DreamRider85

Well guys, I'm officially hooked on my ALR. Been riding almost everyday. But now in the bay, the weather is starting to get a little wetter. Do you ride in the rain and if so what's the best way to dress for it? Any other special tips? Could the bike slip on wet pavement?

jon c. 

Watch out for tracks and even painted lines on pavement. They get pretty slick in the rain.

StephenH

Yes, you can slip, slow down on curves, watch for painted pavement, which can be extra slippery. RR tracks, too, come to think of it.
Riding in the rain is like getting in the shower with your clothes on. It just feels wrong, but no reason not to do it, either.
I have an old baseball cap that I removed the little top button and the size adjuster from, and I wear it under my helmet in the rain to help keep rain off my glasses.
You can lose some of your braking effectiveness in rain (or a lot of it, in some cases), so pay attention to brakes/pads/disks whatever to try to stay on top of things.

dtrain

Buy fenders; and be careful of that first rainy day after a dry stretch (that's the slickest).

Shimagnolo

Never roll over anything painted.
Never roll over anything metal.

As for tires, keep in mind tires designed for durability generally are harder rubber which is worse in the wet.
Tires designed more for performance, are generally softer rubber which is affected less in the wet.
As an example, in my experience Gatorskins are in the former category, and Marathon Supremes are in the latter.

f4rrest

The rain is a blast!

Until you need to stop fast.

Or until it gets dark. That's when it's dangerous, due to poor visibility.

It's not cold here in the rain, so a super lightweight packable vest is plenty.

+1 on the fenders. Race blades are good.

karenashg

Remember that it's going to take longer to stop, drivers will be even worse at seeing you, take it easy on corners, watch out for tracks and painted lines/manhole covers, etc.

And once you're used to that, biking in the rain can be really fun--splashing through puddles like a little kid, feeling like you're a badass for being out at all--good times.

If you really want info, post in the Pacific Northwest forum asking for rain-riding tips. We wouldn't get much riding in up here if we avoided biking in the rain...

EDIT: Oh yeah, lights and fenders are a really good idea.

10 Wheels

Sometime it is.

rms13

Should have got discs

f4rrest

@rms13 it's gonna rain here tomorrow. Discs would be nice.

wallrat

I don't ride the first day it rains but I'll ride if it has rained for 2-3 days. The first day the roads are pretty dirty and you get crap all over you. The next couple of days after the road is a lot cleaner. After a rain ride, remember to clean your bike. You'll need to drive off your drivetrain parts and oil your chain so it doesn't rust.

A lot of people have a beater or winter bike. I use a cross bike which is great for fire roads and wet weather since I can install larger tires and fenders.

caloso

I will also avoid the first rainy day or two after a long dry stretch. Not only is it slick from all the oil that rises out of the tarmac, drivers seem to forget everything they ever learned about driving in the rain.

Doctor Morbius

I don't ride in the rain as I see plenty of bone headed driving maneuvers when it's sunny and nice out. Add in some rain and it's just one more unpredictable variable to contend with. For me it's just not worth the risk.

Bike Gremlin

Road lines and metal parts will be slippery. Very slippery. Avoid braking or leaning on those.

Pools of water might hide a pothole, so if you don't know the road well, avoid pools of water.

Brakes will work slightly less well. Kool Stop or Swisstop Salmon pads could help with that.

Apart from that common sense, no reason not to ride in the rain. I ride all year long. Make sure you have visible lights, make sure the bike is lubed regularly.

chasm54

Riding in rain is like driving in rain. You take account of the road conditions, visibility and so on and then ride accordingly.

As far as traction is concerned, road bike tyres are too narrow to aquaplane, so no worries there on a paved, unpainted surface. In fact slick or slightly textured tyres are better than treaded tyres in the wet because they put more rubber on the road. Look for Crud roadracer plastic fenders/mudguards. On most frames you can just squeeze them in over 23mm tyres and they remove the main penalty of rain riding, which is getting a constant stream of spray up your ass from the rear wheel.

Buy good lights and use them.

smarkinson

Make sure you clean your bike properly after riding in the rain. Water can get into the frame and you don't want your bottom bracket sitting in a pool of water. Flip the bike over and move it backwards and forwards to work any water out of the frame.

And then lube the chain. I like to spray lube into the derailleurs and brake/shifters as well.

brian416

Keep an eye on temperatures too. In northern areas, the rain can be cold and quickly leave you shivering and frozen (not fun), when I've ridden in southern states in the rain it was no problem because the rain was warm.

indyfabz

One has to get up pretty early to beat you.

pdedes

I don't know about you, but my skin is waterproof.

AlanManley

Living in the UK I don't get much choice in the matter. haha. However I cycle come rain or shine. I have a windproof/waterproof cycle jacket for when it's heavy. It's lightweight and so I carry it in my back pack when necessary. If If I'm not taking a pack I just take the sleeves off it (they are removable) and still them in the jersey style pockets and then put them back on if needed.

I always have lights on just in case and take it easy on corners or painted tarmac. Otherwise I'm golden.

Supermau

Expect to be wet. I've commuted plenty in the rain. In the heat of the summer I just take it but as it cools I'll wear a rain jacket and rain pants. While they do work they don't "breath" no matter how awesome they are advertised to be. If your not wet from the rain your gonna get a bit moist in rain gear from sweat, though in all honesty it's not as bad as being soaked to the core by the rain. Riding in the rain is great fun, just take a little extra care, and always have some good lights day or night.

Fly2High

I own 2 Showers Pass rain jackets (Eilte 2.1 and Elite Pro). 2.1 is slightly more waterproof and both have zippered vents and breathable material. Also have a waterproof helmet cover. As breathable as they are, you will still sweat unless it is cool enough outside so one way or the other you will get wet. The Gortex Active line of waterproof jackets are also good.

On the bike I will have a head and taillight and often add helmet lights. Found the NiteRider Solas or Sentinel, Hotshot or Bontrager Flare R to be great lights and will often but 2 on the bike for added visibility - one on the seat post the other on the jacket or seat bag. I would put one on the helmet but haven't found one that is rather bright with a helmet attachment method yet.

Jim from Boston

Nice summary @Slaninar, especially about puddles, I had planned to add that warning from my own experience of going down on a pothole below a seemingly shallow puddle.

Another caution when riding at near freezing temps (in the rain, the worst riding condition, even more than freezing cold) is that even if you can see the bottom of the puddle, the road may have a layer of ice, made doubly slippery with the overlying water.

FLvector

When riding in FL it is inevitable to get caught in afternoon thunderstorms during the summer. I'm not a big fan of starting a ride in heavy rain, but don't mind at all if it begins mid-ride. Actually, it can be very refreshing during a hot day. I don't like the lightening that sometimes comes with it, but sometimes there's nowhere to take shelter and you just have to roll on. If you have carbon wheels response to braking can be delayed. As mentioned, be very careful with painted lines, RR tracks, metal bridges, etc. Pay close attention to holding a straight line on metal bridges and overpasses. And give yourself about 30 minutes of extra time to clean and lube the bike after the ride.

bikemig 

I like have a back up bike which I ride in the rain with full fenders and a larger tire volume than my road bikes.