Wet
I lay there last night listening to the rain on the tin roof planning my ride to work for the next day and I wondered what others do when it rains.
I ride to work 5 days a week - rain or shine. I have done for years, with few exceptions. Since investing heavily in my new bike, the old beast has been relegated solely to wet days (those who follow me on twitter will recognise the hashtag #wetbike). When it's going to be raining, I always wear old shoes with covers and my old helmet.
Discussions at work revealed that others ride with the same gear regardless of the weather while one changes her wheels when it's going to rain.
So what do you do when the weather isn't clement ?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rob (Chewbacca) on -
Yes I have my work bike and my different bikes for group rides depending which group I ride with :)
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Permalink Reply by Simon Lownsborough on -
sigh…
I wish!
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Permalink Reply by Simon Lownsborough on
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Grin and bear it - I have shoes I keep for commuting, and I wear booties over them.
As yet cannot afford another bike, so I just clean and lubricate a lot.
And I carry a wet weather jacket in my backpack.
And put all my lights on…
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Permalink Reply by Lorraine C on -
1 bike for all weather/rides. Only have 1 pr of shoes.
I often end up wearing my squealchy shoes home as I haven't yet found shoe covers to keep my feet dry. I have a rain jacket that keeps my top half dry, I wear my bike shorts all year round as it is easier to dry shorts than full length pants. Lights on permanently, regardless of weather conditions.
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Permalink Reply by Ian Rawley on -
It was so warm this morning I would not have minded a passing shower.
If it's wet and really cold, I might even take the car in! Otherwise like you I ride every day and i've found mudguards are really quite useful and significantly add to the kudos in the Cat 6 stakes... mudguards plus loaded backpack even more so!
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Permalink Reply by Randall Oakley on -
I ride regardless. The weather changes nothing for me.
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Permalink Reply by Simon Lownsborough on
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except maybe your level of dryness? :)
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Permalink Reply by Sam Young on -
Until recently I was 1 bike for all weather, but now I've finished building up an old malvern into a fixie, she gets to be my wet bike.
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Permalink Reply by FraserMcQ on -
Having had the work bike stolen, for now I am cleaning and thoroughly lubing my roadie at the end of each week (ready for whatever the weekend holds). Do miss the mudguards.
Have an old helmet too, but only one pair of shoes - MTB SPD's. I have found that the long narrow bags that the Messenger newspaper comes in make great sock covers for when it is wet - doesn't keep the shoes dry, but feet stay toasty warm & dry !
Good to hear from other "5 day a week" riders. Not sure what's worse either, the wet days, or the days when it's 40° plus. Certainly the wet weather has a big impact on visibility and stopping power, so lights, high vis gear & a very defensive mindset are very important, I remember one really dirty, wet ride home this year when I felt virtually invisible and extremely vulnerable.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Murray on -
You can get rear mudguards for a roadie that you can get on and off easily. Stops the stripe on the back at least.
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Permalink Reply by Tim B on -
+1 for these, especially in heavier rain where there is a lot of water on the road.
Zefal Cruzer and Zefal Swan, quick release, on and off in seconds. May not look so cool, but stops a cold stream of water up your backside and keeps a lot of water off the shoes.
Been over Lofty five times this week, its mainly been drizzly and a little damp, not enough for full wet weather gear though. I was just in short sleave jersey and shorts today, others were in full blown wet/ cold weather gear.
I used to have two bikes, one for wet, one for dry as the dry bike was my pride and joy and was kept pristine, unfortunately due to neck issues just couldnt ride them any more, so sold them and bought one good bike that gets ridden in anything. It still gets lots of TLC, not just cleaned to within an inch of its life these days. Kinda liberating actually :-)
So how many of you are going to keep riding through winter, and keep riding in the hills? I actually like it up there in winter, crisp mornings, the smell of log fires and fog hanging in the valleys and a lot less people around....
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Permalink Reply by Richard Stevens on -
I ride to work rain hail or shine also (only 4.7km which is a benefit). Shoes and clothes always dry by the time I come home as the shower area has the AC return flow through it from half the office floorspace. I have a 10 year old flat bar roadie with rear mud guard that I use on wet days and cheap spray jacket which isn't very good but I will invest in a good one next winter. I save my good roadie for the dry days and generally won't ride weekends whilst it's raining if I have a choice.
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