+1 - I was mentally composing a response to the OP, but this pretty much sums it up for me.

in warm weather i don't mind getting wet, and if i'm going to work i stick my work clothes in my (waterproof) messenger bag.

in the cold/spring/fall i have a light rain jacket and a water-resistant cold weather jacket.

Option one is simple. I wear either a O2 rain jacket or shower pass for the top. A skull cap and a bacalava on colder days. The bottom is a little bit different. I use a Rain Leg for the upper half, a gaitor for the calves and fenders to help keep my shoe dry along with the gaitors.

Otion two: Call in sick on those days where it is pouring and build a nice lovely warm fire in my fireplace at home.

cold and heavy rain.. A cyclists rain cape.. & Rain hat or helmet cover over the helmet.

Sealskinz socks or Wellington boots (not for the clip-less crew, I guess), rain jacket and pants, sealskinz all-weather gloves... Dry bag and change of clothes - condensation and sweat 'll get you in the end.

If I get too warm I roll my sleeves and pant legs up, but this means the waterproof socks and gloves quickly get soaked inside by water running down legs and arms. Any solutions to that out there? I've been wondering if wearing tennis sweat bands just above the gloves and socks would help somewhat, but haven't experimented yet....

If it's warm I'll just smile and sing in the rain :)

I don't ride my road bike to work in the rain, it doesn't have fenders yet, my mtb does. So i ride the mtb, wear a hoodie as usual, bought a rain proof backpack, don't care about my pants getting wet.

They only thing that bugged me before the fenders was that mud would splash up on me and that irritated me. I'm too cheap to buy pain pants and jacket, but if I had the money I would.

All depends on temp. I have Craft Bulit rain pants, a showers pass jacket for cold and/or cold&wet. For less cold or less wet, REI Headwind pants and jacket. Also use a PI convertable lightweight jacket. Banjo Bros waterproof panniers (simple and cheap).

Fogging glasses is a big deal at stoplights, or if it is warm. Still haven't overcome that.

Over 60F degrees, I just get wet. Under 60F; Illuminite jacket,
winter gloves, Marmot rain pants and Lake winter boots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9-KvGdYfps

Interceptor - what bike path is that in the video?

Warm rain, over 60, I usually just get wet.

A helmet cover is a big plus -- get one that's bright yellow, not black, if you're riding in traffic. Motorists have a harder time seeing in the rain, might as well stay visible.

On my feet, SPD sandals stay much warmer than wet shoes, no mass of wet fabric sucking the heat out of your feet.

Backpack is a Seattle Sports AquaKnot drybag in bright yellow.

Cool rain, over mid-30s, I wear knee-length rain pants and layer my upper body so I stay warm but damp.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8201/8...a700f8cd7b.jpg
Rainy Day Conspicuity - Rear by joshua_putnam, on Flickr


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8481/8...32b437da09.jpg
Rainy Day Conspicuity - Front by joshua_putnam, on Flickr


Below mid-30s, I'll add socks, full-length thermal tights, and a rain jacket.

Take a clean, soft cloth, cotton or microfiber.

Fill a sink with warm water, and lather up a bar of soap in the sink until the water looks a bit milky.

Dip the cloth, let it dry.

Keep it in a dry pocket when riding. If your glasses start to fog, clean them with the cloth.

The soap residue breaks the surface tension of condensation, so instead of fog you'll get a thin, uniform film of water on the lens. A little bit bleary, but much better than fog. (A tip I borrowed from a North Pacific sea captain who used these on his glasses and his pilot house windows. If you're dealing with salt spray cold enough to freeze, add just a dab of kerosene to the mix and the ice won't stick to the glass.)


If you commute in cold rain for several months of the year, you might want to prepare a dozen or so eyeglass rags at a time, and swap them out when they get dirty or de-soaped.

A helmet with a visor or a cycling cap will keep runoff away from the inside face of your glasses, making the defogging last longer before it needs to be reapplied.

Thanks. Thought so but wasn't sure how to get on from the GWB. A while back I crossed the bridge from Ft. Lee looking for it and ended up riding down to 145th and taking an elevator from the park.

Wow, awesome tips jputnam! Thanks for sharing.

It can be tricky the 1st time, you'll usually see some riders - just ask for directions.
I have even asked unfamiliar riders to follow me, even if I'm going the opposite way.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=f...&z=16&lci=bike

I keep on reminding myself to make a video showing a turn by turn tutorial, but I keep on procrastinating :)

In hot weather I do sweat under the rain gear, but the trade-off still favors wearing the gear versus getting wet from the rain (for me). One must ride more slowly.

