riding in rain ok?

im worried about riding in the rain....

i dont care about getting wet but i car about my bike and my clothes...

i have an older steel road bike, but with some newer components. the drivetrain is properly lubed

i dont think my clothes will get ruined by the rain, im just worried about the rear tire kicking up all the dirt from the road.

im mostly worried about my shoes. i use sidi genius 5 shoes which were a big investment for me.

 

Do you want some cheese to go with your whine????

Seriously, if you're worried about your shoes, your bike, your components, your clothes, your hair, your tires, your brake pads, your spokes, etc... - then get an indoor trainer and don't ride in the rain.

I live in the Pacific Northwest of N. America and if I waited for a nice day to ride outdoors I'd probably miss out on 3/4 of the year...

Bottomline is get some good rain weather gear and get there already!! Wash and dry your bike off afterwards and everything will be fine.

 

I commute on a MTB with full fenders and mud flaps but I try not to use my road bike if the chance of rain is higher than 30% without fenders it is bad for the bike. If you do ride in the rain avoid the tendency to go faster I slipped sideways crashed and bent my rear wheel trying to cross a busy street and turn quick onto a sidewalk.

 

that didnt help me one bit. i can only infer that i shouldnt wear anything but rain specific clothing in the rain.

i wasnt worried about myself getting wet. but good try at a joke.

i was worried about my frame. its steel. its old. it probably has some spots where paint is starting to chip away.

ive never heard of cycling shoes for the rain either. i wasnt about to ruin those without checking first. but with your reply, you didnt help me one bit. you didnt answer my questions. i dont need to spend hundreds of dollars on 'good rain gear' to keep me dry. i said i dont care about getting wet. i dont have the kind of money to replace something if it gets ruined from the rain.

im not gonna get an indoor trainer. i dont have to deal with the rain that often. the reason i was asking is cause its gonna rain tomorrow, and im home from college and have the chance to ride with an old friend so i made special arrangements to be able to even bring my bike home with me.

if someone could give me some actual knowledge than the nosense the about douche bag poster spit out please do.

edit: sorry wiredued, didnt see your post before i wrote this one...

but thanks for your reply. im leaning towards not going if its raining too hard.

 

You ought to worry about what the front tire kicks up because it's going into your chain. Keep it clean.

The hubs, headset, or bb may not be sealed. Repack often or get one of those old books on how to seal a bike with felt washers.

Chrome steel rims won't stop too well with caliper brakes but aluminum ones will wear out quicker in the rain due to grit.

I would protect my lungs because the mist which cars kick up will be full of roadkill bacteria, dog poop, etc.

Get cheap shoes for rainy days!

 

Here's my take.

Steel bikes will rust. But if you drain it out after the ride, plenty of people have had a long service life with them. If you are paranoid, some people suggest a coating of engine oil in the seat tube every so often.

For the dirt spray on the back of your jersey, just wash it after the ride. If you still worry, then get an old jersey for rainy days.

Finally for your Sidi. Well, your Sidi is like mine, fully synthetic. I have not found any problems with it riding in the rain. They dry out and that's it. If you are really concerned, then wear a shoe cover (thin one will do). That way your white Sidi would not get hit by road grime.

 

AWWW come on big boy! The rain's not going to hurt you... LOL!

 

I use to ride all the time in the rain.

Never anymore. It's just so much nicer to ride when it's dry. I don't have to ride every day, as I'm not training for racing like I use to. I once rode when it was 35 and pouring. Now I skip rides because it's below 50 degrees (and dry). I guess I'm a wimp now lol.

 

I disagree with using cheap shoes. I use the Sidi Dominator 5.0 which set me back $230. I live in seattle and ride in the rain with no problems. At first i babied the shoes when they were new then i realized if i spend the money and dont use it i might as well not have it. I dont ride a second bike or use sub par gear in the rain. I ride in the rain or with a wet ground several times a week. So far al my gear including my shoes are holding up just fine.

 

Hmm... Last year I commuted and trained in -15 degrees celcius, sometimes on lakes and sometimes in snowstorm. Try wrapping yourself in gore tex. And perhaps obtain a bike not made of glas?

 

if your bike gets wet and dirty just wash it and dry it when you get home - I find using a fan or putting it near a warm radiator are best - or leaving it outside in the wind but under a roof or something.

For me the main issue with rain is that rain with cold make me more likely to get sick. Cold alone is fine, rain above 15 celsius is fine.....but a rainy day when it's 4 celsius as we get here in Holland in November just means a sore throat - better to work out indoors.

 

FWIW the flu has alot to do with low vitamin D status which tends to get even lower during fall and winter. http://www.knowledgeofhealth.com/report.asp?story=Why%20Flu%20Epidemics%20Occur%20in%20Winter&catagory=Infectious%20Disease,%20Vaccines,%20Flu,%20Vitamin%20D

 

Scientific American magazine just ran an article also suggesting mild vitamin D deficiency is widespread and responsible for a variety of ills. That seems like a pretty mainstream source.

I think sore throats and infections from riding may come from the mist which cars kick up. You may wind up overwhelming certain infection-preventing systems if you breathe in enough of it.

As for corrosion, a bit of oil is all you need to protect a steel bike, especially if it's made from low carbon steel.