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.

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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.

mcours2006, I just hastily nabbed that image off the 'net. I cut my own from a swatch of stout leather or heavy waxed cotton duct but those dimensions are about right. I've tried rawhide (as in a dog's chew 'bone') but I could never quite get it to soften enough without putting too much effort into it.

I ride in the rain all the time, but I live in Seattle so it's pretty much required. My work provides a shower and dry towels, or else I'd have to reconsider. I use an Ortlieb office bag for my work clothes, lunch and laptop. It's still waterproof after three years, so no worries about that stuff. I use hard-sole wet suit booties and wet suit gloves, along with a Garneau rain jacket. Everything else I wear is synthetics and dries out enough by the time I need to ride home. I have a little pack attached to my rear rack that I can put the rain stuff in if it stops raining. As others have mentioned, lights are essential and wider tires are a big plus. I kind of like the rain because it cuts down on the number of bozos on the bike trail.

Yep, I commute in the rain. Forecasting moderate rain today, 20C which is ok but 30 km/h head wind with 50 km/h gust. Commute back home will be a pain.

Love riding in the rain.. it's a bonus if it's a real storm! Last week was a down pour so took my shirt off and rode home. Felt awesome! Now when it's cold out and rain that really sucks. But after you've rode in the rain to work the rest of the day seems like a piece of cake!

Tried to convince the college girls down the street from me that that's the way to ride in summer storms, but I don't think they bought it. Waiting for a warm rain and hoping for the breastsbest.

This morning, it was raining and blowing hard. I said no thanks. I have a long commute.

when I bike commuted, bad weather made the rides more interesting. it took me a while to get on board with it, but then I embraced it joyfully. now, riding in bad weather is a rare pleasure

I ride in the rain but my commute is only a few miles -- in bike lanes on one-lane city streets with 25 mph speed limits. A Sugoi "Zap Pack Cover" keeps my backpack dry (surprisingly so, even in strong downpours) and ziplock bags are extra insurance for phones and i-Pad. A Sugoi Zap Helmet Cover keeps my head dry and Gore-Tex jacket and rain pants round out the rain preps.

I've been looking at getting fenders but haven't decided on that yet.

There's a lot more room on the bike racks on rainy days!

I like the rain because it empties the street of other bicycles and I can relax and enjoy my own pace. Being comfortable in the rain is about choosing layers with care. I agree with others that a merino wool base layer is essential.

Talking about strictly commuting, yes to in the rain. I don't choose to go out for longer training or recreation in more than light rain - because I want to fully enjoy those longer rides.

I don't want to make light of it, because I well remember the initial efforts I put into dealing with commuting through rain. But to be honest, part of it is a mental perspective, once you're confident in any of several was to handle it. This time of year, as long as my shoes don't get soaked and I can keep stinging rain away from my eyes, I simply don't care. Other conditions, mainly colder, need other measures but once you've handled it, it's not the big deal it once was.

I enjoy my own riding pace, rain or shine,regardless of the presence of other bicyclists, why can't you ride at your preferred pace in the presence of other cyclists?

FWIW, I never had any problem in 40 years of bike commuting in the rain and never wore a merino wool base layer.

I'd take a light drizzle or even steady light rain over a 50 km/h headwind or side wind any day of the week.

Commuting in the rain isn't bad but cleaning the bike after sucks.

I just skip that. Last time I cleaned my bike was 2012.

The bike I bought was a 2012 TCX 2 and I believed it was never cleaned. All the gunks in the gears was incredible. If you were from Ottawa, I would have asked if I bought the bike from you ;)