Rain and commuting!

JAPANic said:

I recently moved house 30 kms away so I could ride to work everyday....

Best decision I ever made in my life...

Rain!!!

I need a water proof back pack a lightweight rain coat and as many commuting tips as possible.

I'm keeping spare clothes, towels deodorants etc at work and bring a bike bag with me in case of emergencies.

Last night there was a thunder storm and I was getting ready to ride (dodging ligthning strikes) when my wife got hold of me on the mobile and demanded I get the train home... no problem!!! 🙁

Give me your best commuting tips... travelling light, keeping fresh, keeping safe...

Please!!!!

Best brand rain coats and back packs would be a nice start....

FENDERS!

Think about Panniers instead of a backpack ... if you only mount one, mount it on the curb side. Don't use a handlebar bag, generally, unless you know you are putting a very minimal amount of weight in it.

Consider mounting AIRFREE tires (spun polyurethane) ...

[center]airfreetires.comSalePage.htmlOpen ↗[/center]

AirFree has all sizes of tires ... they don't have a narrow MTB tire which would fit on a 559-17 rim, however. You'll WANT the special tire mounting tool.

The fit may be a bit dodgey -- if you are running OPEN PRO 622-15 rims, as an example, you use EITHER the DAYTONA or MONACO.

I would recommend the MONACO for commuting ... they are actually good for MOST riding situations ...

The DAYTONA tire fits a 622-13 rim, the best; and, the braking surface of the rim will stand "proud" of the tire by slightly more than an infinitesimal amount on an OPEN PRO rim.

Rain Gear? I recommend a yellow Goretex parka (REI) ... but, you can probably save money on the pants by opting for a pair of waterproof, nylon "camping" pants used with an ankle strap.

- i'll second the pannier over daypack advice. you'll be dripping sweat on your back even in the best of weather using a daypack. i've been really happy with the quality & price of mec's products, but looking at the site i notice that most of their larger sized panniers are not available on-line at the moment. here's the link anyway: mec.caproduct listing.jspOpen ↗

- for raingear, considering that you're going 30 k's each way, i wouldn't personally recommend non-breathable material. what i'm using isn't in production anymore. at the cycling clothing section in the mec link above, i'd recommend the two "whoosh" products, especially the pants. a full-length zipper is a great feature; fast and easy on/off and in lighter rain you can keep it unzipped from the hips to the knees or below and get both good rain protection and excellent ventilation. the bike-specific fit is nice too.
a raincover for your helmet and possibly waterproof booties will complete the rain protection.

- i take it for granted that you've got gloves, so my last suggestion is a pair of sunglasses with interchangable lenses. check out the espresso ones at: mec.caproduct listing.jspOpen ↗
i'm still using an earlier similar version with 3 lenses: regular sunglasses, yellow high-contrast lenses for overcast and rainy days (these are amazing), and clear for night riding through buggy country. 😉

[Thanks to both of you]

The reason I use a back pack at the moment is because I switch between 2 racers and a MTB depending on the day. I may have to stick to one if I get a panier set up.

Didn't think about a helmet cover or waterproof shoe covers either. That should be easy to take care of.

I make sure I get to work with enough time to towel off the sweat and freshen up a bit. (no shower at work).

Riding in the wet this morning my tire picked up a piece of glass so had to do a tube change-over as well.

I always forget something as well.... a lot of stuff to bring and if you forget one thing it can make the journey very uncomfortable. (forgot a belt for my work trousers today).

I don't care how water tight I am on the return journey just going to work....

Will check out those links now...

thanks again...

i'm using one of the larger-sized, not available-at-the-moment mec panniers. attachment is not only secure, but also extremely easy. i can get both of them either on or off the bike with only one hand, in probably less than 30 seconds. stuff that i always use or want to have on hand (decent tool selection, bunjee cords, small first-aid pouch, dirty rag) stay in one of the panniers. 😉

I have the following:

Deuter CrossAir backpack - Holds my clothes ie pants, shirt, socks, jocks light jacket. Plus tools, spare tube. Wallet.
My back stays 90% dryer than old hiking backpack due to spacing between bag and my back via mesh. Has reflectors and helmet holder built in.
Comes with pull out rain cover that tucks into base. Bright yellow for visability. Check out Deuter web site for full range. I'm very happy with mine, fully recomend.

1.6mm thick aluminium 30mm wide x 800mm long - rolled to shallow curve. Couple of holes, bit of tape. Cable tie to frame when its wet outside. Cheep but keeps the [censored] of my back and bum. Find a sign company or metal fabricator, they'll do it for nicks or nada.

Cateye El-HL400 very light, very bright and waterproof. Essential.
Vista rear flashing light. Even more essential.

Light weight rain jacket. Dah!

Soon to get waterproof over shoes and a set of clear/yellow lense glasses
to keep mud out of my eyes.

Oh and don't forget when your cold and wet, a sunny day is just around the corner.

A large poncho over me and my backpack is all I use.

[font=Times New Roman]Performance bike dot com has a good selection.🙂 [/font]

dougadam said:

[font=Times New Roman]Performance bike dot com has a good selection.🙂 [/font]

I commute in bad weather, I have panniers for some things and a waterproof messenger bag for important things, a jacket from mountain equipment co-op, second hand but working, and, of course, fenderss, which are great, noting keeps you drier, spray is often worse than the rain itself.

I've heard of waterproof diving bags too, but messenger bags are easy to find

Showers Pass rain gear is as good as it gets for cycling. You stay dry but without sweat build up because of the way that they gear breathes and is vented. It has plenty of reflective material too which really helps for your visibility. I use their hood, jacket, pants and shoe covers.

