I use Wunderground.Com for my weather info. I generally don't even bother with worrying about the weather unless the chances of participation is greater than 60%. Even when it does, there are several things you can expect. If you know the weather pattern in your area, then you can almost know what to expect. Here in the Bay area, the Northern part will gets the rain first most of the time before the southern area gets hit and we also can expects to have more total rainfall. There are other certain area that get more rainfall just because of the nature of the location. Another thing to look for is that here the weather is very unstable during the tail end of the storm and that's when it gets cold and rain cell develop. So try to learn as much about the nature of your area and it will help you a lot.

How much do you want to invest in rain gear is up to you. You can easily go overboard with high end stuff like Showerpass Jacket and whatever, but there are plenty of cheaper alternattive. I used the Performance Ultra Rain jacket and it perform extremely well under heavy downpour. I own both the Showerpass and the Perrformance Ultra and it work just as well but without the extra cost. If you wait for a sales and get it with their member discount, you can get it out the door really cheap. As for the leg, you can get a rain pant and use it as is or cut it off at the knee so that it has much less restriction and breathe better. I made a thigh gaitor that cover only my thigh area which is all I really need in that area of my leg. For the shoes to the calves area, I just use a $20 gaitor. Much more comfy than a rain pant and breathe much better.

It can be a turn off in the begining to ride in the rain, but once you get setup, it is really not that bad at all. Most driver thinks I'm a weird or crazy women for riding in the storm, but they generally gives a lot of positive cheers for doing it.

I live in the eastern part of the UK and our weather generally comes from the west so by the time it reaches us there really isnt much weather left. The forecasts say rain this and gales that but I get wet a handfull of times each year.
If your weather is unpredictable you just have to carry kit for the worst conditions of the day. In winter my bag usually includes waterproof pants and sock, a neck-warmer tube, a wooly hat and a insulated gillet sleeveless jacket.

I can understand that people in deserts don't want to spend loads on expensive waterproofs. Buy the cheaper breathable ones instead; they are not as tough and durable but then you dont wear them as much.
A water-resistant windproof is a good investment for cold conditions.

If it's actually raining when I want to leave for work I just drive because I've become a wimp in middle age.

Otherwise I ignore the forecast apart from temperature, with colder temperatures calling for a long sleeve jersey and leg warmers that I might be wearing or just stashing in a pannier.

If it's still raining an hour or so after I wanted to leave I resort to the rain gear that's always in my pannier:
- I ignore light rain apart from using a pannier cover
- I add a jacket for heavier or colder rain
- I add booties for even heavier rain
- I add pants for showers
- I might add gloves too if it's too cold

When I wasn't a wimp and lived where it snowed I'd just swap on a wheel set with the skinniest cross tires I could find mounted and dress like I would for snowboarding apart from the cycling shoes, booties, and helmet cover. Ski goggles make even heavy snow tolerable and a beard will ice up before your skin does.

I live in Michigan, and I quickly learned that if I didn't ride when there was rain in the forecast, I'd never ride. I just gave up and ride anyway. I just throw a rain jacket in the pannier if there's rain in the forecast, and I throw on the studded tires during the times of the year when there might be ice. That's how I deal with it.

I rode 18 miles to work (via a grocery store for some supplies) through a constant rain at 35*F on Friday. It didn't bother me any. Honestly I don't even really pay any attention to rain anymore, even when it's cold. My current booties don't work with clipless, so they just get wet these days. I'm probably about ready to put the platforms back on though.

I'm generally rain-averse. Even with HiVis reflective attire and great lighting, the motorists on the road don't see well and drive too fast for conditions. The streets on my route get very slick and often flood so I can't see the pavement/debris/potholes I'm putting my tires on; and I use some low-water river crossings on my route that are completely impassible. My safety glasses fog up. Often our rains come with hail, gusting winds, or lightning.

On the other hand, a gentle summer rain can be delightful to ride in during daylight on low-traffic good streets.

My bike club has a policy of canceling rides when streets are wet. Too many cyclists have been injured, including some very experienced riders.

You're bothering no one. Saying HTFU is a bicyclists favorite thing. And you're making it too easy.

Everyone's weather is a bit different, and I understand that in AZ rain means either nothing, or insane intense rain that brings visibility way way down? If you're in town I'd say ride anyway. If it rains you'll get completely soaked. If not, you won't.

You don't *need* fenders or waterproof gear. But they're nice.

Windy? Well I guess you'd have to define it. In a city/suburb 40mph winds are perfectly doable. Not really fun (unless you're going the right direction), but doable. At more like 60 you might want to watch the stuff above you in case it doesn't stay there. Not that you'll be any better off in a car... Well, aside from the fancy bike path complete with half grown trees.



Don't get too gear obsessed if you don't want and just take the pain. Or don't. No magic answers.


Also, all of the weather sites are good because they all feed off, roughly, the same information using the same statistics. Pick the one with the interface you like the best.

e-man:

Do you ride for the love of the ride or for some other purpose? Sure, we all get from A to B with less cost and enviro impact, but you have to answer the "why" question for yourself.

If you have passion for the ride, the weather will not stop you. It will merely be another factor you take into consideration when you gear up for the ride.

Weather is not a big issue here in the Los Angeles area however, it has been rather windy in the last few days which make it difficult to ride. When going to work, I am usually on the bike and just deal with whatever comes but if it is too cold out for me, I drive, take the bus or hitch a ride.

Yea yea, SoCal is wonderful, blah blah blah we're all jealous .

