Biking in Bad Weather

With the right gear, a cold, rainy day bike can be transformed from bleh to yay

When you wake up in the morning with every intention of biking, but look out the window and see that it’s raining outside, do you think, “Ugh, I’m not biking in that!” ? Well you’re not alone. When I first started bicycling to work, I would bike in good weather but take the subway if it was raining. It just seems so inhospitable to be out in the open elements when the elements are cold water pouring down on you.

Also, in Boston, when there is any amount of precipitation it seems like accidents pop up immediately, and traffic jams pile up. The roads are more slippery, and it just seems more dangerous to be out on the road.

The fact is, bad weather does suck and you definitely have to be more careful if you’re out on the road in it. But it is possible to ride in the rain and snow; you do need the right gear, though. There’s apparently a Norwegian saying that goes, “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.” It may seem like false comfort, but a country that doesn’t see the sun in the wintertime may be onto something.

Equipping yourself and your bike with the proper gear will make those rainy, snow and slushy rides way more bearable. And perhaps even enjoyable!

Fenders

The first piece of gear that will make your bike ride less miserable is fenders, particularly the rear fender. They perform a very important function of ensuring that the water thrown up by your turning wheels don’t get flung onto you. I’m sure you’ve seen the poor souls with the tell-tale wet mark up the center of their entire back side. They need a rear fender. If your bike didn’t come with them, you can get the type that are semi-permanently screwed to your frame. Another good choice, and the kind that I use are plastic blade-shaped fenders that come with a canvas strap that hooks around your seat post. They’re easily removable and get the job done.

Waterproof Footwear

The second piece of gear that will help is waterproof shoes, boots or boot coverings. Getting to work with your feet sitting in a puddle inside your shoes is never a good feeling. Unless you’re going high tech and use clips in your pedals, any kind of waterproof or at least water resistant footwear will do. I personally wear my trusty pair of hiking boots when it’s raining. I’ve seen people wear the rubber rain boots, but they seem awkward to pedal in. You can also get waterproof booties that pull over your shoes or boots. Whatever choice you make, just make sure that you have enough grip on the bottoms of your feet so you’re not slipping off the pedals.

Waterproof Outerwear

The third piece of gear that will protect you in the rain is rain pants and a rain jacket. Like the others, this is just another way of keeping the water away from you as much as possible. There are many options available, many of which are pricey. What I currently use is a pair of general rain pants that are basically rubber and completely waterproof. They don’t breathe at all, so I only wear them when it’s cool or cold rain. The upside of that is they work out really well at keeping out the snow and chill during the wintertime. A waterproof or water resistant rain jacket will also do a lot. I have a thin water resistant windbreaker, and a snowboarding jacket for cold weather. I would recommend trying to find an option that has vents or breathes decently, since your torso will get the warmest/sweatiest as you bike. I found my jackets on eBay and on clearance at REI for a pretty good price, and they both work great.

Waterproof Backpack

The last piece of gear that I love for wet weather is a waterproof backpack. For quite a while I was making do with my regular school-type backpack that I stuck in a garbage bag and wore when it rained. But honestly it was annoying and I knew it wasn’t a great long term solution. I did a bit of research and finally landed on a pretty reasonably-priced waterproof biking backpack, and it has made even my regular non-rainy rides so much better. The biking backpack just sits better on my back and doesn’t weigh down on my shoulders like my other one did. It’s quite waterproof, even when I’m carrying my laptop.

So there you have it. Fenders, waterproof footwear, rain pants and jacket, and a waterproof backpack. These things have made riding in the rain more fun than anything else for me, and hopefully they can help you too!