Originally Posted by
drlogik
50 years of riding condensed for your reading pleasure...
Front and rear fenders a must.
Don't wear anything cotton.
Breathable light jacket even if it's warm. Down your way you might be able to get away with a breathable vest though.
Tires with a tread. Yeah, yeah, many say that tread on a bike tire isn't needed. Well, that may be fine for dry road but a deep tread in the rain does help with traction.
Brake early and often.
NEVER go across train tracks in the rain. It just isn't worth it. Get off and walk. It's a really painful fall when your knee hits the cold steel rail.
Don't corner hard and never brake in a corner.
Cheap wrap-around safety glasses from Home Depot are great. Spit on the lenses and wipe off.
Oil-based chain lube is good but I've found that a molten wax treatment for a chain works pretty well to and it doesn't grab road grime like oil or make a black sludge like oil, or sling off the chain and coat your bike in black goo like oil. Personal choice.
Cover your head.
Water-proof booties help but don't keep your feet totally dry. Water drips down from your legs into the shoes.
Flashing lights on front and back (no need to start spitting out stats folks)
Don't ride in lightning. Humans are allergic to high voltage like flangehead said. Good advice there.
You are invisible to cars in the rain. Keep your head on a swivel.
Don't run red lights or stop signs. Cars really can't stop in time on a wet road. You won't make a pretty road-kill.
Cell phone goes in a Ziplock bag. Better yet, double-up with two Ziplock bags if it's a real frog strangler.
If you see a snapping turtle crossing a busy intersection, let him go. He knows what he's doing and it will only piss him off if you pick him up and take him across the road. And, you'll be lucky as hell if he doesn't latch onto your arm.
Keep a close eye on your headset bearings and no matter how tired you are, always dry your bike when you get home.
Carry a good attitude with you.
When it gets really bad out and you're miserable, smile...you really are nuts.
-
We get rain regularly for about 2/3 of the year (although a few sunny days mixed in). But, no rain riding would mean parking the bike for far too long.
I think I've broken most of the "rules". Well, many of them
- No Fenders, Check
- Cotton, Check
- Breathable Jacket.. Ok, I do like Breathable CYCLING specific jackets
- Slick Tires, Check... have to have some fun
- Ride across angled RR tracks, Check (although I did manage to go down in the snow/slush
)
- Cornering? I suppose I take it somewhat easy. Braking?? Brakes are also slower in the rain
- Wear prescription glasses, sometimes peer over the top of them.
- Regularly Lube Chain (sometimes daily)
- HELMET!!! As above, Breathable is important, unless you get below freezing in which case it isn't raining.
- No waterproof booties. Although, I have been wearing well worn by now Shimano MW-02 boots which are nice. Newer version is MW-81, I think.
- Lights only after dark. Considering some reelights, though.
- Lightening... Not much around here, but I've ridden in Missouri where it starts flashing in the middle of one's ride (with tornado sirens)... nothing to do but keep riding.
- LOOK AROUND & PAY ATTENTION. Good advice anytime.
- I'm not a kamikaze rider, but I do lights and stops pretty much the same rain or shine.
- Cell, Wallet, and other "dry" stuff goes into used grocery veggie bag, and inside of pack. Also note, my headlight battery packs (external) aren't waterproof, so the batteries are also wrapped in plastic bags then put into the pouches.
- Turtles?
- Drip Dry
- HAVE FUN
I'll ride any bike in the rain, but most of my riding is now with an old Litespeed Titanium Beater.
I'll think of fenders sometime, but for now, I just let the mud fly. Around here, we also get the roads sanded for snow and ice, which makes its way to the shoulders to make a nasty mess. Fortunately no salt.
That photo was a bit over a year ago. The bike changes a bit. I have a pair of black Tannus tires on it now... NO FLATS
, but still a bit odd to ride.