Video: Bike Commuting in the Rain

Posted by Dottie at 07:26 basics, commute diary, How To: Add comments
Aug 052010

This is not a full how-to video.  I just made a quick little overview of me leaving for work yesterday while it was raining.  Read our full rain how-to here.

How do you ride in the rain?

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  • bongobike

    Gotta protect that Brooks!!!

  • Frits B
    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Nice! But a lot of those people are wearing jeans. Either they’re not going very far or it’s not raining hard or they’re in for a lot of discomfort. Wet jeans are the worst; they take forever to dry :)

  • http://mkebikecommuter.blogspot.com/ Bryan

    Nice! Cycling in the rain isn’t bad, and sometimes in the summer, it’s really refreshing. A couple of weeks ago we had really heavy rains here in Milwaukee (7 inches in an hour!). Not so refreshing. Actually, it was terrifying. That was the only time I have ever been scared to ride in the rain, so I waited for the storm to subside in my office.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Yes, I’ve been stuck in those terrifying summer rain showers. Not fun. But as you say, summer rain showers in general can be very refreshing. :)

  • http://beautechan.wordpress.com/ Sara
    • Frits B

      But remember that these are only safe when there is no wind, or you will be blown off your bike. There is also an umbrella fitted on top of a helmet (Japanese again).

    • Herzog

      Just hold it in your hand.

  • http://emeraldsedai.livejournal.com/tag/riding+clyde Anne Hawley

    My mechanic at CleverCycles said that the Brooks saddle doesn’t mind getting wet, but that one of its principal lifespan-shorteners is riding it while it’s wet–that quickly stretches it out beyond its ability to be tightened.

    (Sorry if you mentioned this in your video. I’m constrained to watch with no sound in my workplace.)

    I love riding in the rain, and isn’t the Oma excellent for the purpose? No splashing, solid, steady traction, leather-seat comfort: it’s like a Mercedes of bikes.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      I cover my saddle when it’s parked, but not usually when I’m riding. I’m really too apathetic/lazy to worry too much about my saddle.

  • Scott

    ^ for real re Oma being the Merc of bikes.

    I have been using the Patagonia rain pants and rain jacket with a Tilley hat for riding in the rain. They roll up and do not take up much space in my briefcase. Keeping the glasses dry is key.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      I love my Patagonia trench, have not tried the rain pants.

  • nicolas

    Nice vid.
    That’s a lot more preparation than I use; I just get a raincoat, and if it’s cold, maybe a hat (though it’s hard to keep a fedora in place while speeding).
    One accessory I wanna find is some super wide rubber bands, to wrap around the pedals so my dress shoesdon’t slip.

    • bongobike

      Sounds like you want Power Grips:
      http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/

      • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

        I’ve heard good things about Powergrips. The pedals I bought for my Oma work perfectly. I can’t remember the name now, but I link to it in the comments of my De Fietsfabriek Oma review.

  • http://www.sheridesabike.com Karen

    I’m dying here, Dottie! How did it go. Maybe Mr. Dottie could ride shotgun with the camera and document the entire adventure sometime. I really admire people who ride in the rain and commit to the extra preparation. The last several weeks in Flagstaff have been really, really wet. Hard rains that last all day, which is very unusual for Flagstaff so I have little of rainwear. If I think rain is coming later in the day, I’ll pack a rain slicker for the ride home but if it is raining in the morning before work, I wimp out and ask Bob to drop me off at work.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      The ride went well! The thunder did start again during my trip, which I hate, but no lightening that I saw. I was pretty wet when I got to work. I kept my raincoat on because I was actually quite chilly, so everything under my coat was dry. But my legs, shoes, face and the bottom hem of my skirt were soaked. I always feel sheepish walking into work looking like a drowned rat, but people seem to be used to it now.

      During a meeting, a VP said to me, “Hey, I saw you riding in the rain; that must not have been fun.” I had to laugh and say that it was kinda fun; makes me feel like a kid again.

  • Jen F

    I love your mirror! Do you know who makes it?

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Thanks! Sorta. I bought it from Rivendell and they call it the “German mirror.” I need to write a whole post about this mirror because I love it so. Highly recommended.

  • Herzog

    TRENCH COAT + UMBRELLA.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Classic!

      In Chicago, though, an umbrella would blow me away, Merry Poppins style. Seriously, I can’t even use an umbrella while walking. Invariably, it will get turned inside-out by the wind.

      • Herzog

        I hear you. But let me emphasize — cycling with an umbrella is no harder than walking with an umbrella. I should also mention — this is kind of subtle — that some umbrellas are *much* better in the wind than others, and this has little to do with their size.

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