steve-in-kville 

My commute to work requires a lot of hills. About 6.3 miles worth. The up side is I coast most of the way home! I work a combination of nights and days.

I've done gusty winds (head wind and cross winds) and light drizzle. I haven't done light drizzle at night... yet. I've heard that riding at night with lightning all around (no rain) is a near religious experience.

I would draw the line at driving rain and lightning. I'm okay with high winds as long as I allow enough time.

Others?

Jim from Boston

This morning I was preparing to ride in the rain until the lightning came. I didn't have enough time to wait it out so I drove. Even without the lightning, the subsequent drenching rain may have dissuaded me (unless it was a weekday commute.) This morning's ride was a utility ride. I'm planning a long ride best done on Saturday, but I think I'll be able to fit it in on Sunday, and it's supposed to be nice.

On a previous similar thread (not including winter riding) there seemed to be a concensus as I recall that 40 mph or greater winds are best avoided, and some correspondents thought hail was dangerous.

jeffpoulin

I ride every day, but if there's lightening or hail, I'll wait it out. Those kind of storms usually pass in 30-60 minutes. Fortunately, it's very rare to have either early in the morning (on my way to work), so waiting is rarely a problem.

opie

I'll tolerate getting caught in the rain (if it's a suprise) but if it's raining or I'm dang sure it's going to rain. Car for me

xtrajack

Just finished a 15+ mile trash run, in the rain, gptta love good gear.

billyymc

I won't set out to work in pouring rain. If it's a light sprinkle, or just possible rain, I'll ride. If it's supposed to rain in the evening, but ok in the morning I'll ride.

Leaving for work in pouring rain seems silly to me.

achoo

Lightning kills it for me.

No way I want to wander around when the bolts are flying with a lightning rod between my legs...

cooleric1234

+1

Here in Colorado summer rain usually means lightning too. Thunderstorms pop up out of nowhere. If there is rain in the forecast, or a > 30% chance of rain, I'll drive the car. Sometimes I still get caught in a storm. The smart thing is to wait it out somewhere safe if there's lightning, I usually just try to high-tail it home though.

There was a case of a woman cyclist (or triathlete?) getting struck by lightning north of here a year or two ago. She ended up okay, miraculously enough.

mikeybikes

I'll wait out a hail storm or a thunderstorm. These things usually only come in the afternoons around here. In the morning, I'll ride regardless of the forecast and just be prepared.

A little rain never hurt anyone. Thunder and hail can potentially hurt, but they're usually gone in 20-30 minutes, so I'll find a nice place to just wait the storms out. If it gets real bad, I can throw the bike on a bus.

smith-great

It' Spring here in Kansas, so:

Lightening, hail, Tornado watch/warning, wind over 40-50 mph

( And yes, all those have happened in the past couple weeks).

BengeBoy 

There isn't any Seattle weather in the spring or summer that would prevent me from commuting. After riding in the rain and dark all winter, our summer weather is pretty mild. We rarely get heavy spring/summer rainstorms.

ZmanKC

Just got my rain cape in yesterday's mail so I should be good to go in "any" weather. I might draw the line if it hailed.

The wind lately has been a real bear but I've kept riding every day.

At least there's no snow or ice on the road. That gets me back in the cage.

Commodus

There is no spring or summer weather that will stop me from riding. I have decent gear, and I'm not really afraid of getting struck by lightning. I'll risk it.

zacster

Rain or chance of rain stops it for me. High winds would too, but I haven't had any reason to consider that yet. Today would be a good example if it weren't saturday. 40mph gusts, about 25mph steady right how. I don't drive in any case, I take the subway.

rumrunn6

I've ridden through everything and I've got the gear to do it again. however, I usually feel kinda stupid when I ride through torrential downpours with high wind and lightening. so, now I prefer to avoid that. due to new training programs and work assignments I've been commuting less but I look forward to doing it more now that my IT Band syndrome has cleared up. Wednesday looks likely for me but "showers" are predicted. I may just ride through those or wait 'till Thursday and swim Wednesday instead ...

scroca

I ride all year, every working day.

cyclokitty 

Thunderstorms put the kibosh on my bike riding plans. I don't mind riding in the rain any longer since there is little chance of the rain turning into snow. I hate snow riding.

I can ride in windy weather, I just don't particularly like it. Especially the high winds that like to throw me into traffic. Not nice.

Hail. Eek. I've only once been hailed on during a brief, fierce thunderstorm on an otherwise sunny and clear day. Me and the bike ducked into a library and waited it out.

DX-MAN

Hail is not fun; I'll pass.

Otherwise, it's game on -- T-storms, high wind, whatever. There's a certain primal feeling to those extremes of weather....

Since hail is a form of ice intruding on my life, it goes in the category with icy roads in winter -- as if I need another reminder of the folly of ice-riding after cracking my ankle last December.

groovestew

Last week we had a blizzard; I didn't ride through that. I don't mind riding through rain at all. High winds make me miserable, but I don't purposely avoid riding in them. I would prefer not to ride in thunderstorms, but I have before.

mikewille

Tornadoes or big hail.

mustang1

What if you had carbon? Carbon frame, fork, saddle rails, bars, stem, wheels (but not the spokes, coz you wanna stay away from those R-sys right)?

+1 for lightning. Even if I did have a full carbon bike.

skijor

Extreme weather (lightning, hail, high winds) is a no-brainer.

I balk at downpours. It's one thing to get caught in them, but quite another to start out in them. I'd rather ride in snow than rain.

rando

There's not a whole lot of bad weather here in AZ-- But I won't ride in a lot of wind.

mikewille

It can be quite euphoric riding in a downpour, something about falling water droplets generating negative ions which can affect brain chemistry,
releasing endorphins or some such thing.

JeremyZ

If it is raining when I leave, then I won't ride. Snow, and I won't ride. Other than that, I'm OK.