Many of us hate riding in the rain, but often this is because we think we are going to crash,
aren't wearing the right gear, or haven't set up our bike properly.
Here are a few tips that hopefully will have you singing in the rain.
Slow down. That's a no brainer. On sealed roads, remember the first 15 minutes is the
most dangerous time as all that dried oil and muck on the road is washed away. Ride in the
car tracks, not between them where you will find the most engine oil dropped on the road.
Ride in a higher gear for better traction and smoother control of the bike. Avoid
anything shiny like man hole covers, rail way tracks, bolts in timber bridges. Don't
turn and brake at the same time, just do one thing at a time. And if you aren't sure how
grippy a surface is, try quickly locking up the rear wheel for a traction test.
Staying dry makes a huge difference to how much you'll enjoy wet weather riding. Starting with
jackets and pants, the most expensive option is Goretex like the Klim Badlands gear. It's
completely waterproof, breathable and perfect if you have the cash. Next is a quality one
piece rain suit like the Won-Z we use. It's quick to pull on and off while wearing your
boots and extremely visible to drivers. Next are shower-proof jackets like this cheap one I bought
from Aldi. These are great if you expect only light or infrequent showers as they will stay
dry for about an hour before the damp starts coming through. Next is the inner liner option
like this one on my Klim Induction Jacket. These are handy if you really aren't expecting rain
but might be caught out. You wouldn't use this if it rains a lot as they aren't breathable
and let the outer jacket get heavy with water which also will cause a chill factor in cool
wet weather. Last is the budget option of cheap rain coats and pants. They tear easily,
often leak after a few hours, and you usually have to take your boots off to
get those pants on. Most of us move on from this budget option pretty quickly.
Helmets. Apply some silicon grease to the rubber seal for your visor
to keep it in good shape. There are lots of anti-fogging solutions for your visor,
a good budget option is applying some soap suds then simply polish off with a soft cloth.
Boots. The more you spend, generally the more waterproof they will be. If
it's wet all the time, there are expensive goretex boots available.
The same situation with gloves,
get some goretex gloves if you can rob a local bank to get the funds needed.
A good fairing or wind shield goes a long way to keeping some of the rain off your body at speed,
and reducing the chill factor in cold weather.
Heated grips are also regarded as a must by many in cold climates,
regardless of whether its raining or not. If it rains a lot, consider choosing softer compound
tyres that will grip on sealed roads better. The general consensus is don't reduce your
air pressures for sealed roads, but drop the air pressures for dirt roads in wet weather.
Most decent luggage options will be waterproof. Even cheap ones like my Third Gear throw over
bag have a waterproof cover you can drag over when it rains. If you are on a really
tight budget, these dry bags available from camping stores work quite well too.
So that's a very quick summary, always keen to hear on some extra tips which I
can include here to keep you singing in the rain.