I wussed out today

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:36:06 -0500, Badger wrote:

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 08:37:59 -0500, dgk
wrote:

I decided last night that I was not biking to work today. The weather
report was a high of 42F and rain all day. I haven't really figured
out rain riding yet. It worked once, but that was going home and
warmer, yet my gloves got soaked and my hands were cold towards the
end.

Sure enough, this morning it was raining. And chilly. So, perhaps once
I get the gloves figured out I can pull this off. I wonder if I get
shocked if wearing battery powered gloves in the rain.

It's tough to consider cycling in the rain when you're doing it as part of
a commute.

OTOH, I'm looking forward to trying out the neoprene booties and the latex
glove liners lol, since it's 55 F, and raining on and off. However, I get
to come in and take a shower to wash all the mud off. On days like this I
usually skip the early morning ride.

You might consider working out the kinks of riding in the rain on the
weekends when you're not adding the complexity of getting cleaned up at
work and then spending 8 hours at your desk.

-B


That's my plan. As soon as I get the gloves figured out, I ride around
on a rainy weekend.

"dgk" wrote in message
...
I decided last night that I was not biking to work today. The weather
report was a high of 42F and rain all day. I haven't really figured
out rain riding yet. It worked once, but that was going home and
warmer, yet my gloves got soaked and my hands were cold towards the
end.

Sure enough, this morning it was raining. And chilly. So, perhaps once
I get the gloves figured out I can pull this off. I wonder if I get
shocked if wearing battery powered gloves in the rain.

Cold rain is the toughest thing to dress for. Drenching rain usually soaks
through any conventional gloves I've tried after an hour or so. I've
started wearing full neoprene gloves I got from an industrial supply house.
The have a pretty narrow temp range, much above mid-40's they're much too
hot, and below freezing they're not warm enough, still, in that critical
range, you can go all day in the rain (at least your hands can).

I've also started wearing thin, latex over-boots (also industrial supply).
They're the only way I've found to ride in the rain for a few hours without
wet feet (neoprene booties always leaked at tops).

Tomorrow (Boston) should be this season's first really cold, wet ride --
temps around freezing, wet snow/rain.

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 18:42:59 GMT, "Peter Cole"
wrote:

"dgk" wrote in message
.. .
I decided last night that I was not biking to work today. The weather
report was a high of 42F and rain all day. I haven't really figured
out rain riding yet. It worked once, but that was going home and
warmer, yet my gloves got soaked and my hands were cold towards the
end.

Sure enough, this morning it was raining. And chilly. So, perhaps once
I get the gloves figured out I can pull this off. I wonder if I get
shocked if wearing battery powered gloves in the rain.

Cold rain is the toughest thing to dress for. Drenching rain usually soaks
through any conventional gloves I've tried after an hour or so. I've
started wearing full neoprene gloves I got from an industrial supply house.
The have a pretty narrow temp range, much above mid-40's they're much too
hot, and below freezing they're not warm enough, still, in that critical
range, you can go all day in the rain (at least your hands can).

I've also started wearing thin, latex over-boots (also industrial supply).
They're the only way I've found to ride in the rain for a few hours without
wet feet (neoprene booties always leaked at tops).

Tomorrow (Boston) should be this season's first really cold, wet ride --
temps around freezing, wet snow/rain.

Got my first taste of the neoprene booties. They were good for about half
an hour, after which I noticed some dampness. Pretty steady rain, 63.

Paradoxically, this was a colder ride perceptually than the last rainy ride
at 46 deg F.

Still with the boots my shoes will surely be dry enough to wear again
tomorrow, which is my chief concern. No problems at all with cold feet.

-B

dgk wrote:
I decided last night that I was not biking to work today. The weather
report was a high of 42F and rain all day. I haven't really figured
out rain riding yet. It worked once, but that was going home and
warmer, yet my gloves got soaked and my hands were cold towards the
end.

Sure enough, this morning it was raining. And chilly. So, perhaps once
I get the gloves figured out I can pull this off. I wonder if I get
shocked if wearing battery powered gloves in the rain.

Oh man.
I love riding in the rain!

Then again, I live in Portland, Oregon - so if you don't
ride in the rain, you don't ride much...

Badger wrote:

Got my first taste of the neoprene booties. They were good for about half
an hour, after which I noticed some dampness. Pretty steady rain, 63.

Paradoxically, this was a colder ride perceptually than the last rainy ride
at 46 deg F.

Still with the boots my shoes will surely be dry enough to wear again
tomorrow, which is my chief concern. No problems at all with cold feet.

