Rainy Day Rides

[Oneeyedcheshire]

I have a question regarding riding during rainy conditions. This is
something that has always bothered me. I ride a road bike and have been
riding for about four years. I have gone on a select number of rainy
rides but usually avoid them if I can. Whenever I do go, I always feel
increased concern that I may fall (which of course can be expected).
About a year ago, I was coming to the end of the ride (on wet roads) and
my rear wheel started sliding out to the left pretty intensely. I
started to panic but maintained a straight path to the best of my ability.
I was positive that I was going to fall and just waited for the total
loss of control followed by impact. However I somehow kept my
balance and managed to pull out of the situation. Of course I rode home
petrified.
Unfortunately just a couple weeks it finally happened. I was riding
home on a road that has a lot of dirt caked on it due to the building of
a new exit ramp off the nearby interstate. Throughout the day, the
road is sprayed down with water to keep the dust in the air at a minimum.
This makes for a really muddy and slick surface. I had nearly made
it all the way through the muddy section when,sure enough, I slid out
and fell. (I'll make a note that I was not in a turn in either of the two
previous stories, but just riding along straight and level.)
I guess I'm just wondering if there are any words of wisdom on the
topic. True I have read some material on rainy day rides : riding over
railroad tracks, painted road lines, man hole covers, easing up around
corners, riding with a lower P.S.I tire pressure, etc. but it seems that I
find no advice related to my personal experiences. I just feel
unstable and tense when its wet. I really want to know how guys in
professional cycling keep up speed on some really wet roads and make it look as
if they couldn't care less. Ultimately I just want to gain more
confidence so that I don't have to cancel a ride every time a rainy day comes
along. Maybe there isn't much more advice beyond what I've already
found, but I figured I'd ask.

 

[Julian G.]

Honestly, I have never had a problem riding in the rain/wet... I don't find that I loose much grip on the road (running slicks), the only time I notice a loss of traction is when I sprint (rocking the bike side-side), and even then it doesn't affect me much.

Sorry this isn't any help.

What's realy fun is riding on ice though...

 

[batjerk]

Well, I've found that getting tense actually causes one to lose control. Stay loose and you can recover from any (or most) wheel deviations. I sometimes have slippery times transitioning from asphalt to gravel and vice-versa. But, that is always on a turn...

I think it might be a good idea to find some roads with really light traffic and just ride around in the wet until you build the confidence you want such that you can avoid "white knuckling" it. I really think that is your downfall, here. Pun intended.

 

[mphew1]

I'm reasonably new to riding myself, however I have ridden on quite a few rainy days recently. I haven't noticed any significant loss of control in the wet and this includes driving rain with deep puddles.

One thing you might be doing differently is slowing down too much, it's incredible how well momentum (particularly rotation inertia of wheels) keeps you upright. Also be sure in the wet to only use the front wheel brake otherwise you will definitely lose control of the back wheel (only touch the rear wheel brake if you need to stop in an extreme hurry and your front brake is maxed out).

The only time I've lost control in the wet is during acceleration when I've felt the back wheel slip a little and I all I do in that case is ease off.

 

[Oneeyedcheshire]

thanks for the advice lady's and gent's.

 

[Raleighroader]

Any situation where a fine layer of dust is wet is going to create almost impossible riding conditions, so that fall might not have been preventable for you.

Ideally in rain I would commute with 28c tires or wider. As it is, I commute on a road bike with only 25c tires, but I also keep them inflated to no more than 105 lbs. In rain, I take that down to 100. A road bike with just 23c tires, inflated to 120 lbs., is asking for trouble in the rain.

My advice is to slow down on curves in the rain, and brake more in advance than normal. Use the rear brake more than the front one. Watch out for manhole covers, cobblestones or bricks, and painted crosswalks, all of which are terribly slick when wet. Go over them in a straight line.

I also use strap-on half fenders on rainy days. They keep you drier for quite awhile, especially your feet. However, after about a half hour, nothing helps, and you are likely to be wet in any event.

My last tip for rainy day commuting is that motor traffic is more distracted, trying to see through windshield wipers and water spray. If your commute involves stretches on busy streets, where you depend on drivers to see you well, it might be best to cancel your commutes on rainy days.

 

[Oneeyedcheshire]

Any situation where a fine layer of dust is wet is going to create almost impossible riding conditions, so that fall might not have been preventable for you.

