baldilocks

I've been riding to work fairly often. Last week I road 6 out of 7 days and I even have rode to church on Thursday night and to the store also. I didn't ride today because of the forecast of thunderstorms and it's forecast-ed for the next five days. Should I just ride and hope. Rain is one thing but torrential rain and lightening is something else. What would you do. At what point do you put safety and comfort over living car free.

MikeOK

Rain is a bummer on a bike. Usually my rule is if it's not raining now, go. Even if rain is expected. Somehow it's not as bad if it starts raining after I leave. You have to be a little more cautious when the roads are wet but riding in the rain is really not that bad. And biking for me is extracurricular, not a form of transportation. I used to ride to and from work often before I retired. But now it's all for fun.

I-Like-To-Bike

What is/are your alternative means to get to/from work, or do you just not go to work when a thunderstorm might occur?

B. Carfree

I rather enjoy riding in the rain. However, our PNW rain is different than those Midwest downpours, so what do I know?

I've also never given lightning much thought. With all the great conductors, many placed higher up than me, I just assume I'm not likely to be struck. Again, those from the flatlands likely see this in a different light.

baldilocks

I have a truck. I've just really grown fond of my commute and didn't expect this string of continuous bad weather.

tandempower

Ponchos work well to keep your shorts and shirt fairly dry, but in heavy rain your shoes will basically fill with water so it's good to have a pair of work shoes that don't have much spongy interior to absorb rainwater. If you have to wear black dress shoes to work, there are some nice faux leather shoes that are basically rubber. Sometimes I squeeze my socks out three times once I get to work, because it seems like the socks keep wicking down the remaining moisture after I put them back on.

I have thought about getting a full-body rain suit but I don't mind carrying pants in a waterproof bag so I can ride in shorts with a poncho, which is much better biking, imo. Driving to avoid biking in the rain is the strongest temptation to fall off the LCF wagon, imo. I did it once a few years ago and realized that rainy days were a silly reason to own, maintain, and insure a car. If someone offered you the amount of money saved by foregoing driving to ride to work in a poncho, could you refuse the offer?

MikeOK

You are more dedicated than I was when I commuted I got caught in a heavy downpour once on my way back from work with my Jeep top down. I might as well have been on a bike.

cooker

I have a commuting route mostly surrounded by tall buildings and have no open spaces or elevated bridges to cross, so if I am caught out in a thunderstorm I keep going. However I wouldn't if I thought there was a hint of exposure to risk, and I wouldn't go out for a fun ride in a thunderstorm. If it is already thundering as I am about to leave, I wait for it to pass. I can also walk from either my office or house to transit without exposure to open spaces. Very few people are ever injured by lightning in my city and if it does happen, they're usually at soccer field or something wide open like that.

I don't like to ride to work in really heavy rain because it's a nuisance to change, but I don't mind on my way home.

baldilocks

I went ahead and road today, despite the predictions. It's not the rain so much as high winds and lightening I would want to avoid. There predictions have been really bad, and I've missed awesome commuting for nothing. They have predicted Storms at 3:00 pm and then after I've driven, they move it out to later in the day. I may have to stick my head out the door and take a chance on "riding the storm out".

cooker

I was supposed to go to an event at a bar tonight, and there was supposed to be stormy weather. Neither happened, so I took the bus for nothing!

coominya

At every point.

Rollfast

I'm not as crazy as Ben Franklin about the 1.21 gigawatts thing.

wipekitty

While it's possible to commute through bad weather, I wouldn't blame you one bit for driving. When I had both a car and a place to park it at work, I often did the same. I'll ride when storms are predicted, but it's primarily because my backup is Uber (which I have yet to use outside of work trips) and I'm cheap.

I'm a big fan of the weather app Storm, which seems to be related to the also rather reliable Intellicast interactive map. I use it to determine the track and timing of storms and figure out when and how to route through breaks in the system. Sometimes it involves leaving for work earlier or staying later than intended.

Having pre-identified shelters for problems is a good idea too. I once underestimated my ride time, hit the start of a storm, and ended up taking shelter outside a Lutheran church for 20 minuted during a hail storm. My stormy commutes have all been through developed areas rather than open countryside; I'd be a bit more skeptical about riding through open farmland in potentially bad weather.

