...if it’s ever possible to enjoy cycling in the rain

[[XAP]Bob]

I have considered a recumbent but only tried one in dry conditions. It did occur to me that in the rain the water would run back down your legs and you would get a soggy seat. On an upright with a cape I only get wet from about the knees down but on a recumbent? Any comments?

Rain tends to come from the sky, so it hits the top of your legs, but not any more than riding through rain on a DF.
I have both a mesh seat and a hard seat, have ridden both in torrential rain, don't recall a puddle in either case, although when rain is heavy you will get wet...

[Xilter]

Last I got stuck out in the rain I didn’t notice apart from being very thankfull for my clear lens glasses.

A bit like riding my motorbike in the rain. Everyone always said but isn’t it wet and cold. Wet no.i had proper kit I didn’t get wet at all.. cold yes a bit. But while I might have been cold I always found it was the rainy days the cars didn’t move. So while I was cold at least I was getting home. And I would be in a hot shower while they had probable moved an eighth of a mile.

There is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing.

[Mick F]

Glasses.

I have a pair of Optilabs varifocal cycling glasses, and the lens coating is hydrophobic(?) and when it rains, the rain tends to fall off and not obscure the vision. They work beautifully.

However, as I said before, I was cycling to Exeter and it was raining .......... but it wasn't proper rain rain, but drizzly damp misty rain, and my glasses couldn't cope. They became quite difficult to see through, so I took them off.

My eyesight is terrible close up and not to good intermediate, but quite passable for distance, so I was ok except I couldn't follow my route on my Garmin very well!

[Vorpal]

I enjoy cycling in the rain as long as I am sufficiently warm, and the rain doesn't hurt.

[thirdcrank]

We've got to page three and nobody seems to have linked to "Raindrops keep falling on my head..."

[steady eddy]

We did 100+ miles round north Suffolk last Friday and we got soaked twice - with just enough time between each downpour to get dry. The second time was rain of biblical proportions,for about 40 mins, with flooded roads. Its difficult cycling up a fast flowing stream whilst trying to keep out of the gutter whilst avoiding the oncoming cars doing the same thing. An hour or so later we were dry again, except for our feet, I had to empty the water from my shoes at Snape. The concert goers must have wondered what I was doing wringing my socks out. But it was just part of a fun day out, we got wet, we got dry, we.......etc. But most of all we had fun. A previous attempt at a similar distance in that part of the world 2 years previously had us in 4 hours on non stop rain, and that in one of the driest counties. We still talk about it at the cake stop.
100 miles in 28 degrees c the previous week would not have been fun.

[NUKe]

I have considered a recumbent but only tried one in dry conditions. It did occur to me that in the rain the water would run back down your legs and you would get a soggy seat. On an upright with a cape I only get wet from about the knees down but on a recumbent? Any comments?

My own experience of recumbent riding in the rain is that feet stay drier as they are not behind the front wheel. The only negative is wearing waterproofs the back can get very sweaty. In warm weather in the rain I have a shower resistant gillet with a mesh back but not being able to find a jacket with the same,

[busb]

When I went off-road with CTC, there were a number of riders proclaiming their love of mud. They, when observed, avoided mud as much as possible like everyone else! The same applies to rain, it's something we learn to tolerate. In winter, when dark & in heavy traffic - it's difficult to see due to the reflected headlights so can be tiring & dangerous before we even consider comfort.
As has been mentioned - getting wet is worse than merely being wet!
Added:
One's tolerance of rain is effected by having to wear glasses or not.

[David9694]

Thread drift alert!
I used this website.
http://www.brtimes.com

Interesting site I’d not heard of before, thx.

[David9694]

100 miles in 28 degrees c the previous week would not have been fun.

I agree - at least with cold you can do something about it, wrap up.

Any advance on 100+??

[Cyril Haearn]

When I went off-road with CTC, there were a number of riders proclaiming their love of mud. They, when observed, avoided mud as much as possible like everyone else!
..
..

Aesops Fables..
A Hunter was tracking a Lion and asked a Woodsman to show him the trails made by the beast
- No problem, I can show you the cave where the Lion lives!
- Oh no, said the hunter shaking with fear, I only want to see his trails!

[Mick F]

Thread drift alert!
I used this website.
http://www.brtimes.com

Interesting site I’d not heard of before, thx.

Good eh?
Dunno where/why I found it, but I use it quite a lot.

[Cunobelin]

I have considered a recumbent but only tried one in dry conditions. It did occur to me that in the rain the water would run back down your legs and you would get a soggy seat. On an upright with a cape I only get wet from about the knees down but on a recumbent? Any comments?

Rain tends to come from the sky, so it hits the top of your legs, but not any more than riding through rain on a DF.
I have both a mesh seat and a hard seat, have ridden both in torrential rain, don't recall a puddle in either case, although when rain is heavy you will get wet...

Not with a fairing!




As above wit the snow, there is a lot of protection

[busb]

Used my hybrid to comute this morning instead of my Defy - it has mudguards - was raining hard in mid-Berks. It’s the aftermath I'm not so keen on such as putting on half dried gear for the journey home. Fortunately, was dry & warm so I ended up dry & warm pretty quickly. Not the case in winter months though where the temptation to get the train & bus is greatest.

[jonc.uk]

I had a lovely ride a couple of years back in horrendous rain. It was hot and the rain was warm.

Then I got a puncture and had a great walk through 6" deep puddles...

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my ONEPLUS A6003 using hovercraft full of eels.