I used to commute to for 22 miles a day, before Covid. All year round. This prepares you for all weathers, for sure! Mudguards, puncture resistant tyres, overshoes and a waterproof pannier bag to store a change of clothes was essential
I literally am about to do this length a day at the end of the month. I am new to cycling. How often do punctures happen? Am I expecting it monthly, 6 monthly? I've got no idea what to expect in this regard
In the UK that would be the same as not riding all winter. We haven't had rain for days now but the roads are still wet from very high humidity in the air, dew/condensation, and poor drainage.
Riding in Ireland, so learning to read the local rainfall radar has been a huge benefit. Don't trust the weather symbols! just look at the radar, look at the wind direction and you're golden.
Yes. Even as an amateur, I am more attuned to reading the radar and understanding the likely rainfall in my local area, than the verbiage that AI spits out. When I travel, not-so-much.
If you have to ride through a puddle that may be hiding a pot hole, I tend to try and pick a line that car wheels don't regularly drive. Less likely to have a deep hole there. Slowing down helps too!
Good advice here! I ride in the rain quite often, and totally agree that mudguards (fenders) are absolutely crucial. I would never even consider not having them on any road bike in winter. I also agree with the advice about overshoes; wet feet can be pretty miserable. This probably isn't necessary to mention since everyone has them on their road bikes now anyway, but disc brakes work a LOT better in the wet than rim brakes, especially if you have carbon wheels.
A good, breathable rain jacket helps soooo much. A low heat shoe dryer. If you put the shoes on before your ride, you start with toasty feet, and use it to dry them thoroughly after the ride of course.
I cycle regularly in rain. The first thing I'll say is to get a visored helmet or some good eye wear to keep the rain out of your eyes. The second is mudguards/fenders. Then it's just about a decent jacket and boots/socks. I find I don't even need to bother with rainproof pants. Can't say it's preferable to dry, but it's certainly not an inconvenience if you're prepared for it.
I ride an mtb, so I am used to muddy wet conditions. My tip. Wet or dry. I turn my front light on strobe every time I get to a road. Every little helps the car driver to see you.
Really useful video Manon and no excuses for not riding in all weather now. You covered them but neoprene boot covers and mudguards are my essentials. Wet feet and arse are miserable.
I can't fit mudguards on my bike - but found by accident that installing a pannier rack on the back does exactly the same job - in fact - I can't remember last time I had a wet bum!!
Never been a fan of riding in the rain. On bike tours, I am prepared for wet weather (helmet cover, rain jacket, layers, tights, gloves, put my glasses in my handlebar bag, rain covers for the HB bag and panniers), and continue riding but will sometimes hide out, under an available canopy if available, for a while. Or find lodging earlier than planned. Since I need to wear glasses, rain is a hassle with those.
Riding in the rain also means CLEAN YOUR BIKE when the ride is over. Leaving muck on wheels/drivetrain/frame will mean more costly maintenance later on. 😮
Ass savers are great. Nice and light and very easy to take on and off. Also much lighter than full on mud guards. Portland Design Works makes a nice clip on guard for the down tube. Again easy to take on and off and much lighter. I actually cut my PDW front guard down to be a bit narrower. Both of these are made of thin but durable plastic, and can easily slip in to a small frame bag. Shoe covers do work, but I rode many very long wet days in Scotland with Endura's waterproof socks (Showers Pass make some too). They actually work and are nice and warm for really cold rainy days. Light neoprene kayaking gloves for long, wet cold days are a Godsend. Get the ones with the fingers already pre-curved. They also work for kayaking - of course.
I use an ass-saver on the down tube of my gravel bike, to keep some dirt and dust off my water bottle. You may need a hole punch and zip ties to modify/fasten it.
I have no issue wet weather riding when I am fully prepared. As long as the wind isn't too strong, they can be enjoyable. I also wear a casquette peak down over my glasses which helps keep the worst of the rain from blocking my view.
I hate the feeling (and noise!) of rain pants and shoe covers, but if you're biking for more than an hour they'll keep your lower half nice and dry. For the top half, its touch and go with waterproofed items, they can be super plasticky and staticky, so sometimes its better to just get rained on. For safety reasons and comfort reasons, a decent pair of waterproofed gloves will keep your hands comfortable and capable on the handlebars--otherwise make sure your bar tape is . One of the biggest things when riding in the wet is to remember to wipe your bike down when you're finally home.
Get a decent city/commuter bike with proper mudguard that you can also use for a short training ride. That will also likely have a bit grippier tires and you don't care so much about dirt in the drivetrain. Get a water proof cell phone. I did greenland roll training in the kayak (with lots of exits unter water), having forgotten my cell phone: No problem.
