Caught short in the rain

DonDaddyD

Ok so I go outside for lunch, look at my bike and check the clouds. It starts raining, now rain doesn't bother me but it looks like its going to be absolutely 'bricking' it down with the really fine rain that soaks you right through!

Again, this coupled with cycling doesn't hugely bother me, I quite enjoy riding in the rain. The only thing is that I stepped out the house in my glasses a pair of shorts and my CCUK t-shirt/jersey and that's it. :shock:

If it rains not only will I be cold and wet but I'll also won't be able to see.

My question is have you been caught completely unprepared for a downpour, what did you do and what measure do you take so it your not caught short again.

Gussio

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.

Kieran_Burns

We had the biggest damn thunderstorm hit 5 minutes after I left work for the 14 mile commute home.

Within 30 seconds I was utterly, utterly soaked to the skin, couldn't see anything and the cycle path was flooded.

I bailed and caught the train!

biondino

I cycled in jeans this lunchtime and everyone knows that the single worst thing in the history of humanity is having to work in an office in wet jeans.

always_tyred

when you say "caught short" in the rain, what does that mean exactly? Is it something to do with the sound of running water?

singlespeedexplosif

My question is have you been caught completely unprepared for a downpour, what did you do

rode faster

and what measure do you take so it your not caught short again

more training so I could ride even faster

lost_in_thought

My question is have you been caught completely unprepared for a downpour, what did you do and what measure do you take so it your not caught short again.

Yep, many a time now. My attitude is to wear as little as possible, and get used to the fact that it's only water and I'll dry.

I tried waterproofs for a while, but they're a pain as well as often being sweaty and icky.

My strategy is water-resistant (not water-proof) quick-dry fabrics, until it gets cold enough for my night vision jacket which is water-proof.

The only thing I always carry or have at work as well as at home is a baseball cap for keeping heavy rain out of my eyes.

I don't mind being caught without it - wet hair hides sweaty-head-hair pretty darn well!

Coriander

lost_in_thought wrote:

sweaty-head-hair

L-i-T - sweaty head hair, it's a nightmare, isn't it? I have discovered that it's not possible to have a hair style and cycle to work. I just don't know what to do.

knight2k

I'm totally unprepared today if the heavens open tonight on the way home. Fortunately the pubs are quite evenly spaced out, about a mile apart, so if it does start hammering down I'll dive into the nearest one and wait it out for a bit with a refreshing ale.

Hopefully I won't get stuck long as my lights are on the other bike, and there are no street lights in the sticks.

Clever Pun

I'll carry a gilet/paclite coat and a small cap allowing me to see and at least fend the water off for a bit...

Gussio

Coriander wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

sweaty-head-hair

L-i-T - sweaty head hair, it's a nightmare, isn't it? I have discovered that it's not possible to have a hair style and cycle to work. I just don't know what to do.

Does a crew cut count as a hair style and is it one that is currently fashionable for girls.....? If so, problem solved

lost_in_thought

Gussio wrote:

Coriander wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

sweaty-head-hair

L-i-T - sweaty head hair, it's a nightmare, isn't it? I have discovered that it's not possible to have a hair style and cycle to work. I just don't know what to do.

Does a crew cut count as a hair style and is it one that is currently fashionable for girls.....? If so, problem solved

Hmmmm, I'm not in favour of crew-cuts on girls...

And the only solution I've discovered is either tie it back or shower at work and have wet hair for a couple of hours!

snooks

Leave spare pairs of contact lenses everywhere! work, car, bike bag, girlfriends wherever

Just get wet, it's only wet water, you'll dry off, and the shower at the other end will be soooo much better

Or you could just look like this at every set of traffic lights:



ps...don't type in wet censored in google images at work...really not a good idea! :shock:

hisoka

Been caught out several times and I find out the following.

Pushing to ride through the rain makes it more exciting/energetic.
You dry of eventually, even if trainers are on a radiator for a couple of days.
Waterproofs are two way proof, and sweat is a worse wet then rain.
Squelching through an office to the changing rooms is funny!
Well my tuppence there anyway hehe

Littigator

snooks wrote:

Leave spare pairs of contact lenses everywhere! work, car, bike bag, girlfriends wherever

Just get wet, it's only wet water, you'll dry off, and the shower at the other end will be soooo much better

Or you could just look like this at every set of traffic lights:



ps...don't type in wet censored in google images at work...really not a good idea! :shock:

You're not wrong, I even got into trouble typing "gay fighting" into google images earlier

CiB

I was caught in a downpour a couple of weeks ago, and within ½ a mile of setting off for home was as wet as I was going to be, and there's no option on my route to catch a train so 20 more miles of wet stuff it was. I reckon though that cycling in that amount of rain is just so much fun - almost as good as a run in dry weather in some ways.

I did meet a flood in one of the villages later on though - it looked about 3" - 4" deep when I went in but it eventually came up to my knees - thought it was never to going to stop getting deeper at one point. Like I said tho, you can only get so wet. More water doesn't equal more wet.

