cyclingovereu

Often, during a long cycling trip we are forced to take a tough decision, that fights with our spirit of adventure...

tarwheel 

Generally we keep riding on tours, despite the weather, because we don't have any choice. Usually we are following a schedule with reservations at hotels in different towns each day if riding unsupported, or the tour operator is carrying our gear to the next town on supported tours. So, if we chose to sit out on a rainy day we would be stuck without lodging and/or most of our gear. In addition, in the USA, the rail system is not developed enough in most areas so that you could travel to the next destination by train. In other words, you pretty much have to suck it up and keep riding unless you are just winging it with no reservations and carrying all of your gear on the bike.

winston63 

I voted for "continue riding" because that's generally the case. And I'm rarely anywhere that a train is an option!

I will say that if there is enough flexibility in my schedule and I'm somewhere pleasant, I may take a day off the bike in the hopes that things clear up.

erig007

Rain....nothing there unless there's lightnings

gerryl

The only time I care about the weather is when it becomes a safety issue i.e. I can't see, I can't be seen or the roads are just too icy, otherwise I just don't care.

mev

It depends on many factors:

- Small amounts of rain, not a big deal. I did sit out a day in 2001 when Lompoc had a storm that dropped 6.81 inches and also a day when Hurricane Francis dropped several inches and some time in Siberia when the roads became very muddy.
- Length of the trip and where I am, relative to where I need to be. For example, on multi-month trip will take things as they come and might make either a shorter day or wait one out if rain is particularly intense. If I'm just a week or two into the trip, I might be more inclined to ride.
- Constraints, more likely on a week long trip or a weekend - or when working with external support. Then might just ride to make sure I make my end destination or pre-arranged stopping points.
- Weather outlook. Does it look like just a single day with bad rain, or an indefinite future. Can I ride a partial day either early or late?

fietsbob

Flooded out of a Campsite, after being the guest of the Village Bürgermeister and his Family
while he continued to deal with the flood damage , after a couple days We loaded my bike in the boot,
A Mercedes of course, .. and drove me to the Landshut station ..
gave me a few DM for my ticket and I took a Train to Strasbourg, which was to the west of the storm ..



Next Tour, 6 years later, Rode for weeks in my Rain gear while touring The Western Irish Coast,
stayed in Hostels when the weather was Too Bad.

Now , on the Oregon coast , Gear upgraded, mudguards + a rain cape , in the British tradition .
Works well in the Marine climate. I Pull over Take out My Cycle Rain Cape and put it on, then continue.

Though primarily Commuting , now.. my commute shortened by being in the old part of town .

so.. Both.. this was pre internet, so I didn't crowd source my decisions..

staehpj1

Train? That being an option would be rare on my tours.

I typically ride rain or shine. On a rainy day I might get started a little later in the day, or knock of for the day earlier than usual, or maybe even be more likely to get a room than usual, but mostly I just continue as planned. I have never taken the day off because of rain.

Machka 

It depends.

If I plan something of a schedule, it's usually along the lines of 3 days of riding, 1 day off. So if it is raining heavily on what is supposed to be the 3rd day of riding, that might become the day off.

But I don't always plan much of a schedule. We just go wherever the wind blows us. So if it is raining heavily one day, we might stay put, or we might catch a train if one is available, or we might ride.


We got caught in a rather large Atlantic storm on the west coast of France in 2012, and just stayed put for about 5 days. We had that amount of flexibility in our "schedule".

rifraf

I don't ride in the rain if I can help it.
In fact I don't ride if it even looks like it might rain.
I tour with a rain jacket and helmet cover but thats for emergencies or being caught out.
I simply tend to stay where I'm camping rather than ride in wet weather.
I always carry a little bottle of something medicinal for such emergencies.
A couple of tours I've given up on the weather and bus'd it back home due to being short on time.
The tours weren't ruined as such, I simply didn't do much mileage. I still camped and did what I tend to do whilst touring.
Here in Western Australia, the suns a bigger issue than the rain on average and causes more inconvenience.

B. Carfree

I remember pulling into a coffee shop to take a break on a multi-days of rain ride down the Pacific coast a few years ago (I used to ride down every March and September). I chatted with two groups of cyclists who had just had enough of the rain and were calling it quits. They were both less than 200 miles from their intended ending, but it was certainly going to be a rainy 200 miles. I had a grand trip and was glad I was still riding when I made the turn at Point Arena and left the rain behind.

I did change my route to skip the unpaved road I was intending to take. I'd been on it after a good soaking in the past and there's just no fun in a clay road that consists of mostly two-foot deep lakes. Well, it's fun, but not quite what I wanted to play in at that time.

chasm54

Rain is generally no problem, it's only water. I did once abandon a tour and take the train home when a fairly apocalyptic storm rolled in from the Atlantic and was deliverng high winds and monsoon conditions for almost a week. (that was 2012, @Machka , it may have been the same one you and Rowan encountered) but in general, I keep going. Rain Ok, actually quite pleasant if it's warm. Rain and wind much less OK. Rain + wind + cold, much less fun.

