Riding in the Rain

By Kent

Some do. Some don't plan to. But eventually everyone that rides gets caught in a shower. If you ride regularly it's unavoidable. If just a shower, you'll only find it a minor inconvenience, but if a downpour, then it's normally best to park until it passes. If a thunderstorm, take shelter so you don't get hit by lightening. In all these cases there are a few factors to consider.

The first and most important thing with regard to riding in the rain is to maintain your vision. Yeah, you gotta be able to see where you're going. Simplistic I know, but if you wear glasses, have a short visor or no visor at all, and a windscreen out in front, and both sides of all those surfaces get wet you'll pretty much be running blind after the first few sprinkles. There are, however, some things you can do to maintain your vision. You'll find a number of commercial products on the market that say they will shed the water away, but most are designed for use on glass. You can try RainX for example, but make sure you test on a small area first because some products will cloud plastics. Your dealership will probably have something safe for use on your bike, but don't assume it will work on your visor as well. RainX, by the way, is reported to cloud windscreens. I've only tried it on a visor. An alternative is to wear a good set of ski goggles and look over the windscreen instead of through it. I've had a pair for several years now that I use when it's raining and they still repel water quite well. If it's raining too hard to see even with these precautions, get off the road as soon as you can.

The second most important factor when riding in the rain is your traction. If your tires are bald they can't get rid of the water. You'll be hydroplaning before you realize it. In a car that's bad, but with two only two wheels you'll be down before you know it. Even with good rubber you'll find the roadbed slippery in places, especially right after the rain starts and before it has time to wash away the accumulated traffic oil. Painted roadbed lines and intersection markers can be as slick as ice. When accelerating through a corner your back wheel will spin out if you don't go easy on the throttle. Be conservative on speed, lean angle, and braking, and you can keep riding in most rain conditions.

The third most important factor is the decreased visibility of you and your bike to other motorists. Like you, the other guys are watching the road a lot closer and sometimes they aren't watching out for you as much as they should. Keep your distance, and especially at intersections give yourself some extra room for maneuvers because the other guy may not be able to stop in time. Be alert also for things that may have fallen off of other vehicles. Your attention will tend to focus on the rain and roadbed surface conditions, but the same obstacles will be there even in the rain.

The last factor is simply comfort related and that's staying dry. It becomes a safety issue when the temperature drops and you're in danger of rapid hypothermia, otherwise you just get wet. You can, however, avoid getting soaked if you have rain gear with you.

There are a few things to consider before purchasing rain gear. Ponchos are good if you're pulled over waiting out a storm, but they don't work for riding. One piece suits keep rain off the best, but they are difficult to put on. Two piece suits are much easier to put on, but you have to make sure the top is long enough to hang down over the pants when you're bent over in riding position. Also, they need to either be long enough to keep the rain from blowing up the back, or have an elasticized waist to hold the bottom down. With either kind, the sleeves should cinch tight to your wrists with either elastic or Velcro to keep the rain from blowing up your arms. From a practical point of view, avoid rubberized type products. They work, but because they don't breath you soon find yourself soaked with perspiration even if they are vented. Look for the new fabrics that repel water yet still allow airflow. These are the most comfortable and well worth the extra cost. My personal recommendation is the frogg-toggs brand. I've been wearing their two piece version for a couple of years now and found though they don't shed the water quite as well as rubber, I do stay mostly dry and comfortable even when wearing them all day.

Ride safely.
Kent

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