In years past November has been the subject of a #RideIntheRain challenge. It may not be organized or tracked where you live but it may still be your riding reality. Where I live it’s veering between pouring rain and overcast skies. If you can time your riding you may be able to ride on wet roads yet not under wet skies.
This sounds like extreme sports to you? You don’t have to ride through the winter. There’s no “real cyclist” certificate someone will award you.
You may find, though, that if you have the right gear it’s no more demanding than any of the winter sports you may already pursue (possibly less so), and that bicycling gets you right to the front door of your destination unlike parking a car and walking, perhaps for blocks. You’ll want to be more attentive to weather than may be your habit if you’ve mostly driven for transportation.
Years ago I wrote a post on the ABCs of winter riding. Those don’t change even if weather patterns and climate do. You still need to think about Appendages, Base Layers, and Cranking and Covering. Continuing through the alphabet, a few more letters for you below.
Evaporation is a challenge. As you’re reading descriptions on high-end gear, you need to know that “waterproof” and “breathable” are generally mutually exclusive terms. When you keep rain out you keep sweat in; your goal is a balance you can live with. And I found out the hard way that the difference between “water-resistant” and “waterproof” is both Real and Important.
I’ve tried rain pants but always end up feeling as if I’ve wrapped my legs in plastic wrap. The Wander Wrap made by a Seattle-based woman-owned company was thus a great find. It snaps on over whatever I’m wearing, covers my lap, and has a handy zipper pocket. Items such as ponchos or rain capes can give some of the same benefits of greater coverage than a jacket.
Fenders are everyone’s friend. A front fender is your friend; it minimizes spray shooting up at your feet on the pedals. A rear fender is friendly for the rider behind you; it cuts the rooster-tail effect that shoots water at them. An extra-long fender works even better in both spots.
Gloves x two. Cold clammy gloves at the end of the day don’t help you stay warm. If you can, you might want to carry two pair, one for the morning ride, one for going home. They’ll dry faster if you prop them up to air-dry; try standing them on a couple of empty toilet-paper tubes or a piece of PVC pipe with holes bored in it as a DIY project.
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