baron von trail 

Seems like since Father's Day, every single day is a crapshoot as to whether or not the commute will be a wet one. We've had so much rain here in SW Ohio that it feels like April. It's even raining right now. We almost never get rain in July!

The rain is so frequent that it's gotten to the point where if it's not thundering with flashes of lightning or a heavy downpour in the morning when I prepare to leave, I'm going to ride. I certainly will not go by the forecast. They call for rain everyday, especially in the afternoon. 4 out of 5 times, it has rained, but the afternoon commute worked out well anyway.

Tomorrow is another one of those days. The forecast calls for heavy T-storms, with damaging winds and hail from 3 until 7PM, which is right in the breadbasket of my commute. But, the AM forecast is dry, 5% chance of rain. So...I'll probably go to work by bike.

How does weather affect you guys/gals? Does rain deter or are you all immune to it?

New_IA_Rider

We've had so much rain here in Iowa, too. I don't care to ride in the rain, but what's worse is all the flooding. All my favorite trails follow rivers/creeks and this summer they are constantly being closed due to being underwater, and then under mud. The water recedes, they scrape the trail, and it rains some more and floods again.

Sixty Fiver

I danced in the rain this afternoon... it has been one of the driest summers I have ever seen here.

I-Like-To-Bike

Funny you should ask, I just posted a response on that subject.
See https://www.bikeforums.net/living-car...l#post17973937

baron von trail 

I very much dislike riding in rain. But, I dislike not riding at all more.

Our trails are paved. One big plus with this part of Ohio.

baron von trail 

I wish we could send you all some of ours, 65.

tjspiel

Funny, I was just thinking today how it's been pretty pleasant here this summer. A bit muggy the last couple of days but not ridiculously hot.

Enough rain to keep things green. Not so much that I've had to alter any significant plans.

There's some storms in the area though. Things can get ugly quick.

Steely Dan

it's been raining nearly non stop in Chicago for like 6 weeks now. it was officially the rainiest June ever in the entire history of Chicago weather records. and July is continuing with more of the same.

kind of a washout of a summer, but at least everything is really freaking green and overgrown. it's like living in the jungle, which is kinda cool.

hyhuu

Actually jungle is kinda hot.

jfowler85

I don't care about getting wet...what sucks is cleaning all the crap that the bike picks up along the way. Faced with cleaning off my nasty cassette and brakes last night, I began considering a fixied gear for nasty weather.

Marcus_Ti

Monsoon season has ended here. Want my hot, hot, and more hot weather? Was 21C at sunrise this morning and absolutely disgusting out, mercury is going to trip 37C by the afternoon and be more disgusting still. I should have weighed how much unevaporated water was still in my cycling kit when I peeled it off.

no motor?

What annoys me about the Chicago weather is the way it rains in the evening and then the next morning instead of raining all day one day. That keeps me from riding 2 days instead of just one. I know it could be a lot worse, but it still annoys me.

baron von trail 

37C. Body Temp. Ugh, especially if the humidity is up there.

baron von trail 

The rain falling here right now came down from Chicago. The good news is it'll clear out by 4:30 when I leave to ride home. It looks like my gamble paid off today.

baron von trail 

Yep. Losing two days of cycling at a time is why I made the rule that if it isn't pouring cats and dogs or crashing thunder and lightening in the morning when I get ready to leave, I'm riding my bike. Afternoon forecast be damned.

So far, I've only been badly beaten by weather twice, when nasty T-Storms came through and caught me away from shelter out on the bike trail. And, once I had enough sense to duck under at a K-Mart as another storm approached, waiting it out under their awning area.

Steely Dan

yeah, i disregard afternoon forecasts as well. if it's raining after work, i'll just ride home in the rain, no big deal. if it's storming real bad, i'll either try to just wait it out a bit (most storms seem to pass pretty quickly around here) or just leave my bike at work and take the train home if the radar looks like it's gonna be bad for a long time.

the only thing that keeps me off the bike in the morning is cats and dogs downpours/active thunderstoms. and that was this morning for me. luckily, my wife wasn't planning to use our car today, so i drove in as opposed walking over to the train station.

alan s 

Best time for commuting around here in the summer is when it rains. Most of the fair weather cyclists are getting around by their primary commuting mode, or are suffering for not having fenders and rain gear. Win-win.

ItsJustMe

This is Michigan. If I bailed out every time the forecast called for rain, I would never ride.

I just don't pay any attention anymore to anything short of high winds. I've started out into dime sized hail before. I don't even really pay any attention to thunderstorms.

Jim from Boston

As a cycle commuter, I do ride (reluctantly) in the rain. My pristine carbon fiber bike never goes out on wet roads, so I use my beater mountain bike (Lamborgini vs Humvee). I may not ride in a drenching rain because I once did and got a blister over the ischium that developed into an abscess, keeping me off the bike for about two weeks.

I have to report though that we’ve had a nice spring and summer, and have rarely ridden the beater out here in Boston. This past weekend I rode the “One Helluva Ride” in Chelsea, MI, and indeed the rainy season in Michgan and Ohio was a topic of discussion, though that Saturday was perfect.

scoatw

The rain gear I have keeps me dry in the worst of downpours. I ride thru blizzards and thunderstorms. A blizzard will just take up my time by having to leave earlier, thus having to get up earlier. A thunderstorm will get my attention. I've ridden thru some bad ones, where I had lightning bolts hit less than a 1/4 of a mile. Praying that I don't get hit. Jesus loves me. On the afternoon ride home I'll sometimes wait it out if I think its going to pass quickly. But I usually just ride thru it.

Having good gear for any weather condition can actually make for a comfortable ride. And you'll ask yourself "Why didn't I do this sooner".

baron von trail 

Last T-storm knocked trees down all around me. Scary stuff.

baron von trail 

My nice bike is a mess. Road grime covers it. I noticed just how bad it was today. Going to have to clean it up a bit this weekend.

scoatw

I might reconsider on that one. Falling trees are not good.

baron von trail 

Yeah. I ride more often than not for that reason. Forecast never stops me unless I've ridden 3 or 4 days in a row already and needed a break anyway. If I haven't ridden the day before, I'll even leave in the rain the next morning.

baron von trail 

Consequence of trail commuting. Upside no cars. Downside falling trees and limbs.