Hank: Rain, wet, and slippery, sketchy conditions. Are you one of those fair-weather cyclists,
or do you want to be an all-weather cyclist? Manon: Well, we're going to be riding in all
weather conditions with the same enjoyment and confidence you get whilst riding in the sun.
Hank: I absolutely love riding in the wet and the rain, and my challenge and
our challenge is to get you loving it too. Manon: We want to hear from you. Do you like
riding in the rain, or does your bike collect dust over the winter months?
Head over to the GCN app and vote. Hank: What about you?
Manon: I hate riding in the rain. Hank: Do you?
Manon: Not my cup of tea at all. Hank: All good.
Manon: Well, maybe after this video. [laughs]
[music] Manon:
Let's start off with tips for preparing your bike for wet weather riding. The better your
bike is prepared, the more confident you're going to feel when you come to riding it.
Hank: Yes, and I would say the most important is your tires. Your tires are the contact point
between you and the road. I guess the more grip you have, the more confidence you'll have when
it comes to riding on those slippery roads. Manon: When it comes to choosing your tires,
we'd recommend a good all-season tire, one with plenty of grip and tread for the water
to disperse. Here at GCN, we use Pirelli, and they have great all-season tires in their range.
Hank: Yes, I'd also say, why don't you look at the width of your tire, choose something like
a 25 millimeter or even a 28. This will mean you will have a good comfort when it comes to riding
on those rougher surfaces, but you'll also have good puncture protection. When it comes to those
wet roads, it will happen. Well, you'll get a lot of debris that comes into the middle of the road
and it can up the chance of your punctures, so, yes, you want to be prepared, don't you, Manon?
Manon: Yes, definitely. [music]
Manon: Another key part to your bike is your chain. It's a vital part of you being propelled
forward. It's worth looking after it, and speed is important even on the wettest of days.
Hank: Yes, so we would definitely advise you buy yourself some specific wet lube. Wet lube's
designed for those wet days, propelling the water from your chain and keep it nice and
greased even on the wettest of days. After all, like Manon said, we want to look after our chain
because that'll help us go fast and keep it lasting long too. Right, let's go, shall we?
[music] Hank: As I said before, I
actually really enjoyed racing in the wet because I felt like I had an advantage over my rivals.
It's more about bike handling and cornering on those wet roads. When it comes to braking,
you could pull hard on your brakes in these dry roads without skidding, but when it comes to
those wet roads, it's not quite so forgiving. Manon: If you slam on your brakes in the wet,
there's a high chance your wheels are going to lock up and skid, and worst-case scenario,
you're going to fall off. It's all about moderating your grip. How much pressure you
pull on your brakes so your wheels don't lock up? Cornering in the wet is, again, a little bit of
an art. You're going to want to knock a fair bit of speed compared to what you'd go into a corner
into the dry. You're going in a tiny bit slower. When entering a corner, having already scrubbed
off some speed, you're going to want to take a wider line than you normally would. You
can't throw your bike into the corner or lean over as far as you would in the dry.
[music] Hank:
There's also some other things you need to look out for when hitting those wet roads. Lines,
for example, can become treacherous in the wet, and they're not really an issue when it's the dry,
also, manhole covers and junctions or roundabouts. This is because cars might have leaked some oil
or some diesel on the road, and they can become absolutely treacherous, also, worth remembering
that different countries or even different roads offer different amounts of grip. Here in the UK,
our wet roads aren't too bad, but the silky smooth roads that we love in Europe can become
absolutely treacherous. Yes, I'm not the only one who's been caught out.
[music] Hank:
It's also worth thinking about clothing and how many layers you've got on.
It does depend on what country you're in, as to what temperature it is,
but if there's any chance of any rain clouds, I would always make sure I took a cape. The
last thing you want to do is get cold. This will drop your body temperature, and it'll mean your
reaction time will be slow and your bike handling won't be as good, so make sure you take your cape
with you and you can put it on. It's absolutely key to not falling off and enjoying your riding.
[music] Manon:
Have you got any more tips, Hank? Hank: Yes, one more tip is maybe to use
mudguards on your bike. There's nothing worse than for someone to sit behind, especially if you're in
a group, and getting sprayed with water or mud. Manon: Yes, there isn't, Hank. Where's your
mudguards? Hank: Yes.
Manon: Get them on. Hank: What about you?
Manon: Also, when you get to the cafe, you don't have a wet bottom.
Hank: Absolute plus. Manon: I've got another one,
wear overshoes. There's nothing worse than getting cold and wet feet.
Hank: Yes, I also used to put Vaseline on my legs when I was racing because it
made my skin waterproof. Manon: That's a lot of
Vaseline to go through. Well, to be fair, your legs aren't that big, to be fair.
I've got more muscle on my legs. Hank: To be fair, to be fair. [laughs]
Now, I hope these tips help keep you upright even on the slipperiest of wet days.
Manon: I hope you start enjoying riding out in the rain. Let us know if you have
any more tips in the comment section below. Hank: Hey, Manon, we're creating a bit of a crowd.
Manon: Oh, hello. Hank: We've got some new fans.
Manon: Not sheep. Hank: Yes, we're in
Wales, they're definitely cows. Manon: I'm quite scared of cows.
Hank: Are you? Manon: Yes.
Hank: Gosh, you're just like Ollie. Manon: Hello. Imagine they just start-- Come on.