[Closed] Road riding in the rain - how to make it enjoyable?

I get a perverse pleasure out of riding in crap conditions. Don't get me wrong, I prefer a nice warm, dry day but once out, I do enjoy crap weather. Maybe because back in the day, I often knew the people I'd be racing wouldn't be out training in it.

Not to mention that the alternative is a turbo and that's just a million times worse than rain.

Mountain Biking

HTH

Move nearer to the equator...

I always WANT to ride - if I didn't just because of the weather I'd probably halve my time on the bike each year. Decent kit helps but I doubt there's anything that's 'perfect' for foul weather.

Apparently rules 5 & 9 apply too. 🙂

MTFU 😀

Because if you don't the next sunny day you will get dropped by everyone who did put some effort in. If that doesn't bother you stay in and do something else.

[url= http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/ ]Rule #9[/url]

cloudnine - Member
Move nearer to the equator...

I live in Lagos (90ish miles from the equator IIRC). It rained quite a lot in the rainy season 🙂 It was warm though.

I think your making a mistake by dismissing mudguards. If like me you live in the west of scotland, when its not raining the remainder of the time the roads are wet, and this still means wet feet and a wet @rse, and subsequently feeling cold.

Turbo? I had the chance to go out the other day but turbo'd instated just because it looked a little bit windy 🙂

If I am road riding in the rain I try and go for a shortish one and make it quite a hard effort to keep warm. Pick a route where you know you're not going to get a soaking from traffic and there aren't tricky descents to contend with. I don't bother with proper waterproofs, just a gabba over some layers and decent overshoes. I can put up with being soaked for an hour. Most of the time though I'd just turbo or roller as it's not worth the hassle and the inevitable coughs and colds.

Edit: oh and proper mudguards really does make riding in the rain so much more bearable.

I get a perverse pleasure out of riding in crap conditions. Don't get me wrong, I prefer a nice warm, dry day but once out, I do enjoy crap weather.

This.

Mountain Biking

Not this, I'd rather road ride!

Mudguards definitely help, not sure what you're on about there, it's surprising how little rain actually comes from the sky versus the road. Plus that water is going straight onto your feet/arse. In summer if it rains I wear as little as possible - soggy gloves are horrible, just go without. If it's winter I go for a decent soft shell (Gore Oxygen), rarely wear a proper waterproof.

Tip 1 - don't go out in the rain if you don't have to, if you 'work from home' there's always another day, use the rain to catch up with work to allow a ride in more pleasant conditions.

Tip 2 - buy proper waterproof clothing, spend the money, it's really really worth it. a decent Goretex, gloves and overshoes will make all the difference.

Tip 3 - if you think your blinky lights aren't good enough, buy better ones.

whilst there can be a certain pleasure in getting wet on the road bike, if it starts when you're actually out on a ride, it's almost impossible to get yourself out there if it's already pissing it down.
if i *have* to go out in the rain, because i'm getting cabin-fever, i have a route that takes in all the hills around town, all on the quieter streets, and a do that as fast as possible for a couple of hours, it means that if it does all go wrong and wet and cold i'm never far from home, and at least i've got out the house

Mountain biking isn't really an answer. Too much faff for a quick ride (cleaning bike, me, kit will take way longer than the ride), I wouldn't actually get anywhere interesting in the time available. I dislike trashing soggy trials by riding them in unsuitable conditions.

Turbo. I'd rather be fat and slow.

[url= http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/ ]Rule 5[/url]

I much prefer a wet road ride to a wet MTB ride these days. Staying warm is the key. If you get cold, wear more clothes. Arm warmers, leg warmers (or full tights), base layer, two jerseys + windproof and overshoes all get worn even at this time of year. I find that once I'm out in it and moving I don't really notice the rain. The wind on the other hand, don't think I'll ever get used to that.

Rule #9// If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.

and Rule #5, obviously.

In all seriousness, if you dont enjoy it dont do it. If you feel guilty about not training go to a gym or sit on the turbo. Unless youre paid to ride your bike its a hobby not a chore.

