Using today's smart phone and weather satellite technology, the path and intensity of storm cells can be estimated. Accuweather and the Weather Channel have good satellite images of storms. Depending where you are, finding a spot to wait out approaching thunderstorms is possible. Thunder storms are a easier to deal with than long periods of constant rain. My wife and I were on a tour where we had 35 days were it rained for at least part of the day. Our guideline for riding in the rain while touring is: if it is not raining when we are ready to leave in the morning we will give it a try. If it is raining, we have the option of taking a rain day or waiting out the storm. We don't always make the correct call.
This was a thunderstorm in Belgium, at 10:00 AM, and it was as dark as it gets at 10 PM. The shot was taken at 1/60, f2.8 and an ISO of 400 using the camera's popup flash. It was too dark to get a decent picture even at that setting. It was actually a little scary.
This is my wife's shot of me digging out the tent's rainfly, so we could wrap up in it and wait out the storm. It was an intense shower with lots of lightning, but only lasted a long 20 minutes. This was a picture using the flash. It was very dark.
This setup (helmet cover, rain jacket, rain pants, and waterproof panniers) makes riding in wet weather bearable
If it is warm, I don't usually worry about my feet. If it is cold, a plastic grocery bag over my socks will keep the feet warm and dry.
This young lady we met on the Icefield Parkway in AB, Canada, had the right idea. She was not going to let a little rain slow her down.
