hard, I won't ride in it unless I have to in order to get home.

I have yet to be cold when riding in the rain. I am mostly just wet. With the polyester jacket on, it just gets warm. The water eventually seeps through, but the heat is retained pretty well.

Chris, you are the man. I know whereof you speak.

However, I must say, that the rain that you're talking about only occurs in our neck of the woods during the summer. For example, today, we had a great drizzle, with temperatures between freezing and something a little higher.

Personally, I prefer snow.

Nevertheless, it's my goal to conquer this situation. Without being facetious, I currently hope that you and your "go-get-em" attitude will show up around here and tackle the, "wet pu$$y syndrome."

(By the way, have you ever had temperatures below freezing where you live? :D )

Er, "pu$$y," as in, "wimp." Also referring to a feline covered in cold liquid.

There is no other meaning, here.

I think this weekend I am going to break down and ride in a 60 % likelhood chance of Rain for So. Cal this weekend. Gettting in shape for doing more than 100 miles the Weekend of the Death Valley 100.. For all that slight chance it could rain in Death Valley on 3-1..

Officially the Gold Coast has never recorded temperatures below freezing. However, Springbrook (a mountain not far from here) once clocked -4C on a June morning that I decided to do a pre-dawn ride. We have had winter rain previously, but not since 1999. :eek:

I'm surprised nobody has commented on the 70km/h headwinds mentioned in the inaugural post in this thread. I was quite proud of that.

If you can't something nice, don't say anything at all..........(70km headwinds!?! somebody is c..zy).

The worst part is getting home and trying to get the soaking clothes off arrgghhhh nothing worse than soaking wet knickers stuck to ur bum!!!! I don't mind the rain at all in the summer it's just the wind and the rain that really gets to me especially if it freezing or hitting u in the face at 25mph!!

If this is crazy, who wants to be normal?

talk about an ironic topic! After I replied to this thread it decided to rain this week! And yes of course I got caught in it a few times, but we definately needed the rain :)

Gee, I thought they were getting heaps of rain up north. Guess I must have been wrong.

this is Townsville remember. As you drive up the highway through the cane fields, there is a brown, dry patch with no cane for around 100km. Right in the middle is Townsville. You are probably thinking of Cairns, it's usually raining there.