Should You Ride A Bike In The Rain?
The problem with hobbies like riding a bicycle is that most sane people close down and stay indoors when the heavens open up. Taking your bike out in the rain is one of the most exciting and adrenaline-filled activities.
If necessary, or you are up for some adventure, riding in the rain is possible and can be a great fun experience. You will learn many important lessons about your bike and its handles in the wet; however, there are dangers, and you need to be conscious of these.
Riding a bicycle safely needs to be a continuous learning experience. One of these schoolroom moments comes when you leave your warm, dry, comfortable house for the rigors of riding out in the cold and wet.
Ride Your Bike In The Rain
While it may sometimes be inevitable, and you have no option but to ride in the rain, you might as well enjoy the experience.
The Reason To Ride Your Bike In The Rain
The reasons to ride your bike in the rain are as follows.
- You will learn how your bike handles in the rain.
- It increases your confidence.
- It’s fun to ride in the rain.
- It’s quieter than you ever dreamt
- You can dress for the occasion.
You, Will, Learn How Your Bike Handles In The Rain
Riding your bike in the dry is nothing like riding it in the wet. In the wet, most bikes suffer the following degradation in performance.
- Depending on what brakes you have on your bike, many brakes just stop working, so you need to travel slower and brake earlier.
- The tires lose grip, and corners you take at high speed in the dry suddenly act like they are covered in ice (whether they are or aren’t), so you need to corner more cautiously.
It Increases Your Confidence
Learning how your bike handles and realizing it has greater capabilities than you previously thought is an incredible confidence booster.
Making it through a severe downpour is something to congratulate yourself on and means that there is not much else you cannot handle.
It’s Fun To Ride In The Rain
While you may not admit this to your friends and family, It doesn’t matter how old you get; splashing through puddles never gets old.
Powering through puddles you know are not potholes and seeing the sprays of water on each side is invigorating.
It’s Quieter Than You Ever Dreamt
With many cars and other riders staying indoors, riding on terrain give you a sense of solitude never found in heavy traffic.
Riding in the rain forces you to concentrate completely as you try to miss any obstacles or potholes, which are difficult to see, means that all of the normal concerns and stresses fade away for the period you are on your bike.
Cold Wet Rain Make You Appreciate Comfort
Riding in cold rain is not for the faint of heart, and while there are many advantages to it, the riders are still left with an increased thankfulness for the more comfortable parts of their life.
There is nothing quite like arriving home wet and soggy, only to enjoy a hot bath and afterward sitting in a warm lounge area, watching your favorite Netflix show while you consume a hot chicken (or another flavor) soup.
You Can Dress For The Occasion
This point has nothing to do with the clothing fashion of the bike.
However, you bought that fancy rain suit promised to keep for ten blizzards and Tsunami type flooding off your inner clothes.
Well, now is the time to test them and check if they are as good as the salesperson promised.
The Reasons To Not Ride Your Bike In The Rain
You should ride your bike in the rain without evaluating the dangers.
- The tires lose their adhesion.
- Your visibility is reduced.
- Other drivers and hazards visibility is reduced.
The Tires Lose Their Grip
It is not just because the road surface becomes a little slipperier, but all of the road extras became deadly.
Most road markings turn to ice in bad weather, which also applies to any metal components on the road, including manhole covers, railway or tram tracks, and expansion joints on bridges. Sewer grates, cattle guards, and many more.
Try to miss all road markings as best as possible because, in severe storms, these will just pull your bike from under you.
When riding in the dry, try to keep a mental note of all the metal components in the road which need to be missed, and then use this memory in the wet.
Your Visibility Is Reduced
The general visibility is reduced in the rain, snow, and other inclement weather events.
It is particularly the case for cyclists who other road users find hard to spot, even in good weather.
Always assume that the drivers around you are unaware of your existence when riding a bicycle.
Sometimes a driver in a car appears to be looking directly at you and still makes a dumb move that could cause an accident.
Always wear high viz clothes and sit up on your bike to present as big and as noticeable an object as possible.
However, despite all your precautions, you will still face the following situation.
- Car doors are flung open directly in your path.
- Cars turn directly in front of you with no warning.
- Cars travel so close to you that their wing mirrors start to interact with you.
Whatever the circumstance, ensure that you do everything possible to be seen.
Other Drivers And Hazards Visibility Is Reduced
It doesn’t matter how good your glasses are; riding in rain and fog automatically makes it difficult for others to see you.
Understand that as much as you complain about other drivers not seeing you, the truth is that you may miss them as well.
Drive slowly, and certainly no faster than the other cars around you.
It is also true for hazards that suddenly become very difficult to see.
- Potholes fill up and so cannot be seen.
- Broken-down cars may be in your lane.
- Pedestrians crossing the road will probably NOT be wearing high viz clothes and therefore are virtually invisible.
- The same applies to cats and dogs.
Lighting Is Deadly
If there is any thunder around, find a solid structure and take refuge because lighting discriminates against no one.
It can strike the victim directly, or the surface around them will still electrocute the person.
Conclusion
Riding in the rain on a bicycle can be done, and in some cases should be, because it offers the cyclist an excellent opportunity to develop cycling skills faster than riding in dry weather.
However, there are dangers that should be considered before riding in the rain.
