bikejrff

I don't ride in the rain, period. And I will never understand the mindset that people won't start a ride if it's raining but are ok if they are caught in the rain, even if it is only 15 minutes into a 3 hour ride. What the heck is the difference?

Myosmith

I will intentionally ride in moderate rain showers. Warm summer showers can actually be quite pleasant to ride in. If I know I'm going to get wet, I just put the fenders on the touring bike (also my gravel/winter bike) and go for it.

Over the years I have also been caught in some far more significant weather events including hail, high winds and torrential rain on several occasions. The only times I've bailed for cover have been when there is lots of lightning close by or hail bigger than marble size. I wouldn't intentionally set out to ride in severe weather, but it makes for good stories when a storm pops up out of nowhere and catches you on open road or in the middle of a gravel grinder out in the boonies.

Hardrock23

I don't mind riding in the rain. I mind how grimy my bike gets though...So I've been looking for another cheap bike for rain riding. But if it's pouring or thundering & lightning, then no, I won't bother going out and its been like this a lot recently.

jefnvk

If I am on the bike and have no other option than to continue on the bike to get somewhere, I must ride in the rain. Barring hypothermia concerns, once I'm soaked through, its rather meh, and I generally forget the discomfort within a few min. Even if there are clouds impending when I leave, there is always the chance that it won't rain. Thought I was going to get soaked this afternoon, was waiting for it, but it never came. Had I not gone, I would have been PO'd at myself for wasting what turned out to be a good afternoon.

If I am at home and comfy, my options are to sit home or go out in the already failing rain. Not likely that willfully getting wet is going to win that.

Same reason that I have to jump into cold water, instead of tiptoeing in. If you know it is coming, it is far worse than it just happening.

Dave Cutter

No. Yes. No

I don't ride for exercise. I only ride for fun... year round as often as I can.

I go to the gym. I know I need regular exercise and due to winter cold and frequent rain I jog on the track at the gym for exercise when I can't ride my bike.

I rarely guess correctly what the weather will be. The apps I use for weather forecasts aren't much better. So since I'd much rather ride my bike than exercise at the gym... I often end-up getting rained on.

kingston 

I built up a Motobecane Jury Townie earlier this year specifically for riding in bad weather.

Maelochs

Every time you go out in a car you risk becoming one of the approximately 40,000 killed on the road in the U.S. pretty much every year since 1960.

You weigh the odds, you decide to drive to the gym to workout, even though you know people have more accidents when it rains.

If you could predict the future, obviously you would stay home on the day yo were going to get hit by some idiot who wasn't paying attention and going too fast in the rain. Since you cannot, you have to roll the dice.

As Jefnvk notes sometimes it looks like rain is imminent, but it never comes. Some days look fine but a quick-moving local shower will drench you.

Happened to me a couple months back, where I set out to ride because it looked like a great day. I got drenched by a sudden shower, then the clouds blew on and it was again a great day. I went on to do the longest ride of the year.

Another day I took out my best bike because the weather looked perfect. An out-of-nowhere cloudburst completely soaked me. If I had had the slightest suspicion that it might rain, I would have taken my commuter.


In between those two rides, I set out on a day when I hoped it wouldn't rain. It rained so hard I cut my ride in half and went home. Since I don't commute anymore, and have nothing to prove, riding into driving rain pushed by a high wind doesn't much appeal any more.

In every case, I put in miles and time on the bike that would have instead have been spent on the couch, eating unnecessary calories and wishing I had decided to brave the elements and roll the dice.

Quoting jefnvk, I never lack for excuses not to ride.

Also, far too many days when the weather is finer, other factors keep me from riding ... chores, necessary household repairs, fatigue, soreness ....

Yesterday I went out between light rains .... The roads were damp and wet in places, but it never rained more than a few mostly random drops. It was my first ride all month.

Even if I had gotten drenched, I would rather have gotten at least Some time on the bike, than to have waited for another day which might never have come.

Quiglesnbits

I like the rain, the one thing I don't like is that my shoes seem to collect all the water dripping off of my legs. If it's not super warm out, they can get cold and that's not pleasant.

Anyone have ways to avoid this (I guess some sort of show covers would do it...)? Do I need crappy weather shoes with worse ventilation in addition to a crappy weather bike?

Amitoj

I like riding in light drizzle.
A few randonneuring events in rain and cold have hardened me to the weather.
Only exception to riding in rain is when I have to commute to work. I dont mind riding back home in rain.

highrpm

I just got caught in a storm earlier this week. Didn't really like it all that much. I don't have fenders so I caught a good amount of road dirt all over my face and back.


Even with fenders, I'd skip if it was raining.

rumrunn6

lol, yup. you gotta want it. want it bad. after this ride I began researching fenders

rumrunn6

nice job w the cork(s)! does the top one at the rear brake bridge ever want to rattle out as you ride?

