Riding in the Rain

[SFJess]

I tried to run a search for this but found way too many results.

Since the rainy season is starting, does anyone have tips on riding in the rain? I've read proficient motorcycling, taken the MSF course and I've ridden in the rain some already. I won't be riding if it's really stormy, but if it's just raining a little, I'm not ready to give up riding. What gear do you wear? Where should I go to buy it? Is a scooter skirt enough? I already have a waterproof jacket.

Thanks!

[Halloweenie]

The best things I can suggest for wet weather are good sticky tires, and that visor wax to help the water bead off your helmet.

[bluebuddygirl]

Just realize that almost no waterproof jackets are actually waterproof at higher speeds. Water has a way of being pushed through even the smallest gaps, and gaps are made bigger by the air pressure. The Frogg Toggs are recommended by almost everyone that has them. I keep hiking rain pants in my seat and my jackets are all waterproof or water resistant. The pants keep me dry for a while, but not for a really long time. Gloves are an issue too. I bought cheap over gloves, which are basically rubber gloves that are sized to go over your regular gloves. They work great but everything gets a little bulkier. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/ ... loves.aspx

The biggest thing for me is I always go slow and steady when the roads are wet. The roads are much slicker, and oil rises to the surface of the water as well during the first 10 minutes or so of rain. I try not to lean as much and just generally take it easy.

[jasondavis48108]

my motoport has a 100% waterproof liner thats works great. for bottoms I have the tourmaster rain pants with the suspenders so they stay up In cold weather I wear quilted carhart bibs with the tourmasters over them but it gets pretty bulky. I don't have over gloves yet but they are a great idea. I do have the cortech scarab winter gloves which have a water proof/resistant liner but the leather still gets soaked. I was wear gaitors over my boots if its really comming down in buckets. I also never scoot if there is lightning Other than that I second taking it a bit easier and not leaning as hard into corners.

[michelle_7728]

I know there are quite a few members of the forum that ride in all weather, but I personally am cautious about rain, as that is when my accident happened (Someone pulled out from a blind, blocked driveway to my right and stopped--completely blocking my lane. When I went to stop, which I easily could have in dry conditions, I went down and slid into their SUV).

That being said, I still do ride in the rain, but when I do I ride as if I have bald tires--very cautiously and slower, giving myself a LOT more stopping room. Also, I take another route home when it rains to avoid the area where that accident occurred, as there are lots of driveways and not much light, so more risk going that way in those conditions.

Additionally, I only ride home in the rain--I won't ride to work if it's raining when I leave. However, my main reason for this is that I don't want to have to cart wet gear up to my office or stuff wet gear under my seat.

For very light rain, I usually use my REI rain pants (not armored) which zip all the way up on either side so I can step in and out of them without having to remove my boots.

For cold weather, and better rain protection, I have armored waterproof pants with an inside liner. Both pants and liner zip all the way up allowing me to step in and out of them. (okay, I freely admit to being lazy! )

On a slightly different topic...For visibility, fog is my worst enemy. I don't mean my helmet fogging up, but fog outside. Not only does it make it harder to see and be seen, but you get all these little misty water droplets on your visor and have to frequently wipe your visor (or lift it up) to see. Blech!

[rsrider]

this:
http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-fing ... wipes.html
or a reasonable facsimile.

[lobsterman]

frogg toggs for me.

I like riding in the rain.

[Tocsik]

Riding in the rain can be nerve wracking but it's not the worst thing on a bike. Like everyone said, extra stopping time, slower in the corners, extra vigilance watching for everyone else on the road and be very careful of painted areas in the road like lines, arrows etc. These are extra slippery when wet. I like the statement of riding as if you had bald tires. That's sorta what I do but I never thought of it that way.