I use a Pearl Izumi Velocipak backpack. It comes with a bungiecorded, high visibility yellow rain cover that folds up into a zippered top compartment. To deploy it, you unzip the compartment and unfold the cover, drape it down over your backpack and bungiecord into a tight fit.

I have ridden through flash flood storms without anything but my gloves getting wet - except for one time that I had to make a high water crossing and forget to unclip and lift my feet.

Hope this helps.

its been said before, but i must stress... panniers... carting a backpack around in the rain is an absolute cow, if you must use a backpack, then put everything that isnt breakable/important/electrical in the panniers.
i had no choice but to use a backpack on rainy days (basically had my ibook surgically attached to my back :P) and it was AWFUL!! but all my notes and lunch and clothes went in the panniers.

if you can find one, a 'sports towel' (a bit like a synthetic chamois) is perfect for quickly drying oneself after the rain. they do a good job of long hair too.

Got a

TOPEAK bag... and rack....

Not too big and not too small.. side pockets fold down....

Will wrap a garbage bag around it to water proof it...

Good choice, I commute with the heavier MTX version of that bag and it's excellent (though on mine only the side panniers expand). The expandable side panniers are really useful for those times you weren't expecting to carry heaps of stuff.

My set were waterproof "out of the box", as well..

They're best used along with a Topeak rack, which lets you use the bag quick-release mechanism as well.

I also echo the call for fenders, it makes a big difference when it's not raining right now but the roads are wet. My commuter bike has SKS fenders, which attach firmly to the mount points on the frame, but are flexible so they won't break if struck by something.

Tyre wise I put Mr Tuffys in between the tubes and tyres, for an extra level of puncture protection (the tyres I use -- 700x38 hybrid semislick tyres -- great for dirt/gravel path traction and overall comfort) already have a puncture belt built in)

Commuting. You now are learning about the real world and lesson that have been learned by many others before you. Bikes for commuting take racks, fenders and lights. For what it's worth, if you can fit a rear rack on your bike you can mount either panniers or a rack trunk, depending on how much stuff you end up carrying. You can minimize what you carry by driving to work one day and leaving there your work clothes for the week.

I would suggest, at this point, that you educate yourself on practical commuter bikes by googling and checking out sites that specialize in it. You can get a lot of great advice here, of course, but realize you must adapt a bike that may not be optimizeable for commuting. For example, what roads you take determine whether you want fatter tires that have thick rubber and puncture resistance for no one wants to have to change a flat in the pouring rain.

For rain, nothing beats fenders for keeping the spray off you. It can be pouring down and you can be comfortable in a rain coat, but if you dont have fenders every puddle you go through sprays your legs. You also have a rooster tail spraying on your back as you ride. These are unpleasant effects. Fenders keep the spray from your tires off you. They make riding through puddles pleasant.

Having a good light is also important, and it is as important so others can see you, and so you can see the road in front of you. Of course, if it's dark the light helps you see, but the importance of being seen is often understated. Accident rates go up during rain because visibility goes down. Lights on your bike or on your helmet not only let you see where you are going in poor light, but make it obvious to cars from a long distance away that there is a bike on the side of the road.

To summarize, you need to learn about systems developed to carry stuff so you can decide on what system works best for you. You need to learn bout fenders and their benefits and lights and their benefits. You may, then, consider better which bike you have that would be most easily modified to be the commuter bike of choice for you.

Japanic, have you not learned yet that nothing is safe from Typhoon season 😄

frogger said:

Japanic, have you not learned yet that nothing is safe from Typhoon season 😄

Typhoon season will be tricky. Right now the rainy season has started.
My rule is if it's not raining in the morning I still ride.
If it's raining lightly with a forecast to clear I ride.
If I have a busy day and it's supposed to rain all day, I use that as the take the spare clothes towels etc in the car day.

Luckily for me, work tapers off from next week till September so I can ride everyday regardless of the weather. Then I'll figure out how to handle the typhoon season...

I still need a decent rain jacket and waterproof booties....chnages of clothes have taken a raincoats/jacket's place.

I have a morning office and a night office. Each has spare sets of clothes, deodorant and towels....

27km to office one, 7km to office 2 then 20km home...

The humidity is really high here at the moment and I have to keep fresh till late at night.... Sometimes don't finish till 10pm and no access to a shower during the day.

If I have to drive to work I feel sick and depressed.... :eek:

JAPANic said:

If I have to drive to work I feel sick and depressed.... :eek:

I'm with you on that count (but sub in train for car). I've got fenders, double front and rear lights, and Continental Top Touring 2000 tires--so far they've been very reliable in Yokohama/Tokyo downpours. Waiting on my front panniers to be shipped to me (Ostrich, made in Japan), but until then I use a ZeroPoint BalanceLight 30 (from the big MontBell near the Minami-Machida station) with a rain cover that fits and is also bright-colored.

For more visibility I bought a long strip of inch-wide green reflective material, wrapping some around the frame tubes and sewing pieces of the rest around bits of webbing on the backpack. I also taped some of it around the drop bars.

I haven't bothered with rain gear as I haven't adjusted to the heat and humidity yet (I like winter) and the rain keeps me cool.

My main problem is keeping my glasses (clear plastic) unfogged. I spit on them like swim goggles but that's limited. In tight traffic I'll just take them off, but I'd rather not get grit in the eye.

Anyone worn a surgical mask against road dust? Even with all my goofy "visibility trappings" I can't bring myself to try wearing a mask and seeing if my lungs feel any better. I assume it'd make breathing to hard, though. What do cyclists do in cities with even worse air pollution?