I do, year around, regardless of weather. But I'm only out maybe 10 minutes (depending on how fast I can go) for 1 mile roughly for most trips.

Fenders like others mentioned.

Pedals with nubs on them are very good too. The original pedals I had were super smooth. Too dangerous when wet. Ones with points help for grip.

Using a big umbrella still works. There are different ways of holding it (arched index finger, in line with your forearm) that help to keep your hand from going numb. I can't figure out a good solution for the knees, although I may have accidentally found something recently if the rain isn't that bad.

Coast and keep the umbrella as low as possible. Keep you legs straight and as under the umbrella as possible.


I've tried rain pants, but it's extra work. And an extra layer can heat you up so you start sweating. Otherwise, a change of shoes, pants, or whatever can work too. Still more work though.

A different route with more things to ride or hide under if possible.

They also make nylon material gaiters. I tried those but they're kind of narrow. Bike riding can build up leg muscles I guess. Gaiters were ok but still a pain to put on. If you don't want to change clothes though, they do cover your lower leg somewhat well.

Ditto for a poncho or rain coat -- It heats you up.

I found no real solution when it's really pouring rain, and then if it's too windy for an umbrella, it just doesn't work. It's easier to ride and get soaked then. The bigger the umbrella, the more coverage, but the more it catches wind (fun when it's light rain and you get pushed like a sail though).

I ride in the rain, no problem. My commuter bike has fenders and mudflaps and I wear a cycling cape & rain hat, so I stay dry. My shoes do get a little wet in a downpour - I should buy some sort of shoe covers.

...as the song says, "nunca llueve en el sur del California" - ¡Que suerte!

Rain doesn't bother me at all. Once you get fenders you have it made. I do accept the fact no matter what I do, buying Shower Pass jacket, rain paints,helmet cover, you still get wet so get use to it. It is part of the experience. With that said its not for everyone.

It rained all night last night and continued to do so as I left the house. Then it got heavier, and with the wind in my face gusting at 45-50 km/h it was one of the most miserable rides I've had, rivaling the freezing rain of a few months ago. Needless to say everything was wet, and I mean everything, including socks when the water had somehow seeped in through my neoprene shoe covers. Goggles were replaced with just visors midway, and even they weren't any better. In the end I rode without any protection for the eyes.

Bottom line: when the rain is heavy like this, no gear/equipment is going to keep you dry. The wind just adds another layer of misery.

As I mentioned earlier, I am fortunate to have a means to dryer here at work to dry everything before the ride home.

Let's face it, any sort of precipitation sucks when you're on a bike. I'd rather take -30*C than this cold rain.

I try to ride to commute 2 or 3 times a week. So, I can often pick the good days to ride and leave out the bad. I live in central Florida, so I generally do not need to worry about how cold it is and it generally does not rain that much during the winter anyway. Typically, if it is raining in the morning or there is a good chance of rain all day, I put my ride of until the next day.

The interesting time for me is during the summer when thunderstorms occur almost every afternoon. The scattered thunderstorms often have quite heavy rain with lots of lightning. When I ride, I watch the radar in the afternoon and choose when to head home, sometimes a little early and sometimes later. I can do a relatively good job predicting where the storms will be up to about an hour out. Unfortunately, my commute is a little less than 1.5 hours, and I have gotten caught a surprising number of times by bad storms just a few miles from home.

If the rain is not too hard and the lightning is not nearby, I turn my lights on and continue on. Some of the time, I have to hole up somewhere and wait it out, or call my wife for an extraction. I prefer not to ride in the rain because the streets often flood from the quick downpours and the drivers do not pay good enough attention to their surroundings.

The good thing about the summer afternoon rain is that it drops the temperature from 95 degrees F to the 70s pretty quickly, making for a much more comfortable temperature.

yes i ride in the rain.
three things -
(1) full fenders
(2) neoprene paddling gloves with grip. warmth and dexterity a plus.
(3) toe clips/clipless to keep feet on pedals.

my ride is 25 minutes or 4.5 miles one way, with a shower and towels on both ends.

toe covers are nice on the downpour days but not helpful after awhile. i have two sets of cycling shoes b/c of this. you can obtain neoprene booties? :) i have these but have not tried cycling in them. the sole is not firm enough is my first thought.

I thought the song said "It never rains in California, but when it rains it pours!"

I ride in regular rain as long as it's above 32F, and actually quite enjoy it. I'm lucky to have flexible hours, so in a heavy morning thunderstorm, I can wait it out and do some work from home. Thunder rarely lasts longer than 30 minutes or so here in the Midwest. I have one commuter bike, equipped with very good fenders and lights, so I'm always ready to roll. I have a good place to hang wet clothes at work, and they're usually dry or mostly dry by the time I head home. I also know all the spots along my route where I can take shelter if lightning or high winds start up. Don't mess with those.

