Touring in the rain
 

Just about to start this summer's trip, in what looks like a record breaking wet season (Canadian Maritimes & Maine)

Suggestions on how to best handle rain? Such as "it rarely rains for hours on end - try and wait it out". Or "forget about staying dry. Keep warm and don dry clothes when you stop". Or "ask yourself why exactly you decided on a bike tour? :)"

I have thousands of rain miles behind me.

If I look at the sky and see it looks like an isolated shower I might try to wait it out, or if possible change direction -- ie. I needed to ride west then north, I might ride north then west if I thought would help.

Otherwise, I just get wet. Depending on the temperature, I might use a rain shell to keep my torso warm. I've never found one that actually keeps me dry because if it's not rain, it's sweat, but at least they work like a wet suit and keep warm water inside, and cold water out.

The only good advice I can offer is "cellular packing". Don't count on waterproof bags or panniers, instead line them with garbage bags, which you'll twist closed. Then use plenty of plastic bags, packing clothing in "cells", so whatever leakage happens can't migrate and dampen everything you own. Also pack a bathing suit, even if you don't swim. This will allow laundromat stops where you can wash and dry everything without getting arrested.

Are you tenting? Try setting up in the rain before you leave to learn the best way to keep things as dry as possible.

I've been pretty lucky over the years, but others not.
A reasonable rain jacket, rain pants and shoes covers are The Usual Suspects.
If you think it will be cool, some dish washing gloves will stop your hands from freezing.

Summer storms are usually worth taking shelter from, not long lasting, but read the wind and sky, and just be prepared rain gear wise.

It ain't fun, but usually doesn't last all day, not in these months

I hate starting out in the rain. I will usually wait it out. As long as it is warm I don't mind getting rained on once I have started.

In a real downpour during the ride, I seek shelter somewhere during the ride.

That is why I really like places with adequate public transit. Get behind due to weather, just catch a ride.

Good point.

I already use plenty of stuff sacks (i.e. nothing loose in the panniers) including dry bags for electronics. I generally use mesh bags for clothing, but it would make sense to have a set of clothes stashed in a dry bag.

This being said, I am not particularly found of plastic bags, having lost a smartphone this way -- either a tiny tear/hole, or poorly closed, eventually there was more water in the bag than out.

But the essence of your advice is spot on.

(bathing suit -- that'll be cycling pants :))

I know, but this year is different. Today in Québec it's been on and off all day. All week actually :) Long term forecast is mildly optimistic, but if this past spring is any indication of summer to come, the challenge will be to keep dry at night.

I wonder how long before we grow moss on our backs :)

Riding in the rain is not as bad as starting or ending, the day, in the rain. With modern weather-info it's easier to plan. If it looks to be an all-day-rain then it becomes a rest day for me.

Sometimes you gotta just bite-the-bullet and get on the road. Weather, both rain & wind, are part of living outdoors, those who find it so detestable probably need another hobby ;)

I wear a rain jacket. Preferable a bright color. Unfortunately, my current one is red, but it is better than black.

I recognize I am harder for a car driver to see when they have a foggy windscreen and worn out wipers, so I make sure I have my tail light on. I usually have two taillights on my bikes, I might have both on.

I use a leather saddle, I am very quick to put a rain cover on the saddle.

I have some wrap around glasses in yellow and also in clear. I bring one of those along on bike tours to wear when it is raining or dark.

I wear a rain cover on my helmet, most other people don't which I do not understand why. If you stay in a motel and they hand out free shower caps, they are good helmet rain covers if you do not have one.

If it is cool, I wear rain pants and maybe rain covers over my shoes. But if it is quite warm, I forego the rain pants. I also have some full finger gloves that are quite comfortable to wear all day long on a cool rainy day.

If I expect it to quit raining in a couple hours, I am inclined to wait. But more than a couple hours, I get wet instead of waiting. If I expect it to rain HARD, I am more inclined to go inside somewhere adn wait it out.

This is a good link to have on your phone if you are in USA (you mentioned Maine). But it is between two and three meg of data to download if you have a limited phone data plan.
https://radar.weather.gov/Conus/full_loop.php

If you have a comparable link for Canada, please list it for the rest of us.

I also might look at a forecast of what radar will look like later.

You should have been on my trip on the Maine Coast. :eek:

Personal record 400 miles over 4 consecutive days of rain.

We all know what dishpan hands are, imagine dishpan body. Fortunately, I was Sanforized.

I don't mind packing up in the rain - or - arriving in camp and having it start to rain. However, I really don't care to break camp in the rain, cycle in rain and then set up camp with it wet again. Those are sorts of days for a rest day, a hotel or some other alternative.

What I do also will depend on the duration of the trip as well as how much I think I'm "ahead" on the mileage budget. On a long trip, if I think I'm "ahead", I'll more easily take a rain day. On a one-week trip, I have much less leeway, and I'll more likely "tough it out" and just ride through some rain.

The other factor is the amount of rain. I was in West Virginia when remnants of Hurricane Frances were forecast to bring more than two inches of rain. I decided to wait that one out. I also waited out some of a storm in Lompoc that reportedly dropped more than five inches of rain. An afternoon shower that then clears up is not a big deal.

