[Closed] I am NEVER riding in weather like that again..

There is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes

I'm kind of lucky as we don't suffer from much crap weather here, so I can choose to stay in and not lose too much time. A couple of weeks ago, though, I did go out with the threat of rain. At about 1,800m it was lashing it down and blowing a hoolie, so much wind that I cut short the last couple of hundred metres due to safety. Cold and wet, yet with more determination than anything to keep going. It was ace.

Getting wet mid ride isn't a problem, stepping out from a warm house is. 😆

There is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes

Yeah but the right clothes don't actually exist. For example, I am yet to find a pair of thin, comfortable, completely waterproof, very warm (but still breathable) gloves.

There is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes

I'll just get my anti-wind jacket then. 😉

aldi winter gloves - not waterproof but retain warmth even when wet. Other similar gloves are available.

I will not intentionally go out in the rain but then I've fitted fenders to my roadbike and the mtb -well I don't have time to clean all that mud off after every ride!

RealMan next week:

[img] [/img]

Try the Endura Stealth range pretty water proof.

TandemJeremy - Member
There is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes

There is such a thing, however, as unenjoyable weather.

For me, so long as I tailor my routes to suit the weather it's not an issue. Boggy, slow trails are no fun.

Just got back from a 4 hour ride in the rain over the moors. Never meet another mtber and my head is now a happy little place once again 8) You just have to do it and it will be proper winter soon Yipheeeeeee !!!!

Was just moaning to Mrs crikey, I've been riding bikes for over 20 years now and have never ever ever found a good pair of overshoes.
I've had every kind under the sun, but always come home with wet feet.

There is something about going out when it's freezing and raining, as long as you know you can get warm and dry safely afterwards. 🙂

gore goretex socks FTW.

Was just moaning to Mrs crikey, I've been riding bikes for over 20 years now and have never ever ever found a good pair of overshoes.
I've had every kind under the sun, but always come home with wet feet

Same here. I think its time for me to get some decent waterproof socks, some thermal socks underneath, winter boots, then overshoes. Then something over the cuff so water doesn't get in through the top. Then they might stay dry and warm. I doubt it though, and it will take me about 4 hours to put my shoes on with all that.

I've had every kind under the sun, but always come home with wet feet.

Get the right tool for the job. 😉
[img] [/img]

I usually enjoy winter riding as there's less people about in my way, I use plenty of layers combined with all the various waterproofs from skull cap on my head right down to overshoes/socks.

I feel cosy so enjoy it, I do agree with this quote below though.

RealMan - Member
There is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes
[b]Yeah but the right clothes don't actually exist. For example, I am yet to find a pair of thin, comfortable, completely waterproof, very warm (but still breathable) gloves.[/b]q

Same as with the socks, even sealskinz gloves don't seem to give full and proper protection from long periods of rain, I usually take a spare pair with me and might even buy a third pair for this year, no space left in my backpack then lol.

On the subject of sealskinz gloves, anyone tried these?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/SealSkinz_Extra_Cold_Weather_Cycling_Glove/5360052510/
If so, how good are they at stopping the wet?

Haven't tried them MM, but they do look good. Still a bit too bulky perhaps.

Also, my OP was about road riding, maybe didn't make that clear. I never really have the same problem mountain biking, maybe its because there's a lot more upper body movement involved. On the road bike you just get so cold and wet.

RealMan - Member
Haven't tried them MM, but they do look good. Still a bit too bulky perhaps.

Also, my OP was about road riding, maybe didn't make that clear. I never really have the same problem mountain biking, maybe its because there's a lot more upper body movement involved. On the road bike you just get so cold and wet.

Sorry, I had no idea you were a roadie nowadays, I guess that limits what you can take with you as I've never seen a roadie with a ridiculously oversized backpack like I use. 😆

Guess you're gonna need a turbo trainer for winter then. 😛

2 hours, 35 miles

This a road ride? [i]edit: I see it is![/i]. Not in any weather, no 😉

Sorry, I had no idea you were a roadie nowadays

I do both..

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Crud_RoadRacer_Mk2_Mudguard_Set/5360052637/

One thing off my list. Now to look for a magic pair of gloves and socks. And overshoes.

Also, is there any such thing as waterproof bib tights? I've got some nice endura/altura ones I think that are really quite warm and very comfortable, but they do soak up water and get pretty heavy. It's not a massive thing, they don't get cold, but it would be nice if they stayed dry.

I don't really enjoy riding in shit weather. Light rain is fine but anything heavy and I just get annoyed. I also hate headwinds, just been out on the road bike riding into headwinds for pretty much the entire ride. Didn't enjoy it at all.

mtb in the rain, snow etc is ok, but road is just shit.