I do not really have much of a choice, rain does not seem to start in the morning, it comes in the afternoon on my way him. I keep a rain cape in my desk drawer in case it does. I have full fenders and my commute is maybe 2 miles. I actually enjoy it sometimes, less walkers on the MUPS and washes the crap off the roads.

I do have a full rain gear set from Merrell and it was the best money I spent, a proper rain kit when needed is priceless.

If it is raining before I leave for work then I don't ride. I will tolerate rain coming home from work, but certainly not before.

Yes.

Rain is where wool really shines.

Agreed. I have lots of merino wool base & mid-layers, and it's very comfortable when wet, although a bit heavier. I have a Gore-Tex Active outer shell, but I still sweat when wearing it. I've yet to find any waterproof that keeps you dry from inside when exericsing, so having a comfy base layer is really importnat.

Yes, I love wool.


If I want to ride and it's raining, I want to have the clothing which will allow me to do it comfortably. That goes for any activity I participate. I spent $500 on a dry suit so I can paddle in the Winter comfortably. :thumb:


The Kona I ride came with fenders. I did not know how practical these were. I have had the bike since last Fall and have ridden in all sorts of weather and have had no need to wash or clean the bike.

i dunno what the cross section of your tires is but riding in the rain is where a wider tire run at lower pressure really helps. You probably know this but if the roads are slick from water, you don't want to lean into a turn; take it upright.

yeah it's fun

heh heh heh

That's why your bike needs training wheels, ;)

I have rain gear, so no excuse. Right now, my commute is sinfully short (2 mi), but I also did it when it 9 through town. It only gets unpleasant to me if the temps are below 40F.

Once, about a dozen or so years ago, I rode home through a DOWNPOUR, monsoon-like, visibility maybe 80 ft. Two miles from home, the street on my route for that day was flooded. I said the hell with it, and rode through.

The water was just below the BB, so every pedal stroke was a splash; my Pearl Izumi socks bled black patterns onto my ankles, and my derailleur quit working two days later. I smiled all the rest of the way home.

I will often ride in the rain but I don't ever feel guilty for driving either.

Unlike most on here riding road or touring bikes and dressing in all kinds of kit, for transportation I ride an upright city bike (as is common outside the U.S.). It has good fenders, fully enclosed chaincase, and skirt guards so no spray or road gook on me or my clothes. All of the gears and brakes are internal so work as well in rain or snow as in sunny dry weather. It's also quite easy to carry an umbrella so even without wearing rain gear I stay quite dry (knees sometimes excepted) in light rain.

More here: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/tag/rain/

Got caught in some real monsoons in Korea, but that was on a weekend.

I commute in the rain here, but it's only 2 miles and I use wet weather pants and a jacket outer layer.

I love riding in the rain. Then again, I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I wouldn't do much commuting if I didn't. Still, I wouldn't really call myself a "commuter " if I only did it when the weather cooperated. In my opinion, a "commuter" rides except in extenuating circumstances.
Riding in the rain is no big deal once you just do it. You don't need to buy bike-specific rain gear, just get cheap stuff or scrounge thrift stores. You'll be glad you did.

When shopping for gear, I would advise caution if you investigate ponchos. Many people swear by them, but I bought one and wore it once. It turned out to be a fantastic sail for catching the wind and trying to throw me in front of traffic. My route is a lot of rural/open areas with high speed traffic. Even if there's no wind, a passing semi generates a suction that's a lot more fierce with a big sail wrapped around you.

Ponchos would probably be okay if you rode really slowing, like on an upright bike. Being upright already presents a large surface for the wind, so what's a little bit more? I guess you could always carry an umbrella if you're riding slow enough.

I added a bike rain poncho/cape last year and have enjoyed using it on heavy rain days. It provides more shelter and comfort than my jackets. I didn't know it existed before I saw it at a charity silent auction. Mine is a Cleverhood rain cape.

I agree totally. Wool is my go-to fabric and when it comes to sports or activities in which you're, well, active there's no such thing as rain gear that breathes well enough to prevent sweating. Sure Gore-Tex is better than PVC coated nylon but only when you're doing something like fishing and aren't really exerting yourself (I'm sure that opened a can of worms and I'll get responses from 'extreme fisherman' who have a slew of slickly edited videos set to the gnarliest dubstep).

However I've found that you can reduce the amount of sweat and increase the comfort level to an extent by wearing rain gear that protects you from the rain yet allows your base layer to breathe and evaporate sweat which is why I wear rain capes. Sure they suck in high winds but as with other things in life you just grin and bear it which is fine with me because I still get to ride my bike.

Also, something that gets overlooked quite a bit is the front fender. Very few of them extend low enough to prevent splashing water onto the feet and extenders are a must have. My feet rarely get soaked.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...ie10/bike1.jpg

Is that a DIY mudflap? What material did you use? I used a cut-out piece of a mouse pad, works okay, but could be wider.

Attachment 558440

Count me as another who likes riding in the rain. I won't ride when there's lightning, but water wont' melt me. Hasn't yet. Cold and snow I like too. I don't like riding in 85F plus, but I do it.