knykersnatchurs

Well I started this thread because I wanted to announce that I will be experiencing my first rain day commute tomorrow --now i know predicting the weather is like predicting which color jolly rancher you are going to pull outta the bag, but the weather wo/man gives an 80% likelihood. I'm sorta excited yet a bit apprehensive. I do not have fenders and am wondering if this is going to be a messy deal. I plan to gear up with a light rain coat--forecast is for showers--and probably my beat, cut off cycling jeans. But I may opt for my semi water-resistant, quick-drying columbia hiking pants. I guess my main concern is the "to" portion of the commute. I'd rather not arrive at my campus on the soaked side because I'll have a day's worth of lectures to sit through; work follows class but i'm not sweating that, i'll be indoors (work in a library) and plan on bringing an extra pair of pants. But once school and work passes, and if it is still raining, let the fun begin! I think I will be choosing the lengthy scenic route. I love the rain! Anywho, I'll have plenty of opportunities to nail my rainy day routine down as LA is forecasted to endure a handful of rainy days the next two weeks. I can't wait!

So do you remember your first 'rainy day' commute? How did it go? And what did you learn from it? Invigorating experiences? Or soggy misery? Are there people, like myself, who really enjoy the company of rain? Who find the pitter-patter fantastic? the gurgling and splooshing of the rain gutters therapeutic? Or the xylophonic sound of the last traces of the passed rains dripping from the trees and landing on rain gutters(the non-plastic sort) to be wonderful? Do you find commuting in the rain to be just as fantastic?

ItsJustMe

I love riding in the rain. What I learned my first time was to go out and buy some good fenders. Without them it can be pretty miserable, with them it's a breeze. It's really not uncomfortable at all, in fact it's nothing more than a nice change of pace. I wouldn't want to ride in the rain every day, but I wouldn't want to ride in the sun every day either.

TrevorInSoCal

Though not my very first rainy-day commute, my first rainy-day commute home from my current job kinda sucked.

I hit a car that pulled out in front of me from a stop sign on a side-street. No stop sign in my direction and I was travelling about 18 MPH. No way I could come to a full-stop in the short distance I had. In retrospect I might've been able to pull a hard right down the side-street, but in the rain I doubt I woulda pulled it off and stayed upright. Instead I skidded, fishtailed, and hit him sideways. My hip and shoulder took the brunt of the impact and my handlebars busted through the driver-side window before I bounced off and fell on the ground. Fortunately no cuts, just a couple minor bruises and the bike was ok. Had I not been sideways by the time of the impact I probably would've totalled the front-wheel and possibly the fork, and/or frame. Might even have endo'd into a face-plant into the roof of the car. Had he taken off a second or two later I could've ended up under his front wheels. All in all I guess I was "lucky". I've no desire to repeat the experience though...

Watch yourself while you're out there enjoying the showers, SoCal drivers turn into a bunch of effing idiots in the rain, and visibility sucks.

-Trevor

Jarery

January was 29 days out of 31 where it rained. The whole time it was only a couple degrees above freezing. Takes me an hour each way to commute.

Any picturesque type, cycling in the rain, fun factor sorta went bye bye at about the 25th consecutive rain day

But i have never taken the car due to rain, i just prefer non rain days

Now a nice summer day ride thru some cooling rain showers...those i enjoy.

Artkansas 

In L.A. I usually just wore my regular stuff, got wet and carried a full dry set of clothes with me. Sweating in the raincoat got me just as wet, and rain is nicer than sweat.

There is nothing nicer than getting home from a rainy ride, cleaning off and changing into warm dry clothes and enjoying the quiet.

Do I remember my first rainy day commute? No way. It must have happened in 2nd grade because that's when I started bicycle commuting, and in Florida it must have rained at least one day.

Mookout

Well I've ridden in the rain many times before, but its been over a year since I've ridden at all!