Good point about visibility. One of the reasons that I don't mind bad weather is that I'm very well lit. I ride with three PBSFs and a MagicShine taillight, plus a MS 900 headlight and a P7 flashlight up front, lots of reflective stuff on my bike and a reflective vest with lots of material on it.

If I were riding with garden-variety taillights and no reflective vest, I'd stay off the roads during rainstorms or fog.

Commuted by bike for 16 years in Tucson.
Got rained on maybe a dozen times.
No need to invest in raingear. Get a 30 gallon plastic garbage bag. Cut 3 holes in it. One in the center for your head and 2 on the sides for arms. Voila: Instant rain protection!
Have ridden in 117 degrees with 2% humidity . . . that's worse than rain!

hey e-man - don't let the personal jabs keep you away or from posting questions - this was a good thread!

One of the fun things about this forum is reading the posts from people in different walks of life and in different parts of the world. I'll see something like "It rains so infrequently here that it's not worth it for me to get any type of rain gear" and I'm kind of dumbfounded, especially considering the small fortune I've spent on winter gear.

But then I remember that the rain gear I have was a gift from my wife that cost me nothing. I also have to remind myself that when I first started riding to work, I only did it on mild sunny days and even then it was only once a week or so.

It's when you decide that riding is going to be your primary means of getting to work that you have to wrestle with the possibility/probability of bad weather. If we're talking about rain then a good set of fenders with a decent sized mudflap on the front can keep a lot of the grit out of your drivetrain and off of you. You've indicated that you'd rather not have your bike get wet. There's two choices there, either accept that it's going to get wet or do what a number of other people here have done, get a cheap bike off craigslist and use that if there's a possibility of rain.

Just a note about rain gear. The set I have is packable and wasn't particularly expensive. It's great for camping. For riding I really only use it in the fall and in the spring when it's colder. In warm weather I'm going to get just as wet from sweat so it really doesn't do much good to wear it. Staying dry often times isn't realistic. Staying warm is more easily attainable.

One thing that puzzles me a lot is that : People are afraid to get their bicycle wet by riding in the rain or snow but they have no problem in driving their $ 30 000 SUV through rain, snow and sleet. Or driving through a car wash few times a week. Why is that ? Do you really think that rain will do more damage to your bike then it does to your car ? Get real. Fixing a rusted panel on a car or removing some part seized by corrossion far more expensive then lubing you bicycle chain.

Rain during your ride isn't gonna turn your nice bike into a rust bucket either... Storing it outside may, but the rain is very minor.

But then, maybe in places where it's always raining it doesn't work out that way?

...nods head vigorously...

Most cars are designed to keep the weather out. Weatherstripping, door seals, galvanizing, undercoating, anti-corrosion primers, etc.

I've been riding year-round in Seattle-area rain for so long I don't really consider the forecast unless we're in danger of snow or ice. My bike has fenders, mudflaps, a chain guard, and a packable set of rain gear that stays in the saddle bag year-round, because we can get cold rain in August.

Many racing-inspired bike parts have pretty lousy weather sealing, they're the equivalent of old MGs that were fun in dry weather but constantly damp if driven in the rain. Some road bikes will actually fill their bottom brackets with water when riding in the rain -- water seeps in higher on the frame and accumulates at the low spot.

Things have gotten a lot better for the average non-racing consumer since mountain biking became popular -- plenty of reasonably-priced components designed to resist water and mud.

I use the weather forecast to help me decide what to wear and which bike to take. I haven't encountered weather where I absolutely will not ride, but very high winds (say, a hurricane or a tornado) would be too much. Golf-ball sized hail wouldn't be fun either. Thankfully, we don't get weather like that.

I've commuted in 50-60mph windstorms. It's a lot of work when the wind is against you, but a good storm is an invigorating force of nature, well worth the extra effort. Back in the '90s I commuted along saltwater waterfront roads, and a strong southerly wind would mean a foot of salt water on the road, and getting soaked with salt spray. Fortunately, my office had a shower large enough for my bike, too. (The best bike commuting office I ever had -- not just a full shower, but a fireplace by my desk, with room to bring the bike indoors in nasty weather. I'd leave the fireplace stoked the night before, light the fire when I got to work, and all my rain gear would be warm and dry before lunch.)

If it's raining, I wear a rain jacket. If it's raining hard, I put on the pants. If it's not, they're both in the panniers. The only thing I do differently to plan for rain is not wear a straw hat if torrential downpour is in the forecast.

For the bike: fenders, a cover for the Brooks and a retina-burning tail light.

hi, I'm quite sympathetic to your concern. I would rather ride in snow than in heavy rain. heavy rain obscures visibility (esp. for us glasses-wearers), turns gaping potholes into innocent-looking puddles, and reduces the effectiveness of rim brakes. I don't blame you if you want to avoid it - ignore what people say.

This is one reason i ride a folding bike - so I can just jump on the train and come home that way if it looks lousy outside.

My favorite weather website BY FAR is the following because it gives you a clear picture of temperature and precipitation hour by hour:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...-127&BackDay=0

to get a forecast for your city, just type it in at the top and then click on the link for "Hourly Weather Graph" at the bottom. nothing else even comes close in my experience

Things have gotten a lot better for bikes in terms of finishes and amount of corrosion resistant parts. A lot of the screws on a bike can be easily replaced with Stainless steel equivalents. Same with brake/shifter cables. Ironically though the most reliable derailleur I've used in the winter so far has been a Tiagra. It put an Alivio, a Deore-XT, and a more modern XT derailleur all to shame.

I rode to work today and it rained on me. I had rain gear with me but did not use it as the temp was 70F. I wore sandals without socks, shorts and a tee shirt.

I am still alive. My bike still works.