I used to have some yellow pants and jacket, a lightweight material, $25 each. They worked, but they would tear and I would have to repair them with yellow duct tape. Now I have Columbia rain pants that cost around $90 as I recall, and they are better BUT, at one point about a year after I got them they seemed to lose their waterproof-ness. I washed them with some cleaner made for that type of fabric, and washed them again with some waterproofing substance (got both at REI) and that seemed to restore them. The jacket is Showers Pass and I am happy with it.

I will say that if I had a day of 90 degree temperatures plus a heavy rain, things would not be so nice.

If it's raining in the morning, I don't ride. I could, but it's just a comfort thing that I don't. Here on the Colorado front range, most of our precipitation is summer afternoon thunderstorms or snow. If it's raining and warm, I just ride home. I don't ride in the snow either, but that's out of safety concern.

We get a small number of days a year with constant gentle, usually cool, rain. A very small number. Being rare, those days are really nice around here, but I don't ride on such days.

I usually don't ride to work in the rain. I don't mind riding home in the rain though. The biggest issue with riding to work in the rain is bringing my wet bike in through the building. I guess I could keep it outside on the bike rack (it is covered and from what I can tell rather safe) but I think it might be asking for trouble of I bring it into work when it is wet and dripping. No one seems to care about my bike being brought into my office, but if I start making a mess that might change. Do others have this worry?

Lots of great stuff so I won't repeat. One addition, my panniers are going old and not totally waterproof so I put my clothes in plastic grocery bags before loading into panniers. It also makes unloading easier. I also ride with my phone on handlebars - quart zip locs keeps it dry

+2
I start to think of a response, then notice if TSL has posted there's usually no reason to....:thumb:

I leave my bike outside - I use an evil plastic grocery bag to cover my computer and headlight on the bars, and a garbage bag on the seat. Riding it in the rain is harder on it than sitting outside in the rain - don't get road grime just setting there.

If I took the bike inside, I'd have to negotiate stairs and two doorways. Just doesn't make sense, as well, to have my employer cleaning the carpet for my dirty bicycle tires. YMMV

I would not even ride in the rain unless it was an organized rife and was caught in the rain.

Drivers have enough trouble seeing us in the dry without rained on windows and bad wipers being involved.

I understand your concerns and I'm sure some riders feel the same way. But some cyclists feel that riders should also do
their part in helping other road users see them; lights, bright colored clothes, defensive riding, etc. Same strategy for night
riding. Actually I have adopted this strategy for all of my riding; commuting, centuries, late night grocery run, Sunday
morning group ride, etc. Bright colored clothing, lights on always, reflective bits everywhere, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hheUc-zlfiM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGpBHbEYqeo

(See location)

If you have the gear, riding in the rain is no problem. I have an Endura jacket and Altura Night Vision everything else (over-trousers, over-shoes, gloves). I wear a skull cap under my helmet with extra material to cover my forehead and ears. If I'm zipped up right, I can ride in anything. I have an Ortleib pannier to carry it all plus my work shirt and lunch. Only thing more to say is you'll need lights / hi-viz and watch out for motorists rushing to work with reduced visibility.

I take the long silver limousine in the rain, it just isn't worth it to me to ride in the rain.

I bought a Showers Pass jacket when I took a vacation in Seattle with my bike for a week. I used it there almost every day, got caught in two downpours along with the everyday non-stop rain, and stayed dry. This was two+ years ago. I've only once used it since, when I took a walk outside during the height of Hurricane Sandy. I stayed dry.

Easy! Just ride in your best birthday suit and carry your clothes & a towel in a waterproof bag! :p

What do you have from Foxwear?

I prefer not to ride in the rain, but it's hard not to do so if you are a regular bike commuter. Forecasts are too unreliable around here to depend on, so you roll the dice and take your chances with the weather -- and that means you sometimes end up riding home in the rain. My commute is pretty long, about an hour each way, so I get pretty soaked if it's really raining. However, my main concern about riding in the rain is visibility. My route is entirely on streets, some heavily traveled, with no bike paths, and I don't feel as safe when it's raining. It's also a lot harder for me to see since I need glasses and they always get spotted or fogged up in the rain.

What is hardest for me are the iffy days when the forecasters are calling for 50-70% chance of rain. That was the situation this morning, and I decided to drive. A cold front is moving through today and the most likely time for rain is right during the afternoon rush hour, so I decided not to risk it. That plus the fact that it is really warm here for January and my rain jacket is just too hot for temps in the 60s-70s.

I don't know if it's just our forecasters or NC weather, but the weather guys have a poor track record at forecasting rain around here. More often than not, they are wrong. They call for rain and we get nothing, or it rains on days when it's supposed to be clear.

TSL usually is right on, with his advice and info.

heavy-weight powershield rain pants and e-vap jacket, both only for very cold temps, wet or dry (below 25F).