I'm still struggling though the details when it comes to having the proper rain gear. I feel really good about a few things
1. the waterproof pants I have now keeping my dry and breathe well.
2. and a pair of rubbers to slip over my shoes. Both of those are working beautifully.
3. As I said in an earlier post, my ski helmet and goggles work really well in any cold weather, but they also perform nicely in the rain as well.
It's my upper body I can't get figured out. I have two "waterproof" or at least "windproof" coats that just aren't cutting it. They hold up for 5-10 minutes, but after that I begin to get that damp icky feeling on my arms and across my chest where the rain hits most directly.
I'm still trying to work it all out. The picture above is of all my gear drying out in my office. What I may have to do is have a change of clothes in a waterproof bag with me... This is because the more waterproof the gear is, the warmer I get while spinning the pedals along. My innermost layer was pretty wet today.... and I can't tell if it got that way from the outside in, or from the inside out.... geesh!
I have spent the last few days searching the web for good resources on wet weather commuting. Here is a list of useful links I came across.
http://www.thirdwave-websites.com/bike/rain-capes.cfm
http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/commuter+bike+gear.html
http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/10/16/my-rain-gear/
http://www.drivelesssavemore.com/pages/wet-weather-biking-gear
Problem is, I can't decide what to do. I have only about a 3-4 mile commute, so getting totally decked out doesn't make a lot of sense. Similarly, being under-dressed makes for a long day at the office. So, I ran to the hardware store this morning to buy some rubber booties as a start. Then I had second thoughts about them, because I expected them to allow too much water to splash up around my pant-legs. I took them back.
The point of the matter is, the only piece of wet weather and winter gear I am sure of, is my snowboarding helmet with goggles. It keep me warm, it keeps the wind out of my eyes, and my wife thinks its sexy...
Tons of people ask me what kind of bike they should buy, then tell me three days later that they bought the bike from Walmart I told them not to bother with, because "the price was right."
Please stop doing this! Granted, if you only want a bike to ride a few times a year down the sidewalk or a rails to trails system, go for it. You aren't serious about buying a bike anyway. But if you want to buy a bike that might be useful to you at all in the future, look on craigslist.
Step one: Figure out what size bike you need.
Mountain bikes are sized in inches, and road bikes are sized in centimeters. You night want to swing by your local bike shop and try out a new bike or two just to find out what size fits you best.
Step two: Determine what type of riding you intend to do.
Mountain bikes are great for the single track, but really heavy and cumbersome for most other situations. Know where you are hoping to ride.
Step three: Do your research. Learn which namebrands are quality, and look for those models first.
Step four: Look on craigslist in your local area. Know that there are no guarantees on anything, but also know that you should save at least $100-$200 on the good quality bike that is just a couple years old. Also, make an offer. Barter. The price is only what someone is willing to pay.
Step five: Sell your old bike on craigslist. Everybody's garbage is someone else's treasure. I have bought quite a few treasures along the way!
Disclaimer: I love being able to buy bikes this way. Out of the 8-9 kids and adults bikes in my garage, only one was bought brand new. We looked though... for a solid month. Sometimes the right bike just doesn't surface. But 8 out of nine isn't too bad!
One of my favorite blogs to check every day is Jonathan Pait's www.lowcadence.com It is a biking blog from a cyclist in Greenville, who rides daily and continues to blog about it daily. That is one of the hardest things of all to do: continue to blog about it daily.
Nonetheless, Jonathan is embarking on an epic ride across the state of SC at the end of the month. I find this ride particularly interesting, because he is doing the ride to raise support for a CHD (Child Heart Defect) child that was in the hospital with my son Josiah before he passed away. If you do not know our story, check it out at www.thewilsonheart.com
My son Josiah was flown via helicopter from Greenville to Charleston, SC. Planning a ride on that route was something I had hoped to do myself. Now that Jonathan is riding the route, and doing it for a cause I am personally passionate about, my interest is peaked. Jonathan is riding the 240 miles in a single day, for Rebekah Grace Ellis, a little girl who fights for every breath, and every heartbeat, every single day. Her story, and her family is absolutely amazing.
Please visit this website, where you will learn more about little Rebekah Grace and consider donating to support Jonathan in this epic trek across the state.