Pouring with rain and I'm not that keen to cycle in THIS…!
Ok, show of hands – who hates cycling in the rain?
For me, cycling in the rain in summertime isn’t so bad – at least it’s more bearable than cycling in winter when it’s freezing cold and windy! I have to admit though, I’m not one for cycling in the rain and will miss a training if it’s pouring down before I start. I’m what’s known as a “fair-weather cyclist” and yes I’m proud of that because I only want to enjoy my cycling, not get soaking wet and cold.
And yes, I know you’re not happy either riding in the rain. You know, you absolutely do NOT have to go out in the rain for the sake of ‘training’. If you do that you’ll most likely make yourself pretty miserable. Just schedule a different day and you’ll get so much more out of your cycling.
However, as you probably already know, it rains a heck of a lot in the UK…so how do we get by on the days we ‘absolutely have to’ ride in the rain?
To start with it’s all about minimising the degree of ‘misera-bility’…and here are my tips to get you through the wettest cycling days with at least a smile on your face:
Wear a waterproof jacket:
Fairly obvious point, but if you don’t take a waterproof with you, you could suffer badly from exposure if it rains. What may seem a warm day when you set off, might not be so warm when it starts to rain.
As far as waterproof jackets go, don’t go for the most expensive! I’ve tried gortex and I’ve been disappointed in the material. My gortex jacket (red one in pic above) cost me £250 and it did no more of a good job cycling in the wet than my Evo waterproof at £80 from Wiggle.
The point is, you always get wet inside when cycling in any waterproof jacket. So, you have to look for a jacket that minimises this ‘inside condensation’, but protects you from the wet and wind on the outside. The high visibility Evo in my opinion has been the best jacket I’ve ever used for rainy days. The only drawback is that it doesn’t roll up small enough to stuff in your back pocket…instead, I put it in a small backpack.
…and, make sure you wear a high visibility jacket. In the rain visibility is reduced, well it is for drivers because windscreens mist up and they just don’t see you! I’d even go as far as saying put your lights on too if daylight has reduced.
Wear mudguards (if you have eyelets mounted):
You might not like this idea in summertime when you’re on your racer, but if it’s raining before you set off it’s a good idea to fix some mudguards. Not only will they keep your backside fairly dry, but you minimise the spray for cyclists following behind! We use the SKS Race Blade clip-on mudguards because they can attach on and off really quickly and they do the job well.
Ride much slower than usual:
In wet conditions you have to slow down mainly because the road becomes more hazardous:
- One of the most dangerous times on a bike is when it just starts to rain! Roads are at their most slippery because rain drops just sit on the greasy, slippery surface. Slow right down at this early point even if you think the roads will still hold full traction – otherwise you might be in for a big surprise!
- Avoid puddles as best you can because you won’t know how deep a hole is underneath! I had a drastic experience of this recently and hit a pothole lurking underneath the puddle, causing me to catapult over my front handlebars – nasty!
- Slow right down when descending! Descents can be dangerous in the wet because at speed on the bike you can hit flood water across the road, or an unexpected puddle and be aquaplaned right off the bike! You also can’t stop as quickly, so you have to be looking far ahead up the road to judge stopping – the best thing to do is to slow RIGHT down instead.
- Watch for white paint markings and rainbow oil spills – these are the cyclists worst enemy – but if you encounter them on the road, don’t panic….just try to ride in a straight line ‘as far as you can’ and never jump on your brakes or swerve hard, or you’ll ‘be off’!
Ride with confidence in the wet:
As soon as the roads get wet, some of us start to panic about losing traction going around corners. Yes, you have to cycle with caution in the wet, but putting on your brakes and getting jumpy because you’re nervous will make things much worse. Relax and ride with the bike, try not to fight it round corners….go with the flow and the tyres should hold you fine and take you round.
Avoid pumping tyres up to highest pressures:
If you know it’s going to be wet beforehand, don’t pump your tyres up to full pressure. You need some ‘give’ in your tyres when it’s wet and this simple trick can make a big difference out on the road.
Brakes need to work in the wet, think ahead!
If you’ve got brake pads (which are usually found on a road bike) then braking is reduced in the wet. For this reason, you absolutely have to brake much earlier than in dry conditions. The reason for this is the pad has to brake onto the rim to stop you, but it has to clear the wet away first – so bringing yourself to a halt in the wet is a slow process. Bear this in mind when it’s raining and you’ve not tested your braking yet! Think ahead and brake well in advance of where you need to stop ahead.
In addition to braking early, you should apply more braking pressure to the back wheel than the front wheel. In dry conditions it’s the opposite way around, but in the wet you need a ‘solid wheel’ to hold you when you brake, or your front wheel could slide away from under you.
Finally, be happy riding in the rain!
Getting caught in the rain is not much fun – but don’t let it get you ‘down’. If you follow the points above and embrace the fact you have to ‘get through’ the rain ‘the best you can’ – you’ll at least be in a more positive state of mind before you reach home for a hot shower and a well deserved hot cup of tea!
Enjoy!
Did you find this post useful? Do you often find yourself having to ride in the rain – how do you cope with it? I’d love to read your views, and if you think someone might benefit from this post simply share it with them…!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article! I was unaware of the breaking method in wet weather. Since I am from Portland,OR (USA) and it rains almost 9 months out of the year I have to deal with the rain (or not ride at all…plus I commute 10 miles so it really isnt an option). Some tricks I have found for dealing with rain:
1) Wear a cap with a bigger bill to keep rain out of eyes
2) If you are heading to work have a desk fan to dry out wet shoes, socks, gloves
3) BABY WIPES! Give your break pads and frame a quick wipe down
Hi Kit, thanks for commenting and adding your tips and tricks to get us through the rain….you make some excellent points!!