I got caught out lol. No problem.took a coffe break lol. Dried up in 17 degrees weather after it stopped. Pretty cool 100km ride . The hardning of a cyclist 🍺🚲🍺❤
Since I commute by bike, I've often GOT to ride in the rain. I've got a good waterproof rain jacket from Chrome Industries. I also wear waterproof shoe covers and thick, winter cycling gloves.
Thanks Manon, some good tips. Let me add a few from recent experience. In the autumn, trees shead leaves and also their fruit/seeds. Recently I came on a sharp bend under a beech tree. Fresh beech mast is like marbles. Wet white line have nothing on fresh beech mast. Also in autumn the wind blows. In a strong cross wind, passing a gap in the hedge can tend to throw you across the road, particularly with those nice deep section rims. Also the wind brings down bits of tree and, of course, all those leaves. Bits of branch, say an inch in diameter, can hide in those leaves and act like mini and mobile train lines and easily have you over. Cross over the grass in the middle of the little lane and fall on the ridge just to avoid that pot hole (I nearly did that in summer to avoid the brambles). As a point of information, those steel plates you call drains are actually access hole covers (manhole covers). The drains have slots in them to let the water down and they, the drain covers that is, can have even more issues depending on the orientation of the slits. Connected to this issue is a wet cattle grid, ride across at your peril because they have all the aforementioned problems and come with a broken ankle if you have to put your foot down suddenly. The by-pass route for horses/ walkers is to be preferred. Call me a "Karren" if you like but unnecessary injuries can really ruin your ride programme so better safe than sorry. Nice video, Manon, and good to see that you have got over your prejudice against useful "Gubbins".
Just rode through France during Chestnut season. Chestnuts are probably worse than beech. They always seem to fall preferentially on sharp corners on descents too.
Such a helpful & delightfully entertaining video Manon! Love this content! The CanBike safety instructor is screaming "YES, YES, YES!" to avoiding hidden puddle/ pothole dangers, grates, white lines (road snakes too, those tar repair lines), and LIGHTS for daytime use too. I have totally converted to fenders/ mudguards for my adventures and I love 'partypace' so rain rides are chill too. Speaking of which, the only bit I would add is good (unfortunately expensive, but worth it) rain kit. Jacket/pants for commuting. Love the humour in your videos and love that I now know the Welsh for rainbow! I had to chuckle when you used 'eh?' Did Maghalie have an influence? We'll make you an honourary Canadian yet! Although I don't usually watch the Tech channel, I'll head on over and see if Alex has any fender tips. Please keep making these awesome videos!
Rode my Trek Domane SL6 w/Schwalbe Pro One All Around tires (700X35mm) on Nov. 2nd of this year in snowy and 25 degrees f in Yellowstone Nat. Pk. Wore a Castelli Marino LS base layer, a med weight Pearl Izumi jacket and a water proof rain jacket over all those. Also a packable REI rain pants and Fizik Gore Tex boots w/PI water proof over boot covers. Stayed nice and dry with no inter-jacket condensation the whole 40+ miles that we rode that day. Winter riding .
Just happy I invested in an indoor smart trainer for winter times. Happily sipping coffee in a warm and cozy room while I let others convince themselves riding outside in the cold makes them stronger.
After being in the UK for 3 months I’m quite surprised by how utterly horrible the roads are 😮 Even after 3-4 mm of rain the roads were covered with water and big puddles and close to unrideable… In some ways I’m surprised that road bikes even is a thing in the UK 😮 I’m so glad to be back in Denmark with nice smooth and wider roads 😊
"Raining cats and donkeys"? What, not cats and dogs? 😮 Special rain in Bath, maybe! 😊 Nice vid- my solution is to move to gravel/mtb/cx over winter, then you're moving slower on a grippier (?!! 🤔) surface- certainly softer when you deck it! 😜
Use a lube meant for cycling in wet weather and wear dark clothing as the bike will splatter oil and muck on you. Maybe lower your tire pressure a tad to improve traction. I hate cleaning the muck and road oil from my bike and bikewear after the ride so I avoid it as best I can.
My two tips for wet weather riding supplemental to what Manon said: 1 never ride through a puddle where you can't see the road below the water surface. It can easily be hiding a pothole, especially if the water is murky. And of course if you do see a pothole, avoid it. 2. watch out for road repairs where there is exposed tar at the join (overbanding as it is called). That stuff is slippier than white lines. Bonus tip: Ass-Savers are, in my experience, a waste of time. They have to be very well aligned to protect you, which means they mustn't move, and they don't protect riders behind you.
Love riding in the rain just hate having to clean my bike after the ride 😩. Big believer in lights day and night and hi vis clothes - unlike GCN presenters who love wearing black.
