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Oh yeah, a hoop cut from the leg of an old pair of (cycling) tights seals around the neck nicely but not as bulky as a buff, can have one under your lid too as cheap skull cap alternative
To the point about getting cold, have you tried wool/merino? I'm no beardy wierdy wool jersey type but I do find merino short/long sleeved base layers really good and use them any time it's not warm enough for a (non-wool) jersey alone. One of the benefits is that it seems less affected by being wet than synthetic kit in terms of preventing you getting cold.
As to mudguards, I agree - while they don't stop you getting wet, they do stop you getting wet with new, cold water - once you're wet, I find that you tend to warm most of it up to some extent (like a wet suit but obviously not as effective). Constantly being sprayed by fresh, cold water stops that happening.
Keeps all the softies inside so when we get to racing season I'll be at an advantage.
Alternatively you'll end up doing junk miles in crap weather and catching cold/flu and then be unable to train properly, while the softies will be getting in some top quality training on a turbo and be at an advantage come time to race 🙂
But delays it hugely. It has to be raining fairly hard for the rain to wet you more than the spray at 15-20mph. Upwards spray is nastier than rain too. Constant and directed at your ass and feet.
+1. Water being constantly jetted at your backside is a really unpleasant sensation. And your clothes get filthy.
For those saying "warm not dry". How?
I rode right through the winter with a merino base layer underneath a normal jersey, with a Howies Dyfi windproof jacket. If it was cold or really peeing it down I'd put gore arm warmers on top of the base layer to keep my arms warm. Now that it's 'summer', it's pretty much the same but I forego the merino base layer and wear an extra jersey if it's raining.
Don't forget the legs. At even the merest hint of cold in the air the leg warmers or tights go on. I find if my legs get cold the rest of me gets cold very quickly.
Your neck doesn't form a perfect seal, unless you do your jacket up so tight it chokes you.
For some reason I've never had this problem. Water never goes down the back of my neck. You're not using a waterproof with a hood, are you?
For those saying "warm not dry". How?
Technical clothing, not cotton. More or thicker layers if needed. Personally I don't care for merino, at least not pure, because it just ends up as a soggy baggy mess. Snug fit is important.
Alternatively you'll end up doing junk miles in crap weather and catching cold/flu and then be unable to train properly, while the softies will be getting in some top quality training on a turbo and be at an advantage come time to race
Or maybe I'll spank out 3 hours at high tempo for 240 TSS while all those guys who think that 1hr turbo = 3hrs road are actually detraining 😀
Cold and wet doesn't mean you have to go slow. If anything it's even more incentive to get on with and [i]not[/i] do junk miles.
For those saying "warm not dry". How?
Thin merino base, warm / autumn weight poly layer over that, WP on top. Cap, wool or WP socks and roubaix tights or WP shorts. Goretex MTB boots in really crappy weather. Spare primaloft jacket and warm gloves + socks in a drybag in case it gets really 'epic' or a forced stop.
Rode 105 miles heading west into that storm on the 24th Dec with that sort of kit on. Soaked but comfortable enough to enjoy the ridiculousness of it all for the 7 hours plus that it took. 'enjoyable' of sorts.. certainly memorable!
I'll tell you all on Sunday evening 🙁
Riding the coast to coast from Walney Island to Whitby this weekend and the weather forecast is grim, especially considering the hills we'll be heading across.
Just finished fitting crud roadracer II guards to my bike, was hoping to avoid it but i'd rather be drier than having a goodlooking bike this weekend.
Overshoes & waterproof socks seem to be the order of the day as well.
Not looking forward to it quite as much now..
For some reason I've never had this problem. Water never goes down the back of my neck. You're not using a waterproof with a hood, are you?
No hood. Water runs down the back of my head and then down my neck. It's difficult to see how that can be avoided.
You either have a funny shaped helmet or a funny shaped head 😛
Get a mountain bike and ride off road 😉
You either have a funny shaped helmet or a funny shaped head
I may well have a funny shaped head, but most helmets have holes in, no?
Warm and wet is the way forward.
One thing to think about is route choice. If you can do a flattish ride you can keep pedaling consistently and avoid cooling down.
No hood. Water runs down the back of my head and then down my neck. It's difficult to see how that can be avoided.
My jacket has a high collar and when I zip it all the way up the collar is snug with my neck all the way round so no water gets in. There's no gap when I lean forward either. It also does not annoy my throat, which many other things do when zipped all the way up.
