The Wettest Commute

With all of the Bike Blogs abuzz with Bike Week events, I thought I'd share some personal wet weather tips and things to think about for Bike to Work Day, this Friday May 20th. It surely looks like it'll be a soggy one here in central Virginia, and these tips might help you prepare if you're going to give it a shot. I followed most of these tips today, which was certainly my wettest work commute in recent history.

The Bike & Wet Weather

• Fenders and mudflaps prevent water & mud from being flicked up at you while riding in rain... or if there's still water on your path from a recent downpour. Check out Bike Hacks to make some DIY fenders.
• Lube it up! Apply a bicycle-specific lubricant to the chain and cables prior and after wet weather. I have to admit, I don't do this enough, but it certainly helps to prevent rust and premature wear. Be sure to wipe away all excess lube after application though, as otherwise it will collect a lot of gunky dirt.
• Do you have to lock your bike outside in the rain?  Cover your saddle with a plastic bag (or two). It'll save you from a really soggy ride home.
• Be prepared for bad braking, especially on bikes with rim brakes. This means riding a bit slower to compensate for increase stopping distance. Today I was shocked at how poorly my rim brakes responded. I'm looking into purchasing some wet-weather brake pads.
• Any lines painted on the road will be super slick. Avoid hard acceleration, braking, or turning on these painted sections. 
• A waterproof bag or pannier set goes a long way to transport your dry clothes, lunch & electronics. Additionally, I highly suggest using a small sealing sandwich bag for your wallet and electronics if there's a chance you'll get soaked.
• Turn your bike lights on! Visibility for all road users is pretty poor in wet weather, so have all of your lights on. Today I had four lights on: two solid front white lights, one rear red blinking, and one rear red solid. Sometimes in really poor visibility conditions (heavy rain/snow/fog) I'll turn one front light to blink mode.

 You & Wet Weather

• Still on the subject of visibility... wear your brightest jersey or rain jacket! As a vehicular cyclist, you should be maximizing your visibility to other road users also suffering from increased stopping distances and less than normal tire traction.
• I'm a big proponent of eye protection on the bike, especially in wet weather. If it's raining, snowing or hailing, I usually wear a pair of clear shop safety glasses to allow me to keep my head up to scan the road while preventing stinging eyes. Take it from me, it really helps at 20mph. However, you will likely have to deal with them fogging up from your breath, especially as you come to a stop. My suggestion is to slip them further down the nose to get cooler air across them. Chris has recommended an old scuba diving trick: spitting on them. I'll try that before I leave work today.
• You're gunna get wet. There's no way around it, but there are some good ways to limit it and it works to have a plan to deal with it. Depending on your job, you may have to come up with your own methods. Here's what I do:
• Waterproof cycling pants on top of shorts.
• Waterproof rain jacket... or if it's too warm for a jacket, I wear a bright jersey and bring a dry towel in the panniers. Be sure to bring a shirt to change into.
• Waterproof trail shoes - I wear Merrel's Moab, which are lined with Gore-Tex. I also have a pair of dry shoes I keep at work to change into when I arrive.
• Bring an extra pair of socks.
• Most cycling gloves will get soaked, but that's okay for me. I prefer to have wet gloves that keep my hands warm and my grip solid than ride without them. We have an industrial dryer at work that I run them through when I arrive, so I'm okay on that front.
• Have a plan for your wet gear at work. If possible, shake/wring them out, hang them up, and point a fan at them. If you do that, they'll be dry in no time. If your workplace happens to have a clothes dryer though, you're golden.
• Be prepared to shock your coworkers. Yeah, your balls are that big.

That's a lot to think about, but all of those things in conjunction really help me out. These preparations make my rainy commutes some of my favorite.