riding in the rain?

It rains quite a bit in my area too. I usually wait until it stops before I leave for a longer ride. But sometimes it can be really beautiful (m)unicycling in the rain. Unless it’s really poring badly of course. And the mud can actually make things pretty exciting too.

:stuck_out_tongue:

Just wanted to add too, generally only rains here in the colder months. For rides on those wet days - 5-10 degrees celcius - I wear a thermal long sleeve layer, a light shirt and a rain shell, with knicks and shorts. That’s usually enough to keep warm for a few hours in the rain. If anything gets cold it’s usually my feet, once the shoes get soaked.

Are knicks just normal pants? I got a shell now. I had a credit and was going to get a light, but its easier for me to ride in a parking lot at night then this rain. So that should help and I will check out the rain pants if they seem OK. I also have somewhere some gortex socks. I think lol. That will keep my feet dry. So looks like now I CAN have fun in the rain! I’ve got to put in some uni hours. I have plans for my uni and things I need to learn first.

Riding in rain and wet conditions is fine, just remember to dry off your uni as best you can i.e. wipe off excess water/crud. I’d also avoid riding in too much mud (I know you’re just learning now so perhaps this is premature) as 1. you can really do a number on your bearings (I had to replace mine) and 2. It may not be much fun if the mud is very sticky or too slippery. It’s one thing to have to pass through mud on your ride and another to actively seek it out! :slight_smile: As others have said, be careful on wet wooden surfaces! Otherwise go have fun!

Have you tried SealSkinz socks? lovely and warm and dry - at outdoor shows some poor soul is often found stood in a paddling pool of water but with nice dry feet. Even in the hot & dry (UK hot & dry) my feet don’t get significantly more sweaty than with normal socks.

I always found with those, once it gets really wet, you get water inside them (through the top I guess), and then it doesn’t go out again due to the waterproofness*, you end up with wrinkly feet from them sitting around in their own little puddle. They are great for a bit, but in a downpour, I’d rather wear normal socks.

Joe

*they are breathable, but that only really works for water vapour / sweat, it doesn’t work if you get water in them.

I wouldn’t worry about riding in the wet - even mud. No a good idea to ride in water so deep that the bearings are actually submerged, but otherwise the unicycle will be fine. Yes, the bearings will probably last a bit less time in wet conditions, but I reckon dust is probably almost as bad.

I live in quite a wet place and ride mostly xc, so my unicycles are usually wet and muddy. I’ve replaced one set of bearings that started to get rough after about three years, but they’re cheap so who cares? Sometimes I’ll wipe down the more rust-prone bits (steel seatposts mostly) with an oily rag, but usually I don’t bother. And whoever said it’s no fun to ride in slippery mud is lying :slight_smile: Difficult, yes, but fun - and it doesn’t hurt if you crash.

Rob

Oh mud if fine to ride in as long as it’s rideable. It sure sucks when it isn’t. I actually ride in mud quite a bit, to the dismay of the local mtn *iking community who just came seem to understand that “trails” are not a natural occurrence. It is generally frowned upon :frowning: around here to ride on wet trails! Not that it stops a lot of people. :slight_smile:

Rhodedondrons flurish in Mid and North Wales. The air is saturated with moisture a lot of the time as it rains a lot. When it gets warmer it gets very humid. It’s a lot like Bhutan, well, the Himalayas where Rhodedendrons also flurish. It doesn’t need to be precipitating to get wet - in the right situation the moisture in the atmosphere can often just break out as cloud …at sea level! On the mountains you can see clouds of moisture rising off the trees as the atmosphere reaches saturation point.
I wear a lightweight waterproof cycle jacket and the rest of me just has to get wet - 'cos I don’t wear anything else that is waterproof. I pulled up at a cafe recently in the rain and the uni drew attention. Spectators may have thought I was mad; but when I took off my gloves and wrung the water out of them like a sponge it must have confirmed - yes I was mad. It felt great to be alive :slight_smile:

Some of our trails are closed to bikes when it’s muddy. Erosion I guess. I wonder why the horses can still go on through? Their imprints are much deeper.

