riding in the rain--advice?
 

need tips on riding in the rain... I got caught in the rain today on my road bike (rarity here except this time of year), first time since starting commuting... I was wondering if you guys had advice for riding in the rain. I was worried about oily streets in the rain and falling and getting crushed so I wimped out and got a ride...

love riding in the rain, if the wind is not blowing.
Hate wind whether it is raining or not.
take or keep at destination spare clothing. sitting in wet clothes for 8 hours sucks.
I use a poncho, and I like the fact that it does not keep the sweat in. in a light warm rain, I just get wet (similar to when i am riding in the heat...).
wipe dry and change at destination.
You go.

never had any problem with slick streets.... if you are concerned, give yourself extra time, and walk around hazards.

The obvious is to slow down.
But also brake early, try to avoid any puddles (because they might be big-honking potholes).

Other than that, just revel in your hardiness :)

Don't ride on the painted lines. Re-oil your chain right after you get home/work.

fixed gear bike. Properly adjust brakes, consider Kool stop or similar brakes. disk or drum/coaster brakes.

As to cloths some like rain capes. Others like rain suits. Obviously fenders. Stainless steel chain.

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.

What about the rain pants vs. this sort of rain 'chaps' that I've heard about... more for yer autumn/winter cold rain. I've heard one rider say that rain pants make him too hot... the chaps keep the rain off the front.
is there such a thing?

yeah, this is like buckets of rain and wind, like the Texas rain you described. roads were like rivers.

- Cross metal grates/tracks and painted lines at right angles, at low speeds and ready to bail if your front wheel goes
- Visibility - if it is raining hard it will be almost impossible for motorists to see you esp. if in the dark. Use bike paths or secondary roads.
- Wide tyres help a bit.
- Keep speeds reasonable - can't brake as quickly, more likely to skid
- Rain gear - I like rain jacket and pants, mudguards on the bike. Rain gear needs to be breathable and ventable.
- Waterproof shoes or shoe covers

Search the forums for much on this topic.

If you can pedal fast enough, your bike will stay dry .... :)

Watch out for metal stuff. In NYC, they cover things in the road with big, flat hungs of metal. They're okay when dry, but slippery as hell when wet. And yeah, brake early. Your brakes don't work as well and you have a better chance of skidding.

2 inches+ in one hour with flash flood warnings. I almost got hit by a lightning bolt today. The bolt struck a tree less than 1500' away from me and it threw chunks of wood bigger than the size of truck tires all over the place. My ears are still reverberating from the strike.

(Oh, I'm in Flagstaff, AZ right now.)

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.

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.

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.

Ride easy. In the wet it's easy to get your balance thrown off from wheel drag in a deep puddle and/or getting hit with a splash off a passing car. Don't push yourself or the bike as hard as you normally would in the dry. Summer storms come fast in the desert, at least to me it feels darker than it does when it rains here at home because you can still have bright patches of sky that throw off your light sensitivity - so keep hi-vis in mind when you prepare to ride, even if it seems nice out.

I seen a couple of suggestions to get fenders... Is it worthwhile since you are going to get wet overall riding in the rain.. what are the benefits of fender in the heavy downpour kind of rain? If it just shower or drizzling I would understand... can somebody please point out the benefits of fenders here, cause I am thinking of getting them, but stil considering the pro & cons.. tq

Wet is wet. But road stripe often includes mud/grime/etc off the roadway - stuff that doesn't look as nice when it dries. Also, helps keep some of the muck off the drivetrain.

Water is one thing. Road grime is another.

Fenders cut down on the road grime.

fenders are a godsend. I live in vancouver BC, aka Raincity. I ride with full fenders, with large leather mudflaps that divert the collected water down to the ground. my bike stays clean, My legs stay clean and almost dry, and my feet stay dry. combine fenders with a LIGHTWEIGHT rain jacket and a fast wicking layer underneath, thin gloves, and your good to go.

For light rain or showers rainlegs are great. They avoid the problem of overheating with full over trousers.

Lubricate the chain and squirt some water displacer into all the cables to stop rust.

And be aware that cars will find it more difficult to see you while it's raining, and combined with your increased braking distance, it pays to ride more defensively.

When you're well prepared, riding in the rain is great fun.

+1. I've found that I prefer fenders with large mudflaps as well. The small rubber mudflaps that come with some fenders are not enough, methinks.

--J

If riding in the rain at night, you won't be able to tell how deep water is. It could be a little 1/2" stream running along the road and right where you cross that stream it goes over a 1 foot deep pot hole, but you can't tell because any light reflects off the top of the water.

I agree (even in a heavy rain) with one exception--my feet. I use booties. Wet feet suck.

+1. My most unpleasant rain experience was walking the last 1/2 mile home (thank goodness I was that close) because I blew my front tube on a crater that I never saw because it was full of water, and at night besides. The kind of wet night where your lights just seem to get lost in all the other road glare.

YES. Rain washes away all the oil and crap on the roads. This means it is on the road and getting splashed up on you. The rain coming from above feels great, but the muddy crap from the street tastes horrid and feels greasy-grimy. Also a long front fender keep the dirt/oils off your bottom bracket.

See PlanetBike's Cascadia series fenders for excellent full coverage.