If I lived where it rained frequently, I'd ride in the rain.

But I live where rain is relatively rare, so I don't see the point in riding in the rain by choice.

That's not to say I haven't ridden in rain, snow and all kinds of things ... I have. But almost without exception, it was a case were we really had little choice.

Re hypothermia: I ski, backpack, and do all kinds of things in cold weather, but the coldest I've ever been was on a soaking wet 43 degree descent out of the Santa Monica mountains. I was shivering so bad, I could hardly hold on to the handlebars, and it took a couple of hours in front of a wood stove at the Reel Inn to stop shivering.