Has anyone made a studded tire to use on ice? I think that would be fun (maybe).

I see your couple more :wink:

I quite enjoy the slithering about in really ridiculous mud - once it gets to that stage it’s quite nice just not having gear mechs and stuff to snap off, and trying to ride in it is (I think - although some people think I’m a loon) really fun and good control practice.

Your point about damage to wet trails is a fair one though - doesn’t really apply to my local riding because it’s mostly rocky and gravelly, with good drainage (which is lucky otherwise I’d hardly ever get out!), but on muddy singletrack I agree with you.

Rob

Ha! At least those conditions look rideable, slippery I’m sure, but rideable. The stuff we had in that 12 hour was like sticky peanut butter (i.e. think more clay than dirt mud) and then you throw in other trail debris such as sticks and grass and you can bet that everybody’s wheels got clogged up (mine included) to the point that the wheels wouldn’t even turn! Try riding in those conditions! :astonished: Seriously even the top *ike relay teams normally get in 12-14 laps. This year the most laps by anybody was FIVE! It was a “foot race” after a couple hours as most of the field quit and those left to stick it out were forced to just carry their bikes (or uni’s :slight_smile: ). Still it was a fun adventure that I wouldn’t have missed. Mud riding is VERY fun (when you can actually ride!).

That last picture of yours is amazing! That’s about as muddy as it gets.

It varied! Slimy slippery mud is fun, sticky mud mixed with grass, ferns and bits of bike is not so good. We’ve had comments from the other riders along the lines of “at least that’s easier to carry”.

Anyway, we should be trying to encourage the OP, not put her off :o

Rob

Absolutely. All I’m saying is that sometimes you’re probably better off not riding i.e. if conditions are such that you can’t even ride! We’ve been kind of talking about worse case scenario stuff. However, in general don’t be scared to ride when conditions are far from ideal. In fact, it will make you a better overall rider if you ride not only a variety of terrain but also in a variety of conditions. Go for it! Just be careful.

Ride Gently Out There

yeah! I like it too… even better is Muni during a tempest: wind blowing through the trees, and a general tonic atmosphere: I feel intoxicated by the fury of the natural elements ! … and scones and tea afterwards :stuck_out_tongue: !

I wear lightweight long underwear bottoms under breathable cycling rain pants (it’s uncomfortable to have the wet nylon against my skin), light wool socks, a breathable top (NO COTTON) and a bright yellow breathable water proof cycling jacket w/ armpit ventilation zippers

If the rain is light I keep my jacket straped to my backpack, for visibility (even @ ~ 50 deg. at night & raining I still get too hot while riding). If it’s raining heavy, I’ll wear the jacked w/ the sleeves pulled up, pit & front zippers open.

Yep.

Two main reasons. Bikes make little trenches in the mud, making it easier for water to get in and wash out the dirt faster, esp when it’s really muddy. But mainly IMO it’s that equestrians have more $, connections, and make a big stink of bikers. IMO, when it’s dry horses wear trails the most and bikes the least, but I’m undesided when it’s really muddy.

Yes. I’ve seen people put screws through their worn Muni and trials tires. It’s a lot easier to ride on packed snow. I also saw someone who made their own chain, but the person had the opinion that it was better to buy a studded tire or make your own.

Heya cbs, knicks as in cycling pants.

Other things I meant to say - I usually wear something on my head to help stay warm, a helmet or beanie. Also where I ride in the forest is protected from the wind vs being out in open exposed areas, which helps a lot re staying warm.

heya Mike thanks, will check them out. What I’ll probably do first is use some of that spray-on water repellent/seal stuff on my shoes, like you do with hiking gear etc, that might be enough.

I love riding in the rain. Specially for muni and cokering. Street and trials is fun too.