For Gear, I have the Tourmaster Rain Pants. They store really small in a zip up pouch.
My Fieldsheer jacket is waterproof and works really well.
If it's chilly, I wear my face mask under my FF helmet to keep the water out of the top of my jacket. If it's really cold, I add a neck gaitor.
I have lined waterproof leather gloves from Hugger Gloves which seem to work well.
For cold weather, I wear insulated, waterproof hiking boots but for all other times I have leather boots (just some cheap ones I got on sale at Kohls for $12) that I spray with Scotchgard waterproof spray.
I also have the Firstgear Glacier Gloves for cold weather which are waterproof and excellent.

Keep your visor clean. I use Cat Crap on the outside to help water run off and inside to help with fogging. There is no real cure for fogging in a full face helmet except for something like the Respro Foggy Mask. This has been the ultimate fog-ender for me.

I may be strange but I have come to enjoy riding in some rain and I like to ride as much of the year as I can here in Denver.

[TVB]

Watch out for wet leaves on the road: they're slippery.

I have some cheap gloves (which I am currently unable to find online, previously purchased from Motorcycle Superstore) with a built-in squeegee, a raised soft-plastic ridge that runs from the tip of the index finger to the wrist. They aren't at all waterproof, which doesn't make them practical for really wet riding, but they're handy for clearing my face shield when I get caught in the rain.

[Cheshire]

- Keep an eye out for standing water and puddles in the road, especially in curves. If you see a puddle, either go around it or go through it straight, not in a lean. Hydroplane hazard.
- Also, metal (train tracks, sewer lids) is slippery when wet.
- Road paint is made reflective by having glass beads suspended in the paint. It's also slippery when wet.
- Everything's greyer. Visibility is decreased. Keep this in mind. Foul weather days are when I'm much more likely to wear my hi-viz vest.
- Find an abandoned parking lot and get a feel for how your tires handle when it's raining. Most tires grip much better than you'd expect, but don't push your luck too much out on the road.
- Your visor is much more likely to fog over when it's raining. Humidity is (obviously) a lot higher. Depending, I end up sometimes riding with my visor cracked a notch to keep it clear. Water doesn't really get in much like that. You'd be suprised.
-To me, rain seems to drop the air temp about 5-10 degrees. Since it's autumn, an extra layer might be a good thing to pack along with your rain gear.

[babblefish]

Like many have said, most rain gear is not fully watertight. I've found that spraying some Scotch Guard on the seams helps quite a bit.

And if you think riding in the rain is difficult around here:

This is in Taiwan. I've seen people riding in water so deep that they looked like they were surfing on their scooters. I had enough problem driving a car during rain like this let alone a scooter! And look closely at that orange scooter; yes, it is a Blur (G-Max in Taiwan).

[cdwise]

For me a windshield was the best piece of scooter gear for riding in the rain. Even though a jacket big fat raindrops can hurt. Full faceshield, I don't mean it has to be a full face/modular helmet but at least something like the Nolan N43 or HJC IS-Max where the clear face shield comes down to chin level (or slightly below).

Frogtogs are great but sew some reflective stipes on them if you are going to use them for rain gear. It is more important to have reflective gear on in the rain because the light is usually suboptimal making it even harder for folks to see you.

Be extra cautious, as other mentioned paint on the roadway - lane markers, cross walks, that sort of thing - gets very slick when wet as do sewer covers. I've ridden in everything from drizzle to pouring down rain but when its really pouring I tend to find someplace under cover to park and wait a bit to see if it will lighten up, especially if there is lightning.

[jijifer]

all good advice. +1 on frogg toggs I have pants, a couple different "water-resistant" coats - boots and gloves are the kicker. Thanks for the hugger link Toscik. I'll give 'em a try. Now to find pull-on or zip up waterproof boots that are also cute - the sun and the moon, too, please

Agreed - short of rubber, nothing's totally waterproof so really the key to riding in the rain is doing as little as possible. On rainy days it's only "must do" riding. I'm scooter only so I have to ride in the rain but I don't go anywhere I don't have to.

I ride slower, give myself more distance, avoid standing water. I'm not sure if an apron would work for me as I do have to keep up with traffic so the frogg togg pants while not pretty, are easy to keep in the seat and pull on over whatever I'm wearing.

