BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

There's definitely a period after you buy some new rain gear that you want to USE it, and you almost want it to rain. That wore off for me after a while, but if it's not freezing cold, riding in the rain really isn't so bad. And it's definitely still better than the alternatives.

I agree on the gear. Nothing worse than having a new jacket and then 100 nice sunny days in a row.

Was going to ride in this morning, would have been lovely, but then the little lightning symbols in the afternoon forecast defused me. Commute fail.

I love when it rains on my way home from work, so long as it's warm.

I usually wear some clear glasses to shield my eyes from wind/debris/bugs. This is great until it rains. In the rain the water beads up and it looks like I'm trying to ride with kaleidoscopes strapped to my eyes. Do you guys have any good techniques for dealing with rain & eyes?

A hat with a brim. Rain-X can help a bit too.

mattjackets - I was just thinking about trying some rainex on my glasses (I'm blind as a bat, so mine aren't protective), but I'm not sure if it would work, I've never tried it. I know on the cold weather threads to avoid fog-up people talk about using spit, some product called cat gut or something, and other things like that. I'd imagine similar solutions might work.

I love riding in a light rain. Heavy downpours scare me because cars can't see anything, but I've ridden in them too. Really no fun when the water gets above the pedals. Light rain (if it's not cold) feels like a lovely gentle mist and I can pretend that the moisture enveloping me at my destination is cleansing rain instead of personal funk. Cold rain somehow makes everything wetter, stickier, and more miserable. But I don't have fancy rain gear.

I used to bike with a hat, it was great. Now I use my helmet all the time. Maybe I can stretch a trucker hat over it!

I'd like to hear more opinions on Rain-X. Until recently I've never heard a good word about the stuff. Mostly from people who stopped applying it regularly and have a fogged windshield.

cat gut huh?

/me searches for a fat cat to rub on my glasses.

Rain-X works well on the outside of the glasses (though it eventually washes off). It makes the rain bead up in little tiny drops that you can see through. But it doesn't work well for fogging on the inside of the glasses because it helps the fog attach to the glass surface. So you end up with more fog.

You're thinking of 'cat crap', which is kind of a wax I think that helps defeat fogging. I tried it and other products and don't think they work that well. The best solution I found is to take your glasses off occasionally or move them down the bridge of the nose to let the humidity escape.

In the winter I wear snow goggles which work great.

I agree, new gear has made me eager for rain. The hot shower at work makes it easier to tolerate as well.

My panniers had small puddles in them, thank goodness I put my clothes in plastic bags.

@mattjackets, I just wear a cycling cap under my helmet, with a short brim, and that usually keeps the rain of the glasses, and it's thin and small enough to fit comfortably under the helmet.

Depends on the rain... a moderate downpour, even if cold can be nice.

Couple of times, though, I've been in downpours has been heavy enough to be scary/not fun.

On my tour of Wales I almost missed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch because it was raining so hard that I couldn't look straight ahead so almost missed my turn.

Or, another here in PGH, the rain was falling hard enough that my lips felt bruised for the rest of the day....

Rains like that are much less fun.

I wear Oakley Radar's and the rain flies off of them quite well. The flatter the lens the less the rain flies off. I am getting Rudy Project sunglasses soon, I have seen them work the same way. They are also said to be hydrophobic, ie they bead like Rain-X or Aquapel is applied.

I love when it rains on my way home from work, so long as it's warm.

Well, maybe love is a strong word. Tolerable, perhaps? I've done enough rain rides to pretty much be over any love I have for riding in the elements.

On my tour of Wales I almost missed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

I don't think that's a real place--there are far too many vowels to be proper Welsh.

I got a package of like 10 disposable shower caps like they have in hotels from a dollar store or somewhere, I'll stick one in the tool bag, in the pannier, or in a pocket. They fit right over the helmet.

I have some purple ones too. Eastery.

edmonds59, You are singing in the rain....sweet.....

Mydrdin I almost missed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

One would think you would physically run into the turn-off sign.

@brian j -- Heh, I did pass through Cwm (pronounced something like KAM). Is that better?

@Mick: And with a name like that, it's one of those sneeze and you'll miss it towns... even on a bike.

TonyP: . The hot shower at work makes it easier to tolerate as well.

Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky!

So I google-image'd "work shower bike lucky" hoping for some image to accompany this, and I found a 2009 article, Sweaty Cyclists Build Their Own Showers which includes this novel prototype that repurposes a solar shower:

got to love teh interweb.

And it's even golden. How apropos.

I think I have mentioned before that I like a light rain because I can glance down (while on the bikepath, of course) and see my reflection below me.

I keep an old brimmed hat in my bag to put on under my helmet to keep rain, sleet, or snow off my face.

Where's the lightning? They said there would be lightning. Aaaagh. Bastards.

edmonds, I know what you mean. The number of days when an incorrect forecast kept me from riding got to be really annoying, so now I just ride in spite of the forecast, and if it's really dangerous then I guess I can figure a different way home or wait until it passes.

Has anyone ever heard of a cyclist being hit by lightening? I think getting hit by a car is much more likely, but I ride when there will be cars.

@edmonds - Always ride in, if conditions warrant, and always attempt the ride home. If conditions say not to, that's what the bus racks are for.

Even then, you don't have to bus the whole way out, if it looks to clear up any.

On a slightly different note, I've been trying different fender and mudflap setups, and haven't yet gotten it "right". I always end up with drenched shoes or drenched parts of shoes.

What does everyone keep at work or tied to the bike "just in case"? Is it worth hauling around a pair of shoe covers all the time just for that one ride in 20 that you'll need them?

I usually just end up soaking wet when I get to where I'm going. If I'm leaving work and concerned about how I'll look when I get where I'm going, I'll take a trash bag and wear it as a poncho.

I always try really hard to look like a dork.

I guess I do have a rain poncho that I snagged from a trash can after the Marathon a year or two ago. I was riding through town just as it was getting done, it had rained earlier, and people were ditching them by the dozens. I think I took four. Could have nabbed 40. Yeah, I guess that would be worth tying three ounces of plastic to the bike.

if its raining i take the bike to work and ride the trail by the casino i just do a few laps to get 10 miles in you can ride the mountour trail in the rain but the crushed limestone gets all over you and even gets in your bike gears which cant be good for them

I have a messy job. No one cares if I'm wet when I get there.

speaking of rain, I'll be soaking wet at work today, it seems. Luckily, I stand in front of an oven all day, so no matter.

It's not so much the lightning that concerns me as the associated high winds, torrential downpours, and poor visibility. I rode through and in the aftermath of the storm that flooded Wash Blvd, and while that was it's own kind of type 2 fun, I have no desire to repeat that with any frequency.

Watch out for gravel washouts on the roads today, these are crashing conditions.

@Stu: No fenders, no shoe covers, only rain gear for upper body. I have my work clothes in a backpack and a spare pare of boxers and socks stashed for special occasions and rain.

My work shoes are also in my backpack but they are compact (Vivobarefoot Ra's). There is more to the minimalist shoes for us.

Re fenders: I could never get them to actually work well. I gave up pissing around with certain combinations. I found that with my current tires on this bike that if I kept above 10mph I was dryer than if I were moving at any speed *with* fenders. I believe it to be a function of my height/bike size (52). I can see taller people not being as lucky and I can see other bikes that may be more stretched out causing issues.

Stu - I just purchased a set of Beavertail fenders from REI. I have deep lugged tires, so water was spraying everywhere and I always had the skunk line up my back. These fenders have kept 99% of the water off me and my panniers. My tires are 26x1.95 and the fenders cover them no problem.

My shoes do still get damp, but they dry out fast. Mesh Nike running shoes. Often I go sockless.

I think the weather people always over-predict foul weather. That way, if they're wrong, people will be pleasantly surprised rather than miserably soaked.

I'm really starting to look forward to those Big Nasty Summer Storms that shake the house and rattle even new windows. I don't know why, but I really missed them this (non)winter, maybe because it was so nice and warm.

I've got some fenders by a german company... they're great, but make Rack n Roll difficult, as the big arm doesn't go on the fender, and it just slides off what little of the wheel is there.

bracing. that's the only nice thing i can say about today's commute.

Haha, I went to a show last night so I left my pannier at work. The one with my rain jacket and pants inside.

So, this is going to be fun, but at least I'll finally get to see how disc brakes perform when wet.

It was lovely for walking, calm and refreshing.

Not entirely mucking fiserable; it's 63F, not 36F. My rain gauge measured over 2" of rain between yesterday afternoon and when I left at 9:10, and a half-inch of that was in the last couple hours. I biked McKnight down past Ross Park Mall to catch a bus. No traffic problems, even taking the lane. Could have sure used better rain gear, and/or a change of clothes at work, though.

@salty - Completely unrelated, but which show did you go to last night?

I used to use a a "Weatherproof" (brand name) jacket that was rain resistant. I think I got it at Burlington and it wasn't expensive.

After some years and a few washings, it wasn't as water resistant as I'd like.

So, I shelled out for "breathable, water resistant" Novara.

http://www.rei.com/product/786477/novara-conversion-bike-jacket-mens

Nice reflective strips on the Novara. It wasn't really all that breathable, but I figured if it keeps the water off, it was still a pretty good deal.

Last night, I got to use it in rain.

It seemed OK for a minute or two. The parts that hadn't soaked through were a little water resistant. Once it started soaking through, it just funneled the water in, though.

Thirty seconds after I thought, "Maybe there's some moisture coming in the sleeves," there were water droplets that had soaked through two shirts and were running down my arm.

The sleeves on the Novara might have had the same effect as a extra cotton shirt might. But then maybe not.

In the 20 minutes it took me to get home, I was soaked how I would expect to be in a water resistant jacket after maybe 2 or 3 hours of hard rain.

As opposed to the maybe 3 minutes of hard rain and 17 minutes of gentle-to-medium rain that happened.

Grrr...

Today I wore the Weatherproof.

It sucked.

