Questions from a Newbie

Its okay to ride in the rain. Just have to be more careful with the slippery surfaces especially braking and cornering. As long as you stay up right theres no problem.

It's a good idea to hose your bike down afterwards. Sand and whatnot kicked up by the front wheel and deposited on the chain makes one of the finest grinding pastes known to man.

Not a pressure washer! That'll ruin seals and bearings. Just a hose pipe and brush.

GardenRoots said:

Hey guys, I am a newbie to cycling and had a question. I am going to pick up my bike tomorrow (Trek 1000 Triple) and I was wondering if it is OK to ride in the rain?

Nice. It's definitely OK to ride in the rain. Well of course you better be a little more extra careful and watch out for hidden patholes filled with water. Although, I try to avoid riding in that situation because you really have to clean and dry your bike, especially those hard-to-clean areas. Happy riding dude!

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Stay away from painted pavement such as the center dividing line especially on turns,wear a dark jersey to avoid the skunk stripe and be prepared to be visually impaired.
BTW: What is rain like I can barely remember seeing any. 😄

GardenRoots said:

Hey guys, I am a newbie to cycling and had a question. I am going to pick up my bike tomorrow (Trek 1000 Triple) and I was wondering if it is OK to ride in the rain?

yeah it's fine. Welcome to the forum.

If you ride in the rain, it helps to reduce the pressures in your tires

to around 90 psi, and slow down before entering a turn or curve.

Be especially careful to dry your drive train after you've washed your bike down too. It can be just a matter of an hour or so between a rusty chain or not.

GardenRoots said:

Hey guys, I am a newbie to cycling and had a question. I am going to pick up my bike tomorrow (Trek 1000 Triple) and I was wondering if it is OK to ride in the rain?

It is not only okay but it will really help your handling skills. Wet conditions put a premium on being smooth and anticipating things. It will make you a better rider. But as said above, be careful, especially on painted surfaces, grates and the like.

Eden said:

Be especially careful to dry your drive train after you've washed your bike down too. It can be just a matter of an hour or so between a rusty chain or not.

Is a smattering of rust a bad thing? I've never seen it visibly survive the next chain lubrication.

[font=Arial]To ride in the what? "Rain"? What is this "rain" you speak of? :p[/font]

Take it easy in the first few minutes because the pavement will be oily as well as wet.

If you consistently ride through the rain, your brakes will eat up your rims because they'll be covered with gritty water from puddles. It may take a few years for the situation to get dangerous, but you can sure gouge up a nice wheelset cosmetically.

The front ring on a road bike may wear a bit quickly because it's aluminum. I do not know because I don't take my roadie out in the wet much.

After destroying my first cassette and chain, I like to use a snap on chain cleaner and relube after every rainy ride. It takes about 5 minutes. I have often suspected though, that people who use higher quality chain may have less space between rollers and sideplates for grit to deposit, so it may not be a big problem for them. I give the chain a shake or a wipe and lube it up right away. Most any kind of oil will creep into where it's needed under the water and protect the important parts of the chain.