I find my gravel bike collects a lot less water than my road bike off the tyres so can stay much drier. And slow down, avoid puddles and go the longer way home to avoid any busy roads
The lane Manon is riding down about four minutes in looks like it has not seen a street sweeper in years; there's so much build-up of dirt and even vegetation in the middle that it's as if it's reverting from paved to gravel. Is that pretty typical of maintenance on rural roads in the UK at this point?
To dry your shoes for the next ride, stuff them with crumpled up newspaper. It'll get them dry by morning and you won't risk hurting them with heaters.
It's a funny one but I've been caught out in some horrible storms in Summer and you have to get home so you suck it up, in Winter you look out, see drizzle and it's "nope, not today". Also, similar to keeping your phone dry, ensure your home alarm key fob keeps dry. £100 for a replacement the time I didn't. How Mrs S laughed (not).
I'm broadly like the Wicked Witch of the West with my aversion to riding in the rain, however if I have to, I've found the gravel bike is a lot less sketchy on Australian roads in the wet. Because I'm Australian, I don't have mud guards 🤣 Because most of our wet weather is in the summer, it's quite hard to layer properly, as you'll be as wet with a gillet or rain jacket, as if you hadn't put one on. And of course, the post ride clean is a bit miserable.
I am one of those mad creatures who love riding in the rain, I enjoy the challenge on slippery surfaces and I am sure do it increases your bike handing and reaction times.
The last time I intentionally rode in the rain, in March, I got showered by hail, which packed in my helmet, and I got a bad case of hypothermia. No thanks. Although, by all means, keep up these masters of the obvious video tips!
On the braking aspect, the guy who runs pad brakes already has to think ahead quite a lot more than the fellow who runs disk brakes. The mindset is already in place. On the "aps" part, you know there are also things called radio, TV, and newspapers which give forecasts just the same, besides just sticking your head outside and thinking about it yourself!
Rain like cats and donkeys, good one! 🤓❤️✌🏾 I choose to stay indoors; reason one, off course to stay dry, and reason two, I cannot see without my glasses (prescription glasses) and no matter how much hydrophobic chemicals I use, after some time it becomes really difficult to see in rain (wish I can make a windshield with washer+wiper for the helmet 🤓).
I started to get used to riding in the rain myself at one stage. Then, one day, I hit a pot hole hidden in water. In decades of cycling, it is the biggest crash I have had. After riding home 30 miles, bleeding with a damaged mech, I now avoid riding in the rain. It is very hard to distinguish a shallow puddle from a deep puddle hiding a pothole.
When light rain starts, layer up immediately with a waterproof. It may or may not pass and if it develops further, you are already half way to being wet.
If you must ride in the rain during the winter, I'd suggest leaving your expensive bike indoors, and popping to Decathlon or Halfords and investing in a cheap gravel bike.
In Oregon, drivers have a hard enough time seeing and dealing with cyclists on sunny days. It only gets worse when it's raining. Also, having to clean up the bike after riding in the rain just isn't worth it. You have to hose it off, wash it, rinse it, dry it, and then lube it. Just not worth it, not if it's not your main source of commuting.
Avoid riding through flooded roads, especially if the water is moving. Even if it's only an inch or two deep, moving water is really dicey. Getting pushed over and washed off the road sucks. Sticks, leaves and other junk washing through your spokes or drive train is also a pain. Also guaranteed to completely soak your shoes. Better to find another route.
Maybe a review of specific products, like Spatz overshoes for rain....."Maybe try a fender?".....we all know it's sponsored contect, please make my time worth it and review products.
Here in the tropics we don't really have a winter but it is rainy season now, for less than 30k ride would a rain poncho be good enough? In combination with the other recommendations
I remember when i go fast in the rain and didnt see the corner until it to late so i tried to turn and it make my tires slip 😅 you guys should go slow and dont be hasty and be safe when it rain or else when going fast in the rain your tires might be slippery and ye yk lol
Beware of puddles in the car lane *adjacent* to the bike lane. 🤨 Nothing more unpleasant than a head-to-toe shower in muck as you get splashed by traffic. 😝
Ride all year! Club rules insist on full mudguards as it is selfish on the rest of the pack. Only need to bag your drone and controller. Phones are water proof and fussy to get out of a zip bag
Riding in Rain is annoying especially if you wear prescription glasses. Heavy Rain and you can see nothing. That doesn't stop me though Rain,Sun ,Snow i ride all the year round.
Ok but why is it everytime i ride in the rain with disc brakes it ALWAYS makes that annoying squeaking sound... This is by far the worst qualities of owning a disc brake bike when it's suppose to be better than rim brake in the rain. A rim brake bike would never make this noise. You're telling me after each ride in the rain you have to break down the bike and do a full service clean up on the rotors, pads, brakes?!
