Hosting Group Rides in the Rain
 

For those of you that host or lead group rides, at what point do you decide to call a ride off with regard to rain/storms? While I love riding in the rain, I don't like to take on the additional concern/hazard/responsibility of leading rides in the rain unless I have to.

Typically, I'll study the radar patterns, as well as the NOAA rain percentage and estimated rainfall per hour to make the call, but it's tight sometimes. What are some of your parameters?

Our groups rule is water on the road = no ride. Really anything over a 30% chance of precipitation gets the ride cancelled.

Some rides are for weenie...uh, I mean some are "fair weather only" rides. The men ride rain or shine.

The policy is generally set in advance, is the point of this post. Decide what 'percentage of precipitation' is acceptable and make that public.

Although my personal policy is to ride rain or shine, I don't like to take other folks out when it's above a 50-60% chance (depending on the rate of rainfall) and some other factors. The other leaders and I haven't posted the rule so that we can watch the radar and make a judgement call for each ride.

We typically have a very wide range of abilities ride with our A-C groups, and wet roads can throw enough of a wrench in the works, that we try and avoid the hassle of someone going down.

Simply wouldn't occur to me to cancel. It often rains here, if we cancelled rides because of it some people would never get out.

People ride at their own risk. The people who don't fancy riding in the rain for whatever reason simply don't turn up.

Cycling would be nonexistent out here if that were the rule.

I take lightning seriously, but wind and wet is just part of riding.

When I lived in Seattle, the rule for most group rides was "steady rain cancels". Light rain or intermittent rain was acceptable. In a steady rain, if the ride leaders purposefully slow down the group, it helps to make everything safer for those riders that perhaps aren't as skilled in the wet, thus making it safer for everyone.

On the other hand, the race team I was on up there rode year round (well, most people took a break in October but not due to weather), rain or shine. Only black ice on the roads would cancel rides. It all depends on the experience level of the group.

I fail to see the logic. Either way you get wet and your bike gets covered with slop. Roads are often cleaner in heavy rain that washes away the dirt than in light sprinkles. But having enough water in your shoes to stock trout is not pleasant.

It wasn't about comfort in the rain, it was about safety. The idea was that a continuous downpour would be less safe in a group because not everyone had the same handling skills on wet roads. I avoided group rides in very rainy mainly because I didn't trust the wet road handling skills of some of the riders. I'd ride solo or with a close, small group of friends that I trusted instead.

When it's freezing rain and ice is forming on the road, or when it has been snowing heavily for a while.

I have not ridden in a group ride, but this come to mind:

Care for followers does not necessarily mean that you should accept undue responsibility for them. Leaders should, I think, decide to ride through any rain, accept all who wish to follow, and gracefully let others turn back if they wish. In other words, don't disappoint hardy riders who want a strong leader yet invite gentler riders to return another day.

I rode through two terrible downpours on my first attempt at a century. Tornadoes were in the area, but I didn't know it. I was wet, cold, getting dark, and I was having a ruggedly stubborn good time. :p It's a wonderful memory I'll keep close at heart when I get old and can't ride anymore.

Velo Rule V ...

Rain isn't the issue for me. Lightening storms are a no-go (lightening strike capital for deaths, still?). Freezing rain, hail, icing roads all are a no-go. Getting wet is just a maintenance issue and will not discourage a ride (but may dictate a less than hairy mountain/descent route).

70% chance of no rain seems like pretty good odds.

Rule #9.

HTFU boys.

It's really up to your comfort level and that of your fellow riders. You know that better than we do.

Some folks are "fair weather cyclists," who will not ride even if no rain but wet roads or a small sprinkle. Some are hard core and will ride in cold driving rain. Most of us are somewhere in the middle.

Actually, HTFU is Rule V. There's a reason Velominati and Rule V both begin . . . with V.

Rule (9) IX: Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.

I ride in everything but a downpour, the kind of rain that sounds like a train hitting the windows of your house, and an electrical storm. I will show up to lead a ride, when scheduled, in any situation, and will roll out in everything but those circumstances. The length and route may be adjusted, but I don't get enough chances to ride that I can afford to sacrifice any.

The heavy rain issue is more about visibility to cars and presence of puddles than anything else.

I'm aware of what rule number 5 is. I was referring to the weather one. They were separate statement.

Same thing with the club I ride with, but there are always a couple people willing to ride in the rain.

I actually kinda like riding in the rain, but I have to wear glasses, so it's kinda hard to see.

How many times a year do you get out?

Just about anywhere I've lived, if that was the 'no ride' guideline, we'd hardly ever ride.

30% chance of rain means that there's a 70% chance it's not going to rain.

Last 20miles yesterday evening in bone chilling rain. Arrived home looking like a drowned rat but with a huge smile on my face despite the weather, a serious mechanical issue, and numb fingers. Builds character folks!! After all, how do you know what you CAN do if you never DO IT!?!