Sometimes I get a real kick out of riding in the rain, possibly a mix of masochism and smugness/achievement. Other times I sack it and dont feel guilty.

If youve got the cash isnt the Castelli Gabba kit supposed to keep you dry enough/warm enough?

I agree about getting a certain sense of achievement out of getting miles in when it's peeing down. I've accepted that I can't stay dry. Mudguards stop the gritty ass crack syndrome and at least stop the rooster tail of muck up my back. As for what makes me get out, I enjoy riding my bike whatever the weather. My job keeps me inside 99% of the time and away form home a fair amount. I see all too many folk out enjoying their bikes when I can't. I have two young kids so have to squeeze in rides when I can. Some of the best rides I've had have been 40 mile blasts in the dark in winter when it's tonking it down and I've left the house at 2100 after everyone is asleep. I'd suggest leaving the garmin at home and just go out and ride, the swish of tyres on tarmac has a profound destressing quality for me after a bad day.

I focus on staying warm rather than dry and take a spare dry pair of gloves. Changing into dry gloves after a couple of hours can be a real morale boost for some reason.

I use a CX bike with canti brakes and swisstop pads in the wet. Braking is as good as I can get without moving to a new bike with discs. To be honest though I've not struggled to stop the bike on any occasion.

There is no guaranteed way to make it more fun, or less grim. It just is what it is, riding a bike in the rain. It DOES make you more hardcore though, fact.

Have to say Jon I am a little surprised to hear this from you. I know you're made of sterner stuff but perhaps age has caught up a little?

Mudguards really do make a difference. Commuting into London from Dorking in February during the torrential rain we had forced me to get a second commute/training bike with full mudguards and they definitely make a difference especially to your backside!

Other than commuting, my general rule is not to start a ride in the rain unless it's been several days already since I got out. Even if the heavens open when you're only ten minutes down the road, that's still a whole lot better than starting out in the rain.

Totally agree about mountain biking not being the answer either. It is a lot of effort for a short ride!

Hope all is well with you!

I focus on staying warm rather than dry and take a spare dry pair of gloves. Changing into dry gloves after a couple of hours can be a real morale boost for some reason.

Yup. The best clothes in the world will not keep you dry - water runs down your neck inside your jacket, and down your legs inside your shoes. Skin's waterproof, so you just need to keep it warm.

Guards do make a difference, don't get me wrong. But they don't keep me dry.

I've yet to find a jacket that lasts more than 1/2 an hour in the proper wet. Currently on an Endura Helium. It's OK, decent fit, but like all waterproofs cheap or expensive, it works properly for 2 or 3 rides then starts to let in. What ever you do with sprays or wash-in stuff, it never actually goes properly waterproof again. And then there's the big holes - neck, wrists, waist...Waterproof shorts - again, they keep you dry a few minutes longer, but they don't keep you DRY.

The only light I've seen that I'd even begin to trust in thick fog is a Hope District, but I can't justify the expense for the limited amount of miserable weather/night riding I do. It's hard enough seeing cars in this crap, so expecting a typical driver to be looking out for some nutter on a bike, just ain't realistic.

I think largely it's the wet hands/drowning feeling that puts me off most, that and as soon as I start shivering (and I really don't deal with temp changes well), I just curl up and die. As Jo says, if you get caught out in it, you just have to put up with it, but if I can spot it coming before I go out, I'll just procrastinate and avoid it. That ain't good enough.

it depends how windy it is and how much you value your dignity I guess but have you considered;

[img] [/img]

You still get ventilation from underneath (but will stay fairly dry if you use guards) so they can be fairly heavy duty and watertight

I get some peverse pleasure out of riding in absolutely filthy conditions. Light rain or drizzle is probably a bit harder to deal with.

I tend to MTB if its raining, or go on the turbo. I dont mind if it rains once im out on the road bike but generally wont go out if its already raining.

I agree with sentiments entirely about staying warm over staying dry though, its how wetsuits work.