But it didn't suck as hard as the Novara.

Mick, bummer on the jacket. I just got a Novara that is weather proof for about $90. Wore it last week and was bone dry and it wasn't bad on the breathability.

I will admit, I chickened out on bike commuting today....

@salty: i, too, had circumstances align in such a way that i was forced to ride to work without any rain gear. it kinda sucked, but it's so much worse now. why didn't i bring a change of clothes?

wore running shirt & shorts for today's ride in; they were dry by the time i finished changing & got to my office. on the other hand, i only have a ten- to fifteen-minute commute.

should've worn different shoes, though; took over two hours for my leather & suede eccos to dry out

@TonyP I just got a Novara that is weather proof for about $90. ...bone dry

Yeah, I saw what you had written after I posted.

I guess that's the difference between weather proof and water "resistant." Hell, a kleenex is water resistant.

@Mick - I just laughed out loud....

@Mick

If you aren't a member you might need the receipt, but REI is very good about taking stuff back.

http://www.rei.com/help/guarantee.html

@richw - St. Vincent, were you there? That was a really great show...

I waited until 10:30ish this morning and the rain had slowed down a lot by then. I brought a change of clothes but I didn't really need it aside from the shoes which.

@OhioJeff - I've thought of that. I'm a member.But I've been wearing it every warm day since January. And it's been a mild winter.

@ Tony p @Mick - I just laughed out loud....

That's because you weren't the one getting soaked.

Yeah, I was! That show was amazing. I really loved moshing with her during Krokodil, so ridiculous.

One thing I keep having to re-learn:

Zip your rain gear completely closed.

I might as well have gone sans rain gear, what with having my zipper down about 1", the heavy rain around 7:30 and the backed up traffic on Forbes.

@Mick - you could wear it every day for a year and they would still take it back no problem. If it was supposed to keep water out and it didn't, you should take it back - that's why they have the guarantee. (plus, it works out for them in the long run; they get a lot of my business because I know I can return it easily if there's a problem).

What irritates me most is that the jacket I had on was bought for the motorcycle, yet it was nigh close to useless for a 15-minute trip on the bicycle. Five hours later, my shirt sleeves have dried sufficiently. I'm still drying off my lower 15", though.

I really need to bring a change of clothes to work.

Ha, as I start typing this the sun comes out!

What a fun ride this morning. I don't have a raincoat, so I opted for a bathing suit and a bike jersey, and packed a change of clothes/shoes in the pannier. Wore a pair of running shoes without socks. Put my hat under my helmet as I always do and taped a Thomas English Muffin box to my down tube as a substitute front fender. With a 5 minute change of clothes at the office, everything worked out fine!

Yes, I have to buy some gear, but I've got to say, that was the best ride to work I've had since getting to PGH!

I used to head out on my bike whenever it rained as a kid. Just throw some shorts, t-shirt, & hat on and don't worry about getting soaked. This morning proves that it's still great fun!

> taped a Thomas English Muffin box to my down tube as a substitute front fender.

Oddly, my front was fine despite having no fenders--it was my back that got wet. i'll definitely have to give something similar a try, though, that sounds awesome.

My back fender is a small paint tray, ziptied to my milk crate. Glad I'm not the only one pulling a MacGyver to stay dry.

Oh man, I got caught in a downpour today and it was a lot of fun. I love the rain (when it's above 60°, that is)

i rode the riverfront trail by the casino this morning i dident want to be coved in crushed limestone which would of happened if i rode the mountour trail i did my 10 miles my shoes were full of water i kinda felt like i was floating when i got off the bike it wasent that bad was fun really i was the only one on the trail

My only real complaint about yesterday:

- changing in to wet cycling clothes at the end of the day so I could come home

- this morning, after a night next to a de-humidifier, my cycling gloves and sandals were still SOAKED.

Grrr......

As for the fender discussion: I have removable fenders but never use them. Even in some pretty bad downpours, the spray hasn't bothered me that much.

Trying stuffing old news paper in your sandals and gloves. You'll need to change the paper after an hour or so for it to work well. Good way to dry stuff out at work too.

Also a cheap hair dryer does wonders for drying stuff out quickly. Just don't let your gloves and things like that get too hot. I'd also suggest against using a significant others hair dryer as it will probably get a little bit of bad odor.

I got wet.

@tetris_draftsman Thanks. I keep meaning to find out if there is a small towel warmer I that would fit in my cubicle... they are great for stuff like this. They don't get too hot and dry out wicking materials very quickly.

I personally feel that hair dryers are immoral. I have only used one once in my long life, and I have long hair. It's only water, and will eventually evaporate given enough time.

I keep my gloves on a radiator at home. At work at the end of the day, yes, things may still be damp.

It's starting to get very foggy out, so please be careful on you morning rides & make sure your blinkies are working.

I try not to ride in in the fog. This morning as I crested the hill on Ardmore Blvd, going down into Wilkinsburg from Forest Hills, I saw all the fog and said "oh shiiiiit" loudly enough that the woman in the passing car clearly heard me. And she just as clearly had no idea what my concern was.