Can riding in the rain be not miserable? Also related safety questions for bad weather cycling

[biker38109]

When I go for country walks the rain is a none issue for me. In fact I like it in some ways as it means I won't come across other walkers, most likely, who I find a nuisance when I want a quiet walk alone.

Walks I am not hampered by the rain due to full waterproofs. Can the same be achieved with cycling where one's spirits are not sullied despite the forecast? My waterproofs for walking are probably not going to be suitable for riding, at least not the bottom half, being baggy army goretex pants and great big walking boots.

I went out for a ride, even having checked the forecast beforehand, and was caught in the rain. It showed as the light grey clouds with drops on the metoffice site so I presumed just light intermittent showers that would easily dry off in between one another.

Turned out I got soaked. Really put a (literal) dampener on the whole thing and made me question picking up the hobby again altogether as I then started thinking how the weather is going to be inclement more often than not now with autumn and winter approaching.

Winter will brings its own hazards with ice so do you just check beforehand if it is freezing and not cycle on those days? I saw a nasty accident right in front of me not long ago when walking to work and a gentleman I knew vaguely who worked at the same sight caught a cropper on some ice right as he was passing me. He wasn't even going that fast as it was in the car park to the grounds and yet I later found out he broke a couple of bones from that. I think they said collar bone, and maybe a rib or two, which I was told is very common for cycling accidents.

I would imagine there are other practical matters to consider riding on roads in bad weather. I try to avoid main roads where I can at the best of times but bad weather would provide increased risk. I ride mostly on very quiet country roads and really dislike the busy road bits that may come in between. I could improve that by planning my routes better beforehand.

I would have thought 'tourers' will be the ones most educated and qualified in giving advice in managing all weather cycling.

Is cycling much more dangerous than country walking if sticking to tiny roads? I guess the relative risk is similar if walking or riding on those small portions of road. I would feel more exposed on a main road if walking however you can easily jump into the verge if there is some numpty driver, not so with cycling.

Cycling is marginally more risky, sans traffic, due to increased speed, although I generally go little faster than a light jog on flats! Walking pace on hills, and yes faster on downhills but just coast.

On the country lanes it is about the same.

Only difference is I would probably take more footpaths away from traffic vs. cycling where it will 9/10 be on a road of some sort, but I guess single trackers are safe enough and you can hear cars coming from a ways away by the engine.

[Jdsk]

Rain swings me towards walking rather than riding. But so do hills.

1 Be prepared: What you're going to wear on the bike. Put on protection before you're wet.

2 Be prepared: What you're going to do at the far end, whether it's working or camping or anything else. I find it much less stressful if there's less uncertainty.

3 Be visible: lights, outer clothing, reflective bits on the bike and the rear bags.

4 Think about other road users and the effects of rain on their actions.

5 Anticipate, especially braking distance.

6 Don't push on for bad reasons.

Jonathan

[biker38109]

Rain swings me towards walking rather than riding. But so do hills.

1 Be prepared: What you're going to wear on the bike. Put on protection before you're wet.

2 Be prepared: What you're going to do at the far end, whether it's working or camping or anything else. I find it much less stressful if there's less uncertainty.

3 Be visible: lights, outer clothing, reflective bits on the bike and the rear bags.

4 Think about other road users and the effects of rain on their actions.

5 Anticipate, especially braking distance.

6 Don't push on for bad reasons.

Jonathan

BBBTAD...catchy.

[Vantage]

One of the best cycling 'accessories' I've ever bought was a cape or poncho.
I tried numerous waterproof cycling coats and jackets over the years and every single one ended up letting the rain in. Then there's the issue with waterproof gloves...they just don't work.
A poncho or cape on the other hand doesn't need special fabrics for breathing. Doesn't have seams to fail. And it cover the hands and almost your entire body. The bottom of your legs might get soggy. How much depends on whether you have mudguards or not.
A cape unfortunately flaps around in the wind and hand signals are a bit tricky but I've never been wet since buying one. Worth it.

[biker38109]

One of the best cycling 'accessories' I've ever bought was a cape or poncho.
I tried numerous waterproof cycling coats and jackets over the years and every single one ended up letting the rain in. Then there's the issue with waterproof gloves...they just don't work.
A poncho or cape on the other hand doesn't need special fabrics for breathing. Doesn't have seams to fail. And it cover the hands and almost your entire body. The bottom of your legs might get soggy. How much depends on whether you have mudguards or not.
A cape unfortunately flaps around in the wind and hand signals are a bit tricky but I've never been wet since buying one. Worth it.