I'd much rather be on the MTB when it's cold and wet but I have had some great road rides in warm rain!

i don't mind being cold, but being wet and cold sucks.

i've been caught out too many time in god-awful weather, with several exposed hill tops between me and my sofa, to see any enjoyment in 'just being out there'.

i'm buggered if i'm spending hundreds of pounds on 'the right clothes' which i'll only use about 5 times a year.

there's no such thing as being tough - or if there is, it's the same thing as being stupid.

it'll be lovely tomorrow - perfect for a ride!

i don't mind being cold, but being wet and cold sucks.

Yeah, frosty clear mornings where your breath condenses in front of you are great for riding.

Just got off the phone with my dad, his opinion on why anyone rides in horrible weather is so they can appreciate the summer more... 😀

I had quite a hoot riding offroad this morning, a bit of rain and huuge puddles 🙂

While we're all handing out advice on cloths I thought I'd chip in. I may have posted this rant-esque up before, apple-o-gies if it looks familiar.
I received 'a degree' of slamming for suggesting that Assos gear is worth the money; I've always been the 'You get what you pay for' type of guy. That said, some of the top end stuff is silly price; if you're patient, and wait for the sales (thinking ahead pays) then savings are out there.

So, I picked myself up (after STW beating) and embraced the Aldi rush for jackets and merino. I actually made a specific journey to Aldi, which was a first.

[u][b]UTTER SH!TE![/b][/u]

Sub standard cut, poor quality materials, finish poor/dull/cheap & the most important aspect - looked p!ss poor 😛
I simply don’t understand the popularity? Granted, not all of my purchases have stood up to the hype, but I can count them on one hand. That, over a (dare I admit) 20 years can’t be bad?

[u][b]I remain stalwart in my decision to not buy cycling gear from a grocery store.[/b][/u]

Thank you and goodnight.

Caveat: Skint atm

ahwiles - Member

i'm buggered if i'm spending hundreds of pounds on 'the right clothes' which i'll only use about 5 times a year.

Not necessary at all to spend hundreds.

Love tubs - some aldi stuff is great, some is shite.

Not necessary at all to spend hundreds.

Well yeah it sort of is. The jacket I rode in today was £80, and that's just a specialized one, not assos or rapha or anything. Its very good though, but I could've used something waterproof over the top.

Bib tights are about £80 as well.

Good pair of winter shoes are gonna be around £100.

So £260, without including things like socks and gloves and hats and buffs and waterproofs.

Sub standard cut, poor quality materials, finish poor/dull/cheap & the most important aspect - looked p!ss poor

Real man 0- sorry squire - you simply don't need to spend that sort of money to be warm dry and comfy. You need to be a bit canny and to not care what the fashion police say.

I ride all year round. I don't spend many hundreds on my kit. I very rarely get cold and wet.

What do you wear then...?

Depends. I have aldi winter trousers - work fine for me. Also use cheap joggers.

I have a aldi softshell and an expensive one - the only expensive kit I have - and various cheap cycling shirts. I also use ordinary clothes. t shirts, pure wool jumpers from t k maxx. If its raining I wear a basic non breathable waterproof.

Gloves - I have a variety but non were expensive. Cheapo thinsulate hiking gloves are warm when wet. Shoes - again a variety but all cheap - holes blocked up with gaffa tape on the inside for winter use.

Cheap fleeces from tk maxx. Builders oilskins for cheap waterproofs. ( leave open at the neck, wrists and ankle for ventilation and don't wear too much underneath and you don't get too wet from sweat or rain.

Bascially keep your body core warm and dry and the rest will be fine.

I was fine soling strathpuffer in this kit.

Bascially keep your body core warm and dry and the rest will be fine.

Now THAT is total rubbish.

Hands and feet are the most important. Your body tends to keep itself quite warm.

realman - if your body core is warm you have plenty of warm blood to keep your feet and hands warm - they won't shut down. circulation to your hands and feet shuts down if your core tempt drops. If your core temp is up peripheral blood vessels dilate to get rid of heat.

It does help you have some natural insulation tho as I do.

It does help you have some natural insulation tho as I do.

Probably, although I will have to take your word on that.

No matter how warm I am up top, hands and feet still get cold.

