CptjohnC

Okay, I've long since gotten over worries about needing to shower after riding; I shower before I leave, arrive at work and cool down, change into business casual attire, and folks who don't know I ride never even suspect. But I haven't come up with a solution to the issue of grime and stuff thrown up while riding in the rain. I have fenders (PB Hardcore, so not incredibly robust, but pretty 'full coverage') but my lower legs (and my drivetrain) seem to get covered with gritty crud regardless.

Sure, I could go in the Bathroom and wash my legs in the sink, I guess (awkward, though) but I was wondering if anyone had any better ideas that won't a) break the bank, b) be too warm (it isn't cool enough for long pants or tights yet) or c) look incredibly goofy (but I think my goofball threshold is higher than it was).

I have missed plenty of riding days this month because the threat of rain was too high in the morning for my reasonable comfort given my aversion to road dirt.

Cyclomania

Purchase mud flaps for your fenders or purchase better fenders if yours aren't the best already!

CptjohnC

My mudflaps look just about like the ones shown in your attached photo, but they don't extend to the ground, however I am not convinced that this will eliminate the issue, as I seem to get plenty of spray from the sides of the fenders, too (though they seem plenty wide, I think). But yeah, when it is time to replace them, I'll definitely look at some better coverage alternatives.

Cyclomania

I was also thinking, perhaps you could try (wind breaker type) light nylon warm up pants, that hardly weigh anything...toss 'em in your desk drawer, no need for a shower!

In addition, Perhaps your tire's tread is too aggressive. If you could try for a more street sound pattern, such as:

bragi

I live in an area that rains pretty much 9 months a year, and I've not had any of the problems that you describe. When I get to work, I may be wet, but it's not because of spray from the road. (It's usually because if it's still kind of warm I choose not to use rain gear.) I have used Planet Bike fenders in the past, and SKS now, and both have worked really well at protecting me from any kind of water on the road.

It may be because I have fenders that are a bit too large. Fore example, I now ride on 28 x 700 tires, but have fenders designed for 37 x 700. They're a bit too wide for the tires I have, and I thought that would be a problem, but it's not. Maybe the extra fender width protects my legs better than narrow fenders would...

CB HI

For you, baby wipes and spare water bottle (or 3 feet of hose if you have an outdoor faucet near work).

Don't hate me, but I just use the outdoor beach park shower 3 blocks from work.

MichaelW

Fenders need to be about 5-10 mm from the tyre, any more and they are not effective.
A really useful mud flap is a long section of tough but flexible plastic fixed to the bottom of the front fender. It should hold its shape but be easily bendable in any direction. You can make it quite long to reach within a few inches of the ground.
Pertex style windproof pants are good for keeping you clean. Hiking gaiters may work. I used to ride in some casual, quick-drying polycotton hiking pants and change at work.

mjw16

I have full fenders and ride in the rain, in shorts, and get that nasty, sandy crud on my lower legs during heavy rains as well. I think it's inevitable, even with full fenders. I simply wipe down with CVS baby wipes once I get to work. They're thick and scented, cloth-like, and do a great job of removing that stuff when you can't shower. I will then dry off with a small towell that I leave in my cube. After a quick cool down I change into business casual attire that I've backpacked in. No one is the wiser and I, usually, feel just as clean as I do after having taken a shower. The bike then sits in my cube but gets wiped down when I get home. If it was a really wet ride, I will wipe the bike down, put WD-40 in all the bolt heads (with a Q Tip), scrub the chain and, re-apply lube. The bigger problem is drying wet clothes/shoes when at work. For that, I set everything in front of a small fan, on the floor, under my desk. My stuff is usually dry by the time I leave for home.

MK313

Put the additional plastic onto the front fender as described above. While it won't eliminate the problem, it will cut down on the spray you do get. Also, the tire idea is good if you aren't running slicks or semi-slicks (unless you need an aggressive tread for your riding). Once you have reduced the amount of spray hitting you, I'd think that a pair of gaiters would keep the rest of the spray off of you (I saw a pair of running gaiters the other day, which looked a lot less bulky than regular ones. The gaiters would pass reuirements a&b. Requirement c would be in the eye of the beholder.

idc

I have a small refillable pack of baby wipes at my work for wiping down when I get in. One usually does the trick, and no one would guess I commute in by bike, if not for all my bike paraphernalia in my cube.

HardyWeinberg

You need to wear tights or long pants, at least I do. Presuming you're not biking in your work clothes (I actually could, my work clothes are shorts a lot of the time, but I would switch to tights for the ride just to keep my legs less grimy).

No mudflap will keep your legs clean, but the more mudflap you have, the better it is on your drivetrain, at least.

Praxis

Microfiber towels. Is there anything they can't do?

Remember, always carry a towel.

Booger1

Wear pants?









or tights......

CptjohnC

Thanks for all the great input. I don't ride in street/work clothes -- I wear technical fabrics, because I ride 12 to 20 miles each way, and I don't find regular clothes comfortable... not to mention that it would take forever for my slacks and dress shirts to dry after the ride.

Just to be clear (I think most folks got it) -- I am not worried about being wet. Riding in rain involves wet. I am worried about the grime, and it sounds like this is an issue that afflicts many.

I am rolling on 37c 'country ride' tires, which do have some tread pattern, so I might just consider switching to my 25c ultras for the rainy season. That would have the double advantage of decreased tread throw and smaller tires relative to the fenders. I worry about how those will perform on the tow path on sunny days, though (it is really rocky/sandy -- I don't generally ride it in rain since I learned how awful that was for my drivetrain)

I have some light duty and easy clean up wind pants, so I suppose I can use those - I was trying to avoid pants to limit overheating, but I suppose that my sweat is probably less gritty than the rain water. I'm interested in the gaiter option. I'll have to look into that.

Oh, and I definitely should consider the baby wipe option; that has benefits for other things, too. At least having them available in my office would give me some ability to clean up better than the sink and papertowels.

I do have access to a shower... at the main office, a mile away-- which means it would be somewhat self defeating to clean up and ride back to the office. This is why I don't shower on site.

Easy Peasy

I use light rain pants. Change when I get to work. Wash pants later.
Gaiters would work too for the lower legs, but will make you sweat, because they're snug against the skin.

macteacher

Baby wipes is the way to go!!!!