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Thoughts On Riding In The Rain Thoughts On Riding In The Rain
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #31  
Old 23 Jul 2015
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When I was in Laos (Jan 2015) I got caught in a downpour, I was meant to be going from Ban Chom Ong to Phongsaly but the rain was that bad it made the unpaved roads treacherous. I did 21km from BCO to the tarmac (didn't have any other option) and it took me over 3 hours....not good, the mud was super slippery, like walking on ice. So I ended up going straight to Luang Namtha. It rained for over 7 hours and I was only wearing motocross gear, talk about dripping, FFS, it was not fun. Made me laugh once I had found a hotel as one of the women from the hotel followed me about with a mop when I was unloading the bike as I was leaving a trail of water everywhere I walked. It took ages for my kit to dry properly.

Wayne
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  #32  
Old 23 Jul 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShenandoahRider View Post
Deelip, I don't see how that matters if you have armored mesh, for example.
Indeed. I recently bought a Bilt armoured mesh riding jacket and matching riding pant to wear in the hot summers here in India. I continue to use my heavy water-resistant Harley-Davidson jacket when riding in the monsoons. But one of these days I'll try what you suggested.

As someone said earlier, if all fails, skin is water proof. :-)
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  #33  
Old 24 Jul 2015
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Maybe I'm in the minority, but I do not like to ride in the rain. It has nothing to do with safety; I simply don't like being cold and wet. Oh sure, yes, yes, I can put on my rain gear and dress for it, but that's like saying walking in the rain is perfectly fine if you've got gum boots and an umbrella. No, you're still splashing through the puddles getting cold and wet.

I live in the Pacific Northwest - or NorthWet as some folks might say. I've rode many thousands of miles in abysmal weather. I can ride in it if I need to, I just prefer not to.
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  #34  
Old 24 Jul 2015
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As a cyclist things are a bit different because you keep yourself warm. But yesterday I got caught I a heavy summer storm. Winds that nearly blew me off the road, rain that soaked everything, lighting struck a tree 300 meters away from and fell over the road. And the icing on the cake, my rear tyre blew out! And all this with the sun setting fast, and u have no lights on my bicycle.

An old lady have me shelter to fix the tyre and wrap my stuff in covers as much as possible. I checked in a hotel instead of the tent, much better.

I don't mind getting wet. Wet stuff however is terrible. I now have a stack of wet maps and a wet bag of cloths. That I hate.
Also, I should learn to not go with the 'nah, it won't rain today' attitude. Always, always wrap the stuff in plastic.

So today a rest day. Fixing tyres, drying stuff and drinking a lot of coffee.

Alex
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  #35  
Old 24 Jul 2015
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I don't mind getting wet. But I can't bear my things getting wet. I recently bought a Wolfman expedition dry duffel bag and rode it through a proper thunderstorm. Everything inside was dry as a bone. Love it.

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  #36  
Old 26 Jul 2015
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Setting up and pitching down and then doing a full days ride in rain is absolutely no fun at all no matter what equipment one has. It's days like those that almost make me wish I was on a bus.
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  #37  
Old 26 Jul 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ridetheworld View Post
Setting up and pitching down and then doing a full days ride in rain is absolutely no fun at all no matter what equipment one has. It's days like those that almost make me wish I was on a bus.
Took the bus to the nearest main town yesterday when I was too tired to bother with the bike. It was great - every 20 mins so no waiting, comfy leather seats, wifi, mostly empty, no parking problems, quick(ish) - and free. What's not to like. I should use it more often.

If I plan a bike trip in the winter I kind of expect it's going to be be wet and plan accordingly. If it turns out to be dry then that's a bonus and I'm grateful, but my mindset is that winter = wet (+ cold, dark etc).

The summer's a different matter though. If I've put up with near death experiences in the winter I expect some summer sunshine as payback. If we get the sort of weather we've had over the last few days I do feel a bit cheated. I really don't want to ride with a December mindset in July (or the other way round if you're from south of the border).

Despite a couple of weeks of great weather in France recently it means nothing for the week ahead which is forecast to be cold and damp. I've been planning a two day trip this coming week to an event a couple of hundred miles away for the last 12 months and it's looking wet so I'm less than pleased. In the winter though this would be great weather and I'd be very happy.
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