Who's been out in the rain?

[Anton17]

Today the winds were bad. On the way to work this morning I felt myself swaying from side to side because of it. Not a nice feeling at all.

[Guest]

I ride everyday. Y.day I was in the pissing down for 5hours and half hours. By time I got home I was freezing and soaked to the bone.

[Decor58]

High wind is worse than rain anyday!!

 

+1 on that T! I hate it especially the gusty stuff, coming back from Hull getting off the ferry earlier on this year it was awful no fun fully loaded and two up.

 

Yup defo!

Have to ride 50 miles to go home and it takes an hour on a good day. Still do it every other weekend regardless of weather. Can stand rain but not wind. Don't got for a normal ride out in the rain though.

[wannars125]

I don't mind riding in the rain if I've got the correct gear on. At the moment my textiles are leaking so they're going back to the manufacturers.

I was surprised the other day though at how much grip you do actually get in the wet after having to pull an emergency stop. Pulling progressively harder on the brakes stopped me nicely without even a hint of a skid (well have abs so it didn't kick in!)

[hurtank]

i enjoy a good rain ride sometimes. not like pouring pouring but just rain. sometimes its nice and calming untill it reaches your butt crack.

[Stu]

I would also suggest if you dont ride in the rain much best to get out when it does rain for a little practice!

 

i used to shy away from rain full stop but this year i have had some great rides and been caught out in the rain a fair few times even gone when its already raining which is not like me

i must say im miles better in the wet now then i ever was and will be out more next year

[blakeatron]

Buttertubs...

[Stu]

Buttertubs...

 

say no more

mind i got a little wet when i went for the tag in luton too only 200 miles in pissing rain!!!!

[tinkerbell]

Was out in the rain and wind yesterday and it was windy. Will ride in anything if I have to, only riden in snow a few times last winter. Worse bit was when I rode into a pub carpark that was all compacted snow and I froze in the middle. Had to get someone else to move the bike for me and then I nearly went arse over tit as i got off the bike.

I do enjoy winter riding, the best bit getting home all cold & then a nice hot bath followed by a mug of hot chocolate.

[nman1]

Commute to work in all weathers, as long as you`ve got waterproofs then you shopuld stay dry. No problem.

[Gin]

Will do when i get her fixed..

[Ashaman Jay]

Commute to work, so I'm on the bike whatever the weather.

Had to knock the snow off myself a few times last winter as I looked like the stig with it all stuck to me. I hate the way snow turns to ice when it gets forced into the vents in your lid. Instant fog.

[Guest captain howdy]

I worked last year May 08- jan 2009 in the middle of nowhere commuted 50 ml round trip at 05:15 rain shine snow sleet wind on windy unlit country rounds

the worst i had was working a sat morning got there and come to leave at half 11 and it was about 8 inches of snow mmmmm a nice staedy 25-30 with my feet down for a lot of it

Heated grips are my to tip, not bar muffs as they kept flicking my lights off ( that aint pleasent!!) if ya can motocross style brush guards obviously depends on ya style of bike

but stop a hell of lot of wind chill

Nige

[teedee]

I had to read the title of this thread twice before i realised it meant 'on the bike' .

I am the worlds original fair weather rider.....i got caught in the rain about 6 weeks ago...came home soaking wet and bike absolutely filthy....the following day i spent 4hours jet washing.....then hand washing.....then polishing my baby back into showroom condition....cleaned and waxed the chain...... Then put a silk cover and a bike cover over her in my carpeted garage....locked and alarmed her...... And i aint seen her since....... I will visit her occasionally to start her up and warm the engine...... We will reintroduce ourselves next spring when i take her for a full service before i thrash the bejesus out of her

[Hoody]

Ride in rain to and from then at work.

Rain riding makes you smoother and improves dry riding.

[houltmac]

The rain today wasn't too bad for me. It was annoying as hell that it kept starting and stopping and I didn't know whether to put my waterproofs on or not. Of course I did and then it proceeded to stop raining for most of the journey.

Actually [WARNING: Off-topic], does anyone else find the in-between weather the worst? It's really a pain the ass deciding whether to tog up and with what just to find you could have thrown on any gloves, any jacket and any visor and been on your merry way. I wore liner gloves twice today when I didn't need to and I made many stops where I had to take them off and put them on because I had no where to put them. I also wore a neck-warmer unnecessarily and waterproof trousers when it had stopped raining.