Good luck and be safe!

[pdxrita]

Everyone has covered all of the basics pretty good here, so I'll just mention the one thing that I don't recall seeing a comment on: the lap apron. I wouldn't trust that to keep me dry if it was raining very hard or if I had to be in the rain for very long, simply because the back side is exposed. If you shift at all on your seat, maybe lift off a little bit for a bump or to get more comfortable, you're going to put your unprotected rear into a puddle when you sit back down. I have a good old fashioned pair of rubber rain pants that I put on over my regular pants to ride in the rain. The only issue I've run into so far with them is that they can leak along the seam in very heavy rain. I'm thinking some tent seam sealer will probably fix that issue, though.

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

good pointers everyone. Steel plates, are especially slippery, and there are so many of them around here passing jobsites. Another good point to consider is changing your route. Take less traveled residential streets and stay away from busy commercial roadways. Even if there are more turns and stop signs, it's much safer. I actually enjoy riding in the rain!

[peabody99]

nothing beats a windscreen neck high coupled with full face helmet for upper body protection. rain gear is nice-my spouse got some generic brand at an Army/Navy store and it is awesome. He has been communting 40 miles rt in day after day or rain (I thought San Diego was supposed to be nice???) and staying dry. As far as a scooter skirt they are fine only if your seat has been covered -so your butt is not wet, and it is not raining hard. I have managed to stay dry with one in LIGHT rain. I also have a corazzo max which is also water resistant in light rain.

[killbilly]

Pretty well-covered topic. My .02....

Ride smooth. Smooth riding is more important in rain situations. Smooth transitions from throttle to brake to lean to throttle again are all important, because the balance of forces shifts subtly. Less abrupt transitions are safer.

Keith Code had a fantastic column on this in last month's Cycle World. He likened smooth riding to playing an instrument, and that proper smoothness ensured a harmonious transition to the next note. Recommend everyone check that article out.

[JHScoot]

yeah so i got caught in the rain tonight for several miles on a Blackjack

and i liked it





EDIT: except the getting wet part

note to new rider self: get rain gear, dummy

[KABarash]

NOT on the top of my WooHoo let's go do that list.
As others have said 'rain gear' is not perfect and choice is a personal preference, I've used EXPENSIVE stuff and gotten SOAKED, cheap stuff and stayed dry..... Go figure.

Three words as to actual riding;
Caution
Caution
CAUTION

[trackpete]

The biggest thing for me is I always go slow and steady when the roads are wet. The roads are much slicker, and oil rises to the surface of the water as well during the first 10 minutes or so of rain. I try not to lean as much and just generally take it easy.

+This. Riding in the rain is very much about mental control coupled with relaxation - over your bike, your surroundings, and your body. On a non-crowded road, very little matches the overwhelming serenity that you can feel when riding in the rain.

On a crowded road, the worst problem is usually vehicles passing you. When it's raining, I make it a point to choose a line and absolutely stick to it. If I am over on one side of the lane and someone comes up on me fast I will let them slide by without moving (or reacting), since this type of movement is what causes accidents (in the dry I will move over or twitch out of the way as they zoom by). Just be calm and easy.

Gear depends completely on how long you expect to be exposed. For short rides in the rain, I stick with my quality hardshell jacket/pants/gloves. All "breathable" hardshells will eventually get waterlogged and stopped repelling, so for longer stints (over 20-30min) in heavy rain I add extra layers over the hardshells (2 > 1). Right now that's quality hiking rain pants and a $10 waddable parka with some $10 rubber gloves (I let my feet get soaked because I'm lazy).

The reason I use all this gear is because I do everything multi-purpose (it's not just for riding), but it's kinda silly for only riding. Go for a quality one piece or two-piece+zipper rain suit designed for riding if you expect to do it a lot and can dedicate the money.

[Dooglas]

Watch out for wet leaves on the road: they're slippery.

+1. Really treacherous!