Conference noted::bicycle

    Reminds me of the question I always get - what do you do when it rains?
    
    		Answer: Get wet.
                
    I keep my bike dry when I can, but I'm not paranoid.  I use fenders
    (detachable Zefals - big help) and wear a breathable rain suit.  The
    big discomfort is trying to breathe and see, and also I've never had a
    lot of luck keeping my feet comfortable.  I've seen what looked like a
    good pair of booties, but never tried them.
    
    Actually, once you take the plunge, riding in the rain in sort of fun
    if you aren't cold.  I'm interested in seeing what others have to say. 
    So far, I'm the only person I've met who's not smart enough to come in
    out of the rain.
    
    Later,
    	  Mike

I rode Tour de Cure (for American Diabetes Association) two weekends ago in
South Hadley.  The forecast was for rain and I had 70 or so miles to drive to
get to the start.  I covered my saddle while the bike was atop the car but
it still got pretty wet within the first mile.

I brought my raingear (cheap rain pants and a Gore-tex jacket).  When I 
started, however, I wore nothing over my shorts and just a light non-water-
resistant shell.  It was warm enough that I was more worried about sweat than
about rain.  No problems overall.

The rain pants that I didn't use have the advantage of being an obnoxious
day-glo yellow which makes me feel more visible.  This is a valid concern.

Erik
    
                                 

    I did the Red Cross 75 miler last year in a constant down pour.
    
    It was fun actually. Definitely bring eye protection.. You'll 
    be dealing with the "rooster tail" effect when drafting/following
    other cyclists.
    
    As far as rain protection goes, it depends on the type of ride you
    plan to do. If you're planning on working hard (even sometime during
    your ride) I personally find that the stuff overheats you. If you're
    going to just roll along at a 10 mph pace don't worry about it.
    
    The bottom line is you'll get wet from the rain or perspire to death
    staying dry. 
    
    Go for it in your sunshine suit and have a ball! You may be wrinkled,
    but that goes away.
    
    One thing, if you wear sock, plan on them never being the same color
    again. There is some much crap that lifts off the road, e.g. grime,
    oil, gas, etc... it does a number on them... But hey, you can save them
    for next year!
    
     Chip

    Two more points:
    Forget the rain; worry about lightning.  At the first sign of an
    approaching squall line (black clouds, rumbling) from the south/west,
    plan ahead on stopping at a Cumberland Farms, gas station, or whatever.
    Try and get inside a structure before the first local lightning strike.
    
    Also, remember that braking sucks in the rain, especially on road
    bikes with smaller pads than mtn bikes.  Make sure you get the most
    of your brakes as possible by truing your rims and adjusting the
    brakes.  Ride more defensively.
    .02kb
    

    eh?
    
    Riding through a lightning storm without brakes is actually a rather
    cosmic experience. :*)  Yer feet still get wet, though.
    
    -mc  

    re .3
    
    Speaking of road grit and grime, any advice on keeping water bottle
    nozzles clean?  There's nothing worse than a mouth full of road.
    
    Jamie

>	1) Should I worry about keeping my shinny, bikes dry the night before
>	   the tour?

    I'd stick a plastic bag over the saddle. It will get wet anyway, but
    there is nothing worse than sticking your butt on a soaking wet, cold
    saddle. At least you get a chance to get gradually used to the
    sogginess if the saddle gets wet at the same time as you.
    
>	2) Is it worth trying to keep any part of me dry?
>		a) Should one wear a pancho?  Jacket?

    I wear my nylon fronted jacket. Not ideally waterproof, but then the
    only clothes that are make cycling difficult.
    
>		b) Should I bring a change of gloves?

    Yes. Gloves get obliterated in the rain.
    
>		c) Should I try to keep the seat dry when taking breaks?

    Doesn't make such a big difference when you're taking breaks. The
    saddle is wet anyway, and your only limiting losses here. If you can
    let it sit in a sheltered spot, fine, but don't bother sticking bags
    over it, unless you don't mind carrying them around with you.
    Personally, I don't bother.
    
>		d) What do you do about yer eyes?  Are ski goggles an option?

    Glasses are a must. You'll see nothing without them, and your eyes will
    end up bloodshot and stinging. I have a pair of clear Rudy Projects
    (remember the glasses that Jorgi Muller wore 6 years ago?), but I also
    have a pair of JTs that have a bronzed lens that darkens sunlight, and
    brightens darkness. I don't know how it knows what one to do...
    
