Short version:
What, if anything, do you do to prepare for a long wet ride, especially for your butt-saddle interface?
Long version:
Our 600 km randonnee is scheduled for this Saturday, and of course I'm hoping the weather will be perfect. But the current forecast (as of Monday, that is) is for something very unlike perfect weather. At the moment, there's a strong likelihood of rain, perhaps a lot of rain. We've been very fortunate with the weather this year, and I'm perpetually optimistic, but I want to be prepared for whatever happens.
Now, I really don't mind riding in the rain. I tend to be a wimp about commuting in the rain, because I dislike sitting on a train for an hour after getting soaked while on the bike; but actually riding in the rain isn't that bad.
Nonetheless, on long wet rides I find it pretty impossible to keep my saddle dry; and since I like leather saddles, this gets to be a problem. Wet leather has different properties than dry leather. Dry leather is slick and allows my pants to slide around almost friction-free, which allows me to do long rides without chafing. Wet leather is much softer and rather grippy, and will certainly cause chafing. Not good. Furthermore, wet leather stretches, and you don't have to ride far on a wet saddle to ruin it. Now, I'm not too concerned about ruining a saddle; I can put new leather on it next week. But chafing can ruin a ride and cause a DNF, which I would like to avoid.
So, my question is: what, if anything, do you do to your saddle (or your butt-saddle interface) if you anticipate a wet ride? Different pants? Different saddle? Both? Put a waterproof cover over the saddle?
For what it's worth, here's what we're currently anticipating, for weather on Saturday. I realize this forecast is worth the paper it's printed on, but it's what we have:
