Does anybody like cycling in the rain?

sergius wrote:

I can’t believe that many people actually like/prefer riding in the rain to a nice sunny day!

 

We all do it of course, but actually like it???

I love riding in sunny conditions. 

But I’d much rather ride in the rain than not ride at all.

I think that’s really the point

I find riding in the rain is

I find riding in the rain is fine, provided I can be sure that I don’t get cold.  If the weather is warm, with the right clothes, I don’t really mind being wet through (although I’ll wear shoe covers and probably waterproof socks to keep the worst of the water out).  If a bit mixed, I’ll use a waterproof jacket (although risk then ending up a bit too warm).  I do use my mudguard equipped winter bike in wet weather though.

The one other consideration, especially if weather is wet + wind is to ensure the route I ride / pace I aim for is not too ambitious.  A route/pace that leaves me totally exhausted at the end on a warm, sunny day will be too much on a wet and windy day.

As for the muck on the bike – I wouldn’t take my summer bike out in this weather, but a little bit of hosing off (carefully) / cleaning immediately at the end of a wet ride will often get the worst of the gunk off it before it welds itself to the bike.

I cheated a bit yesterday

I cheated a bit yesterday morning and drove a bit of the way (to get off the top of the hill upon which I live) as it was a bit wild up here.  Thereafter, a new pair of neoprene overshoes kept my kfeet dry (which is a first) and I was just damp after wearing full waterproofs for 14 miles.

There were a fraction of the usual number of cyclists out.  THe ride bacvk home into the gale was a result – followed some very helpful chap on an electric bike for miles :o)

Eye protection in the rain? – a pair of clear Bolle Contour safety glasses off ebay for about £8, coated in RainEx from Halfords and a cap underneath your helmet to deflect the worst away from your glasses.  No problems.  The tinted Bolle Contour glasses are very good too – I wear those for commuting most of the time, although I am currently experimenting with a pair of gold mirror Oakleys – there seems to be a correlation between Public Enemy No 1 sunglasses and drivers not being as stupid – still under test, but it looks as though the OTT eye contact is effective………………

As long as my arse (PDW

As long as my arse (PDW mudguards) and feet (waterproof socks, taped at the top) are dry, and I’m not cold, I don’t mind it at all. I’d prefer it to be dry though, and will usually schedule a ride around the rain.

For those who hate damp feet, I’d highly recommend waterproof socks/tape if you can’t dry your shoes off. You’ll hear your shoes squelching, but not feel it. I usually wear thin liners under the socks.

One word of advice though: do not buy the socks with the security tag pins anywhere but through the highest part of the cuffs! If you find water getting in, you haven’t either taped them properly, or the socks are faulty, and this is mostly due to the above. I had to return my first pair (SealSkinz) to Evans as the shop idiots had stuck the pin through the toes – my first wet ride and I had identical damp spots.

Most annoying is not being able to wear eye protection though, especially when you’re following someone else’s wheel. I’ve ended up with painful grit obscuring my vision.

The wind this morning gave me a QOM, and I was cackling with laughter trying to wheel a straight line. 

ktache wrote:

Bits of me were soaking wet less than 5 minutes into my 45-50 min ride to work this morning, (GoreTex jacket doing the Biz) nothing could wipe the grin off my face, splashing through the puddles and controlling her through the mud.  Difficult not to laugh at the motorists, fuming away whilst dry in the massive tailbacks.

My clothes were dryish for the ride home, shoes still soaking wet mind.

Better now that it’s not freezing cold.

You probably know but tightly scrunched up newspaper stuffed tight into wet shoes is remarkably effective (take out after an hour or stuff in fresh stuff).

It’s Metro’s greatest, possibly only, contribution to humanity.

LastBoyScout wrote:

You’ve clearly never tried putting a semi-frozen wetsuit on in winter 😀

That is true.  However, one cold February morning at the NDAC in Chepstow, having endured another diver droning on about how fantastic his new multi-thousand pound drysuit was, I laughed heartily as he confidently plunged into the 7-degree water… with the zip undone 😀

I spent £60 on PDW full metal

I spent £60 on PDW full metal fenders: every ride in the rain makes reduces the cost per wet ride!