" We only did 2 hours, 35 miles or something, so it probably hasn't given my fitness a huge boost or anything"

😯

Ruddy cold that day. All cheapo kit

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/3253219345_213a205e23_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/3253219345_213a205e23_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/31623992@N05/3253219345/ ]TJ looking heroic[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/31623992@N05/ ]paul.newman4279[/url], on Flickr

tjs is right core temp is critical the extremities may be uncomfortable but it wont kill you now MTFU , eat some pies , develop a true MTB physique and stop complaining 😉
Well wear bigger gloves and socksa for you feet ar eyou asking what to do when it is cold i wear mor eclothes it seems to work generally. TBH a trade off between heat and breathability you will always have some moisture issue IME

Rained heavy here, sunshine now -perfect for roadbike with fenders 😉

The mountain bike is being jailed for winter now 😀

Sometimes riding in shite weather isn't worth the hassle. I do this for fun, when it stops being fun, I don't do it anymore.

You didn't even splash out to get yourself a pair of proper handlebars!

And you can't ride on a road bike in that gear. Too much to get caught in the bike, too much to flap about, and are they joggers? They'd soak up sweat and water no end.

I definitely DON'T wear ordinary clothes for any outdoor sports where the weather is a bit changeable or just crap to start with.
Take your average cotton t-shirt or long sleeved t. They get so waterlogged/heavy when they get wet. Then as it doesn't evaporate off easily, they just sit cold & clammy against your skin. A decent base layer is important I reckon.

I try & buy stuff in the sales but decent winter clothing does tend to add up - especially if you ride often and need a few of everything.

core temp is critical the extremities may be uncomfortable but it wont kill you

So if I stick my feet and hands in a bucket of ice water but my body stays dry and warm my hands and feet will be fine?

And it will kill you if your hands are too numb to work the brakes. Frostbite is pretty nasty as well.

Keeping your hands and feet warm isn't just about 'surviving' is it?

If I'm out on a ride and my hands/feet are getting cold/wet/numb then I am much more likely to go home early and had a less enjoyable time than if they stay warm & dry.

2 hours, 35 miles

my OP was about road riding, maybe didn't make that clear

No, I'd say you made it pretty clear 🙂

In the past, I've gone out cycling [i]because[/i] it's raining, but only XC, can imagine that road riding in the rain would be even more unpleasant than normal.

I've gone out cycling because it's raining

You should probably go see a doctor or a therapist about this.

weirdly I don't mind so much if it starts raining when I'm already cycling, but the idea of starting in the rain...not a chance. Don't mind it when I'm running though...

Was discussing this with someone in the week, we agreed it's a defiance thing... "f*ck you, weather". So now realman I'm talking to the rain, maybe you meant psychiatrist 😉 Running in the rain is LOVELY.

I did a big route in the Glencoe area the other day. I got soaked in the first half an hour. I ended up cold, wet, hungry and exhausted. The conditions made what was already scary, challenging, technical riding (for me anyway) much harder but I finished the day with a huge sense of satisfaction and look back at it with very fond memories. I think that's what mountain biking is all about amongst other things.

RealMan - Member

There is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes

Yeah but the right clothes don't actually exist. For example, I am yet to find a pair of thin, comfortable, completely waterproof, very warm (but still breathable) gloves.

scott enduro (motorcycle) neoprene gloves...they get warm when wet...trust me there ace... 😮

these will keep your hands going...

Running in the rain is LOVELY.

Yeah, it really is. But that's only because its easier to stay warm, you don't get a constant spray in your face and eyes, and you don't have a bike to clean when you get back.

coastkid, just looked them up. They look pretty much identical to my spesh ones I used today. My hands were very cold.

my hands rarely get cold...my feet on the other hand...Jesus it was painful when they came 'back to life' the other night.

Mrs julian has looked at this thread. You're talking about exeter/east datmoor way this aftenoon, right?

She was out on east dartmoor over lunchtime with another lass in blow-you-over crosswinds, rain and hail in summer shoes and gloves, both of them still laughing after 4 hours in it.

I looked after the children and went to the pet shop for some rabbit treats, so I am unable to comment on the unseasonable conditions myself, but mrs julian suggests you should man up a bit. 😀

RealMan - Member
..........its easier to stay warm, you don't get a constant spray in your face and eyes, and you don't have a bike to clean when you get back.

MTFU Get mudguards and don't be so precious about the bike.

jw I don't like your missus 😀

What tj? I was talking in comparison with running lol. I was saying its nicer that you don't have to clean a bike when you come back from a run.

And you expect me to buy everyone else I cycle with mudguards too? 🙄

If you watch how people train in winter you'll never complain like a girl again.

Should have watched chasing legends at the movies - never complain again about $hit weather or pain again!

And what T.J. MTFU or give up riding in the U.K. and move somewhere warm and dry?

On the subject of sealskinz gloves, anyone tried these?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/SealSkinz_Extra_Cold_Weather_Cycling_Glove/5360052510/
If so, how good are they at stopping the wet?

