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Biking in the rain

rabbitrabbit — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:19:51 -0800

Questions about bike gear for the rainy season. I live in the Portland, OR area and I've been biking to work since April. So, I'm about to hit my first rainy season and I would like to arm myself to successfully continue biking at least into the fall and hopefully through winter, too.

SHOES: My main question is about shoes that make biking in the rain not a chore. I have been using toe clips and Converse all-stars this summer, but that will absolutely not work with the rain, so I'm going to need to either get waterproof shoe covers, or buy waterproof shoes. And if I buy waterproof shoes, maybe I ought to just upgrade to clipless pedals and shoes? Also, I think I like the velcro straps so I don't have to deal with laces, but I'm not entirely sure what the pros/cons are there.

JACKET: I have a chartreuse bike jacket that has been good for cooler mornings, and it dries fast so it will be good for early on in the fall, but I am going to eventually need some kind of heavier jacket, I think. But I'm afraid that anything heavier will = more sweat, which I don't want (no shower at work). Is there something warm, waterproof, breathable, AND visible that I can get?

FENDERS: I ride a Specialized Crossroads, so it has the overlap. I kicked out my front fender early on in the summer and haven't yet replaced it because it's been unnecessary so far, but I'm going to need a new front fender or maybe one of those things that attaches to the front tube (not sure what it's called exactly) to deflect water. If I get a new fender, I guess it will need to be super-tough since I don't 100% trust myself not to kick it by accident again. Do those things that attach to the bike instead of the wheel work well, would that be a good option?

What other things do I need to bike in the rain? Waterproof gloves? A helmet liner? Goggles which don't let rain bead up on them? Etc.

I've seen this and I've seen this, and both were helpful though they're a bit old now; is there new stuff out there that is awesome?

Also, any recommendations for a bike shop to buy this stuff at? I've heard River City is good. I would love to be able to try out the clipless pedals before I buy, is there any shop which would let me do that?

Where to find weather-resistant, quick-dry (gent's) trousers for a 3-week trip to Ireland in the spring?

toomanyplugs — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:58:35 -0800

Where to find weather-resistant, quick-dry (gent's) trousers for a 3-week trip to Ireland in the spring? The wife and I are finally taking our honeymoon to the Emerald Isle this April. It seems to be called the Emerald Isle mostly because it's always somewhat wet and rainy (and so stuff grows well). Help a SoCal guy stay dry!

I've got a rain coat, and my new Docs have been waxed, but I'm stumped as to how to keep my legs warm and dry. Well, dry mostly (I can get long underwear).

What do people in rainy climes usually do about this? I'm rather tall, so umbrellas don't work well for me.

Some requirements:
- I abhor the "conversion" style pants that zip the legs off
- I don't want swishy waterproof workout-style overpants
- I'd like something that looks like regular dress casual pants (like Dockers, Eddi Bauer, etc.), but with a little water resistance
- If possible, I'd like them to be lightweight and easily laundered by hand in the bathtub.
- I'm looking for these to be my everyday pants during the trip.

My bike gear's gross at the end of the day.

pdb — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:34:54 -0800

How do I dry out my rain gear after a wet bike commute? In between last rainy season and this one, I changed jobs. I commute by bike, and my last place of employment had a bike room that was heated and de-humidified in the winter. The lockers were high-school-locker type, metal with vents, so rainy bike gear would be more or less dry (and if not dry, at least just barely damp) by the end of the day.

Fast forward to this year. My new place has no bike facilities, but my gym is conveniently located just two blocks away from my work. So I rented a locker from the gym, and intend to use that over the winter to store my wet stuff during the day - I share a cube with two people, and have neither the room to spread my stuff out nor the inclination to subject my cube-mates to my soaking wet riding gear.

The problem is, my gym's lockers are in...well, they're in the locker room, of course, which is humid, due to the proximity to the showers. The lockers themselves are made of wood, and the doors have no vents in them so air can't circulate through the locker.

So, yesterday, it rained on the way to work, and I got soaked. I changed, went to work, and came back to the gym to change...and my clothes were still wet and disgusting. Is there anything I can put in my locker to aid in the drying process?

I keep thinking of those "DESICCANT DO NOT EAT" packets that come with electronics; is there something like that I could put in a locker, or something else I can do to remove as much moisture as possible from a smallish enclosed space?

Staying dry on two wheels.

2or3whiskeysodas — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:10:12 -0800

I need to find the best gear for riding my scooter in the rain. My scooter is my sole form or transportation, and if I have my way I'll never own another 4-wheeled vehicle. But alas, the days of having my girlfriend drop me off at work on the way to hers are over, and my daily commute has just increased significantly (15-20 minutes each way on neighborhood thoroughfares, never above 35mph). And man, has it been raining here recently.

So I need suggestions for remedying the following problems:

• Bad visibility once it's really coming down. Are there specific helmets, visors, goggles you'd recommend? Would applying Rain-X to any of those help?

• General dryness. I'm okay with packing a change of clothes and drying off once I get to work, but I'm also okay with staying as dry as possible. Are there any particularly badass suits or coats you like? Has anyone had experience with one of these silly-looking things? I'm willing to spend some money under the circumstances.

Please help me not be doomed to my city's horrible public transportation system on rainy days! Thanks!