Roody

Weather forecasts predict the probability of weather events, not the certainty. Some forecasters will say "30% chance of storms," for example. Other times they will say scattered storms or isolated storms. I usually go ahead and ride in these cases. I won't melt or shrink if I get wet, unlike most car drivers.

Most storms are "pop-up" events that are most common in late afternoons during warm humid weather. These storms are annoying, but usually last well under an hour. I usually shelter under a bridge or in a store or restaurant if they're really bad. No big deal if you're dressed in riding clothes such as shorts and a wicking shirt.

Severe storms are most often associated with advancing cold fronts that can be predicted hours or even days in advance. These can pack dangerous winds, hail and lightening, and can even spawn tornadoes. I try to avoid these by paying attention to the weather forecast and checking the online weather maps before going out.

For most of us, of course, we have to get to work at a certain time, but most errands and appointments can be postponed for a few minutes if the weather turns ugly. Flexibility and adaptability are a big part of living carfree--and really, living in general.

Framebuilders

Riding in the rain is usually a drag but once you get used to it and have proper rain gear it stops being a big deal and just another bike ride!

Walter S

Especially in the summer

Roody

Yeah, in the summer I find the best rain gear is a quick-dry T-shirt and shorts. Winter is different and you will probablywant some kind of special gear for those cold November rains. But you only have to worry about getting wet down to 32 degrees (except from sweat) and you never have to worry about lightning!

elocs

The Bike Rider's Credo: "Sometimes you get wet."
Wearing glasses, I hate riding in the rain, any rain. My glasses get wet and I can't see and then riding a bike is no fun. I've been very lucky though with not having to ride in the rain.
About a week ago though on an off and on rainy day I walked an hour to my LBS to pick up my bike they had for over 2 weeks. I had an umbrella so it didn't rain while I was walking. But when I got my bike, yep, it was pouring. So I ride a mile, just long enough to get totally soaked, then it stops. Figures.
When I worked I had a car and so if it really looked like it would rain on my way I would drive. Coming home though I would be willing to get wet. I just didn't want to get to work soaked to the bone.

Rollfast

It's still the 1.21 gigawatts thing I don't care for, and I'm proud to be a living chicken.

Walter S

What's not to like about time travel?

Roody

You might just need to "get your feet wet (so to speak). Force yourself to ride when it's raining. Do this 6 or 8 times, and you should realize that not only will you not melt or rust, but you might actually have some fun.

For my glasses, I bought a multi-pack of cheap white washcloths. I would put a few in a small plastic bag (quart size zip-lock storage bag, IIRC) and carry them in an accessible pocket. Then I would just pull out one cloth as needed to wipe my glasses on the fly. This worked very well for years.

I never tried the microfiber towels (like competitive divers use to dry off) But some people on bikeforums.net swear by them for drying glasses as well as other things. They can be wroung out almost dry, so you should need only one small towel, or even just part of one.

I hope this is helpful. Good luck!

cooker

I never seem to need to wipe my glasses in rain. It might be that they have a light factory coating that sheds water but it has probably worn off by now I've occasionally treated them with antifog spray for skiing but I haven't tried it for rain. I have a helmet visor so perhaps that has also helped.

Sometimes they've been crudded up with sweat - that's been a bit more of a problem, and more inconvenient to clean.

elocs

Thanks for the advice, but I don't like riding in the rain and after experiencing it for 60 years I never will.
Now, being retired, it's easier to avoid it than ever before...except for last time.

cooker

I feel the same way, but it happens. I won't start out in heavy rain, but it can catch you by surprise. A couple of weeks ago I got drenched but I had a change of everything except boxers in my office, so for the first couple of hours I felt a little bit damp until my underwear wicked dry (tmi?). Having dry shoes was more of a bonus in my mind!

I do have a rain cape but it slows you down a bit and you can get buffeted around by wind, but I do bring it sometimes. I just didn't think of it that day. It doesn't protect the shoes much (as tandempower also mentioned).

elocs

I think many of us have overlooked the point is about riding in a thunderstorm and not just a shower.
Yeah, I wouldn't want to ride in torrential rain with heavy winds and possible hail even if I could much less risking being struck by lightning because those little bike tires will not save you from getting fried.

Really, riding in anything more than just a shower does get dangerous because for me, I wear glasses and have a hard time seeing in a harder rain, my brakes don't work as well, and cars have a harder time seeing us too.
Also, riding in the rain when it is warm is one thing, but riding in the rain when it is cold just flat out sucks.