Rain Riding Wacko?
 

This is my fourth week since getting my road bike and starting to ride. I've been reading posts for a while now. I have seen a number of posts that talked about hating to ride in the rain or the fact that a particular fun ride (not a race, but Centuries and so forth) was miserable because it rained the whole time.

Yesterday it rained here most of the day, and some coworkers were asking what I was going to do since it was raining out. I said "I'm going riding. Why wouldn't I?" They looked at me like I was nuts. I put in 30mi yesterday in the rain and it was a great ride. This is the second time I have ridden in the rain and I have had excellent rides both times. The first rain ride was my longest to date. For some reason it almost seems more peaceful to me when I'm out there and it feels like I'm accomplishing more because I went out to ride instead of staying inside.

I know the cleanup takes some time afterward but I really have enjoyed these rides. Plus, when I train like this I feel like if I'm riding a century and the weather turns a bit it won't be as big a deal.

Am I a Rain Riding Wacko, or do others actually like/not mind riding in the rain?

Just curious as to other peoples feelings about riding in the rain and why they do or do not like it.

Trey

I like riding in the rain. A lot of my friends are on the "I won't leave the house in the rain, but I'll keep going if it starts" plan. I'll go no matter what. With the exception that if it is snowing, I'll take the mountain bike!

There have been months where if I didn't ride in the rain, I would hardly have ridden at all. Take this last June as an example!

Rain is all right for short rides when you can get in after and have that hot shower and so on ... rain is a little more miserable on long rides. Last year I did a 24-hour event where it rained, at varying intensities, 17 of those hours. That got a little annoying.

Rain is also all right on hot days ... in fact it is great then! A cold rain, however, can lead to hypothermia if you aren't careful.

Rain is all right in moderation, light drizzles or short pours. But when it is a driving rain with a howling wind for all 20 hours that you are on your bicycle, that can be really, really daunting.


But you are right, when you train like this if your ride a century and the weather turns a bit it won't be as big a deal.

I live in the northwest US. Rains a bit during the winter months. My saying "If you don't do stuff in the rain in the NW, you don't do much stuff"....you might still be a whacko but it won't because you're out riding in the rain.

The only thing I have noticed is that one chafes about 10 times faster when riding in downpouring rain. Also need to be aware of places that accumulate lots of , or fast moving water , or places where people are prone to accidents or swerving. Other then that riding in the rain is usually good fun. Just be sure that you are wearing glasses or sun glasses and a helmet, otherwise the pelting rain can be really hard when its downpouring.

Machka, 24 hours. Holy c**p. How long have you been riding? I would think that is one heck of a feeling of accomplishment. Way to go! I would think that my butt would have been more annoying than the rain after riding that long.

What about brakes in the rain -- I'd heard that disc brakes are the only really safe brakes when wet... ?

Riding in rain can be great. And once you're wet all over, it really doesn't matter. Brakes? Well you have take the speed down a bit. 17 hours out of 24 in the rain? I don't know if I could, or would want to, do that. But hey... that's what makes this a great sport... there's lots of ways to have fun on a bike.

And yes... the mountain bike comes out when it snows.

It does take more distance to brake at the same speed. I just plan farther ahead. The other things that I am more careful of are painted lines and manhole covers. They can get very slick in the rain, so I definitely try not to take turns over painted lines or slow down alot if I have no choice but to cross over them when making a turn.

The only reason I don't like riding in rain is having to clean my bike.

This happens to me too. If I'm riding in the wet, I have to make sure that my shorts (and my contact points) are treated with Chamois Butt'r or similar, or I can get chafing problems early in the ride. It's not much fun the rest of the week after that.

Try commuting year-round in the UK on a road bike :). Don't worry about the rain, but do take it easy on the turns and watch out for iron-work in the road - drain covers and such, as they are very slippery when wet. Cleaning & drying the bike afterwards is always recommended.

Have fun with the rest of us wackos!

Ed

Rain is no problem, just be more careful. Lightening, that is another issue completely, and in that case I would not argue that you would be wacko. LOL

Other than what has been said as to brakes, paint and manhole covers, you really need to make eye contact with other drivers, or even ride with a flashing rear light. Drivers just dont see you as easily, and really aren't expecting someone out on a bike in the rain.

Zac

Rain riding is awesome. I know people around here think I am crazy sometimes. I especially love it when it is a howler or a heavy downpour ( as long as it only lasts a short while ). Here in the NW corner of Iowa we get hit by thunderstorms that pop up out of nowhere. Yesterday I was on a store run and as I was leaving, a heavy front was moving in really fast, the sky was very dark and the storm line was rolling. I always ride the back streets and this is a small town ( Sheldon ) so the car traffic is very lite. The storm hit midway home and the rain was sheeting sideways right at me. It was great! I thought at one point the wind was going to float my bike. Of course I do advertise extreme caution but sometimes I just can't resist taking on the elements. It kind of reminded me of the hurricane scene in the Bubba Gump movie :) And call me insane but yes I yelled a thrill of delight ( mixed with a little fear ) when it really blew at me in sheets. It was raining so hard that my wife had started to go out to find me in the car to take me home but I met her about 1/8 mile from the house just as she was leaving and waved as I zoomed past her. I bet you can imagine the "I can't believe you sometimes" look she had on her face when she came back in. Yes my clothes were sopping wet and I had to shed them when I came in but what can I say, it was fun :) Probably the biggest thing I worry about is if my tire rubber will insulate me enough from lightening ( perhaps someone knowledgeable can elaborate on this ) and I have to watch out for older trees loosing their branches when it really gets wicked. As an added note, I too commute, so I get rained on quite a bit when there are gentle rains. I just try to make sure I watch the weather site and pack accordingly, rain gear, etc.

