1. - if you can avoid it - then avoid it! 2. - once you're stuck in it - cry and head home!
no seriously - with the amount of time we spend on our bikes - eventually we're going to get wet... thing is if it's warm enough out - there's not much to do except keep riding through. Adding a rainproof jacket will just have you overheating and you'll still be just as wet under it as from the outside. Today though - we learned that when it's cold and wet - having enough layers is important! My trusty $20 see through rain jacket saved me!
something else to keep in mind - always - because you never know when it's going to rain - everyone should be carrying with them their cell phone and some money and id (especially medicare card)... put all that in a sealed ziploc baggie!! when you get soaked - all your stuff will too - and you don't want the added cost of a dead cell phone.
By the end of the ride though - my brakes were totally ineffective. So be extra careful and give yourself extra braking time and keep testing them so as to avoid accidents!
Here are some official links you might find helpful...
thanks for the tips - figured that out about the cell phone yesterday - and you're absolutely right about being wet inside and out if you have a totally rain-proof jacket - but layers are the key!
This week has been totally dry but last week had some wet days. I cycle to work rain or shine. What I hate is the road grime that ends up on your rain jacket and clothes. Once I get to work I clean the jacket in the shower, by 5:00 it is dry and ready to get wet again for the ride home.
One thing that I do more when it rains is oil my chain, I find the road grime sticks to it and I go max 2 days of rain before cleaning it and oiling it.
Diane, did I ever mention you have the best links ? I love the part about lurking potholes in puddles; I hit one last week that bent my wheel a little; good thing I now carry a spoke wrench as part of my basic tools.
