Riding in the rain

[mstone]

With the weather we’ve been having lately I don’t find that much difference between riding in the rain and not, except it’s a bit cooler usually when it’s raining. But then the rain stops and the humidity comes up.

[5555624]

The only difference is that when it rains, my bike gets wet, too.

[Riley Casey]

Ahemm , thats called a bike wash.

[SONEPHETH]

Last time I rode in the rain, it kill my Magic Shine battery. I only wish I had glasses to keep the rain out of my eyes.

[SilverSpring]

By way of preamble, I meant to ask this earlier, but by the time I got around to it, the thunderstorm season had mostly ended. What with Spring springing and variable weather, I’m trying to anticipate Summer biking quandaries.

Last year, on the Junction and Breakwater Trail between Rehoboth and Lewes, I got caught in the Mother of all thunderstorms many miles from the beach house and obvious shelter. Scared (really terrified more than scared) of Zeus-like bolts falling from the sky, I pulled over under a bunch of trees in the foresty bit for protection (along with a couple of other bikers) and then thought (and this is a very rough paraphrase in light of possible younger readers), “Golly! This is stupid, I could be hit by lightning.” So, I pedaled on as the lightning got more and more lightningish, thought to myself “Golly! This is stupid, I could be hit by lightning” and pulled over again. Then, while waiting for the storm to pass (which it wasn’t), I realized I was at the edge of a huge cornfield and could see the lightning eyeing me lasciviously and thought, “Golly! This is stupid, I could be hit by lightning” and started pedaling again until my beloved bride came to get me at the trail head. When caught out in lightning with no proper shelter (like a bridge overpass or, better yet, a brew-pub not given to overly-hopped beers), is it best to, KLizotte-like, bike on or throw myself and the bike to the ground or what?

[Arlingtonrider]

I was wondering that same thing one night as I was coming home and crossing the 14th Street/GM bridge. Good question!

My thought that night was that the rubber on my tires would help more than putting my foot down in a puddle. It was a short-lived problem, thanks to the nearby overpasses.

[Dirt]

It is really hard to know what to do. There are times when there really is no shelter… or no shelter that isn’t so lowland that it might get flooded while you’re using it.

Lightning is unpredictable. You can’t really know what it is going to do. That makes dealing with it very difficult. There are some things NOT to do… and you identified them well. Don’t hide under a tree. Try not to be the tallest thing around. Don’t stick your tongue to a frozen fence post.

What I tend to do is get on the bike and move as fast as I can to get home or to safety…. or at least off the rocky ridge line where I’m exposed. There have been some times when that just isn’t possible. When it gets to the point where I can feel the wind generated by a lightning strike, which is surprisingly strong, I lay down in a flat area and let the storm calm down. That isn’t ideal, comfortable or even much more safe than continuing riding, but there are times when keeping moving just isn’t possible, so I just make myself as low as possible.

Hope that helps a little.

Pete

[jrenaut]

Me and my overly-hopped beers are offended.

[DaveK]

If you can, a building is the best place to be, but not a small isolated one like a picnic shelter or some such. You want something substantial or in an area with other buildings, a gas station or convenience store for instance. Inside a car is safe if you can get to one. Low stands of trees are okay, single large trees are very bad. If you’re absolutely stuck in the middle of a field, get away from your bike and squat down. Don’t lie down, it makes you a larger target.

Thus is the limit of my childhood camping knowledge.

[WillStewart]

@CCrew 6806 wrote:

I wear glasses though, that’s a bit of a beast.

I wear a full length visor (put on before the helmet) that helps keep the glasses clear of droplets (and keeps the sun out of my eyes heading east in the morning and west in the evening).

[SilverSpring]

I cycled off into the damp
With grey skies under which I never would camp
My tires they splashed
When downhill I dashed
As if on an aquiferous ramp

[5555624]

I set off yo a cloudy sky
Alas the heavens did cry
I covered my helmet
My glvoes they got wet
As I rode on no longer dry

[Dirt]

I’m not eloquent. I did have Hains Point almost completely to myself this morning though. That’s poetry enough for this concussed troll.

[consularrider]

@Dirt 20104 wrote:

I’m not eloquent. I did have Hains Point almost completely to myself this morning though. That’s poetry enough for this concussed troll.

Sort of my feeling riding in this morning as well. Quite a turnaround from Friday – both in terms of the weather and number of cyclists

[Dirt]

@consularrider 20108 wrote:

Sort of my feeling riding in this morning as well. Quite a turnaround from Friday – both in terms of the weather and number of cyclists

I got to the office late this morning. Had an early call that I took from the house. Maybe 6 or 7 people rode in today. Definitely down from the hundreds that rode in Friday. I totally understand why. It takes a special kind of person to love and thrive on wet weather riding. It was just a mental let down. I’ll enjoy having the trails to myself this week. I’ll share with you, Bro.

We rode past your house a few times this weekend. A few of us killed Bill yesterday. When we do the official ride in September I’ll give you plenty of notice if you want to join in.

[Author]

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