Mudguards are a massive help. Other than that, keep it relatively short but high intensity...accept that you're going to get wet and revel in it!

Ruminate on [url= http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#9 ]rule #9[/url] and, as ever, [url= http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#9 ]rule #5[/url]

Proper waterproof means I'll be soaked from the inside out

A decent waterproof, properly proofed should leave you warm but moist inside. Not perfectly dry, but not soaking either. Waterproofs work in two main ways - Goretex and most others rely on the moisture permeating through a layer of plastic - and for this to happen the moisture needs to condense on the inside of the fabric. And in turn for that to happen it has to be warmer and more moist inside your jacket than outside.

Other fabrics like eVent and Endura's PTFE are actually made of lots of tiny holes which mean that some air gets through and keeps you drier. Much better for UK cycling, but they need washing and reproofing slightly more frequently. You SHOULD be nothing worse than warm and moist - if not, you are not correctly dressed. Speaking from a LOT of experience riding in pissing rain.

If it's pouring before I set off (and sufficiently cold) I will wear waterproof trousers too. Very much a fashion faux-pas where roadies are concerned but I don't give a shit. It's actually pretty cosy as the rain is pouring all around and cars are spraying you with puddles.

I also dress a bit warmer if it's going to be wet, because the cold rainwater on the outside of the jacket chills you a lot. Wear more layers.

like all waterproofs cheap or expensive, it works properly for 2 or 3 rides then starts to let in

No it doens't. Waterproof fabrics do not let water in. What you are feeling isn't leakage. It's more likely that a lot of cold rain is making parts of your body cold through contact - and if it's already damp through sweating this might feel like leakage.

The Endura helium is a cheaper jacket by the look of it, and is a permeable membrane. I think the Flyte is their PTFE fabric and I think shoud be much more breathable and hence feel less wet.

then spend 2 hours trying to get warm again

See above - get your clothing right. But if you're still cold, just have a hot bath - sorted.

Being up on the moors on NSL roads in piss poor visibility with only a silly blinky light or 2 for safety puts the wind up me

That's very easily sorted - get decent lights, and plenty of them. Also - don't ride on the moors - weather is far worse up there.

So what makes you WANT to go out on a roadie and get cold, wet and NOT miserable?

I don't, particularly, but I WANT to be fit, fast and hardcore. You need to focus on the self-satisfaction you get from being tough, rather than focusing on being a pansy.

In short, MTFU and get out.

Don't mind if it starts raining when I'm out anyway, but motivating oneself to start when it's peeing down already is a tough one, and normally ends with me dithering for a bit before getting the rollers out!!

Agree with JoB, really good waterproofs and overshoes have made a massive difference to my winter/ weather riding

I didn't realise road riding was supposed to be enjoyable.

I actually enjoy riding in the rain up to the point where it starts to seep into your clothing or down the back of the neck, my problem being asthmatic is that my lungs don't like it, as much as i want to get out, an hour in the cold and rain breathing hard usually ends up as a cold and chest infection.

I usually therefore switch to either spin bike or Concept II rowing machine in the gym or some weight training.

For those saying "warm not dry". How?

As soon as I get a wet torso, I get cold. Simples.

It's not so bad mtbing - generally the getting shaken around on the descents keeps me warm enough, but the higher speeds (and therefore windchill), and the smoother ride/single position on the bike mean that it only takes a couple of minutes to go from "about right" to "shivering like a leaf".

It's weird. If I've made up my mind to go out on the mtb because there's a specific ride I WANT to do, I'll go out in all kinds of crap and revel in it, and I positively enjoy walking in the rain - much easier to dress to stay dry & temperature controlled. Road I just can't get my head round.

Adrian as Swarf Cycles (think you know of him?) is making these:

[img] [/img]

Very sweet.

I love riding on the road in the rain, not many better sensations than blowing gallons of water off your lips. Less fun in the winter when it's cold too, but spring wet rides are awesome.

If you don't like it your knackered really.

I've always found a decent (at least part wool) base layer has kept me warm when it's pissing down, gilet over the top and arm warmers. Very rarely use the waterproof jacket I bought, maybe 3 times in 2 years.