Got myself a brand new giant yukon today, just got back from the lbs on it. About 15 seconds after I started pedalling it started to piss down. I had a great time. I was wearing jeans and a wife beater so they got a bit dirty but i loved it.

really felt the burn though, been a while since I've done any sort of cardio. Can't wait to get back into it

oilfreeandhappy

After about 20 years of commuting, all the rain-soaked days blend into one - soak and wet with gritty sand all over my clothing, in my components, etc. I don't mind it as much while I'm riding. But I don't like cleaning everything up afterwards.

rmwun54

My best memory of commuting in the rain was while commuting to a classmate of mine to study for a college course. She was an interesting girl that I looked forward to studying with. I at this time was quite prepare to ride in the rain by now because I was riding to school quite a bit at this time. I had a R.E.I. rain shadow jacket, a performance rain pants, Pearl Izumi gloves, a Columbia Bugaboo rain fleece hat, and a self made plastic shoe covering I had designed with sheets of plastic, duct tape and velcro. My bike was an old road Bianchi with a rear rack. I love those days when I rode in the rain, it was very cold and Zen like as I felt about it. What memories to have for a lifetime.

jyossarian

Nope, can't remember my first rainy day commute. I've ridden in the rain a bunch of times, but I didn't ever think my first rainy day commute was a milestone worth remembering.

Guest

I don't remember it because I've had so many, but I do remember my first rainy day commute where I got caught out in the rain without rain gear! That was about a month ago- it was freezing, and I was soaked all the way through. I didn't mind, since I was going home, but I had a cold for a couple of days that weekend. I had no fenders, so the rain was going up my butt with all that splashing through puddles. My arms and face were soaked. And I forgot to pick up my gloves when I went to get my mail because I was too cold, and some asswipe stole my gloves. I can't wait to see who stole 'em so I can beat them down.

Koffee

rule

LOL...yeah, followed by my immediate interest in all the fender recommendation threads.

DataJunkie

First of all, I have only been commuting since May of last year.
I have never had to deal with a full day of rain. No AM showers but I did have a few late day downpours last summer. Those are quite fun in Colorado. Makes a nice hot day a little more fun.

ken cummings

No, sorry. I do remember my first 200K Brevet. Rain all the way. The shop I stopped in for food followed me around with a mop.

cerewa

Yeah, I rode to (junior high) school, 3 miles. It wasn't pouring rain, so I was wet but not soaked. However, I had dirt all over me, kicked up by my fenderless bike wheels.

knykersnatchurs

well the rain arrived and they are still here--just after midnight now. The forecasted showers did come but they hit puberty rather quickly and became heavy rains. As for my first rainy day commute? i'll just say, fenders are a must.

i think it's back to the bus until I am able to pick up some fenders, we're expecting more rain in the coming days; at least for as long as the rains stay--which shouldn't be too long, this is socal afterall time to blow the dust off the ol coin purse.

ngateguy

My very first day of commuting rained, it is also the day I decided that jeans sucked for riding bike.

McGillicutty

I used to ride to school when I was in high school. 5 mi one way through the farm fields of MN. I loved it! Beautiful. Then one day it rained on the way home. I mean poured buckets of rain. I got soaked through and through and then some.

Remember this was way before performance fabrics and breathable rain jackets (didn't even have a rain jacket then, much less fenders) so I was soaked to the skin. Not only that, but on that route, few cars ever drove by, but I remember clearly how pickup truck after pickup truck passed me that day. I was so mad! No one stopped to give me a ride.

Sure enough, though, I rode the next day. Probably went and bought myself a rain jacket!

FormerBMX'er

My first rainy day commute was a day I should not have commuted. This was before I built my foul weather roadie and the Nashbar order of rain gear. I had sand all over my work desk, and me arse was soaked with street water . My Lemond, my poor Lemond .

As You Like It

I don't remember it, actually. I'm sure it was just some ordinary afternoon when it was raining and I thought, "aw sh** it's pouring," climbed aboard the Trek and slogged on home.

I can't believe I was an inner-city commuter for four years before discovering the joy of fenders. Nowadays, rain doesn't offend me nearly as much. Nothing quite like spitting mud out of your mouth all the way to work or home.

JohnBrooking

Yep, gotta have fenders.

I started out handling rain with a full rubber rainsuit which my well-meaning wife got me for Christmas the first year. I soon found out that was way too hot for any temps > 60F. So the first adjustment was to just submit to getting wet and wear shorts and t-shirt if warm enough (> 60F), packing my work clothes. If not warm enough, I now have Gore-Tex pants and a clear plastic shell with arm vents to go over the flourescent cycling jacket. (The times of year that it's too cold to just get wet tend to corrospond with the times that I'm riding in the dark.)