DomaneS5

I used to have the same mindset. We now have Seattle's weather here in Virginia... so if I don't ride in the rain, I'll never get to ride. For every 2 days of sunshine we get here in April and May... we get 2 weeks of rain. June has been a little better so far... not as much rain.

rumrunn6

I think the difference is, you want to ride, but not in the rain. so you convince yourself the ride will be dry long enough to get out the door. if it starts raining oh well, you're out the door riding. kinda like talking yourself into buying a particular used car you know might have mechanical problems later but right now everything is copacetic, so you buy it cuz you really want that particular car, right now

indyfabz

For some, there is a psychological barrier to starting a ride in the rain. If you are already out there, it's easier to say "What the heck? Might as well deal with it. If you haven't left the house, it's natural for you mind to start considering other options to something less than ideal.


When I am doing loaded touring I absolutely hate starting in the rain, and not just because I have to pack up gear in the rain. But if the rain hits when I am on the road I often don't mind it. Sometimes I actually consider it neat challenge to face. Last year, while touring in Montana, I stopped for groceries in a town. Just as got back on the road it started to rain. I could have camped in that town but I ventured on another 18 miles to my intended campground. I found the experience somewhat exhilarating. While I prefer perfect weather on tour, persevering through crappy weather provides a greater sense of accomplishment. Back in 2014 I descended more than 20 miles from 8,000' in altitude with off and on rain, small hail and snow. And this photo was taken near Washington Pass on the North Cascades Highway. You can't tell from the photo, but it was snowing on the road.

Ty0604

I don't mind the rain. Living in the PNW you get use to it. But I hate downpours and I hate the spray caused by cars as they pass. I love a cloudy morning though because it's somewhat mysterious. Except in South Dakota last year where those morning clouds often turned into thunderstorms late at night with the chance of a tornado. It rained 11 days of my 96 days on the road last summer but I only stopped to take cover 3 times.

canklecat

I'll ride if rain is in the forecast, but not if it's actually raining when I leave home. I've been caught in rain several times the past couple of years. Unless the wind is blowing dangerously I just keep riding.

Usually I'll choose a route where traffic won't be a problem. I'm confident in my tires so I don't worry about that. With cantilever rim brakes I'm much more cautious and do plenty of advance braking to squeegee off the water and road crud. I wear clear safety glasses with foam seals around the eye sockets. A few times without glasses hard rain or debris would get in my eyes. Just a momentary distraction from blinking away the sting can be dangerous.

The main deterrent? Laundry. Especially the shoes. A couple of times this spring I had to pre-soak everything, especially my shoes, in a bucket to get the mud off before putting 'em in the machine. I'll probably put fenders back on one bike so it'll be less messy.

kingston 

I only have a few hundred miles on the bike, but everything is holding up well so far. I left both corks a little long so they are compressed which should prevent the bolts from vibrating loose. If they do, I'll just hit them with a little blue locktite.

Doug64

+1

If you didn't ride in the rain in western Oregon, the riding season would be really short However, if it is raining really hard, I may only ride down to the gym. If the folks don't see my bike parked in front of the gym, I catch a lot of flak.

How cold can the rain in southern Florida be?

Garilia

It's not the temperature of the rain, it's the lightning that comes with it.

I live in the area of Miramar and Pembroke Pines

Garilia

Currently we are experiencing a very atypical weather pattern with pretty much constant daily rain which is producing a lot of flooding. Thunderstorms with lightning and storm force winds tend to be our typical rain event.

You know ish is real when the local ginormous mall closes two days in a row.

I'm an avid camper with my boy scout troop, and consider myself a pretty astute weather observer. This current pattern has made it very unpredictable. Usually we can see the thunderstorms in the distance and see them rolling in, and with cloud speed and color judge how long it will last. Now with it being constantly rainy and cloudy, it's harder to tell when a sudden thunderstorm cell is moving in. Monday night we had a very severe storm cell pass over where I was that not only brought lightning very close, but it generated tornadoes, which is not typical of South Florida.

I don't anyone who really wants to be riding in a thunderstorm with storm force winds and tornadoes.

Ghazmh

Ride! As already mentioned use a dedicated bike for the rain, wrap the wheels in fenders and go. Over time you should develop an idea as to what gear you need for your local climate.

Garilia

Lightning rods and tornado proofing.

I can only hope to be as bad a$# as Ms. Gulch

work4bike

I don't intentionally ride in the rain, it doesn't matter how hard/long it's been raining; it doesn't even matter if the rain has stopped -- I don't cycle on wet roads. Of course I do ride in the rain because I'm a commuter/touring cyclist and get caught out in the rain a lot, but almost never start in a rain, unless I'm on a tour and it's day-after-day of raining -- you can only sit around for so long.

I don't mind getting wet, nor do I mind if my bike gets wet -- it's all about the road grim getting on my bike and stuff. I'll go for a run in the rain, but won't ride my bike.

Leebo

I've never melted, yet. Got fenders? They work well. Ride your bike in the gym? Like really tight crit laps? No. I don't gym. Commute, mt bike, tour. Start there. Or just start your ride with a big cup of HTFU.