Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Commuting in the Rain Question (?)

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Commuting in the Rain Question (?)

Old 04-09-21, 02:40 AM
  #1  
Aussie_Cyclist
Aussie Commuter
Thread Starter
 
Aussie_Cyclist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 57

Bikes: Merida eSPRESSO 300SE EQ 2021

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Liked 26 Times in 13 Posts
Commuting in the Rain Question (?)

This time of year (Autumn) in Melbourne it rains. Sometimes heavy and sometimes just lightly on and off during the day. Last year I avoided commuting to work in the rain, but of course that meant sometimes weeks without riding my bike. I don't want to do that again this year, it's very frustrating.

My bike has fenders and a Gates belt drive and Brooks C17 All Weather saddle so it's equiped to be rained on, but I have a couple of questions if anyone would like to chime in please:-

- are there any bad affects to a bike being ridden in the rain?
- I have no idea what type of rain jacket to go for. I think something I can easily put on over my clothes if I'm suddenly caught. Like THIS ONE?

I'd really appreciate your feedback and experiences.
Aussie_Cyclist is offline  
Old 04-09-21, 07:12 AM
  #2  
BobbyG
Senior Member
 
BobbyG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 5,959

Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1359 Post(s)
Liked 1,658 Times in 822 Posts
I started using a cycling rain cape a few years ago. I made 2 out of ponchos. At some point I will buy one, but I am not commuting at the moment.

Cycling rain capes drape over your hands on the bars. They have internal straps you put your hands through to keep the cape draped over your hands and handlebars. They should also have an internal belt to keep the rear of the cape from flapping up.

The advantage of a rain cape is better ventilation, as the bottom is open and they keep your hands dry-ish. The disadvantage is that in heavy rain and wind you may get wet from side spray. Also, they can catch side winds, and make riding into the wind tougher.

But combined with a long front fender with a flap that just skims the pavement, I found riding with a rain cape to be very pleasant.

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...ape-1-2-a.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...0-success.html
BobbyG is offline  
Likes For BobbyG:
Old 04-09-21, 07:13 AM
  #3  
pdlamb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,842

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2575 Post(s)
Liked 1,900 Times in 1,192 Posts
Just MHO:

Not knowing what Melbourne temperatures are like, I'll have to share my experiences and you'll have to figure out what to do for your situation. I'm going to get wet if I'm riding in the rain. It'll be from the rain without a jacket, and sweat if I've got a jacket on. About 20C and above, forget about the jacket; below 15C, put up with the sweat to stay warm. In between, flip a coin. I settled long ago on a Showers Pass Transit jacket; the two way zipper and pit zips allow me some adjustability. Stop by your local bike shop and see what they've got.

Also FWIW, fancy breathable jackets work best for me below about 5C. Above that my sweat overwhelms the breathabilty aspect.

The biggest factor on bike maintenance is to wipe down the chain after a day's ride in the rain, let it dry, and apply and wipe before the next day's ride. Use oil (aka wet lube). If you forget the next day, the residual oil will provide some rust prevention. IME a good rainy ride with dry lube will start rusting the chain within a couple days unless you put some oil on as soon as it dries.

Two more things. Once a week or so wipe your rims clean with a paper towel or not-oily rag. It's amazing how much gunk accumulates on the braking surface when the roads are wet. Also you'll want to increase the frequency of lubing pivots on your brakes and derailers, and see if you can get a little oil into the working parts of your shifters/levers.
pdlamb is offline  
Old 04-09-21, 07:39 AM
  #4  
h_curtis
Senior Member
 
h_curtis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 579

Bikes: 80's Roberts road bike, Nashiki, ECR, Guerciotti and Penny Farthing

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 57 Post(s)
Liked 32 Times in 24 Posts
I have a full rain gear kit from J&G, gortex booties and a gortex cycling hat. My ride is only 6 miles one way (hilly), but I find it pretty nice. The only thing I can say is if it is hot and raining, you are going to sweat. Keep that in mind. Bicycles are all made for rain as far as I know. Never had an issue with any of my bikes. Keep them waxed and clean.

J&G. https://www.bicycleclothing.com

This hat is GREAT and keeps rain off glasses.
https://www.gorewear.com/us/en-us/c7...BoC6toQAvD_BwE

shoe covers
https://www.gorewear.com/us/en-us/go...xoCebYQAvD_BwE
h_curtis is offline  
Old 04-09-21, 09:53 AM
  #5  
randallr
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Posts: 491

Bikes: 2017 Gunnar CrossHairs Rohloff, 2022 Detroit Bikes Cortello

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 131 Post(s)
Liked 155 Times in 89 Posts
Shoes can tend to get soaked. When I commuted in Seattle I used to have a spare pair, along with dry socks, in the office.
randallr is offline  
Likes For randallr:
Old 04-09-21, 01:16 PM
  #6  
Daniel4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,497

Bikes: Sekine 1979 ten speed racer

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1477 Post(s)
Liked 637 Times in 436 Posts
Again, it depends on the temperature.

