So I am still a newbie to cycling and these past few weeks I have been going around my blocks to get exercise but now that it is raining here, and my area consist of hills, what should i keep in mind?

How safe? I don't have any "rain" gear just bike shorts...might get sick? idk

any advise for cycling in rain?>

Tail lights, maybe a flasher up front.

You might get sick.

Fenders, in my opinion, are pointless unless you live where there is a lot of road grime. It also doesn't rain enough here (Orange County) for me to have them. Clear or amber/yellow lenses in your sunglasses. Today will be safer where I live (Orange County) as the roads were washed off in yesterday's rain. A jacket would be good though to help keep torso warm.

Depending on the length of your block, you shouldn't get sick and you should be fine to go as you normally do.

I rode in the rain yesterday. This will be my third season as a foul weather bike commuter. Here are my tips:

1) Light yourself up like a Christmas tree. BE SEEN. Drivers aren't expecting you to be out there on days like this.
2) Come down hills slowly, and approach turns at the bottoms of hills VERY cautiously, especially if you have to cross painted lines in doing so.
3) It's true what they say about painted lines. VERY slippery. I almost went down crossing one on a turn. Best not to *****foot around the lines either, I managed to correct the slip and avoid going down by maintaining adequate speed as I crossed the line (line was about 12" wide). The longer you stay on the line, the better chance of you slipping.
4) I don't know where you are riding to, or if you are just looping back and coming home. But if you are going somewhere like school or work, make sure you have ALL the spare clothes you need, including a 2nd set of biking clothes. And is your backpack waterproof? I found out yesterday that my seat bag is NOT waterproof. You will be soaked on your way there, do you want to put on wet clothes before coming back? Make sure your spare clothes are properly protected from water. I got lucky yesterday because I happened to have a full 2nd kit in my locker at work.
5) Consider putting fenders on your bike, especially if you plan to continue riding in the rain. They won't keep you from getting wet, but will help you avoid getting a stripe of dirty water up your back and front sides (spray from tires). And they will help keep your drivetrain somewhat cleaner.
6) Will you get sick? Depends on you. Put a beanie on under your helmet, take your vitamins, and pray!

O, almost forgot, don't pay attention to Storm Watch....unless you have lightening and thunder.

Don't ride in the rain if you can avoid it. It doesn't rain much in socal, so just wait for the sun to come out. But if you must, here some things to consider. 1. Lower the tire pressure in your tires. It will get you better traction on wet pavement. 2. Give yourself more time to stop, especially on hills! 3. Wear base layers, i.e. undershirt, cap, booties (if you have them). You're going to get soaked, but this will help somewhat with staying warm.

If it's raining before I start my ride, I won't go out. But if it's raining during my ride, I usually just suck it up and continue riding. Oh, also don't forget to lube your bike after the ride!

Be safe and have fun!!

I'm a commuting cyclist, so I got rained on some this morning (Wed. 10/05) and from the looks of it, I may gets lots more rain on the ride home. On the bright side, my rear rack-trunk serves as (kind of) a fender, so no mud-stripe up my back. Plus, I did bring my Giordana rain jacket, so I shouldn't suffer too much.

Very true what idoru2005 says about white painted lines on the pavement, Super Slippery When Wet! Be extra careful!

Rick / OCRR

I stopped in Panera Bread for a danish on my way into the office yesterday, and get a break from the rain. I was getting dirty looks from the ladies behind me in line. I couldn't figure it out. When I got to work and saw how disgustingly dirty the back of my hi-vis jacket was, I completely understood. I had to rinse it off in the sink and hang it to dry for the rest of the day..

I commute, rain or shine.

Fenders help a lot. They keep spray out of your face and off your back. They keep the bike cleaner.
Get a rain jacket, the brightest florescent color you can find.
Light up, front and back.
Koolstop salmon brake pads really do work better than most in the rain, still plan on longer braking distances.
Stay off painted lines when possible.

Enjoy it, here in SoCal it's rare enough to feel like an event.

Rainy days like today are just part of your training.

You go out and you ride in rain like this as if you were out on a normal sunny day. That way if you are out and suddenly get rained on unexpectedly - you're all prepared. This is exactly what happened on the Amtrak Century last month. Quite a few cyclists got all sketched out. But since I had the distinct pleasure of riding through a 30 minute pop-up thunderstorm/flash flood in Maryland over the summer it was not a big deal to me a all.

I rode about 5 hours in the rain up in Santa Rosa this weekend (out of the 10 hours it took me to do the GF)
Just a jersey and arm warmers - no problem.
Just be careful riding.

(BTW - being wet doesn't make you sick, old wives' tale)

Suggestions/thoughts on wearing stuff to keep dry vs getting wet and wearing things to stay warm while wet? I feel like the stuff that keeps me dry will just become wet with sweat as I have a 15mile commute.

I have a Novara hi-vis rain shell. It had armpit zipped vents (can also remove the sleeves if I necessary). The shell keeps me from getting wet from the rain, but yeah, I can get pretty steamy inside and I end up wet from sweat. I think it works reasonably well. As for keeping my bottom half dry, I'd rather just wear bib shorts and let my legs get wet. My biggest concern is keeping my feet dry and for that I plan on buying booties.

If anyone has a good recommendation for rain pants that are breathable, my ears are open!

thank for the tips my little lap around the blocks is about 5 miles with some steep hill which i will avoid. going to get some of those suggested stuff at my LBS.

These are the fenders I use. They work pretty well. My only gripe (with 1st generation product), was the plastic hardware (thumbscrews etc), worked their way loose and fell off. I had to replace them with real (non-plastic hw). Aside from that, they are pretty easy to use and take about 5 minutes per wheel to set them up (or remove them).

https://www.crudproducts.com/products/roadracer/

Patience...rain will stop by tomorrow.

I use a quick release rear fender just to keep the butt dry.. Here is a cheap one available at rei, easy to put on and take off..

https://www.rei.com/product/723113/pl...ar-fender-80mm

I actually like riding in the rain (its better than 100+ weather) - except that cars have a much harder time spotting you - not much point in trying to keep dry if you are riding for training, but a nice light weight top will keep you warm, as will leg warmers.

I see blue skies today here in the I.E

Don't forget to give your drivetrain a little TLC after the rain dries it up.

+1 on this. I didn't have time after the rain to properly TLC my drivetrain. This morning the bike sounded like a 30 year old beach cruiser!

few things to remember in socal rain:

1. It rarely rains, so all the oil and grease comes up on the first rain. Makes for slippery corners. Avoid turning on the white painted road markings.
2. It rarely rains, so many people have dryrotted wiper blades. They can't see anything and they are not looking for cyclists on a clear day....
3. Rain won't make you sick, but that cold will. If you get a rain jacket, you can layer up to kill the chill.
4. Your brakes won't work until the water squeegees off the rim- so when you want to stop, grab the brakes gently a few times to do that.
5. You get a lot of junk in the drivetrain and it's best to clean everything so you don't get rust and corrosion. If you have a steel frame, spray the inside with some wd40