79pmooney

I hit real rain on two tours many years ago. Both were intended to be week long. First was a ride from Boston to Michigan. I camped. Day 5, I awoke to rain. Rode 60 wet miles to Niagra Falls, got a motel on the canadian side, showered, washed and played tourist It was a nice break from my 100+ mile days.

Second was also from Boston. This time it was a mid October tour with no hard plan. I was going to go to New Hampshire and Vermont, see the colors, ride the hills and camp. Around day five it started raining. Being mid fall, it was cold. Decided being wet and cold wasn't fun, rode to a city in Vermont and got a bus back to Boston. (I remember very little of the ride. It was several weeks before my big head injury and is part of the "lost tapes".)

Ben

Rowan

I suspect the OP is from Europe, hence the train reference.

If it's one day of rain, I likely will stay in the tent or whatever accommodation I'm in at that time. If it starts raining while riding, I might pull over and shelter until it has passed; I might look for a campground or site for that night; or if I have the right gear (rain jacket, pants and shoes covers), keep riding until I get to my destination.

I must admit that there is nothing quite as satisfying as being snug as a bug in a rug (comfy in a tent) while the rain pours outside. It does lose its novelty after the second day, and becomes tiresome after the fourth. A cabin, such as the one we used in the storm that Machka mentioned, is a much better place to be for that length of time.

staehpj1

For me that novelty usually wears off a lot sooner. Even if it is raining fairly hard I am inclined to get tired of hanging around and will still hit the road before lunch. With a lighter rain I am more likely to roll out at the crack of dawn like usual.

wahoonc

I voted for continuing to ride. Depends on the rain though. If it is going to be just one day, I may wait it out unless I am on a tight schedule (not likely the way I tour). Also define heavy rain. I won't ride in the tropical torrential downpours we get around here, but they tend to last for an hour, then lighten up. With the advent of pocket internet devices I can time my rides between the bands of heavy rain and still make decent progress down the road. As far as being able to hop a train? Not around here!

Aaron

indyfabz

That was the first thing that came to mind when I read the OP. It's probably rare for most people's tours.

bikenh

While on the open road I generally woos out. Around home I actually like riding in 40 degree rain. Probably some of the nice weather to ride in...you can actually dress for it and be too hot or too cold. On the open road if I see the forecast is calling for rain I check out radar first thing in the AM and see how close it is. If it's quite close by I'll take the day off. Only had one real day off for it this year toward the end of the trip. Generally if its just showers moving through like down in the southeastern states this summer during the beginning of the trip I knew they would move through and it would dry out quickly enough behind them so I just sat them out and grabbed a snack and during one of them I actually grabbed a little shut eye as well at a gas station. It really does depend on what I'm dealing with, daily pop up in the afternoon or an all day forecast rain. The all dayer that I sat out...it barely even rained...granted the direction I was going was getting quite a bit more rain then what I saw where I was at.

Neddog

Riding in the rain is refreshing. I don't understand why one would stop.

Neddog

PS, bring a 2-piece rain suit. Top and bottoms.

Chris L

Depends where I am, and how long the tour is going to be. I've cycled through typhoons in Japan and Taiwan. Then on my three-month ride across Europe a couple of years ago, I took quite a few days off because of rain. The Japanese and Taiwanese decisions came about because I was in areas of great beauty that I didn't want to miss. In the Japanese one, it was my penultimate cycling day of that tour, so I wasn't bothered by a couple of wet days. In fact, I found it a nice contrast to the heatwave I'd had over the previous couple of weeks. The Taiwanese decision came about because it was an area of rich natural beauty that I simply didn't want to miss.

The three month tour of Europe was a different case. The rain there was a lot colder than in other places I've been (it was even accompanied by snow a few times), and I wasn't looking forward to three months of it.

As I said, it comes down to the time and place.

boomhauer

Out on the Great Plains in the USA rain usually come with a 30 mile per hour wind storm. You can see it coming. I get my rain gear on and sit it out. I tried riding once or twice but it was really not safe. I was being blown into the middle of the road.

SparkyGA

Depends on where in the world I am.

Cool weather + Rain = I will try to find solid shelter and take a rest day. Might be a park, hostel, public bathroom, bus shelter, campground, where ever. Usually rain doesn't stick around for more than a few hours.
Hot Weather + Rain = Ride like usual.
Typhoon/Hurricane = Hostel/Hotel. Too many bad experiences with these things in Asia. 100+ KMH winds are unridable. I've tried and and to had a few times. Best to seek solid shelter and wait it out. In fact a typhoon is supposed to hit this afternoon at the time of writing this post....

Trains/buses etc are nearly never an option for me. I'm never in a rush.