It is Pouring outside. yikes

[ejwillis62]

Thought I would be brave today and commute home even if it was raining but OH MY it is pouring hard out there today. I am feeling a bit intimidated. I really don’t want to be scared of rain because if I want to do bike touring it is eventually going to rain on me.

This is a lot of rain. I am on my surly troll so I trust the “Beast” not to slip around to much but this is looking a bit scary. I am looking at the clothes I brought and trying to decide how much to put on, don’t want to be cold but don’t want to be to sweaty.

What should I be scared of? I brought a rain jacket but I don’t think any of it is going to matter I think I am just going to get wet.

Glasses or no glasses won’t they just get all spotted from the rain.

Is my Garmin waterproof?

LIZ W.

Topic

[PotomacCyclist]

Most Garmins aren’t waterproof, but most of them can withstand rain.

I’d suggest wearing a cycling cap or running cap under your bike helmet, to help keep some of the rain out of your face on the ride. Other than that, just expect to get wet. Looks like the rain won’t taper off until 7 pm or so, according to Weather Underground.

[ejwillis62]

note to self buy cycling cap.

[Emm]

Glasses keep the rain out of your eyes. They can also be a bit blinding when they’re wet, but that the price you pay. Water in your eyes can sting, and if you wear contacts, cause them to get all messed up. I’ve learned to wear them, but look “over” them if they get too spotty. And careful about wiping them off mid commute. You might just spread the water around on them, making them even harder to see out of.

Clear glasses are really useful. I have a pair that allows me to switch out between clear lenses and tinted lenses depending on the weather. Between rain, wind, rocks, and stray bees, I need to wear glasses on my commute.

And just get wet. It’s kinda fun. You’ll feel accomplished when you get home drenched, but alive

[PotomacCyclist]

Running caps tend to have longer brims. That can make a difference while riding in the rain.

However, check that the cap fits comfortably under your helmet. Some of them are a little bulkier than others. That can make for a tight fit with the helmet.

[OneEighth]

Rain just means less crowding at Hains Point.
Here’s hoping the cherry blossoms have not yet been knocked down.

[Bruno Moore]

You only get wet once. You’re not made of sugar. You sometimes get free pastries and incredulous/admiring looks from people when you walk in the coffee shop.

Only one of those is true, really, but it’s nice to think about the other two when it’s coming down.

Cycling caps help. I pretty much always wear one, and will sometimes pack a spare dry one to save the world from having to see my unruly hathair when I’ve gotten where I’m going. But, as was mentioned, there’s a fine art to picking the Right One—I adore my two Vanderkitten caps (and not just because I like having a perpetually chipper Ophelia Vanderkitten and her snaggle-toothed grin with me on nasty days), but will use something a bit thicker on cold days, or more “fashionable” (e.g., my dad’s 1983 Trek cap) for shorter rides when I need to look like a human being. Get one with exactly the right brim length (one you can still see under while in the drops, but long enough to come close to the top of your glasses if you wear them—I can’t hardly walk, much less ride, without mine) and you can keep the rain, snow, and sleet out of your eyes when you ride.

[vern]

If you think of it as an ordeal it will be that – an ordeal. If you think of it as being fun it most likely will be that – fun. It’s warm, so if you get wet you shouldn’t feel all that chilled (or at least that’s how I felt this morning, and I didn’t wear any protection from the waist down…just shorts, socks and shoes). I concur with those above who suggest clear or amber tinted glasses, and a cap with a brim (today, I am using a Kansas City Monarchs baseball hat).

But when it’s warm like today, riding in the rain reminds me of when I was a kid, riding my bike in the rain. It was a joyous occasion then; no reason it shouldn’t be the same now.

[dasgeh]

@ejwillis62 113687 wrote:

What should I be scared of?

I’ll go with “not rain”. Sure, if you see lots of water on the pavement, you should be careful. And yes, if the rain is hard enough that you can’t see, you should slow down/stop. Drivers suck more in the rain – just expect them to. The good news about really hard rain is that it rarely lasts for long. I rode in this morning, then rode from meeting to office around 2:30pm, and both times it was raining, but not hard. My pants didn’t even get wet with just a rain cape. Standing water wasn’t an issue. My helmet has a brim, so no rain-on-helmet issues. Drivers, on the other hand, were particularly horrible, but nothing that was hard to deal with if you’re expecting it.

Longer term, the biggest issue I have with rain is comfort — being wet for long periods, or being wet and cold. On my more upright bikes, a rain cape and rain pants, plus proper laying, deal with those situations pretty well. On racey bikes, I stick with a rain jacket and rain pants. I don’t mind being hot as much, but people that do complain a lot more because to stay dry you kinda have to get warm.

And of course think about storage – make sure whatever you’re taking with you stays dry. Not that hard with some forethought. Or Ortlieb panniers.

HTH

[Crickey7]

The worst part of riding in the rain is the first ten minutes, while you’re getting wet. Then you’re wet, and unless you’re chilled (which you won’t be today), the human body is perfectly biologically suited to getting wet. We don’t melt.

[Powerful Pete]

1. On a warm day you don’t have to worry – you will get wet. Let out your inner child and enjoy the ride.

2. Do be careful in riding on wet surfaces and through large puddles.

3. Car drivers are more dangerous (but you always ride defensively!).

4. The answer is always a Castelli Cap.

5. Have fun!

[mstone]

rain scares me because it makes drivers run into things even more than usual

[wheelswings]

The most important thing in rain is to dress to be seen … bright colors, neon, high-viz… if you look like a freak, you’re a winner. Good to turn on some extra lights, too.

As for the mental part, if I ever question getting on my bike, I think about the transportation alternatives….bus, metro, car….and voila, whatever hesitation I had dissolves in two seconds.

Often when I’m out there I find myself singing songs appropriate to the conditions. There’s always “Singing in the rain,” or, in traffic, “Staying Alive.” Or today it was the national anthem, following the very happy gymnastics regional championships last weekend. If you can distract yourself to the end of the song, you’ll likely forget the fact that you’ve got soaking wet in the process.

My only other advice is to ditch the wet clothes as soon as you can after arriving at your destination. Otherwise it’s a shiver-fest.

[AFHokie]

Also keep in mind, the more ‘waterproof’ a garment, the less breathable said garment will be. It may keep you dry from the rain, but you end up soaked from sweat by the time you reach your destination. Rain with temps in the 50’s-60’s is tough…if you decide to forgo rain gear you will get wet and likely chilled, but if you take the rain gear, you may eventually end up wet and eventually chilled anyway as well.

Somewhere in there is a happy medium; however everyone’s happy point is different.

[ejwillis62]

made it home, the advice to keep my glasses on was awesome. I looked through the water spots and did well. it was slow going and around miles 10-15 I thought I was nuts then by mile 19 I was very proud of myself. was completely soaked but I did okay. I was mostly warm. only hands got a bit chilled. Really glad I have clip in cycling shoes so that I didn’t have to worry about my feet slipping. No something I would like to do everyday but I survived it. Glad it doesn’t pour like that everyday. thanks all for giving me courage.

[PotomacCyclist]

What time did you ride? Instead of riding, I ran back home today, from DC to Arlington, starting around 6:15 pm. The rain had already passed by at that point. I only felt a few sprinkles here and there. I wore a running cap, but I didn’t really need it that much. (I usually wear a cap when I run, rain or shine. If it’s not the rain, it’s the sun. Even at night, the cap can help with the glare from bright streetlights.)

[Author]

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