Oh yea really handy bit of kit and I have one or two myself. I bought them first for when I used to go out on the tiles and was pouring down and didn't want to carry anything bulky around when I got in a venue so could just shake and stash in my pocket.

Those were the days.

Doesn't it fly up and over you hands if the wind catches it?

[Jdsk]

Rain swings me towards walking rather than riding. But so do hills.

1 Be prepared: What you're going to wear on the bike. Put on protection before you're wet.

2 Be prepared: What you're going to do at the far end, whether it's working or camping or anything else. I find it much less stressful if there's less uncertainty.

3 Be visible: lights, outer clothing, reflective bits on the bike and the rear bags.

4 Think about other road users and the effects of rain on their actions.

5 Anticipate, especially braking distance.

6 Don't push on for bad reasons.

BBBTAD...catchy.

I'll see if I can improve that...

: - )

Jonathan

[pjclinch]

For what values of "rain"?

Earlier today it was absolutely sheeting it down here in Scotland's, ummm, driest city and I wouldn't have wanted to be outside without decent waterproofs and a large brolly, but now it's merely a bit dreich and there are folk walking by that haven't bothered putting their hoods up.
Most rain in the UK tends to be light rain and the anticipation is typically much worse than the reality: last weekend I'd been up in Angus picking blueberries and was rained on for 20 miles going home, but never enough to bother putting waterproofs on as in light rain it's often the case that one dries out at roughly the same speed as one gets wet if you've chosen suitable fast drying clothes (I had on a pair of Trackster running tights and a light Buffalo shirt which is "showerproof" but not waterproof).

There's quite a lot of clothes that don't actually feel too bad if they're wet, and cycling shorts/bibs are one of these. Stretchy and close cut move with your body and are warmed up by it so they don't feel particularly unpleasant. The main point of waterproofs is keeping warm rather than dry (water conducts heat away from your body far more effectively than air, which is why a 20 degree pool feels quite cold while 20 degree air is typically quite pleasant), so a light waterproof jacket to keep the worst off combined with suitable under-layers will keep you reasonably comfortable, while lots of layers getting increasingly soaked (and there's nothing you'd actually want to wear on a bike that will keep you completely dry in heavy and/or set-in rain) will just get heavy, cold and unpleasant.
As winter comes in this does become trickier, but much as with hillwalking a good set of layers with a waterproofs taking the worst off should see you comfortable enough.

Pete.

[pjclinch]

Then there's the issue with waterproof gloves...they just don't work.

On the contrary, they work perfectly, and therein lies the problem...
Water inevitably gets in the end with the big hole, and once it's in it'll never come out because they're waterproof and gravity is facing the wrong way.

If it's cold enough for gloves but not cold enough that the precipitation is still liquid I generally go for something like a ski glove and carry spares for when they become useless. Pogies are another option (bar-mounted covers you put your hands into) I keep meaning to look in to, they're amazingly effective on kayak paddles where wet hands are fairly inevitable but by just keeping the wind off and leaving still air space around hands they keep things very warm.

Pete.

[PH]

For leisure, I never choose to go out in the rain, even touring I might change plans to avoid doing so. Yet if it's unavoidable or unexpected it's usually not as unpleasant as I think it'll be, sometimes I actually end up enjoying it. I have a decent waterproof jacket, trousers that don't get heavy and uncomfortable when wet. Gloves that are OK for an hour or two, big waterproof over gloves* that are awkward to put on (The long cuff has to be inside the sleeve of the jacket) and ride in but keep the hands dry and comfortable. A cap helps keep rain off the glasses, I like waterproof socks and they've got better over the last few years. As is often said, people confuse keeping dry and being comfortable when it's wet, they are sometimes the same thing but not always and our tolerance does vary.
Sometimes I have to ride in the rain for utility or employment, sometimes that's all day, but it's rarely the same intensity as I'd ride for pleasure, that's a whole different subject, and needs a different approach, being comfortable is possible, though achieving it can be expensive.

* These overmitts
https://spadaclothing.com/products/spad ... itts-black

[Psamathe]

For leisure, I never choose to go out in the rain, even touring I might change plans to avoid doing so. Yet if it's unavoidable or unexpected it's usually not as unpleasant as I think it'll be, sometimes I actually end up enjoying it. I have a decent waterproof jacket...