So the answer is, "it depends". If necessary, I can and will ride through a fair amount of rain. At same time, I also get to a point where I ask whether this is really as much fun and will also make an occasional excuse to wait out a rain day - particularly under forecasts of heavy rain or extended periods of rain.

My wife and I had one tour where we had 35 days of rain. You just get used to it and go. It wasn't constant rain but it was wet just the same. We also did a 6-week tour that included riding across the Canadian Prairies last summer, and had rain and had thunderstorms more days than not.

A good rain jacket, pants, and helmet cover make riding in the rain almost enjoyable:) A lot depends on the temperature. Warm and wet is not a problem, but when it gets down to 10 C and wet it is not much fun.

Accuweather is a great tool.


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4211/...b30f5405_z.jpg

I sometimes wish I brought an extra pair of shoes I could ride in.
Usually, it is a pair of sandals that aren't good for riding.
The day after it rains sometimes sucks because your shoes from the previous day haven't dried out yet.

I learned from that experience and thats why I got rain booties.

Or a kilt which will let you take OFF your bathing suit after swimming and still not get arrested.

1) Plan days off every 4 days. Plan to cycle for 3 days and take a day off. That way, you can be flexible with your schedule.

2) Plan short cycling days. If you think you'd like to ride 100 km/day, plan to ride 75 km/day. You can ride more if you feel like it one day, but then if it is pouring rain the next day, maybe you just do a short day.

3) Get good quality rain gear.

I use SPD shoes for touring, but carry a regular pair of hiking shoes or trail runners. And pedals that are SPD on one side, platform on the other so I can wear either pair to ride the bike. There have been times when I rode a dry day while wearing the trail runners while trying to dry out the SPD shoes after they got a good soak from prior days.

On the day I took the photo, the shoe covers started out that day with that high visibility bright green color, but by the time I took the photo they were they same color as the muddy gravel road. But there are a few spots where the high vis green was peeking out. Shoes were not really dry but they were drier than wet.

The best thing for shoes is wadding up newspaper and stuffing them, it does work well and then having a nice dry pair of wicking socks will help as well. Just make sure to take out the insoles and dry those separately. It isn't perfect but it is less weighty then a second pair of shoes. If it isn't super cold you could get SPD sandals and those might dry quicker and if nothing else socks for the next day.

My last tour/long trip it poured on us but luckily I had brought newspaper so my shoes were decently dry. Not totally but way way better than if I had left them alone.

Last 2 tours have started with the first week or so, just steady rain.
We have really good jackets from groundeffect. All our clothes are quick drying so we start the next day dry. We stay in hotels these days but when where younger and did more camping we'd find a hotel if the rain was really bad.
Our tent can be set up with the outer first so the inner tent stays dry.
Ortlieb panniers keep things dry. We've ridden into water 2' deep because I didn't realise the sign written in German was warning that there was a culvert ahead. We thought it was just shallow until we hit the centre :-)
Be flexible. We've been on a ride and the weather was obviously going to be horrendous for the next few days. We've hired a car and gone riding elsewhere until the storms had passed

For smartphones, cameras, etc. I'd go ahead and upgrade to one that's water resistant enough to handle the rain. Though there are plenty of other flaws to my Kyocera Hydro Icon, I am satisfied with its water resistance after several 30-40 minute commutes in pouring rain with it in the handlebar holder.

For dirty/wet clothes, buy a few rolls of poop bags from the pet aisle. Dollar Tree has them in, IIRC, 4 rolls of 20 each for $1. A roll of 20 is about as long as a 35mm film canister but smaller diameter. Put your dirty socks, underwear, etc. in those in daily lots, and then in a tougher large trash bag to go in the pannier. That way when you open up the laundry trash bag to put the next day's dirty laundry in, you're not getting a face full of day old crotch sweat scent. They're also just about perfect for camp trash, and available in different colors so you can easily tell which ones to throw away and which to just not tear open until you're standing over a washing machine.

Android app "Wind Tracker" as well. Obviously, it's more for wind, and more accurate on that than most weather sites, but does give a rough forecast of rain as well.

Personally, I'd rather call a zero day for a 15+mph headwind than a straight-down rain.

A good tarp makes a world of difference. I learned that after touring Oregon for a month in October.

I set up the tarp sort of as a "porch" so that I could get out of my tent, stand up and have a place to hang wet stuff, cook, etc. Even if your stuff doesn't get dry overnight, you still have a nice barrier so that your stuff doesn't get wet. Its also nice to just have a place to hang out.

Yes, its a little more weight, but it is sooooo much more comfortable.

Good rain gear is ok, but really "you can only get so wet," so rain gear is more about staying warm (at least for me). Its when you're off the bike that you actually want to be dry.

I typically try to tour at times and in places where I do not expect all day rain every day. That said I have been rained on sometimes. On a multi week or multi month tour it is pretty hard to avoid. I sometimes linger longer in my sleeping bag and read if I wake to hard rain, but I usually get bored and head out by mid morning even if it is pouring.

Riding in the rain isn't all that bad as long as it isn't too cold or if well prepared clothing wise even if it is.

All that said, airfare is not all that expensive if you shop for decent fares, so unless you really are set on a wet destination, why not go somewhere that the weather is likely to be nice most of the time?

"I'm touring in the rain
just touring the rain
what a glorious feeling
to be touring in the rain...