My method for cold rain (inside layer to outside layer):

- SmartWool socks
- GoreTex oversocks
- Standard ventilated bike shoes
- fleece of neoprene booties

The shoes get wet, but my feet never do. To dry out the shoes
overnight, I hang them on a hook inside the water heater closet.
Works like a charm.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 15:30:38 -0800, Terry Morse wrote:

Badger wrote:

Got my first taste of the neoprene booties. They were good for about half
an hour, after which I noticed some dampness. Pretty steady rain, 63.

Paradoxically, this was a colder ride perceptually than the last rainy ride
at 46 deg F.

Still with the boots my shoes will surely be dry enough to wear again
tomorrow, which is my chief concern. No problems at all with cold feet.

My method for cold rain (inside layer to outside layer):

- SmartWool socks
- GoreTex oversocks
- Standard ventilated bike shoes
- fleece of neoprene booties

The shoes get wet, but my feet never do. To dry out the shoes
overnight, I hang them on a hook inside the water heater closet.
Works like a charm.

Interesting. I can see the principle, but would one really need the Gortex?
In addition, wouldn't this layering mean you need two sizes of cycling
shoes b/c of the double layer of socks due to the need for the shoes to be
snug? Since you mentioned neoprene booties, any tips for fitting and
cutting out for the cleat? Get two sizes larger than your cycling shoe
size?

Unlike going on foot, my experience so far indicates that wet or pruney
feet on the bicycle is not a big problem, say in blister formation, etc.; I
just don't want to end up cold -and- wet.

Uh, I don't mind the shoes getting a _little_ wet. When I rode the first
time - just plain cycling shoes - I got everything completely sopping wet,
including the spongy insole. In the past I handled this by wearing an older
pair of tennis shoes - no can do once you move to clipless...well, at least
not until accumulating vast quantities of cycling gear! ;-)

-B
I'm workin' on it...

Badger wrote:

Terry Morse wrote:

My method for cold rain (inside layer to outside layer):

- SmartWool socks
- GoreTex oversocks
- Standard ventilated bike shoes
- fleece of neoprene booties

The shoes get wet, but my feet never do. To dry out the shoes
overnight, I hang them on a hook inside the water heater closet.
Works like a charm.

Interesting. I can see the principle, but would one really need the Gortex?

On really wet days, I do. A steady stream of water from the front
tire finds my feet with great accuracy, especially on descents.

In addition, wouldn't this layering mean you need two sizes of cycling
shoes b/c of the double layer of socks due to the need for the shoes to be
snug? Since you mentioned neoprene booties, any tips for fitting and
cutting out for the cleat? Get two sizes larger than your cycling shoe
size?

The Gore-Tex socks are pretty thin. The only adjustment I make is to
leave the shoe straps a little looser than normal. I didn't need to
do a cut-out to fit the cleat, the Gator booties were already cut
out.

I have the REI brand GoreTex socks, which are a little clumsy
fitting. If I had it to do again, I think I'd buy the Sugoi brand
instead. Their stuff fits very well:

http://tinyurl.com/5b3jk

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

Terry Morse wrote:

My method for cold rain (inside layer to outside layer):

- SmartWool socks
- GoreTex oversocks
- Standard ventilated bike shoes
- fleece of neoprene booties

The shoes get wet, but my feet never do. To dry out the shoes
overnight, I hang them on a hook inside the water heater closet.
Works like a charm.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

On drenching rain commutes I wear a waterproof jacket and pants and if
it were cold enough goretex ski gloves with neoprene gloves underneath.
I figure my feet are going to get soaked anyway so I don't bother trying
to keep them dry. I pack a change of clothes in a garbage bag and change
at work. If my socks are still soggy when it's time to go home I just
wear my dry pair that I brought along. I should point out that where I
live the climate is similar to living in Florida. The coldest it gets is
around 7 degrees celcius.

Kenny

Claire Petersky wrote:
Riding in the rain ain't so bad, and it works the opposite -- you'll be less
likely to get sick if you are clearing out your lungs and nose in the cool
air, than if you are walled in with other people, who are just bristling
with germs.

And you know what I say about indoor trainers...

"They'd better have big pecs"?

--Blair
"It's like kissing your derailleur?"

Peter Cole wrote:

Tomorrow (Boston) should be this season's first really cold, wet ride --
temps around freezing, wet snow/rain.

BT, DT, almost died on the Harvard Bridge because water
on my glasses kept me from seeing the missing cover-plate
for the expansion gap.

--Blair
"But I've told that story before."