Likewise. When touring (always camping) I'll sit out a day of rain (rest/reading day) but if rain persists for a 2nd day then I'll head on as sitting around reading for a day is not what I'm there for.

At home I'll go for a walk in the rain but not a ride.

Ian

[Nearholmer]

Summer rain, that is when the background temperature is decent, I don’t much worry about, but winter rain I avoid unless absolutely necessary.

My summer approach isn’t to even attempt to keep dry, because that always seems to involve being ruddy uncomfortable, but to wear things that keep me warm enough, and which themselves dry very quickly, so things that don’t remain damp and soggy. For the upper half, I’ll wear the outer layer of my Ebdura 3-season jacket, and the lower half tights and lightweight shorts, and socks that dry super-quickly. I’ve weathered some spectacular summer downpours in this rig, simply by keeping going, which seems to keep me warm enough. It wouldn’t work in a “survival” context, but it seems to if there is indoors, or a train, or a tent at the end of it.

In the winter, if I have to go out in it, I wear waterproof socks, MTB trousers, and either the same 3-season jacket, but both inner and outer, or a genuinely waterproof (but not really ventilated enough) Dare2Be over jacket; often the real enemy is the wind, and the odd occasions when I’ve messed-up clothing-wise, and ended-up questioning my wisdom in going out at all, have been bitterly cold, windy ones.

[Cugel]

All varieties of rain (and sleet) have soaked me over the decades. The trick is not to try and stay dry (you can't as sweat will get you even if the rain doesn't, although it always will) but to stay warm.

Most of staying warm is about generating your own heat which means cycling quite vigorously. The rest is about insulation, which can also offer a degree of wet-resistance but that's incidental really.

It helps if you can cycle well when running hot. You can put on plenty of layers that get wet but stay warm next to your skin - if you generate pedalling heat. You'll get hot and sticky then. For me that's Mmmmm but for some it means they go all red then their steam valve shrieks and they have to stop for a heavy sweat.

For warmth when wet, little beats merino, in layers, with a windproof panel on the fronts.

For the legs, though, many modern fabrics are better than wool, which will knee-bag or even droop from your rearmosts when wet! I have Santini and Pearl Izumi tights that are fabulously supple yet lurverly and warm even when soaked. All artificial fibres, though.

Keeping hands, feet and head warm is also key. In the worst downpours I like a merino balaclava under a wool cap of the ear-covering Belgian kind. Ski gloves are clumsy but warm, with battery heaters for those most sensitive in the mit to cold. Gore-Tex lined ankle-high cycling shoes with thick merino socks and maybe also some shoe covers that are windproof as well as insulated.

On days like today (wet clinging misty rain but 20 degrees C) I've cycled in shorts with a long sleeve jersey and a string vest. Just try hard and enjoy the warm bath.

The worst aspect of rain is having to clean and lube your bike for 20 or 30 minutes when you get back, getting all cold and clammy as you furtle about with a dribbly hose and a big wet brush.

Of course, when one gets old and turns into a softlad, like moi, fair weather cycling is wanted so weather forecast perusing gets obsessive.

PS Mudguards! Why pick up and throw dirty water on to yoursen at 3X the rain-rate?

[Steve]

I take it that the OP knows the value of mudguards in the wet - really the first line of defence.

[pjclinch]

For warmth when wet, little beats merino, in layers, with a windproof panel on the fronts.

It's very good, but I present the Buffalo Shirt as an even better alternative, worn with nothing underneath. The "Lite" versions are good for Spring/Autumn typical temperatures and the full-Monty Pertex/Pile for down to freezing and beyond.

Of course, there are issues with e.g. what to do when you walk in to a nice warm cafe with nothing under your top when everyone else takes their jackets off, but nothing's perfect...

Pete.

[Biospace]

I take it that the OP knows the value of mudguards in the wet - really the first line of defence.

We rode through the Lake District last Wednesday, setting off in showery rain (alternating between heavy drizzle and moderately heavy) which had been expected to clear by lunchtime. The clouds finally cleared to bright sun a little after 4pm, I'd say we were almost as wet from water thrown off the road as that from the sky even with mudguards, the stoker particularly badly affected.

While riding, I found myself considering what sort of anti-spray lining for flaps and guards could work.