Originally Posted by
Brian Ratliff
I went to Texas two weeks ago, and rain wasn't like rain I am used to in the PNW. What kind of rain do you have in Arizona? Was it the steady drizzle like we get in Portland, or was it the 4 inches in one hour type rain that I had to stop for in Texas because I couldn't see the road out my windshield?
In general, be more concious about keeping your bike centered beneath you at all times, that way if a wheel slips, you can still stay upright. Brake sooner than you think you should because your brakes don't work as well as you think.
All the above, at least in Tucson (100mi S of Phoenix).
Monsoon season here is amazing. It'll start raining cats, dogs, and VW Beetles for 10 minutes, then the spigot will turn and it'll be dry.
Originally Posted by
kmcrawford111
This thread got me thinking that wouldn't all of the metal garbage and glass cause problems in the rain? I wouldn't be able to see it well, especially if it were submerged, and I swerve around a fair bit of it on the shoulders of the two highways I traverse. I ride in the shoulders because I'm not about to get in a lane with a car doing 55+ MPH. I've been thinking about stopping to move it further away from the road, and even carrying a hand broom to sweep away piles of broken glass. I think I may start to pick up one item/pile per day and get it out of the way. I wonder if that will be enough... lately the amount of it seems to have gotten exponentially higher.
Most of the debris gets uprooted and washed away in 10 minutes of a really good rain. Honestly, if you're running decent tires, debris shouldn't be much of a concern.
With the summer storms in AZ, it's usually a warmer (>70ºF) storm. I just wear my shorts, throw on a reflective vest, and make sure my PB Superflash has fresh enough batteries in it. If it's cool enough, I'll wear a shirt...but I love the stinging of drops against my skin. It's quite delicious.
Expect to get wet.
Make sure you have a place to put your riding glasses when they get overloaded with water and won't wipe clean.
Go slow.
Get visible stuff. I recommend at least a reflective vest and a good light (Hooray PB Superflash!).
If you don't have riding sandals, this is a good time to get some.
Oh, fenders are your friend. Big time.