For the head, I wear a thin fabric baseball cap under my bike helmet to keep the rain off my glasses. Make sure the brim is longer than the helmet sun visor.

For my body, in warm weather, I wear a garbage bag and bare arms and bare legs. It's easier to just wipe off the water than deciding what to do with wet clothes.

If it's cold, I wear a breathable, ventilated MEC gortex raincoat. For the legs, rain pants.
But you'll still get as wet inside due to sweat so wear long sleeves inside. Forget about going fast.

For the feet, if it's warm, Croc Swiftwater Mesh Deck Sandals
https://www.crocs.com/p/mens-swiftwater-mesh-deck-sandal/205289.html?cgid=beach-shoes&cid=206#start=18

and neoprene diving socks. Tilley quick drying socks help.

If it's cold, wool socks inside a plastic bag before you wear your shoes.

Last edited by Daniel4; 04-09-21 at 01:24 PM.
Daniel4 is offline  
Likes For Daniel4:
Old 04-09-21, 01:33 PM
  #7  
ClydeClydeson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,606
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 580 Post(s)
Liked 921 Times in 518 Posts
Good quality bikes have well sealed bearings and should be fine ridden in the rain, as long as the parts don't get submerged. Use a 'wet' lube (some type of oil, not wax), and wipe down and lightly re-lube after a rainy ride.

ALso, if you have rim brakes, wipe off the rims and pads occasionally during the wet season or the road grit applied by the water will wear through your rim sidewalls until they fail. Disc brakes don't require this step.
ClydeClydeson is offline  
Likes For ClydeClydeson:
Old 04-10-21, 01:33 AM
  #8  
Aussie_Cyclist
Aussie Commuter
Thread Starter
 
Aussie_Cyclist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 57

Bikes: Merida eSPRESSO 300SE EQ 2021

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Liked 26 Times in 13 Posts
So I bought the Azur jacket today. I only plan on riding if it's light rain or on and off showers so I think this will do fine.
Thanks for your help everyone.
Aussie_Cyclist is offline  
Old 04-10-21, 01:54 PM
  #9  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
I don't get to ride in the rain very often but when I do get caught out, I find that my rain slicker is only going to keep water off my torso and my pants and shoes still get rained on. I should probably pack a plastic sheet poncho. If you have a roadgoing bike, full fenders with a front mudflap that dangles down nearly to the road is a great help. I used to ride with a setup like that but I ride on mixed surfaces; my front fender ate a twig and wadded up and I swore it off. On my MTB with its mudguards on the fork and downtube, I still get some on my shoes in puddles and turning, and the drivetrain gets little protection.
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17

Last edited by Darth Lefty; 04-10-21 at 02:05 PM.
Darth Lefty is offline  
Old 04-11-21, 07:54 AM
  #10  
dedhed
SE Wis
 
dedhed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 10,516

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2731 Post(s)
Liked 3,356 Times in 2,034 Posts
Originally Posted by Aussie_Cyclist
are there any bad affects to a bike being ridden in the rain?
Fenders or not your bike will get a lot dirtier with road grit and slime.
dedhed is offline  
Old 04-11-21, 03:34 PM
  #11  
Gresp15C
Senior Member
 
Gresp15C's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,893
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1062 Post(s)
Liked 665 Times in 421 Posts
If your experience is similar to mine, as you ease yourself into wet-weather riding, you will develop a much better sense of your local weather, including which local forecasts you believe, and will be able to further extend your comfort zone while also limiting your gear to the stuff that you absolutely need. I started out with carrying full rain jacket and pants every single day, in case the weather changed during the day. Today, I rarely carry any gear unless it's actually raining when I leave my house. The weather is the same, I still don't love to get soaked, but I rarely get caught off guard by rain any more.

For shoes, when it gets warm enough, I just wear sandals or flip flops and carry my shoes in a bag.
Gresp15C is offline  
Likes For Gresp15C:
Old 04-12-21, 05:57 AM
  #12  
Aussie_Cyclist
Aussie Commuter
Thread Starter
 
Aussie_Cyclist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 57

Bikes: Merida eSPRESSO 300SE EQ 2021

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Liked 26 Times in 13 Posts
Originally Posted by Gresp15C
If your experience is similar to mine, as you ease yourself into wet-weather riding, you will develop a much better sense of your local weather, including which local forecasts you believe, and will be able to further extend your comfort zone while also limiting your gear to the stuff that you absolutely need. I started out with carrying full rain jacket and pants every single day, in case the weather changed during the day. Today, I rarely carry any gear unless it's actually raining when I leave my house. The weather is the same, I still don't love to get soaked, but I rarely get caught off guard by rain any more.

