Last summer, I was a fair-weather commuter. I have no plans to change that this summer. I respect those that have the willpower to ride when it's raining and snowing but I'm just not tough enough to do it.

I generally don't start looking into commuting until late May, but it's been unseasonably nice out lately. Unfortunately, it's early in the season and still pitch black for the whole hour that I'd be riding (11 miles each way). On Saturday, I cleaned and oiled my commuter bike, went to the LBS and purchased a good light set and a computer, and got everything set up and dialed in to begin commuting a month and a half early! I was excited to start commuting this week.

Today, thunderstorms all day. No commute. Tomorrow, same.

So I can't start riding in until at least Wednesday, and that's if the weather doesn't keep at it. I'm out of shape from the winter and want to change that, but I'm still not excited by the idea of buying fenders and rain gear. Maybe I'll have to reconsider, if the weather keeps doing this to me.

The weather allowed me to take the studded tires off a month early, so I'm not complaining. The only thing worse than studded tires is not having them, and not being able to ride all winter.

I've been known to delay leaving work so that I could ride in the rain instead of beating it. With good gear, riding in the rain is a lot of fun.

Better get used to the weather. It's only going to get weirder. We've really boned up the ecosphere and I expect increasing chaos for decades to come.

I think if you're planning to commute on a regular basis you just have to accept that you might get wet once in awhile. The problem with relying on the forecast is that they're often wrong. It's better to be prepared.

Take today for example. Though thunderstorms are predicted and probably will occur, you would have been dry on the trip into work, and likely back home too. Basically, you've let the threat of rain keep you off the bike even though the biggest chance for rain isn't until this evening.

My kids are planning on riding their bikes home from school tomorrow. They have rain jackets and they might still get a little wet. Won't hurt them.

The weather forecasts are more like opinion these days Yeah, getting wet is unavoidable but it won't kill you

It's true, I'm being more of a wimp than is probably absolutely necessary. The forecast I saw yesterday indicated rain might start this afternoon, so it would be a wet ride home. I have an efficient diesel economy car, so I'm not really saving money or significant fuel by biking. My goal is to become healthy, so I can keep up with my kids as they grow up. Also not interested in dying in the wheel well of some truck that didn't see me in the rain, although I can imagine the excitement.

Another problem is, I really don't like the idea of risking getting water in various electronics (cell phone, sometimes laptop). I have the supposedly water resistant trunk bag, but I'd rather not risk that failing. I know eventually I'll be caught in unexpected rain, but I really want to avoid that as much as possible.

No compaints here except perhaps if it is a reallly hoooot or really snow summer/winter upcoming.

Understandable.

For the electronics just pack a couple of Target bags and wrap the electronics up in those if you get caught in the rain. I have a rainproof backpack that works well but the plastic bags work fine too.

I'm not going to complain too much about the weather. We really need the moisture and I'd just soon have it during the week while I'm working.

Baggies work great for keeping things dry too. You can use your phone in a baggie while it's raining out.

Last year, I planned to only ride on sunny days. for whatever reason, weather.com kept showing storms in the afternoon every day, but they never materialized. I finally decided to ride if it wasn't raining in the morning (if it's raining when I leav,e I just drive) & the chance of rain during the commute home was less than 60%. I've only been caught in rain a couple of times since. BTW, fenders are nice anyways, to keep off the road spray when there was a sotrm overnight, or during the work day.

+ 1 - Today was a great day to ride. The threat of rain is NOT the same as it actually happening. First off do not believe the weather terrorists on the local TV news, not only are the usually inaccurate, but even if they were they are not telling you what you need to know as a bike commuter. If you listen to them you will never ride. You only have 2 brief windows of time that you have to ride in, AM and PM. I have commuted countless times when the threat of precip was in the forecast and have not had to ride through it. And then so what if you do. I keep a rain cover for my pannier with me, and a plastic bag for the electronics as an added measure.

you know the worst thing that happens when you ride in the rain? you get wet...

Also, rain on the way home, what's the problem? Warm shower and dry clothes are waiting for you.

I completely deserve the ribbing here, but I'm just not ready for riding in inclement weather.

And along with shower and dry clothes, I have a wife waiting for me who will scold me for being such a stupidface for riding in the rain. She's already not incredibly keen on the idea that I like biking to work when the weather's good.

being scared of the wife > being scared of the rain

I have nothing further.....

Yeah, we're getting to the bottom of it, aren't we? It's the wife, not rain...

Actually the worst thing that happens is your bike gets wet & you have to wipe everything down & re-lube the chain or it might start to rust.

Never bothered myself. Or, more accurately, I may end up re-lubing more often in wet weather but I don't do it every time I ride in the rain. I don't have any problem with rust except when the roads are salty.

+1

Either commute do, or commute don't. HTFU all around. There are waterproof bags for electronics. Wives can be appeased with chocolate and back rubs.

Hopefully she'll get more comfortable with jmilleronaire's riding over time. Ignoring the feelings of one's wife isn't a good idea whether the feelings are justified or not.

See, not to say "I told you so" but I'm going to. At the moment in Minneapolis It's 5:30 pm and it's 75 degrees and sunny beautiful out and it hasn't rained all day. My point: Weathermen are not your friend.

If getting wet was the worst thing that happened, I would count that as a good day. Also, I wouldn't let a spouse--let alone an electronic device--tell me how I must travel.

Yep, it didn't rain yesterday, and I'm a giant wimp. But that's OK with me. My car's pretty efficient, and the route is much shorter (distance and time) by car, because I have to go around the freeway that goes directly from my house to work. In traffic it takes me 15 minutes by car, almost an hour by bike. 7 miles by car, 11 miles by bike.

Marital advice: None. Married for 21 years and I still have no idea what I'm doing.

Rain advice: The thought of riding in the rain for most people is truly an awful one and it's a real non starter. I get that. People are intimidated by the unknown. But believe it or not riding in the rain is not awful at all, it's just different and I for one enjoy different on my daily commute sometimes as it keeps it from getting boring. Once you have some experience riding in the rain the fear of it as an unknown goes away you simply accept it, get your gear straight, and ride in it. If you are like me you may even look forward to it. I'm actually kinda hoping for rain on the way home tonight.

Ride in the rain first then who knows, you might do something really awful like ride in the winter...;-) Okay, one step at a time.

No offense intended, but this makes it sound like you really don't want to ride on a regular basis. That's ok, bike commuting doesnt' work for everyone. I can get to work much faster by car too (9 traffic free miles on a 55mph road, vs either 9 miles on that same hilly road or 14 miles on a flatter road), but I want to ride so I do. Most people who want to ride aren't detered by anything less than a 90% probability of violent thunderstorms. It's easy to come up with justifications not to ride...but if you want to ride, just buck up and ride.

I live in Michigan. I used to drive on days when it said it might rain. Eventually I realized that meant I'd get to ride about 20 days a year.