Wear minimal clothes and it doesn't matter. You either get wet from sweating, or from rain. No real difference in the end.

DonDaddyD

snooks wrote:

ps...don't type in wet censored in google images at work...really not a good idea!

AND
[quote="Littigator[/quote]You're not wrong, I even got into trouble typing "gay fighting" into google images earlier [/quote]

I was wondering when the tone was going to be lowered.

hisoka wrote:

Been caught out several times and I find out the following.

Pushing to ride through the rain makes it more exciting/energetic.
You dry of eventually, even if trainers are on a radiator for a couple of days.
Waterproofs are two way proof, and sweat is a worse wet then rain.

All very true.

I generally hate waterproofs I like my skin to be able to breath, but I guess wearing them is a great way of losing weight.

Another thing I hate about ran is what its done to the smell of my shoes - I've had them since August and I wouldn't dare put my foot in them without a pair of socks on, I now can't decide whats worse my rain stinky spd-sl shoes or my 2 year old sweaty cycle gloves (that have been washed several times though it has made little difference).

il_principe

snooks wrote:

Leave spare pairs of contact lenses everywhere! work, car, bike bag, girlfriends wherever

:shock:

You leave spare contact lenses where exactly?! :shock: Does she mind?

I've got to say though - waterproofs are a waste of time. If you get cold when you're wet then you are cycling to slowly and must MTFU! I just get wet; lycra is quick drying and there's a warm shower at the end. If the weather is genuinely cold then a lightweight windproof is a good idea (Montane Velo) along with windproof full fingered gloves. The only thing I do bother with are waterproof overshoes as cycling shoes will take an age to dry out and I hate wearing wet shoes.

snooks

jashburnham wrote:

snooks wrote:

Leave spare pairs of contact lenses everywhere! work, car, bike bag, girlfriends wherever

:shock:

You leave spare contact lenses where exactly?! :shock: Does she mind?

Nope I can leave spare contact lenses at my girlfirneds and she don't mind a bit...She's nice like that :P

jashburnham wrote:

The only thing I do bother with are waterproof overshoes as cycling shoes will take an age to dry out and I hate wearing wet shoes.

I've got me some lovely woolly seal skinz so my shoes can get as wet as they want, but my feet are still nice and dry

lost_in_thought

snooks wrote:

I've got me some lovely woolly seal skinz so my shoes can get as wet as they want, but my feet are still nice and dry

Aha! They work then do they?

I might well have to get some when I switch from sandals back to shoes...

gtvlusso

Your skin is waterproof - get naked baby! Ouch on SPD's....

snooks

lost_in_thought wrote:

snooks wrote:

I've got me some lovely woolly seal skinz so my shoes can get as wet as they want, but my feet are still nice and dry

Aha! They work then do they?

I might well have to get some when I switch from sandals back to shoes...

Well I think they work, like cycling in warm slippers.....the only time I had a bit of trouble was when it was torrential rain, think monsoon, and I was waiting at lights and I could see a puddle of water at the top of the sock which I could then feel run down to my foot. I usually save them for cold weather and have some scotchlite ankle bands which stops a repeat incident

Oh...and careful when you take them out of the washing machine, cos they are waterproof then can fill with water!!!

always_tyred

Sealskinz are okay, but not hi-tech.

Having worn right through a pair of gloves, I can tell you that they appear to be basically 2 pairs of gloves with a scrunched up plastic bag between them. For sure, the way they do the scrunching must be fairly clever, but their performance isn't dissimilar to what you might expect from wearing a plastic bag over your socks.

I believe that they are "breathable" which, for the uninitated, means that in lab tests the tiny perforations in them allow vapour to pass through but are small enough to prevent liquid from passing through. Just like goretex and all the other waterproof things that are breathable, they only work in the right conditions - which don't occur when cycling.

Its a smell inducing combination.

Good for very cold weather, okay for wet weather, but then so are overshoes. Gloves are tougher than most cycling gloves, but buy some bicarb to soak them in occasionally. :?

Bassjunkieuk

I'm with the "get wet and sod it crew". As other people have said and waterproofs I've had (cr4p one's) usually result in me getting rather sweaty.
I do have a little gillet that is meant to be water and wind proof. I have realized it's more useful for taking the chill off by stopping the wind as after a soaking I'm already wet underneath!

I normally only take that with me if I suspect it's gonna rain that day (hope the BBC forecast's are good!)

There have been a few times where I have been caught in a downpour without a jacket tho and in all honesty they have been some of the best commutes! Nothing seems to confuse pedestrians more then a cyclist in shorts and sleeveless t-shirt, riding in pouring rain with a look on his face!

If I get wet on the way to work it's normally a bit more of a pain. I can usually dry my clothes OK, but then I have access to rooms full of hot computers to help dry things! My shoes normally get stuffed with tissue to help absorb the water and are wearable by the end of the day.