Cycle in the Rain
Whether you ride across the country, to a local store, or to a friend's house, at some point you will have to cycle in the rain. Bicyclists like to ride on rainy days, hardcore bikers face the weather. Here's how to ride on a rainy day to avoid injury.
Contents
Steps
- Plan. Make a mental or physical note of where to go and which roads to take so you can go without wasting time. Know the route and directions. Choose a short route that you cycle on a regular basis.
- Wear appropriate clothing. You already know that shorts and a t-shirt are not good to wear in the rain. Wear warm clothes. It's darker on rainy days, so cars might not see you. If you have to wear a dark jacket, wear a bright colored reflective jacket over it. Try to dress in bright clothes. No bright clothes? Wear reflective clothes. You can pick up reflective jackets that keep you warm too, no need for a darkly colored one. You should be wearing at least;
- A jacket. As explained earlier, a bright but warm jacket is safest. Not only can people see you, it protects you from the cold.
- Trousers (long). Shorts just won't do. Make sure that you're wearing long trousers. You can pick up some reflective ones too. If you can't find them, try brightly colored trousers instead. These need to be warm too.
- Gloves. Your hands keep the bike on track. If they're cold, steering is going to be more difficult. Make sure you're wearing gloves—not the type you wear in the winter, but special cycling gloves. If you can, try to get reflective ones. If not, you can get reflective wristbands.
- Glasses. Glasses? Yes, glasses. If you're going to be riding quickly, the rain will force you to squint. If you're squinting, you're going to see less, making it dangerous to ride. To avoid that, wear a pair of glasses. Make sure that they're not sunglasses and make sure that they're not someone else's prescription glasses. In fact, it's safest if they're plastic rather than glass.
- Add some lights. Just because you're covered in reflective gear, that doesn't mean the cars can see you. That's because reflective gear only works when the cars shine their headlights on you. To do that, they need to be pretty close. You don't want the cars to get too close, you want to keep them aware of you so they back off. To do that, clip lights onto your bike. You should have one on the back, one on the front and one on your backpack. You should also have some reflectors on your bike. Don't forget to turn them on a quick flashing setting, just make sure that they don't blind you.
- Ride slowly. The rain is going to make the road or pavement very slippery for bikes unless your bike has special grip tyres. If it doesn't, ride slowly. This will also stop the rain irritating your eyes. You don't have to go super slow, just not so fast that you could fall, especially in the road. Try to stick to quiet roads, cycle tracks or pavements. Them places are usually safest. Even though you're reflective, your bike is lit up and you're riding super slow, you're still not invincible. Use common sense and stay away from cars.
Tips
- If you have a bike that you don't mind ruining, use that one.
Warnings
- Bikes can rust from dirt and/or mud.
- There are drivers that hate cyclists. Watch out!
Related Articles
- Ride a Recumbent Bicycle
- Choose a Bicycle Helmet
- Commute By Bicycle
- Design and Sew Cold Weather Mitts for Drop Handlebars