For shoes, when it gets warm enough, I just wear sandals or flip flops and carry my shoes in a bag.
I think you're right there. Because I decided not to ride in the rain last year there were days that turned out to be just overcast and had me wishing I'd rode into work. That's one of the reasons why I decided to get a rain jacket of some kind, for those days that I misjudge the weather. I'm certainly going to give it a good try this year.
Aussie_Cyclist is offline  
Old 04-12-21, 07:28 AM
  #13  
Gresp15C
Senior Member
 
Gresp15C's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,893
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1062 Post(s)
Liked 665 Times in 421 Posts
Originally Posted by Aussie_Cyclist
I think you're right there. Because I decided not to ride in the rain last year there were days that turned out to be just overcast and had me wishing I'd rode into work. That's one of the reasons why I decided to get a rain jacket of some kind, for those days that I misjudge the weather. I'm certainly going to give it a good try this year.
For me, just knowing that a rain jacket was hanging there on a hook, was enough to get me out the door on my bike. I figure that it's all about reducing mental friction in the morning.

Of course in the southern hemisphere, morning is evening, or something like that, can't quite remember.
Gresp15C is offline  
Old 04-13-21, 10:45 AM
  #14  
Notso_fastLane
Senior Member
 
Notso_fastLane's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Layton, UT
Posts: 1,606

Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 701 Times in 418 Posts
I commuted in Seattle for 3 years on a recumbent. Recumbents are arguably worse than uprights for weather protection, but I used a jacket (and pants) that was essentially just a waterproof shell. That was good from about 55F to about 65F (above that, I just enjoy the rain). Below that, I would add layers under the shell and adjust as needed.

Now I have a velomobile.
Notso_fastLane is offline  
Old 04-14-21, 06:02 AM
  #15  
alloo
Full Member
 
alloo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 490

Bikes: 2022 Priority Coast, 2022 Priority Current

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 175 Post(s)
Liked 137 Times in 99 Posts
My cycling jacket does well, thin. I also would look into frogg toggs. I just focus on keeping the core warm. Also use Merino wool sox.
alloo is offline  
Old 04-14-21, 09:02 PM
  #16  
SarahCH
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Posts: 7

Bikes: Too many!

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
Your bike will get dirty, it will need a clean. Make sure it is well greased and oiled. I bike with a good rain coat and waterproof pants. Generally this works, occasionally the pants sit over my shoes so all the water runs into my shoes. Lovely. I just have spare socks at work and dry my shoes out. Its okay because I sit alone. Rain booties would help.
SarahCH is offline  
Old 04-15-21, 02:45 PM
  #17  
Alligator
Full Member
 
Alligator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 200

Bikes: Too many. I’m constantly selling and buying new bikes.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 90 Post(s)
Liked 36 Times in 24 Posts
I just purchased a Cleverhood rain poncho to try with one of my bikes. It has to be better than the rain gear I've been using, which leaks a lot. Of course, it probably won't rain now for about two months. Just because I'm prepared.
Alligator is offline  
Old 04-15-21, 03:19 PM
  #18  
Korina
Happy banana slug
 
Korina's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
Posts: 3,752

Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 261, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1524 Post(s)
Liked 1,513 Times in 906 Posts
Has anyone tried Cleverhood's bike-specific Rover Cape? I've heard good things about them. Not cheap, but as they say, buy the best and cry once.
Korina is offline  
Old 04-15-21, 06:36 PM
  #19  
2_i 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,692

Bikes: Trek 730 (quad), 720 & 830, Bike Friday NWT, Brompton M36R & M6R, Dahon HAT060 & HT060, ...

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 834 Post(s)
Liked 332 Times in 247 Posts
My attire for rougher weather is the Tucano Urbano Magic Parka. When it starts raining you just move a few zippers, without stopping. You also get a lining that makes it work down to -20C, the lowest I tried so far. Lightweight gloves are incorporated into the sleeves, etc. When it goes on sale you can grab it at 80 euros or so.



From https://www.fahrzeit.si/2019/11/21/t...zur-regencape/
2_i is offline  
Likes For 2_i:
Old 04-16-21, 04:25 PM
  #20  
GuitarRider2002
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 11
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by pdlamb
Just MHO:

Not knowing what Melbourne temperatures are like, I'll have to share my experiences and you'll have to figure out what to do for your situation. I'm going to get wet if I'm riding in the rain. It'll be from the rain without a jacket, and sweat if I've got a jacket on. About 20C and above, forget about the jacket; below 15C, put up with the sweat to stay warm. In between, flip a coin. I settled long ago on a Showers Pass Transit jacket; the two way zipper and pit zips allow me some adjustability. Stop by your local bike shop and see what they've got.