>	3) Will I be happy at the end of the day?

    Yes. Very. There's a strange masochistic satisfaction to be had. And
    let's face it, all cyclists are masochists... :-)
    
    Couple of other points. Try and protect your feet with something.
    Rainwater is usually freezing and your feet will get uncomfortable
    quickly. Use overshoes or gore-tex shoes.
    
    Ride with mudguards (US translation - fenders) and try to ride in the
    company of others using them as well. Makes the journey much more
    comfortable.
    
    Graham.

    Re; "Rainwater is usually freezing"... Only on the island!
    
        It's like pee pee here this time of year :-)
    
     Chip

    
    Next time that it snows in NE America, I won't be so sympathetic, I'll
    tell you... :-)
    
    Graham.

    re .6 ... Water Nozzles.
    
    Bought my Camelback toy.  Neat. Great. No dirt. Very convenient.
    Expensive as hell, compared to a bottle, but it's definitely well named
    (70 ounces).

    	No doubt about it, especially if, like me, you sweat buckets.
    
    	Best idea I've seen in a long time.
    
    	Scott

re: .6

Actually, this note cost me $16 last night.  As I looked though EMS for anything
that might help this pending ride-in-the-rain, I spotted these water bottles
with a cover over the nozzle.  So, bought 2.

re: .10, .11

Are the camelbacks water packs that sit on your back?  If so, are they 
uncomfortably warm on those days when you need them most?

John

   About saddles in the rain - I put a plastic bag over the saddle
   (like the thin "teeshirt" ones you get at the supermarket) and pull a
   lycra seatcover over it.

   This keeps the leather dry and the lycra doesn't bind against
   your shorts the way some so-called waterproof (rubber coated)
   saddle covers do, and moreover these don't really work - after
   riding in the rain with one I pulled it off and the saddle was
   wet anyhow, the seams leaked.

   It's actually fairly comfortable to ride in the rain in mild weather
   and a *lot* less messy than early spring riding around here anyhow
   so it doesn't bother me.

   Fenders are nice, one of my bikes has them year round.

   I'd advise putting saran wrap over your cycle computer with a rubber
   band to hold it in place, these things have a habit of screwing up
   in the rain.

   - Jim

    	John,
    
    	What discomfort I may experience (not much) from having the
    	camelbak on my back is offset by the knowing that I have
    	plenty of fluid for the ride.
    
    	You mileage may differ.
    
    	Scott

> Are the camelbacks water packs that sit on your back?  If so, are they 
> uncomfortably warm on those days when you need them most?
    
    Hasn't bothered me yet, but their blurb on the package implies that
    filling the pack with cool liquid actually helps keep your core
    temperature down.  Makes a certain amount of sense, really.
    
    Later,
    	  Mike

    Last weekend I took part in a 2 day 100 miles each day sponsored cycle
    between Dublin and Belfast. The weekend before I did a 80 miler as
    training for the event. As luck would have it, there was a fair amount
    of rain during both trips. On the training trip my cycling mittens
    picked up and retained alot of water - they are more for mountain
    biking than roads however I like them for the extra padding. The major
    downside was that they take forever to dry (>2 days). As luck would
    have it I left them behind and had to buy a pair at the event itself.
    Once again it poured rain towards the end of the first day and my
    mittens (well everything) got thoroughly soaked. Despite my best
    efforts I still had clammy mittens the next morning.
    
    So the big question is has anyone come across comfortable water
    resistant/quick drying mittens?
    
    My overboots weren't much help either - they take a while to dry too.
    Mind you they are quite cheap as well - so any advice on better
    products would be gratefully accepted.
    
    Mark

    
    Try skiing gloves, they are good when it is throwing it down, although
    they tend to be a little heavier than I would like. The other option is
    to buy gore-tex over gloves. These are mitten shaped and go over the
    top of the glove to keep the rain off.
    
    As for shoes, I got fed up with overshoes, because after 4 hours in the
    rain or snow, so much water had got in the whole for the cleat that it
    made absolutely no difference. So I started using a gore-tex shoe made
    by Duegi. These were superb and did a really good job of keeping the
    foot dry and were really comfy because of the padding that makes them
    almost like a boot. They are expensive, the last I seen were #75, but I
    reckoned on going through 2-3 sets of overshoes a year at #15 a throw,
    so you do save in the long term.
    