Cheers and have a great weekend cycling!
Rebecca
Another essential for wet weather riding is overshoes. Nothing worse than soaking wet, cold feet!
…great point Dave!! Yes, absolutely need overshoes even in summer when it’s wet… thanks for commenting!
Neoprene overshoes and gloves – with warm extremities you’ll not even notice the cold! Well, OK, I always enjoyed riding in miserable weather and never seemed as affected by it as most ‘normal’ riders.
As well as get plenty of embrocation on your legs, also smear your lower back with Vaseline (if you don’t have race blades, i.e. in a race, etc). It’ll keep the worst of the spray off your skin/kidneys.
Hi Steve – great points!!
It rained heavily this morning here so I wimped out, left my bike in the town centre and walked the 2 miles to work.. but it got me thinking.. I usually choose to never cycle in the wet , unless cycle-commuting and I have to. But my bike commute is only about an hour so I can put up with not having the right gear for this amount of time; I just have a ‘breathable’ (ha ha) mac and bear it out. However ‘cos I’ve signed up for this sportive in July, it’s just dawned on me that it might well rain on the day! It’s a 5-hour ride so I’d better start thinking about gear.. I normally only ever wear track suit bottoms, can anyone recommend the best legwear for long rides in the rain? I don’t want to wear overtrousers as you sweat buckets, you are as wet inside as outside, so what I was thinking of is something made out of thick-ish material where if it gets soaked, you actually keep warm a bit like a wetsuit, and if the sun comes out it will dry quickly, unlike jeans which take hours to dry! What do they use in the big tours for a day’s ride in awful weather?
Hi Nick – if it’s raining for events in the summer there is a few things you can do to minimise getting your muscles cold. You WILL get wet, so you have to accept that as you say..so here’s what we might do:
1. Ride in 3/4 lengths tights – protects your upper legs and knees from the cold when it rains.
2. If you wear shorts you can wear embrocation – a type of oil you put on your skin which ‘helps’ to dispel raindrops as they hit the skin.
3. Light overshoes and lightweight full finger gloves are sometimes ‘a must’ in wet weather in summer to protect your feet and hands from exposure too – especially if you’re going to be out in it all day!
I’d keep away from wearing too thick a garment on your legs – will bog you down when wet. Long tights might be too hot – just depends on the weather, but I’d invest in a pair of 3/4 and make sure you’ve got an excellent waterproof like the Evo that comes down low at the back, is lined and breathable which will go a long way to protecting your upper body from the exposure of getting cold when cycling in the rain.
I’d never rule out your waterproof bottoms – after all, they will protect you from windchill and exposure too – even if they are somewhat cumbersome for cycling in…
The bottom line here Nick is to try all these things out to find what works for you in different conditions in training.
Cheers again for the question!
Have a great weekend cycling,
Rebecca
There is some misunderstanding about aquaplaning on a bike. I think it is held that aquaplaning i.e. sliding on a surface of water and unable to reach ground underneath will not happen on a bike. With a 10 stone rider (140lbs) riding on racing tyres it is approx 70 pounds per square inch of contact area and this will push through a large depth of standing water. You may slide on a smooth surface, especially white lines or manholes, but not aquaplane.
People often get more punctures in the rain. I was told when I started cycling that the rain raised the thorns and flints. But on a science program it was pointed out that rubber cuts easier when wet. Try cutting a dry rubber band with sharp scissors and then cut same band after wetting it. Much, much easier.
Hi Jules – much thanks for adding extra advice to this article.
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
I don’t mind the rain but I do have a question about being prepared. Where do you carry all the stuff? I don’t like riding with a rucksack – but my saddle back isn’t big enough for a waterproof top, overshoes and change of gloves etc. So where does it go?
Or do you look at the forecast (a laugh in Scotland) and decide what you are going to get most of? And then just suffer a little if it turns out to be wrong?
Cheers.
Hi Alasdair, – if it’s going to be a wet, cold day I usually take a small backpack with me and put my thicker waterproof jacket and spare gloves etc in there. I know it’s cumbersome, but it’s actually the only way on days like these.
Alternatively, you ‘could’ get a front handlebar pannier, but it depends on what type of bike you have and this is more for touring…but ‘might’ do the trick if you really do hate any form of back pack.
However, on dryer, warmer days with the odd threat of rain, I take a lighter waterproof jacket (one I can easily roll up) and pop it in my back jersey. I can usually get everything in my back pockets – depends on what jersey you have – you need deep pockets – absolutely key…!
I keep all my puncture repair kit in my saddle bag, plus money…that way it isn’t rattling around loose in my backpack as there’s nothing worse than fumbling around for these things when punctured at the side of the road!
Hope this helps!
Rebecca
Today, for the first time, I went out in wet conditions from the outset with no forecast of improvement. The advice from this article was very useful.
And I will definitely be buying myself some mudguards; the back of my waterproof looked like I had been lying down in the puddles not riding through them. Overshoes will also be getting a look at. I didn’t mind the wet legs, they soon warm up, but wet feet from the get-go was just yuck!
My tip would be that if you are training, shorten the run. At least that way when you step into the rain at least you know it is not going to last a really long time. Helped me this morning; instead of the planned 60 miles A to B I had planned I just did 25 around my home. Benefits – shorter and I knew the roads.
Thanks again for the good advice,
Alasdair.
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