So when I lived in London, I commuted 5 days a week, whatever the weather. 20 minutes getting drenched on a bike still beat sitting in the car for 1/2 hour+.

Now I don’t have to commute, but instead have access to some great road riding, I absolutely can’t bring myself to go out for an hour or 2 in the pissing rain, purely to go round in a big circle. I don’t race, or train for anything, and I always ride solo. I ride road bikes purely for the fun of it. Getting drenched to the skin, not being able to see properly and freezing on the descents has nothing to recommend it to me.

(Off road is filthy at the mo, and an hour ride turns into closer to 3 of faffing by the time I’ve got prepped for it, then cleaned up afterwards)

But no riding = slow, fat, pissed off, Jon. I know I *need* to ride, but I can’t find any reason to make me *want* to ride.

So what do you do?

I get limited opportunities to ride, so when I get a chance I ride.

IT’S

JUST

RAIN

difficult this…

find a riding partner and laugh it off together?

go for a muddy xc ride, and enjoy the mud bath/cleaning process?

imo there isn’t much joy in solo rainy road rides.

at all.

You only get wet once.

Run

When it rains now I just go for a run instead. Running in the rain is more fun and there’s no drivetrain to get muddy or rusty!

Bit like you, I’ve commuted for years in all weathers, but find it hard to get out on the road bike when it’s already raining. I don’t mind if it starts when I’m already out (well, I’d rather it didn’t) but setting off in the rain is a bit too depressing.

I bet he rode in the rain

and these 2

A decent windproof that doesnt overheat + dries fast and a warm base
The knowledge you’re keeping your fitness
The fact you’re out riding when others stay in
Think of the greats in the Giro, short sleeves on the Stelvio in snow and sleet
And it’s never that bad anyway, after an hour you’re used to it and you don’t get cold for a couple more in the summer
Plus roadie Rules say riding in bad weather makes you a badass )

mikewsmith, so true

t-u-r-b-o
t-r-a-i-n

This

I don’t race, or train for anything

and this

Getting drenched to the skin, not being able to see properly and freezing on the descents has nothing to recommend it to me

suggest that you should just go out when you feel like it! No point going out if there’s no motivation to. Just go the next day.

However, I found getting a decent waterproof jacket and gloves and making sure my clothing underneath was appropriate (i.e. not overheating, but warm enough) helped loads.

The biggest difference to wet weather road riding for me was full length ‘guards. WHAT a difference.

+1 for mudguards. Makes a huge difference.

I don’t I change to turbo.

Getting drenched to the skin, not being able to see properly and freezing on the descents has nothing to recommend it to me

So don’t do it and don’t stress about not doing it. If motivation means ‘wanting to do something’ why get stressed about not doing a leisure activity you don’t want to? Does not compute.

cp has it well said.

The biggest difference to wet weather road riding for me was full length ‘guards. WHAT a difference

Yeah, there’s a level of badass-ness that I don’t miss and that’s 3 hours or more of wheel spray. Got a proper / nice winter bike now, steel with carbon forks and P35 guards, makes it a lot more bearable. In average UK rain I think you get as much of a soaking from the tyres as the rain at ~20mph.

Having said that, I’d go out w/o guards rather than use a turbo.. one is an experience that can become numbing, the other simply mind-numbing.

Turbo training FTW.

Went for a spin in the drizzle last night. Once your out its never as bad as it seems when looking out of the window. Good clothing and wee bit of MTFU. If you don’t ride in the bad weather in this country when will you ride.?

Hate running (I’ve done no excercise other than riding bikes and a bit of climbing for the past 20 years). When I’ve tried it, the running itself is merely unpleasant. It’s the absolute crippling leg pains afterwards that put me off. Usually leaves me unable to ride a bike for a couple of days as well.

Those guys up there – it’s not about riding bikes for them ,it’s about winning. I don’t want to win, I want to have fun.

Turbo. I’m not a hamster. Again, if I wanted to win, maybe.

I’m a billy-no-mates. Riding with other people is mostly a PITA. Arranging, faffing, waiting for them – worse – having them wait for me, having to make polite converstion, it constantly turning into a race. No thanks.

I have good kit. Nothing keeps my hands feet or legs dry. If I dress for the climbs, I freeze on the descents. If I dress for the descents I freeze on the climbs. Off road there’s enough to concentrate on to stop you thinking about how miserable it is. On road it’s just ‘Mleh’.

So don’t do it and don’t stress about not doing it

But I’m getting slow and fat. That’s just idiotic. Worse, it’s only happening because I’m too weak to do anything about it.

Before winter set in (in Oz so for real not brit summer) I was doing a 7:30am saturday ride, just turn up and go. Not there on time and they are gone. Splits into 5 or 6 groups after the first long road. No racing just riding.

Having that in the diary is good. Failing that sell car!

