The past two days have been rainy and super windy, so I’ve taken public transportation. The L train is no fun compared to my bikes, but I’m grateful for its convenience when needed. The combination of bicycling and access to great public transportation is what allows me to live without a car
Happily, today is sunny and dry, although 39 degrees – brrr.
I’ll not complain about fall weather too much, because I know what’s coming.
Gotta remember to appreciate the present. Happy Friday!
This morning I was excited to jump back on my bike after a week’s vacation in North Carolina. I set out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with the sun shining down on me.
A couple of miles into my ride, the air began to look strangely green. Suddenly, all at once, the wind picked up massively, rain poured, lightening struck and thunder pounded. A small branch fell down behind me. It was freaky!
I was on a quiet neighborhood road and I started riding toward a bigger street in hopes of finding shelter at a coffee shop. I didn’t get far before I had to dismount and scurry to the sidewalk. I stood next to a wind-blocking building for about five minutes, getting soaked. (Later I read the wind was up to 75 MPH.) When the wind and rain did not let up, I scurried down the sidewalk to the end of the block, where I found a bank lobby to duck into (the bank was closed but the lobby was open for the ATM). There I watched the downpour and lightening for 30 loooong minutes.
When the rain let up slightly, I decided to bike the 2 miles back home, drop off my bike, change clothes and take the L train to work. I did not want to ride all the way to work downtown in the lightening. I finally arrived at the office at 10:00 – a not-so-great way to start back after vacation. Luckily, I have understanding co-workers.
I’ll take this morning’s “adventure” as a harsh reminder to CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST BEFORE LEAVING. Also, as a WELCOME HOME, SUCKER, from Chicago.
At least I’m not the only one who got stuck in the storm. Anyone else get caught by surprise lately? Nah, I’m sure you’re all way too smart for that. :)
For summer rainstorms, a quick-drying outfit is more important than a good raincoat. Who wants to wear a coat when it’s so hot outside? The sweat and humidity is worse than the rain. Ick.
I was wearing this outfit below last week when unexpected rain hit just as I left work. Five minutes into my ride, the rain stopped and the sun came out. I was pretty wet, not quite soaked, but by the time I got home 20 minutes later, I was completely dry. Very impressive quick-drying performance from my Patagonia skirt and top. I looked at the tag and they’re made of polyester. Boy, that fabric has come a long way since the 70′s.
As I set out for work yesterday morning, a sprinkle turned into a downpour, soaking me. I had to wring out my shirt after I locked my bike. Unfortunately, I was wearing Lululemon yoga capri pants and top. Despite laying them out to dry all day, they were still damp (and mildewy) at the end of the day. Whatever fabric those are made of is good for yoga movement, terrible for bike commuting in the rain. I chose to wear my office skirt and blouse for the ride home.
My shoes and riding gloves are still drying, too. I should stick to my Keen commuter sandals instead of regular sneakers for wet summer weather.
Funny how I’ve been bike commuting for three years and I’m still learning this stuff. ‘Cause I keep forgetting. 
Who else forgoes typical rain gear in the summer? What kinds of clothes and accessories have you found best for quick-drying?
Trisha showed you her Little Miss Messy coffee-stained Abici and now I’ll show you my Little Miss Muddy Velorbis. On Wednesday I rode Coco, my Velorbis, in the rain for the first time. I discovered that the gorgeous cream-colored frame shows mud quite clearly. I’m not good at keeping my bikes clean, but I definitely have to wipe Coco down after the rain.
Although Coco’s aesthetics suffer in the rain, her performance is top notch. The substantial fenders, chain case, and internal brakes are perfect for keeping me clean and stopping on a dime. The super cushy Fat Frank tires are a big bonus and make Coco the best among my bikes for riding in the rain. Normally, I feel paranoid riding on slick roads and through puddles, but the stability and comfort of the fat tires made me feel completely secure. I love those tires.
As for myself, I dealt with the rain fine. I wore my Patagonia trench rain coat (not pictured below), which caught most of the drizzle. My wool tights and tweed skirt dried quickly and my helmet protected my hair.