As JoB says, if you work at home bide your time and you'll get a drier spell in almost any day. If it's pissing down, do some work.

It's cold feet that pisses me off: Mudguards & winter boots.
If it's your hands, try neoprene gloves maybe ?

Try a waterproof-fronted mesh-backed gilet. They're ded cheap and should stop windchill and nowhere near as sweaty as a jacket (unless you really mean that you suffer windchill even with a waterproof jacket on)

Thick fog? How often do you see this? Stay home on those days

Lights
(I have stw-unacceptable views on bright lights at night, so we won't go there)
Any half-decent rear light will get you seen. Those smart half watt things or whatever planet-x is flogging are pretty bright. Get them flashing and you'll be seen if you're in view (can't help if there's lots of bends & stone walls, obv). I always have one or two on flash during daylight rides. If what you really want is for a driver to take you seriously, I honestly think superbright is self-defeating and big is better than bright - but as I said (and then forgot 😳 ), we'll not go there as my views aren't typical.

regardless of clothing you're going to get wet. so you need to accept that...

wet and cold is awful. wet and warm isn't so bad. merino baselayer, hat, good warm overshoes will all help you stay warm, and get mudguards for wet rides, they will postpone the inevitable.

Buy a cross bike. Ride mixed-up back lanes and easier bridleways. Ride short. Ride hard. Stick the bread maker on timer and come home to freshly baked bread and fish finger sandwiches. Practice inhaling rain by running on the spot in the shower. If your clothes don't work, ride nekkid. HTH.

If a big part of your life is commuting by bike, then it's all part of the deal and you soon get used to 'just getting on with it'.
If you need to do it as part of a training plan , I found that having an event as the main reason behind it ,was the best way to make me 'get out the door' .
TBH ,as long as my arse and feet are dry, I don't mind the rain that much.

Swap the road bike for a mountain bike and the road for a mountain. Simple.

If your clothes don't work, ride nekkid.

Didn't really need that image.

*reported*

You only get wet once. Dense-ish softshell on a baselyaer and just get wet, rely on hard work to keep you warm and don't do long rides just pick an hour-ish lap and blast round it at full beans.

MUDGUARDS

A decent waterproof, properly proofed should leave you warm but moist inside.

All waterproof jackets have a large hole in the top. Fine for the short commute, but no chance of keeping you dry on a long ride.

I think neoprene and merino are they way to go.

All waterproof jackets have a large hole in the top. Fine for the short commute, but no chance of keeping you dry on a long ride.

The hole is to be filled by your neck. Mine fits snugly around my neck and doesn't let water in, and I've been on plenty of long soaking wet rides.

The hole is to be filled by your neck. Mine fits snugly around my neck and doesn't let water in, and I've been on plenty of long soaking wet rides.

Your neck doesn't form a perfect seal, unless you do your jacket up so tight it chokes you. I'd rather get a bit wet than feel like I'm being strangled.

It's not 'enjoyable' but it's possible to be 'not that bad' either and overcoming it and coping is rewarding somehow.

Mudguards? Meh. Just delays the soaking process

Helps to do a longer a-to-b with no get-out well-prepared sometime and you realise it's rarely as bad as you think, as long as you can stay warm. Good WP shorts (Endura Heliums here), a cap under your lid, WP socks, thin merino base layer etc all help. You don't stay dry for more than maybe 1.5-2hrs but you reduce the soaking rate so you stay warmer.

The hole is to be filled by your neck. Mine fits snugly around my neck and doesn't let water in, and I've been on plenty of long soaking wet rides.

One word: Buff, not nekkid again, just stick a Buff round your neck, makes a surprising difference.

I get a perverse pleasure out of riding in crap conditions. Don't get me wrong, I prefer a nice warm, dry day but once out, I do enjoy crap weather. Maybe because back in the day, I often knew the people I'd be racing wouldn't be out training in it.

