When I was thinking about my cycling experiences, I realised that many of them seemed to involve rain. This may be because I live in the UK, where we see more than our fair share of rainfall. But it certainly seems to rain quite frequently when I’m out on the bike.
I’d like to say that it doesn’t bother me, but I simply wouldn’t be telling the truth. It’s pretty horrible if you get soaked through when you’re trying to have an enjoyable bike ride. In fact, it can be a pretty annoying way to ruin a weekend. It’s not much better during the week. Those of us who commute to work don’t really want to arrive in the office looking like drowned rats!
You might think that a quick glance at the weather forecast could save a lot of effort. You’d be right, but only sometimes. The reality is that weather forecasts often seem to be incredibly inaccurate. It can be rather disenchanting to find an unexpected shower when you’re stuck in the middle of a rural area, desperately lacking in protection from the elements.
I do check the forecast before leaving home, although my advice to others would be to ignore forecasts that are given more than a day or two in advance. It seems to me that forecasters struggle for accuracy when looking into the future by more than 24 hours. This does, of course, make it hard to puts plans in place any distance in advance.
One option is to assume that it will rain. That’s not a bad assumption to make. If you’re proved wrong, you’ll have a far more enjoyable time than you were expecting. If, on the other hand, it does rain, you can at least take precautions to ensure that you don’t get drenched.
Taking along a selection of clothing, for example, is always a good plan.
It will add a bit more weight to the bike, but experience dictates that this is something that’s worth doing. One point that many people forget about cycling in wet conditions is that it can also have a big impact on your route.
If you’re planning to stay on the roads then you may be fine, although you can expect some motorists to splash you as they drive by. If you’re using a country route, however, you may discover that things aren’t so simple.
Thinking about this situation, my best advice would be try and stick to routes that you know well. I don’t mean that you should do this every time that you ride your bike, but I think it’s good advice if there’s any sort of threat of rain. By taking this approach, you’ll give yourself an understanding of what to expect.
I think the worst conditions would involve rain, darkness and an unknown route. I would certainly recommend that you try and avoid finding yourself in such a situation!
Read all about bicycles and bike sheds online, as discussed by Simon Barnett. This article may be used by any website publisher, though this resource box must always be included in full.
Question by Blue scape: can one like get a cycling rain jacket?
are there like rain jackets on the market specially for cycling in light rain ? and if so,what are some reasonable prices?
Best answer:
Answer by Bob A
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_sg?url=node%3D3380041&field-keywords=rain+jacket
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_sg?url=node%3D3380041&field-keywords=rain+pants&x=12&y=19
Add your own answer in the comments!
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Ponchos are quite popular among people who are doing bike touring, and they don’t cost that much. They protect your legs to a large degree too, and yet they let air circulate. They do slow you down, however.
But yes, they certainly do sell tight rain coats meant for cycling use, and they work — but they don’t protect your legs, so you need something else to keep your legs and feet dry. They also generally don’t let the air circulate very well, so you end up soaked from sweat instead of rain …
In any event, you can spend from $ 20 to $ 300 or more …
View CommentA large trash bag(w/ hole cut-out) is re-useable, disposable, and will keep you dry. Who needs style- if everything is soaking wet outside?
View Commentgo to local bike store. they’ll have what ever your lookin for. prices start at around 40.00 and up. or you could get pvc rainjkt for about 18.00 at walmart.
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