So that’s it. I made it through a 30 minute drizzly bike commute a-okay. By the time I got to work, I was a little bit more in love with Coco than before.
What aspects of your bike help (or not) when riding in the rain?
Last weekend a friend asked me and Trisha what we do about thunderstorms, and we both agreed that we simply do not bike in them. However, that is a simplified, partially true statement. The full explanation is that I choose not to bike in the morning if, at the time of leaving, hard rain is actively falling or the forecast all but guarantees thunderstorms. I tend to ignore vague forecasts for the possibility of thunderstorms in the evening, because so many times when I started bike commuting, I was tricked into not biking when the weather was fine.
Which is how I now end up biking home in thunderstorms more than I would like.
My commute is long enough to give the weather ample time to change (30 minutes) but short enough that I feel okay pushing through bad weather. I wait out storms with thunder and lightening, but the most common scenario has me leaving work just before the sky opens up, and once I’m already on my bike, only the worst conditions could stop me. Otherwise, I push on through cautiously but assertively.
Such was the case last night.
Photo from last year. Imagine this, but dark.
Leaving a fundraiser benefit for my employer, the weather seemed fine, although the night sky was too dark to see clouds. Only after I biked half a mile did the rain suddenly start pouring. Thunder and lightening soon followed.
I was wearing an elegant black ensemble: a silk dress, blazer, tights and dress shoes. I had a raincoat tied around my waist because my new dress became way too short on the bike (more about that later) and for visibility, not because I anticipated rain. After the storm started, I considered pulling over to put the raincoat on, but did not want to lose momentum, so I continued all the way home as I was. Of course, by the end of my commute, the storm had calmed to a drizzle. Arriving home, drenched and drowned-rat-esque, I immediately hung my clothes to dry and took a hot shower. This morning, both the clothes and I are fine. My Po Campo bag, which is advertised only as water resistant, amazingly kept all of my contents safe and dry.
There is a lot of talk on bike blogs and forums about gear like rain pants, ponchos, etc. Those accessories are important in some situations (like if I were on my way to the event), but if you’re going straight home, there is nothing terrible about getting caught in the rain in your regular clothes. I do not want newer bike commuters to worry that they are not properly prepared for bicycling until they acquire all that stuff.
I am grateful that I had my Planet Bike Superflash. Powerful lights are always important when riding in the rain, especially at night.
Somebody tell me that I’m not the only one with bad luck when it comes to getting stuck in the rain. What do you do when unexpected thunderstorms hit?
As Chicago experiences the rainiest April in 50 years, my thunderstorm-averse and frankly unmotivated self has been taking the L train this week. A colleague yesterday asked if my bike was okay because she saw me walking.
I’m determined to bike tomorrow no matter what (probably) because I’m going stir crazy. In the meantime, I’m taking advantage of this rare public transportation time to wear the few outfits I have that simply do not work on a bike, which usually sit untouched in the back of my closet.
For example, this skirt I wore today that does not allow me to lift my leg any higher than shown below.
Normally, I would not buy a skirt that constricts my ability to cycle, but I made an exception for this mint condition Marni skirt from Salvation Army for $2. Yeah, that’s like $798 off retail price! Looking at this photo, I realize that the entire outfit is thrifted, except the bamboo tights from Trisha.
In other news, the cherry blossoms still have not bloomed in Chicago, which so far is one month later than last year. All these April showers better bring some May flowers!!!!
And finally, happy, happy, happy birthday to our very own Trisha! I’m saving the big b-day post until after I document whatever trouble we get in together this weekend, but for now here is a beautiful flashback to T’s birthday party last year.
Smashing, love!
April showers are officially here. As winter slowly recedes, the season of rain begins. Unless you live in Portland, in which case it never ended.
My trusty rain trench and wool combo
Although I haven’t experienced rain since the snow started months ago, rain is no stranger to the LGRAB world. Check out the 4 pages of posts we’ve written about the subject, under the tag “rain.”
