Rain rides
 

Looks like we are getting some rain this weekend. For those that ride in the rain what is your go to gear? I haven’t ridden in rain for years but dont want to mess up my riding streak.

Bike: aluminum beater with Ultegra 11sp rim brakes, fenders, 32 Michelin Pro Race on cheaper Shimano wheels.
Clothing: full coverage rain jacket and pants, "waterproof" shoe covers on an older pair of shoes, good gloves and skull cap.

Looks like rain arriving the 15th and continuing off & on into the 18th. I will ride today and skip till the 19th.
In years past, I would ride in driving rains around the 3.1 mile Rose Bowl circuit. Very few cars and no stop signs.
Living on the other side of town now, away from The Bowl, so generally best to avoid rain and the crazies.

Depends on the temperature. If below 50°F full rain gear because I'll try not to sweat too much. That rain gear don't breathe. If above 50°F just my normal kit and then throw it all in the dryer and myself in the shower (hot) when I get home followed by a large mug of strong rich coffee. Life is good :)

My goto gear when it rains is a sofa.

Just cleaned my 29er so I know it's going to rain hard on my Friday ride.
I will probably ride with 4 flashers, 2 front, 2 rear and a headlight depending on the darkness factor and a reflective vest.

once a year I ride in rain. then I start to fuss about what rain gear I have, then I don't ride in any more rain. much smarter to just not ride in the rain

however, I like to ride in active snow, even if it is wet snow, so that's kinda like riding in the rain. some key items for me

helmet cover
bar mitts
no cotton gloves, strictly cycling gloves. once cotton gets wet my hand gets cold, even if using bar mitts, take you hand out to for task, like wiping your glasses, it gets wet, then they're done
balaclava
eye protection
waterproof shoes, possibly with some type of covering, but not necessarily
water resistant jacket, depending on how wet it will be. meaning some rain is so light I can wear a fleece jacket & be OK. other times, I use one or the other rain jacket
water resistant cycling pants (if misting), or, if wetter, rain pants that fit over my cycling pants
lights if riding in traffic, because rain effects driver vision

so if you don't have all that, is it worth getting all that for, 1 ride in the rain? probably not

EDIT - just realized this is a Southern CA thread, never mind ...

Any eye wear? Water in the eyes sucks but clear glasses fog up and get hard to see through with the water.

I skip the bicycle and go do stair climbing in a local parking garage. With more urbanization in the greater L.A. area there are more-and-more parking garages being built. Great way to get a workout without getting soaked with rain and being over 65 it probably helps with balance when coming down. . So far I've never been kicked out of any by security, and they have seen me in a few of them.

I'll ride in the wind, when it's cold, NOT when it rains.

I wear clear glasses, with an application of some anti-fog solution.
And bring some paper towels to clean and dry them occasionally.
What kind of cycling streak you working on? A hundred miles per week or something?
It makes sense to me. One long span saw me achieve seventy straight weeks of 100+.
A vacation or a spill broke that routine for me. :cry:

I find that if I drive somewhere with the umbrella I bought 8 years ago and have used only sparingly, it temporarily wards off the rain, allowing me to fit in a quick ride in the dry. If that fails, I ride my gravel bike with disc brakes but not on wet gravel, because cleaning it is too much work.

recently got back into road cycling. Forgot how fun it is. I’m doing 15 mile week day rides x2. And 30 miles each sat and sun. Working my way back into shape for a century next year. Goal is a century ride by spring with a new bike too

That's a very doable goal. Good luck

Thanks
hardest part of the goal is getting that new bike lol. Saving up for a Canyon Endurace CF SLX. Goal is another Pasadena to Carlsbad ride. This time I’ll need to cheat and take the train for a bit since Camp Pendalton doesn’t allow cyclists anymore.

That Canyon would be on the top of my list too. Good luck

I have a rule where I don't ride in the rain. If I happen to be out already and it's start to rain then of course there's nothing to do but ride faster to get home.

The SGRT tends to flood in heavy rain or get alot of debris on the trail after a rainy day.


Stay safe everyone whose riding out there in the rain.

I put 35mm wide slicks on my gravel bike and ride the road.

What can go wrong when riding in the rain?

The small pebbles...the one's that are somewhat sharp, and the rain water acting as a lubricant, piercing the tires and causing a significant puncture.

Then you hope it's a slow leak and not an all-out flat in the middle of an inconvenient place to fix it.

If its cold and rainy, your hands are less than full functional and the tire irons just don't want to cooperate. Nobody else is out there and certainly not really wanting to stop and help. Then the cloud cover is so thick, the visibility is compromised. Cars whizz by, not realizing the road is slick with the oily surface.