Bike in the rain, versus a crowded train.

[ianrauk]

The actual number of times I actually got wet whilst cycling was surprisingly few and an absolute soaking was as rare as hens teeth.

I'm one of those saddos who counts and notes rainy commutes.
You are indeed correct, it's really not that often in the scheme of things.

2023 52 rainy commutes
2024 44
2025 36
2026 to date 34

2026 started off really wet but dried up for months on end with a really dry spring, summer and autumn making up for it over the last month.

 

[SuperGalactian]

I seem to remember that in the 1970s Ricard Ballantyne (Richard's Bicycle Book) pointed out that the number of days per year when it was raining in England between 8 and 9 am was very small - something like 10.

 

[ColinJ]

I seem to remember that in the 1970s Ricard Ballantyne (Richard's Bicycle Book) pointed out that the number of days per year when it was raining in England between 8 and 9 am was very small - something like 10.

I can believe that - I walked to and from university in Manchester/Salford and only got really wet a few times in nearly 3 years!

 

[Webbo2]

I seem to remember that in the 1970s Ricard Ballantyne (Richard's Bicycle Book) pointed out that the number of days per year when it was raining in England between 8 and 9 am was very small - something like 10.

Clearly he didn’t live in North Yorkshire.

 

[Jameshow]

Regarding rain....
I used to cycle train cycle commute into London, all year round. We had secure parking, showers, changing rooms and clothes storage so dead easy.
The actual number of times I actually got wet whilst cycling was surprisingly few and an absolute soaking was as rare as hens teeth.

Clearly Manchester would be a different proposition

In Manchester you could count the number of days you stayed dry!🤣

With love from Yorkshire!🤣

 

[Raging_Pixie]

Commuted by bike for years. Used to smile at people waiting in the rain for a bus but I have to admit we had good showers at work. And while it was cheaper than getting the train it wasn't as cheap as my co-workers imagined .

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I'm 63, get free bus travel (at 60 here in Scotland) and still commute by bike, I love it, hate the bus!
I commute in all weather, ice no problems because I have my studded tyres ice bike, the rare times is snows heavily I'll walk the impassable bits.
Rain does not bother me, the time of day does not bother me either.
Early am is great, deserted roads.
Until lockdown, I used to work in hospitality, any shift from 6am starts to 3am finishes, 12, 14 hours shifts.
Loved riding home at 3 am, it's sort of magical, and when you get home you aren't even tired from work anymore.

 

[fossyant]

In Manchester you could count the number of days you stayed dry!🤣

With love from Yorkshire!🤣

Correct. It's why we were good for cotton ! Wet.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I seem to remember that in the 1970s Ricard Ballantyne (Richard's Bicycle Book) pointed out that the number of days per year when it was raining in England between 8 and 9 am was very small - something like 10.

I recorded a year of commutes when I first started. Got caught in rain, 8 times.

 

[fossyant]

I get caught in it a lot (rain). Winter boots were a revelation - not just no needing overshoes in the cold, but also rain. In the really torrential stuff I'll pop on the boil in the bag over trousers, but the MTB trousers cope OK with showers, and as they are trousers and not bib tights, they direct any water over the cuffs of the boots, so less chance of water ingress. Boots and shoes do go on or near the de-humidifier to keep them fresh. Neoprene cuffs etc can stink.

The rub comes when sat in the office thinking you've had a bit of a soggy time, and your colleagues are coming in moaning about the traffic and getting wet walking 200 yards from the 'covered' multi-storey car park to the office door. I do that same 200 yard walk having ridden 10 miles in the rain, so by then I'm trying to cool down.

Sometimes you don't feel like riding, but to drive in, I still have to set off at about the same time, and with riding I've got the faff of packing bags, changing into bike kit and doing the reverse at the other end. Just jumping in the car doesn't get me to the office quicker, and I feel like I've cheated.

Commuting by bike is free training time - keeps you fit for the recreational fun.