Rain does not cancel a commute – unprepared gear does. The difference between a miserable wet ride and a mildly smug one is a short checklist run before the front door. Here is ours, top to bottom.
Fenders before waterproofs
Most of the water that soaks a rider comes off the road, not out of the sky. Clip-on guards front and rear stop the rooster tail up your back and the constant spray across your shoes – and they fit in ninety seconds the evening the forecast turns.
Lights on, daytime included
Rain steals contrast and fills mirrors with noise. Run the front light on daytime pulse and the rear on steady even at noon. Grey rider, grey sky, grey road – the pulse is what breaks the camouflage.
Brake early, corner upright
Wet rims and discs both need an extra bike-length of stopping room, and painted lines, metal covers and leaf mush are ice when wet. Brake before the corner, not in it, and keep the bike more upright through the lean.
The five-minute after-ride
Bike inside, bottle rinsed, and a dry rag over the chain before you shower. A wet chain left overnight starts rusting by morning; thirty seconds of wiping and a drop of lube on the way out the door keeps the drivetrain honest through the wettest month.