For more direct guidance, there’s Trisha’s how-to advice for riding in the rain, a quick video I made showing how easy it is to prep for rain, and my “April Showers” post from one year ago.
And if you don’t like riding in rain, remember my mantra. Rain: at least it’s not hail.
Oh yes, I’m pulling out the Guns ‘N Roses. This is my last chance to use the reference for a year, since tomorrow is the last day of November.
Today’s rain led me to take the Lakefront Trail. Even though the route adds another 15 rainy minutes to my commute, riding among cars in the rain frays my nerves. On the bike path I don’t mind the rain at all, especially when there’s a tail wind.
As usual, wool and boots kept me toasty warm. These super windy pictures are actually from the rainy day last week. The bike was different, but the outfit was pretty much the same.
Anyone else care for an ’80′s MTV flashback? Gosh, I loved this video as a wee lass.
And so, as I roll through the wet, cold weather, I remember that nothin’ lasts forever, even cold November rain.
Today’s evening commute brought on freezing rain. Not the most fun weather, but not insurmountable. There was no ice on the road, so the only issue was staying dry and warm. A tweed skirt, long wool winter coat, knee-high leather boots, earmuffs and huge mittens did the job admirably. A thick leather Coach purse in my basket kept my belongings dry. As long as the rain is mild to moderate, this kind of set up works well – no raincoat and waterproof panniers needed.
The photo below shows why I hate to ride downtown in the rain at night. With the wet pavement reflections, I doubt my bike lights and reflectors bring much attention from drivers, which is why I choose routes with as few cars as possible during times like these.
I’m grateful that Chicago does not have a long rainy season. Soon this rain will turn into snow, which – although bringing its own host of problems – is more enjoyable to me.
{For another take on riding in the rain, read about my friend Elizabeth’s wet commute on Bike Commuters.}
Jennifer is a bike commuter in Edinburgh, Scotland and an LGRAB reader. She owns both a WorkCycles Oma and a Pashley. When she mentioned that she was taking a vacation in Chicago, I was excited to suggest that we get together.
On Wednesday, we met up for a few beers with my friends Patty, Brian, Elizabeth and Dean (all bikey people, incidentally). Then yesterday Jennifer and I spent the day together with Oma and Betty. This turned out to be quite an adventure!
After a hearty Mexican lunch, we set out for the Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier via the Lakefront Trail. The wind was exceptionally fierce, crashing waves onto the path all around us, and the rain unexpectedly picked up during the ride, but it was still great fun.
I assume this mounted police officer was there to make sure no one tried anything stupid, like surfing.
Our raincoats mostly protected us. When we got to the theater my tights dried quickly and Jennifer cleverly let her long tunic top become a dress, while her jeans hung to dry in the coat check room. Then we warmed up in the pub over whiskey and Baileys before settling in for a great production of Romeo and Juliet.
After the play, we walked along Navy Pier a bit as the wind whipped around us, speculating as to how difficult our journey home would be, since the tail wind we enjoyed on the way there would be a head wind.
We walked over to the ferris wheel for a ride but it was closed, apparently due to the high winds.
As we figured, the head wind was killer and the 7-mile ride home was slow, cold and dark – but pretty funny! We could not help laughing at the absurdity of the situation: the trail was deserted and the two of us, in our dresses and on our upright bikes, were the only ones intrepid enough to brave the weather.
Undeterred, we swung by my place to pick up Mr. Dottie and continued our ride to the Lincoln Square neighborhood, where we enjoyed dinner at a very lively German restaurant. Schnitzel, mashed potatoes and steins of beer work wonders to warm a body.
The rain picked up full force for our late ride home and poor Jennifer’s jeans got soaked all over again. Luckily, she was just an L train ride away from the warmth and comfort of her hotel room.
Many thanks to Jennifer for being great company and such a good sport! What could have been grounds for complaining instead became a fun, invigorating, laughter-filled adventure. ‘Cause cycling ladies are cool like that.
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LIVELY CONVERSATIONS