If you don’t want to ride then don’t ride, its that simple.

However once you’re out its never as bad as it looks from inside. Full guards make a massive difference, you obvioulsy still get wet from above but its the road spray that really pisses me off.

I commute 20 miles each way and riding in the rain doesn’t bother me on a commute, I quite enjoy it sometimes. But if it’s raining at the weekend I’ll give road riding a miss. But then again I don’t ned to ride at the weekend.

I can relate to many of your issues.
All I can say is that:
1. Trying to incorporate exercise into my day helps i.e commute. But you can’t do this.
2. Having an objective helps – previous years used Mayhem and Kielder 100, but this year giving it a miss.
3. Consider strava/ endomondo – quite like clocking miles up, seeing how my times compare. Bit of pressure not to dip under my monthly target.
4. I find club rides get me out when I would not otherwise go. Not much faffing tbh. I know when and where they start, so can either turn up or stay in bed.
Failing that I’m sure the weather will get better soon.

Bluntly, you sound like a whinger looking for excuses.

If you want to ride, and if you want the benefits from riding, find a way to ride. Either get more appropriate clothing, get guards, get a turbo or ride at a different time when the weather’s better.

(Personally, I run!)

Crud Race guards (easy to pop on and off) or any guards just to get the spray out of eyes/ar5e crack

Enter an event (sportive/charity ride rather than a race) cos we’re all a little bit competitive and even if its just pride at stake you wont want to be last

Big ol’heapin’ helpin’ of MTFU, it’s not nearly as bad as you think once you’re out

Stay away from the turbo – if you’re not a racer it’ll kill ycling stone dead for you

But if someone really wants to ride their bike then they will go out and ride. Posting about it on the internet won’t help. Clearly the op isn’t really interested in riding his bike in the rain. He’s what known as a ‘fair weather cyclist’, there are a lot of them about.

There is a good read in one of Lance Armstrongs books describing part of his prep to the TdF being to go and ride his bike for hours in the worst rain he could find, in order to forge his mental strength. I guess you don’t need to do that. Keep it enjoyable, ride on the good days. Regarding commuting it probably the lesser of two evils that kept you on the bike.

Stay away from the turbo – if you’re not a racer it’ll kill ycling stone dead for you

I’m not really a racer but using a turbo has the opposite effect on me, the key is knowing how to use them.

Go and explore somewhere new, rather than just riding the same loop you do in the dry?

Go out for a bit longer than 2hrs (that sounds like just enough time to get soaked through without getting to the “well, I’m wet now, I might as well carry on” stage)?

Consider yourself lucky you’re not the wicked witch of the west, who would have melted?

What would I do in your shoes?

Be grateful I can ride a bike, stop whining get out and ride.

I know this isn’t the most inspirational of responses but if you over think it you’re even less likely to get out.

G

KINGTUT – Member

Stay away from the turbo – if you’re not a racer it’ll kill ycling stone dead for you

I’m not really a racer but using a turbo has the opposite effect on me, the key is knowing how to use them.

Fair enough, was speaking from personal experience – out of interest how do you make it bearable?

Buy a Water Rowing Machine……

Fair enough, was speaking from personal experience – out of interest how do you make it bearable?

Sufferfest videos, but I’ve always been happy on a turbo doing intervals etc, but the Sufferfest videos take it to a whole different level of enjoyment, pain, agony etc.

If you are riding just for fun does it really matter if you are getting slower? The enjoyment you gain from being quicker obviously isn’t worth going out in the rain to get otherwise you’d be out riding (or if it is there is your motivation…)

Left field suggestion but why don’t you find the nearest downhill spot to you and make a trip out next time it’s pissing with rain. Downhill sideways in the wet is sooooo much fun even better if it’s got an uplift, usually less people turn up when it’s wet, if you are self conscious and everyone is all over the shop anyway + a set of mud tyres is far more advantageous than a DH bike. Or go to some singletrack with a nice set of corners and see how sideways you can get for an hour or so.

Iain

Getting drenched to the skin, not being able to see properly and freezing on the descents

I have good kit.

No, you don’t!

Waterproof trousers (yes, I use them when it’s wanging it down, sod the ‘rules’), and winter cycling shoes. Winter shoes actually are an essential if you want to be comfy. No idea why so many people use overshoes, proper winter shoes are 1000 times better.

I also have nice waterproof gloves, contact lenses, and a peaked helmet. All important in the rain.

If you get hot, unzip the pit zips.

soft rain in summer is lovely,there’s less RR as well.Best of all is the silence,everything seems muted.
But I have rollers.
commuted for 5ys all year round,without fail 5days a week.Even have a rain bike.
full length guards,montane waterproofs,lower pressure and something like a marathon supreme/gp4seasons in 28mm.and good lights,bright, asides from sealed.