Ideally in rain I would commute with 28c tires or wider. As it is, I commute on a road bike with only 25c tires, but I also keep them inflated to no more than 105 lbs. In rain, I take that down to 100. A road bike with just 23c tires, inflated to 120 lbs., is asking for trouble in the rain.

My advice is to slow down on curves in the rain, and brake more in advance than normal. Use the rear brake more than the front one. Watch out for manhole covers, cobblestones or bricks, and painted crosswalks, all of which are terribly slick when wet. Go over them in a straight line.

I also use strap-on half fenders on rainy days. They keep you drier for quite awhile, especially your feet. However, after about a half hour, nothing helps, and you are likely to be wet in any event.

My last tip for rainy day commuting is that motor traffic is more distracted, trying to see through windshield wipers and water spray. If your commute involves stretches on busy streets, where you depend on drivers to see you well, it might be best to cancel your commutes on rainy days.

Thanks a lot. I appriciate the feedback. With regard to use of the rear brake, my natural instinct has always been to use the rear brake before the front brake if I have to make a quick stop. In one of the previous responses to my thread, it was suggested to use the front brake as the dominant brake in the rain. I thought a lot about this, wondering if I maybe had it backwards for wet roads. To me, it would make sense to work with the rear brake, more so than with the front.
Thanks again

 

[batjerk]

To me, it would make sense to work with the rear brake, more so than with the front.
Thanks again

It does, you've got it right. Slippery conditions require more rear brake so you can still steer! This is why we MTBers almost always rear brake first.

 

[j.r.hawkins]

+1 for the above comments regarding keeping a rearward bias on your braking, staying loose, and being concerned with visibility in the wet.

I commute on a busy Sydney route and have cancelled my ride on occasion due to concerns with being seen in wet and windy conditions even though I knew I’d get caught in gridlock and be late bussing it to work.

I take it slower, merge into traffic more carefully, corner more conservatively, and leave myself much more braking distance. I also stay away from the centre of the lane and follow the vehicle tyre tracks either side due to a recent experience with oil on the road.

 

[Papote]

I'm also concerned about rain cycling. I've spent some money on rain clothing and I use my bike to commute however heavy it's raining. I feel I breathe much better, all that wet air rushing into my lungs feels so healthy (this is perhaps because I ride in dry Madrid). I agree with Raleighroader that the ultimate risk of falling is riding where a fine layer of dust is wet. In my experience this always happens after a short fine drizzle. Afterwards, the heavier rain wipes the fine mud away and then it's safe, or at least it is much safer, to ride. My cycling experience is relatively short, about fifteen months of almost daily commuting (I also cycled for about two years when I was 22). I'm 43 years old now and use a mountain bike to commute to work. I've recently joined a road cycling club to ride on Sundays and haven’t ridden on a rainy day yet, but I’ll try not to lose a ride for that.



With regards to commuting alongside heavy traffic under rain, I believe it’s essential to use powerful front and rear lights (Cateye’s or Blackburns’ for example), use reflective garment(s) and be much more careful than usual. It’s clear that drivers have a much poorer sight under rain, but if you drive with good proper instinct and anticipate the drivers’ reactions, you’ll make yourself seen and respected, place yourself between cars just as if you were a motorbike whenever you can. However, this all depends of the route you make, how well you know it and how much you like cycling under any weather.



My last point is about clothes: If you find yourself doubting about the effectiveness of winter or rain cycling clothes, do not doubt, they do work!. It’s incredible how well a windstopper / Windtex or similar garments work; they’re not as good and they claim on the labels (they claim to stop all incoming cold and let all sweat out; in reality they do it just quite well enough). As regards rain garments, the best is of course too expensive; unless you live in an area where it rains a lot (with the best I mean GoreTex jackets and trousers and the like, which are quite waterproof and a somewhat breathable). I’ve bought a Jeantex rain jacket for 40 €, it may not be as good as a 120 € Goretex jacket (perhaps it’s better), it claims breathability and has mesh armpit openings that let some air in, which makes for sweat removal; it works well for me and it’s a convenient shiny yellow.

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[garage sale GT]

As for the pros, they may simply achieve high speeds in the rain by using softer compound tires.

Sheldon Brown favors a forward braking bias.

 

[garage sale GT]

As for the pros, they may simply achieve high speeds in the rain by using softer compound tires.

Sheldon Brown favors a forward braking bias.

I got that one wrong. Sheldon Brown does not favor using just the front brake in slippery conditions.

Streets and especially parking lots are the most slippery just after a new rain starts because the rain has not washed off all the oil which has dripped from cars.