Back on topic though... I had my first big drian slide today. I was second in the queue at the lights on busy but fairly minor road in the left turn only lane. As I turned this very familiar corner I completely forgot about the drain. It had been lashing down but had temporarily stopped. It's a sharp left up a short but steep slope dropping down a blind sweeping left pretty quickly with a pedestrian crossing just out of sight as you go up the hill. I was so busy trying to look where I was going so I didn't crash into a slowing car in front, or just not make it round the oddly difficult 8mph corner that the front wheel hit the drain.

The front felt like it was going to tuck under me and I had a "moment", somehow loosened instinctively and it seemed to come back before the rear hit the drain and nearly low-sided me. High, then low in under a second. Still, it held and that's what's important. I'll be getting my pressures done tomorrow though as they are probably a little low.

The only other thing today was the spray. It was so bad I didn't see the cyclist on the other side of the road and overtook some old guy in a clapped out Rover just as the 4x4 overtook the cyclist and we almost met on the white line. It was too late by the time I realised he couldn't pull back in as I couldn't either. I gassed it through and the rear squirmed on the white line. I made it but it was a little too close for my liking. Oddly my first instinct was to power out of there ASAP and then calm and think it through.

Perhaps I could have waited to overtake, but it really did look safe at the time and I think if I had failed to power through so quickly once I realised there was no going back I would have been clipped for sure.

All-in it was so eventful I treated myself to a bacon double on the way home

[VintageBiker]

Don't mind rain or icy cold weather, but not if you don't have to do it! I just don't like getting the bike mucky!

Did a tour in Norway/Sweden some years ago, North Cape and all that and there was this pass just south of Tronheim - horizontal snow, howling gale - and I was going up this steep, winding, narrow road, with natives on ski's whizzing past, on the slopes either side. Only a Brit' would have attempted such a journey!

Worst part of riding in rain is the perpetual problem of misting visors, but that subject has been well covered.

[iWannaGoFast]

Did my Auto 50cc to 125 geared conversion today. Was windy and wet as all hell. Went out for a little road ride and my instructor was dammed near blown off his CB1000. He said he hadn't come so close to dropping it in a long time.

Saw a motorway bridge ahead of me and said a little prayer. Damm near blown off when the crosswind hit me.

Rain doesn't bother me.

[Hywel]

Yeah the wind has been unbelievable recently. Coming home from work in the car last night called for a death grip on the steering wheel whilst I was bashed violently from side to side on the link road from Cardiff Bay to the M4, not the grippiest surface either. I can very nearly afford my first big bike now but I doubt I'll be taking that sort of fast and exposed route in these conditions until I know the bike inside out! Scary stuff.

[sparky]

first time back on the bike since my dad died. it's been about 6 months now. i didn't care that it was wet, just enjoyed the ride.

if it calls for it, i'll ride in any weather. just as long as there's no chance of ice.

[cruz]

The Severn Bridge (2nd) was a tad blusterly at 0600 this morning, the worst thing was the spray, down to 60mph. Once past a couple of HGV's it wasn't so bad and I could up the tempo a little.

[yaaan]

Been out in the rain myself today. Normally I don't bother with the bike if it's wet but as the car's off the road at the moment I took the bike. Out of the car park and opened her up a bit (not too much mind as it's slippery) and then closed the throttle off as I got to the junction at the end of the road...at which point the backend took on a life of it's own. Seems the engine braking is enough to break any grip I had

[rossibizatdi]

I don't think it's that bad in the rain, although I only passed in October so haven't had that many dry days anyway!

I've got waterproof everything, textile and I never get wet at all There's people who have to park a few streets away from work in their cars and get soaked walking to work from their car where as I can just stick it in the bike shed

[Guest]

80 mile round trip to work every day, all year, rain, shine, cold, warm... and then fun at weekends... although this time of year don't go out hardly at all socially with the bike, no-one out that much plus I need to keep it clean this time of year lol

I ride in all conditions, apart from very heavy frost (mainly becuase of my street, not main roads) and snow... just dont bother trying when it snows, too much risk without any benefit

[Guest]

seen the weather in Cumbria lately, all we have is rain, but no the bikes under cover, only because i am sorting out the mahoosive exhaust and waterproofing the shed... also a wet bacon butty is just soo wrong....