This nails it for me. Raining? Good. Keeps all the softies inside so when we get to racing season I'll be at an advantage. Even if it's not 100% true, it's a good motivator. That and thinking the opposite - if I don't go out, the other guys will get an advantage.

And definitely mudguards. If jackets aren't keeping you dry for more than 20 minutes you're trying the wrong jackets. Neoprene gloves are ace too. Something's wrong with your clothing, no matter how skinny you are you shouldn't be getting cold that easily.

Oh yeah, a hoop cut from the leg of an old pair of (cycling) tights seals around the neck nicely but not as bulky as a buff, can have one under your lid too as cheap skull cap alternative

To the point about getting cold, have you tried wool/merino? I'm no beardy wierdy wool jersey type but I do find merino short/long sleeved base layers really good and use them any time it's not warm enough for a (non-wool) jersey alone. One of the benefits is that it seems less affected by being wet than synthetic kit in terms of preventing you getting cold.

As to mudguards, I agree - while they don't stop you getting wet, they do stop you getting wet with new, cold water - once you're wet, I find that you tend to warm most of it up to some extent (like a wet suit but obviously not as effective). Constantly being sprayed by fresh, cold water stops that happening.

Keeps all the softies inside so when we get to racing season I'll be at an advantage.

Alternatively you'll end up doing junk miles in crap weather and catching cold/flu and then be unable to train properly, while the softies will be getting in some top quality training on a turbo and be at an advantage come time to race 🙂

But delays it hugely. It has to be raining fairly hard for the rain to wet you more than the spray at 15-20mph. Upwards spray is nastier than rain too. Constant and directed at your ass and feet.

+1. Water being constantly jetted at your backside is a really unpleasant sensation. And your clothes get filthy.

For those saying "warm not dry". How?

I rode right through the winter with a merino base layer underneath a normal jersey, with a Howies Dyfi windproof jacket. If it was cold or really peeing it down I'd put gore arm warmers on top of the base layer to keep my arms warm. Now that it's 'summer', it's pretty much the same but I forego the merino base layer and wear an extra jersey if it's raining.

Don't forget the legs. At even the merest hint of cold in the air the leg warmers or tights go on. I find if my legs get cold the rest of me gets cold very quickly.

Your neck doesn't form a perfect seal, unless you do your jacket up so tight it chokes you.

For some reason I've never had this problem. Water never goes down the back of my neck. You're not using a waterproof with a hood, are you?

For those saying "warm not dry". How?

Technical clothing, not cotton. More or thicker layers if needed. Personally I don't care for merino, at least not pure, because it just ends up as a soggy baggy mess. Snug fit is important.

Alternatively you'll end up doing junk miles in crap weather and catching cold/flu and then be unable to train properly, while the softies will be getting in some top quality training on a turbo and be at an advantage come time to race

Or maybe I'll spank out 3 hours at high tempo for 240 TSS while all those guys who think that 1hr turbo = 3hrs road are actually detraining 😀
Cold and wet doesn't mean you have to go slow. If anything it's even more incentive to get on with and [i]not[/i] do junk miles.

For those saying "warm not dry". How?

I'll tell you all on Sunday evening 🙁

Riding the coast to coast from Walney Island to Whitby this weekend and the weather forecast is grim, especially considering the hills we'll be heading across.
Just finished fitting crud roadracer II guards to my bike, was hoping to avoid it but i'd rather be drier than having a goodlooking bike this weekend.
Overshoes & waterproof socks seem to be the order of the day as well.

Not looking forward to it quite as much now..

For some reason I've never had this problem. Water never goes down the back of my neck. You're not using a waterproof with a hood, are you?

No hood. Water runs down the back of my head and then down my neck. It's difficult to see how that can be avoided.

You either have a funny shaped helmet or a funny shaped head 😛

Get a mountain bike and ride off road 😉

You either have a funny shaped helmet or a funny shaped head

I may well have a funny shaped head, but most helmets have holes in, no?

Warm and wet is the way forward.

One thing to think about is route choice. If you can do a flattish ride you can keep pedaling consistently and avoid cooling down.