I find a ride in the rain to be refreshing (provided I'm not headed to work). However, doing so regularly means double the maintenence of the bike. I have to wipe it dry and/or clean it and relube. Immediately after each rainy ride. I don't know about you, but I am more inclined to flop on the floor than give my bike full service loving after I ride.

I'm one of those bike dorks as mentioned in the humor thread who keeps her bike in the living room. Anyway, when I get home from a rain-ride, I tend to pitch off my dripping clothes, wrap a towel around myself, and get some rags to start drying off my bike. My husband finds it intensely funny to see me pottering around the living room, towl around my body, towel around my head, squirt bottle of Simple Green in hand, bike set down on spread out newspapers, tending to my prized machine. I've no objection to cleaning my bike--I have to do it about once a week anyway under normal conditions. It's kind of like cleaning and lubing my sewing machine--picky, meticulous work that pays off in the end. Both machines tend to get noisy and run funky when they're due for a good cleanup. The improvement is gratifying.

I LOVE riding in the rain, especially if the rainstorm is the breaker for a massive hot spell. You can ride hard without overheating, and the tires make a pleasant shooshing noise on the wet pavement. I've noticed since switching from riding a mountain bike to a road bike that my tires throw less mud up on my face, so it's much more pleasant now. Another cool thing about riding in the rain is that people who don't do it think you're well hard on account of going out in all weather. They're all like, "OMG, don't you get cold?" "Can you see okay?" "aren't you afraid you'll slide and wreck?"

Plus, getting all filthy appeals to the little hooligan tomboy inner child in me.

I like it.

"Whadya made of, sugar? You won't melt."

Yeah... definitely a lover of the rain. It does get a bit tricky here in the city, though. Like some of the others were saying, man-hole covers and painted lines are a no-go. And then there's the infamous cab driver who decides to stop smack in the middle of the road because his drunk passenger said to turn left when he really meant right...

ahhh... the pleasures of riding in the city...

But once I get off the road, and into Prospect or Central Park... man...

It's like an oasis. The rain makes the grass smell just a touch sweeter. The silence is almost deafening. There's no weekender's out. And there just something about the sound of that rubber on wet asphalt.

Usually it's my only hour of peace all week...

I dry off my bike before I change and dry off myself. At least my components don't rust. :)

i'll start in a drizzle or light shower if it looks to be passing, but RAIN makes it too tough for me to carry the bike out the door.... but fortunately that is not too often down here in the sunny carolinas :D

Rode the Central Park loop a few times in the rain last week. Figured no one would be out and I was right. But I quickly realized why.

Lots of debris washed onto the road (rocks, dirt, twigs) by the rain. No big deal on a mtn bike, but a real pain on a road bike.

Had fun anyway. Just went a little slower.

Any advice a gear for rain riding? Should I go long sleeve? What about those shoe covers I see in stores sometimes. Are those useful for anything at all?

Rain riding is fine, and, in some parts a necessity. Yup, cleaning the bike afterwords is important, and (of course) having a second set of clothes to use on the next day when it is still raining.

No one mentioned safety though, and that is my concern on the highway where I ride. It is darker in the rain (never mind the pretty rainbows) Pick-up and semi-drivers are less likely to be looking out for you, you are likely to get heavy splash and spray from passing vehicles. Also, after a while, whatever eyewear you are wearing will become useless, because it will get wet or dirty or fogged on both sides and you won't have anything to wipe them with.

If you are prepared for all this, wear light colours (wear a safety vest or have a light if you must) then riding in the rain is cool...literally.

Okay, now look for your pretty rainbows. We get them in the winter here, only they are called sun dogs. Must have something to do with frostbite.

Riding in the rain is fine, I commuted year round in Sacramento by bike. However, wet shoes the next day really suck. Cool weather/winter rains are nice because you can put on shoe covers, jackets, etc and stay dry. Summer/warm weather rains, like I have discovered since moving to Virginia Beach, just make you wet and stinky when using rain gear rather than just getting wet without it. I have just learned to get rained on.

by the way, TreyK, where do you ride?

As long as it is warm enough, you don't need to shell out for rain-specific gear like a cape, pants, etc. (unless you commute). Warm enough varies for different folks, but I'll go out in the rain in a jersey and shorts down to 65F or so.

As for safety, yes, wear bright colors. A hi-visibility yellow jersey works well. I don't bother with a safety vest, but I wouldn't discourage that either. Glasses usually come off when it rains, particularly if they might fog.

Regarding feet, I don't believe in covers. If you're out in the rain any appreciable amount of time, you're going to get wet. If you're commuting, consider sandals w/ wool socks. Tough combo to beat for comfort when wet.