All wet!

[Danjammer]

Hi all. How do you all cope with the rain? I find that I get soaked through. Also my work clothes in my bag get wet and the rain drips in to my eyes effectively blinding me. How do you combat all this?

 

[Soup890]

Man up!!! It's all part of cycling.

I use plastic bags to store my work clothes. Go shopping and just take a load of plastic bags.

As for your cycle gear. Carry spares.

As for your eyes........

You can answer your own question with experience.

 

[ianrauk]

Wear a peaked cap, it doesn't stop the rain getting in your eyes but it keeps the worst out.

Put you clothes in a supermarket plastic bag, in your bag. That should keep them dry.

A tip to help dry your shoes whilst at work is to stuff them with newspaper.

 

[Ganymede]

Hi all. How do you all cope with the rain? I find that I get soaked through. Also my work clothes in my bag get wet and the rain drips in to my eyes effectively blinding me. How do you combat all this?

to CycleChat Dan. I have to say I'm not great in the wet either but I do have a helmet with a peak that keeps the rain off my specs. We speccy 4-eyes types are always conscious of this need. If you don't like to wear a helmet, then a peaked cap helps.

Sounds like you need to invest in better waterproofs - especially for your bags - or just let yourself get very wet and then change at the other end. After all, skin's waterproof...

 

[raleighnut]

Leave a change of clothes at work, just take them in/change them over on a dry day.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

For me, I always wear safety glasses, so the hassle is keeping them clear rather than drips and spray in the eyes. Peak on helmet helps a bit.

Waterproof top, let the legs and undercarriage get wet.

Sealskins socks when I know it's going to be horrible, not the most comfortable, but better than Porrelle Drys for comfort and keep feet dry until water gets in the top, even then keeps them warm.

Double bag clothes, carrier bag, pulled tight and twisted closed upside down in second carrier bag done the same. Kept stuff dry 99.9% of the time when I was motorbiking and yet to fail cycling. Could use a dry bag, but a bit overkill.

Leave a dry set of clothes at work anyway, I carry in the clothes for two days time with me, wear what's already sat in the locker that way I know it's dry.

 

[snorri]

I stay at home and read CycleChat until the rain stops.

 

[numbnuts]

Man up!!! It's all part of cycling.

....and then go in the car

 

[Cyclist33]

Hi all. How do you all cope with the rain? I find that I get soaked through. Also my work clothes in my bag get wet and the rain drips in to my eyes effectively blinding me. How do you combat all this?

Sorry to be a bit facetious, but, like, er...

1. What, you get soaked? In the rain? Golly gosh! Perhaps a waterproof jacket...
2. If you make sure your clothes are in a waterproof bag they won't get wet. A carrier bag or two inside the backpack usually does the trick, stuff the kit in there and do the bags up.
3. A cap.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Hi all. How do you all cope with the rain? I find that I get soaked through. Also my work clothes in my bag get wet and the rain drips in to my eyes effectively blinding me. How do you combat all this?

I just get wet, if it is really raining then sealskinz socks and overshoes. Mudguards make a huge difference.

All my gear is in dry bags all year round and if it is raining I put a pack cover over the rucksack. Cap helps with rain dripping. Only thing I haven't solved is keeping my glasses clear.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

depends on the time of year.
as others have stated, waterproof top and helmet with visor/baseball cap help considerably.
if plastic carrier bags don't take your fancy, then consider waterproof bags such as the exped dry bag range (they last and last and last) or any other make/model or just get waterproof panniers such as Ortlieb rollers classics and not have to worry about the contents getting wet.
Otherwise I tend to let my legs get wet in the summer, but in the late autumn/winter/early spring, it is another matter entirely and I don't mind saying that I will and do use waterproof trousers (Gore do some dedicated cycling ones) and wear waterproof shoes/boots. I also have semi-waterproof winter bib tights that have a waterproof strip down the front of the legs to help stay warmer in light rain/spray in the winter/spring as well. Hands are also in waterproof gloves in the winter/spring. In the summer they just get wet.

 

[Archeress]

I tend to take in a weeks worth of office clothes on a Monday, say a blouse for each day and then 2 or 3 bottoms ie skirt or trousers. Then I have a pair of smart black shoes that will go with anything under the desk. I also have a couple of those packable towels that I rotate in and out of work so I can dry off or have a quick shower to warm up and then get dry. As for water in my eyes, I wear prescription glasses so have the option of seeing gazillions of cars and traffic lights with all the raindrops or just seeing a big blur...

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[J.Primus]

Waterproof jacket, waterproof trouser things that go over my trousers and overshoes. Clothes in a plastic bag in my rucksack!

 

[classic33]

I just get wet, if it is really raining then sealskinz socks and overshoes. Mudguards make a huge difference.

All my gear is in dry bags all year round and if it is raining I put a pack cover over the rucksack. Cap helps with rain dripping. Only thing I haven't solved is keeping my glasses clear.

Top set if used, try a dab of washing up liquid. Being close to the body any water will mist them, the soap will clear it.
Commercial sprays available that do exactly the same.

 

[Maylian]

I find that lycra tends to dry quickly enough in our work changing rooms that it's not too bad. My commute doesn't have to be so long that it is uncomfortable or too cold, I find that waterproofs in their very nature make me overheat and sweat which is far worse than a bit of rain.

As for the change of clothes, I find that a high vis waterproof rucksack cover is more than enough to keep the contents of my bag dry and as others say, if you're really worried then a carrier bag will do the rest.

Keeping rain out of the eyes is just a hazard of cycling, I wear cycling glasses (a necessity) for keeping bugs out and the worst of the rain but eventually you'll probably just have to remove them and "man up".