No hood. Water runs down the back of my head and then down my neck. It's difficult to see how that can be avoided.

My jacket has a high collar and when I zip it all the way up the collar is snug with my neck all the way round so no water gets in. There's no gap when I lean forward either. It also does not annoy my throat, which many other things do when zipped all the way up.

I guess this is just luck - because the jacket is rubbish in all other respects.

Use Guards, Use overshoes and even consider putting plastic bags inside those, wear "showerproof" clothing (a full waterproof is just "boil in the bag" for all but the coldest weather), obviously these things will not prevent you getting soaked, but they might slow the rate or saturation... 2-4 hours on a road bike in the wet can still be enjoyable...

The enjoyment comes from riding a bicycle and knowing that you did it despite the obvious attraction of staying home and watching TV...

Went for a very wet with a mate of mine back in Jan, we were just laughing as we rolled back after 3 hours utterly soaked, if either of us clenched a fist in our winter gloves, huge volume of water came pouring out but it just made you feel like you had actually done something more challenging and prevailed... hard to describe...

If that's still not enough, just Buy a Turbo trainer and be done with it.

I hardly ever look forward to leaving the house in it, though it's not so bad once you're out so long as you can keep moving.

Always happy that I made the effort.

And mudguards, single biggest improvement I made.

I have just come back from Merlin with Castelli gabba, short sleeve. This with some Nano flex arm warmers I'm hoping are a good solution for this time of year.

I seem to end up taking all sorts with me, 🙁 I'm hoping this will take care of this on/off weather. It had better do, it cost a bloody fortune !!!!

Oh and definitely mudguards, they do make a difference, a [b]BIG[/b] difference.

Castelli gabba, short sleeve. This with some Nano flex arm warmers I'm hoping are a good solution for this time of year.

It is. You do still get wet if it properly rains but somehow it doesn't seem so bad and you don't get cold. That and a merino base is a great combination.

Try to go out in a dry bit. I couldn't care less about rain when i'm out there in it, it's getting out of the front door that's the problem.

That and a merino base is a great combination

cheers Mr Blobby, I'll try that

Best way to deal with the misery of road riding in the rain is to put the road bike and questionable lycra away, then go and hit some local trails in the woods on your MTB.

Best way to deal with the misery of road riding in the rain is to put the road bike and questionable lycra away, then go and hit some local trails in the woods on your MTB.

The rain bothers me less on the mtb, I guess because you usually get muddy anyway.

Mudguards + 1,000,000

Apart from anything else once it stops raining you stop getting wet.

If you can afford winter cycling boots btw they are MILES better than overshoes.

alcohol?

Enjoy the pain, it's weakness leaving the body (thanks Jens 🙂 )

I really don't enjoy road riding in the rain, I feel like I don't have enough grip, visibility is bad for cars seeing you and generally a bit miserable. Not having decent breathable waterproofs is probably part of the issue.

MTB on the other hand, I don't mind as long as it is warm enough. Phone in a ziploc bag and crack on, I always shower when I get back anyway.

1) Mud guards

2) Castelli Gabba

MTBing in the rain is worse - I hate the slimy clay, and I also hate the grit in my drivetrain.

molgrips - Member
If you can afford winter cycling boots btw they are MILES better than overshoes

Go for a run, simples - way better than road riding...

The bit I genuinely hate about riding on the road in the wet is the horrible roaring noise that car and lorry tyres make. The rest is just discomfort.

As you say, it's difficult to stay dry, so you have to be warm to counteract the chilling effect. Merino base layers are pretty good for this.

As far a gloves full of water are concerned, wear your raincoat sleeves [u]over[/u] your glove cuffs, so that water running down your sleeves doesn't go inside the gloves.

Either work out how to deal with it, or just don't do it. (It's not compulsory, you know)

Get a [url= http://www.screwfix.com/p/ansell-versa-touch-nitrile-latex-free-gloves-blue-large-pack-of-100/28319 ]pack of these[/url] and wear them under gloves.