I've got them - more toasty than properly waterproof but were grand in really cold and wet winter we had last year.

As mentioned above - no such thing as bad weather only the wrong clothes - I've given up trying to find properly waterproofs that don't make me dripping wet from sweat after more than 1/2 an hour of hard riding on the bike. I've tried everything from all varieties of Gore-tex, eVent, cheap and nasty to £££. Now it's just decent layers, a good windproof gilet, a cap or buff under the helmet, thick bibs and some proper gloves.

I love riding in the driving rain or snow when there's no-one else about, be it on the road or off-road. Had some fun commutes last winter too - 15 miles in -8, up to 6 inches of snow and not a soul to be seen:

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4194821374_e920db7325.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4194821374_e920db7325.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

I don't do this roadbike chaingang thing but I thought the etiquette was mudguards in the rain.

Oh look, there's a pic of TJ wearing a backpack and helmet...

ruddy winter mate. Helmet for riding on ice, backpack for survival kit. could have died you know. I'm well 'ard me

I thought the etiquette was mudguards in the rain.

Would be nice if it was.

woffle,

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/SealSkinz_Extra_Cold_Weather_Cycling_Glove/5360052510/

Are these your gloves of choice when facing cold wet weather then? How bulky are they?

was you in this years mary townly loop ???? try that for 7 and a half hours in constant rain and wind = winner

woffle,

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/SealSkinz_Extra_Cold_Weather_Cycling_Glove/5360052510/

Are these your gloves of choice when facing cold wet weather then? How bulky are they?

Yup - my winter gloves - they're quite bulky - I'd try them on first if possible and I'm sure they'd not be to everyone's taste. Great when it's really, really wet and cold, as mentioned did me proud last winter, 3+ hours of snow and no problems. Seem to be standing up to a decent amount of usage well too which is always a bonus - I seem to get through kit at a rate.

Otherwise I wear a pair of much lighter Specialized gloves with some liners - much thinner but no-where near as warm...

weirdly I don't mind so much if it starts raining when I'm already cycling, but the idea of starting in the rain...not a chance. Don't mind it when I'm running though...

Agree with that, I love riding in the rain, but its just that much harder to motivate yourself to go out.

ahh just mtfu
this was one the best rides ever
[img] [/img]
one of the guys managed with his right shoe still at home
[img] [/img]
saying that this trip to the peaks was a bit grim
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]

Quality.

OP I take it you wear clear lens riding specs? use some rainx to help you see better or washing up liquid (hydrophobic coating)

😐

Heres a mad idea. Have more than one hobby. On really bad days do the other hobby? After all our weekends are precious and for enjoyment no? 🙂

Anna B - Member
2 hours, 35 miles
my OP was about road riding, maybe didn't make that clear
No, I'd say you made it pretty clear

RealMan - Member
..Until next time anyway.

Fair weather cyclists of a nervous disposition should stop reading now.

Why does anyone go out and ride in that sort of weather? We only did 2 hours, 35 miles or something, so it probably hasn't given my fitness a huge boost or anything. The bikes pretty filthy, so are my clothes. I was freezing and soaked. Did I enjoy it though? I don't know. I do know I was feeling pretty ill but decided to go out anyway, and now I feel better (after about 40 minutes in the shower trying to regain feeling in my feet).

Do you enjoy riding in horrible weather? Or maybe its just that we enjoy riding so much, we enjoy riding despite the horrible weather.

Either way, the rules are righteous.

Rule 9:
If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.

I'm going to buy a load of waterproof socks and gloves, and maybe some mudguards. Then I'm going to bed I think.

Might be able to fit a ride in tomorrow actually..

Can you show me where in the OP, road riding is made pretty clear? 😕

I just figured that an average speed of 17.5mph was unlikely to have been gained off road, through the mud, in the rain.

No such thing as bad weather, it's just weather.
[img] [/img]

Pertex, merino, Tesco woollie gloves. Problem solved.

Don't stay dry, stay warm.

Weather like THAT is what Buffalo shirts were made for. Look stupid, feel smug.

Bad weather riding is fun, mud is fun.
Don't like spending yonks cleaning bike.
(No don't want a SS)

Weather like THAT is what Buffalo shirts were made for. Look stupid, feel smug.

I borrowed by brother-in-law's Buffalo shirt once for a ride in the snow. I sweated a lot. Same with Rab smock too - fine for wandering through the woods on a walk with the kids, 20 minutes riding and I'm dripping with sweat...

When its proper Gharstley, Paramo.

Se my picture up there. Buffalo is what i'm wearing there.