Also FWIW, fancy breathable jackets work best for me below about 5C. Above that my sweat overwhelms the breathabilty aspect.

The biggest factor on bike maintenance is to wipe down the chain after a day's ride in the rain, let it dry, and apply and wipe before the next day's ride. Use oil (aka wet lube). If you forget the next day, the residual oil will provide some rust prevention. IME a good rainy ride with dry lube will start rusting the chain within a couple days unless you put some oil on as soon as it dries.

Two more things. Once a week or so wipe your rims clean with a paper towel or not-oily rag. It's amazing how much gunk accumulates on the braking surface when the roads are wet. Also you'll want to increase the frequency of lubing pivots on your brakes and derailers, and see if you can get a little oil into the working parts of your shifters/levers.
Showers Pass is the gold standard to me for cycling specific rain gear. I have the full set, jacket, pants, hood and gloves. They weren't cheap but they work. The jacket is the one for me that gets the most use. I live in the Southern US, so sometimes your better off to just get wet than to sweat under a raincoat.

I wax my chain, but I also find components to wear fast and need more care when your riding in the wet.
GuitarRider2002 is offline  
Old 04-25-21, 07:04 PM
  #21  
Alligator
Full Member
 
Alligator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 200

Bikes: Too many. I’m constantly selling and buying new bikes.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 90 Post(s)
Liked 36 Times in 24 Posts
Originally Posted by Korina
Has anyone tried Cleverhood's bike-specific Rover Cape? I've heard good things about them. Not cheap, but as they say, buy the best and cry once.
Just received mine. It’s really nice. Better than I expected, and I can see myself using it all the time. They did a good job!
Alligator is offline  
Likes For Alligator:
Old 05-06-21, 05:38 AM
  #22  
metro2005
Senior Member
 
metro2005's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Spijkenisse, Netherlands
Posts: 168

Bikes: Cube travel pro

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 3 Posts
I ride in the rain pretty often and the main bike issues are vbrakes and chains. They both wear out a lot faster when riding in the rain. As for clothes i use a pair of pants, a rain jacket , motorcycle gloves and i've recently added some rain overshoes to keep my shoes dry.
If you have the right gear (bike and clothing) you will have no issues riding in the rain.
metro2005 is offline  
Old 05-06-21, 01:20 PM
  #23  
fredlord
Full Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 226
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 144 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times in 70 Posts
I'm in Sydney and also have a belt-drive bike. I bought it two years ago to be my rain bike, but have only just come to grips with the whole riding in the rain thing.

Sydney is currently in the middle of a giant La Nina inspired rainy season, and I'm commuting through it without a care in the world, every day. It recently dawned on me that cycling shorts and jersey are basically the same thing as swimming trunks. There are geriatrics in Sydney who swim in the ocean throughout the year, with no ill effects, in fact, quite the contrary.

So, I leave the house every morning (before sunrise) wearing my "swimming trunks" and carrying a water-proof backpack, and I swim to work. There are hills and I go hard and I have somehow developed a way to ignore cold and discomfort. Mind you, the temp has yet to dip below 12˚C. I may have to add a layer of some sort in July/August. We'll see.

I don't think I'd be doing it if I didn't have the belty.
fredlord is offline  
Likes For fredlord:
Old 05-06-21, 01:58 PM
  #24  
daoswald
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (Formerly Los Angeles, CA)
Posts: 1,145

Bikes: 2008 Cannondale Synapse -- 2014 Cannondale Quick CX

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 212 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 83 Times in 54 Posts
Bikes withstand rain very well. You may need to increase maintenance frequency for your drivetrain a little. On a chain drive, I would clean and lube the chain more regularly if I were riding in wet conditions frequently. For a belt drive, I don't know what that entails.

For clothing; breathable, and impenetrable from any angle. As you're moving forward through the rain, the apparent angle at which the rain will strike you (assuming no wind) will shift from above to forward of you. So your legs will get wetter than you might anticipate. Some breathable rain pants and a breathable rain parka that doesn't interfere with your wheels would be best.

You've already got this covered, but fenders are an essential.
daoswald is offline  
Old 05-06-21, 02:05 PM
  #25  
fredlord
Full Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 226
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 144 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times in 70 Posts
Originally Posted by daoswald
For a belt drive, I don't know what that entails.
Basically, nothing!

Originally Posted by daoswald
For clothing; breathable, and impenetrable from any angle.
There's a joyous freedom in giving up on trying to be dry in the rain and just regarding the ride as a two-wheeled swim.
fredlord is offline  
Likes For fredlord:

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.