I guess this is just luck - because the jacket is rubbish in all other respects.
Use Guards, Use overshoes and even consider putting plastic bags inside those, wear "showerproof" clothing (a full waterproof is just "boil in the bag" for all but the coldest weather), obviously these things will not prevent you getting soaked, but they might slow the rate or saturation... 2-4 hours on a road bike in the wet can still be enjoyable...
The enjoyment comes from riding a bicycle and knowing that you did it despite the obvious attraction of staying home and watching TV...
Went for a very wet with a mate of mine back in Jan, we were just laughing as we rolled back after 3 hours utterly soaked, if either of us clenched a fist in our winter gloves, huge volume of water came pouring out but it just made you feel like you had actually done something more challenging and prevailed... hard to describe...
If that's still not enough, just Buy a Turbo trainer and be done with it.
I hardly ever look forward to leaving the house in it, though it's not so bad once you're out so long as you can keep moving.
Always happy that I made the effort.
And mudguards, single biggest improvement I made.
I have just come back from Merlin with Castelli gabba, short sleeve. This with some Nano flex arm warmers I'm hoping are a good solution for this time of year.
I seem to end up taking all sorts with me, 🙁 I'm hoping this will take care of this on/off weather. It had better do, it cost a bloody fortune !!!!
Oh and definitely mudguards, they do make a difference, a [b]BIG[/b] difference.
Castelli gabba, short sleeve. This with some Nano flex arm warmers I'm hoping are a good solution for this time of year.
It is. You do still get wet if it properly rains but somehow it doesn't seem so bad and you don't get cold. That and a merino base is a great combination.
Try to go out in a dry bit. I couldn't care less about rain when i'm out there in it, it's getting out of the front door that's the problem.
That and a merino base is a great combination
cheers Mr Blobby, I'll try that
Best way to deal with the misery of road riding in the rain is to put the road bike and questionable lycra away, then go and hit some local trails in the woods on your MTB.
Best way to deal with the misery of road riding in the rain is to put the road bike and questionable lycra away, then go and hit some local trails in the woods on your MTB.
The rain bothers me less on the mtb, I guess because you usually get muddy anyway.
Mudguards + 1,000,000
Apart from anything else once it stops raining you stop getting wet.
If you can afford winter cycling boots btw they are MILES better than overshoes.
alcohol?
Enjoy the pain, it's weakness leaving the body (thanks Jens 🙂 )
I really don't enjoy road riding in the rain, I feel like I don't have enough grip, visibility is bad for cars seeing you and generally a bit miserable. Not having decent breathable waterproofs is probably part of the issue.
MTB on the other hand, I don't mind as long as it is warm enough. Phone in a ziploc bag and crack on, I always shower when I get back anyway.
1) Mud guards
2) Castelli Gabba
MTBing in the rain is worse - I hate the slimy clay, and I also hate the grit in my drivetrain.
molgrips - Member
If you can afford winter cycling boots btw they are MILES better than overshoes
I much prefer good overshoes to winter boots - for starters they reduce water running down your shins into the shoe.
I also use No-rain legwarmers, whatever those resistant castelli shorts are, and a decent synthetic vest, jersey, armwarmers, either an endura race cape (the only decent thing endura have made in 15 years), and a cap under my helmet. Gloves with liners keep my hands in better condition than waterproof gloves.
Admittedly I did have a nice 853 frame built for me in 98 designed specifically to use Salmon guards with standard Campag brakes. It works very well in rain - just a shame that almost no one else in my club seems to understand why group riding in the wet requires mudguards.
Go for a run, simples - way better than road riding...
The bit I genuinely hate about riding on the road in the wet is the horrible roaring noise that car and lorry tyres make. The rest is just discomfort.
As you say, it's difficult to stay dry, so you have to be warm to counteract the chilling effect. Merino base layers are pretty good for this.
As far a gloves full of water are concerned, wear your raincoat sleeves [u]over[/u] your glove cuffs, so that water running down your sleeves doesn't go inside the gloves.
Either work out how to deal with it, or just don't do it. (It's not compulsory, you know)
Get a [url= http://www.screwfix.com/p/ansell-versa-touch-nitrile-latex-free-gloves-blue-large-pack-of-100/28319 ]pack of these[/url] and wear them under gloves.