    Graham.

	Does anybody know where to get goretex over gloves/mittens?

	I don't live on the east coast, so I'm thinking more along the
	lines of a mail order catalog.  Somebody told me they got some
	from a runners catalog, but I've been unable to find any.

	And I would prefer that they cost around $25 or less, but I 
	don't know if that's realistic for goretex.

	- Diane

    Campmor in Paramus, New Jersey has them.  I believe that they have a
    toll free telephone number, which you would be able to get by calling
    1-800-555-1212.
    
Lew Lasher

    .18  The Specialized catalog has 'em.
    
    $25? Gore Tex? In the same breath?  Maybe a swatch of fabric you can
    tape onto your knuckles!
    
    I did some wet weather to work (we had 16 inches of rain in some parts
    here) which reminded me of a couple of things...
    
    	You get wet.
    
    	If you're thirsty, you swallow instead of inhale. No bottles needed.
    
    	I forgot just how much crud is carried along in the wake of vehicles.
    
    	Your shoes make horrible noises when you walk into the building,
    	causing everybody to turn and stare.

    Campmor has Gore-Tex overmitts for $23.99 (New Jersey residents add 6%
    sales tax).  If you don't feel like driving over to Paramus to get a
    pair, you can add $5 for shipping and call 1-800-526-4784.  The item
    number is 02462-T.  The color is blue.  The sizes are small, medium,
    and large.  For the same shipping price, you can get other good stuff
    from them at reasonable prices, too.  For example, their catalog lists
    something called "bicycle overboots" (item number 50052-Q) for $14.99;
    these are not Gore-Tex, by the way.
    
    Another possible source is Sierra Trading Post, (307) 775-8000.  They
    don't have any overmitts listed in their current catalog, but they
    might get them on occasion.  They tend to sell overstock, closeout, and
    irregular items.
    
    If you can wait until REI has them on sale (which seems to happen at
    least once a year), you ought to be able to get them for about $20.
    
Lew Lasher

     Try surgical gloves... So thin you can pick up a dime, will
     keep your hands dry, keep you communicable disease free, and
     you be able to give a very close friend a physical exam...
    
     I know this doesn't help...

    You'd never guess that it's Friday... :-)
    
    Graham.

    I'm so sorry...
    
    Not Specialized, rather Performance catalog, part 16-3367, $29.99 +
    S&H ($3.95 or $6.95 overnite).  1-800-PBS-BIKE.
    
    Actually, my feet have always been so soggy I've never given my hands a
    second thought.

     Speaking of wet weather (and there's an opportunity to remove the
     lull and start another fight) what are people's opinions on their
     best riding weather and what conditions do people think are ideal
     for speed <- (I know the answer to this one)  :-)
    
     Chip

    Maybe it's just me, but I can go like a bat of hell on...
        * a road surface that has just been swept by a street sweeper
        * and mildly wet (no standing water, just a wet film)
    .02 kb
     
     

    70 degrees F, clear day, 30 knot tailwind.  Downhill if possible. I
    know this can be arranged, because generally speaking the wind adjusts
    itself to be in my face regardless of my direction.  It stands to
    reason it can work the other way.
    
    Wet weather is slooooow.  Drag on the tires, usually wind, soggy socks. 
    Hitting big puddles doesn't help.
    
    High humidity, hard to breathe, but my times are usually pretty good. 
    
    Morning is almost always better than afternoon for me - could be the
    dogs are still asleep.

    
    When Chris Boardman broke the UK 25 mile competition record last year
    (47:19), he said that it was his perfect conditions. He reckons that
    roads are faster just after a massive storm. You are still riding
    through really low pressure, but you don't have the poor weather to
    hamper you. Certainly makes sense...
    
    Graham.

     Atmospherically speaking... The air is actually lighter in high
     humidity conditions. So, a cyclists will move faster in a hot/
     humid environment. Without fail, the fastest times at our TT's
     are on the muggiest of evenings (calm wind).
    
     Strange but true... I feel like a missle when its raining!!!!!!
     (barring hurricane wind and blinding downpours).
    
     Chip