In our privileged stables of bikes, it ranks towards the bottom of the heap as Bike #2 or lower, but the Rain Bike is no slouch. This is, after all, the bike we rely on in bad weather, trusting it to carry us safely through what typically amounts to the most dangerous conditions we ride in. Provided you ride year-round, you likely ride this machine more often than your Number One – assuming you live in an environment that isn’t a tropical island (I’m looking at you @gianni) or classified as a desert. It follows, then, that this is a machine to be curated with great care and several factors should be kept in mind when selecting the machine for this wet and dirty work.
The first consideration is the material. I hope I’m not spoiling anyone’s fantasy by pointing out that rain isn’t actually made of the sweat falling from Merckx’s guns as he pedals high up on Mount Velomis; it is mostly water, mixed with some acids and other crap. Rain water can cause certain kinds of materials to become compromised in one way or another. Steel, for example, is particularly prone to this through rusting. Calfee’s bamboo frames might be susceptible to becoming soggy – I’m not sure. For a bike which is to be ridden primarily in wet conditions, choose a durable, non-corrosive material like titanium, aluminum or carbon.
The second consideration is the components. Here’s the other news flash about riding in the rain: the roads are less pristine than they are in the dry. Road grit gets in your drivetrain and on on your rims, acting like coarse sandpaper to accelerate wear. Since you’ll be replacing some parts more often than on a bike ridden in the dry, this is a bike for which to get economical about gear selection; you aren’t going to want to replace your full titanium Super-Record cassette and chain after it wears out in 1/3 the time. The shifters, brakes, crankset, and derailleurs don’t have to be greatly affected provided you maintain the bike in the style of a velominatus, but the wheels, bottom bracket, derailleur pulleys, chain, cassette and freehub will certainly feel the strain. Anything that moves, has a bearing, or lets water in is a candidate for accelerated wear.
Third, this has to be a bike you’re going to love riding, not some beater that gets abused and you tolerate throwing your leg over. As much as riding in Rule #9 conditions is badass and an invigorating experience, it does get a bit tiresome when you ride in the rain every day from October to March (or May, for you Pacific-Northwesterners). If your position isn’t right and if the bike isn’t a pleasure to ride, it’s not going to make getting cold and wet any more enjoyable.
Lastly, this bike will be taking abuse, so remember that your safety is entrusted to this machine in conditions when visibility is low, stopping distances increased, and road surfaces slick. Maintain this bike more diligently than any other machine; check the brake pads and rims for dangerous wear, check the metal bits for rust and cracks, and keep a close eye on the chain and cables. Resist the temptation to spray it down with the garden hose as the pressure can lodge the grit deeper into bearings and other nooks and crannies on the bike. After each ride, clean the braking surfaces carefully, wipe the chain down (or, better yet, use a Cyclone with soapy water to get the grit out from in between the links) and always use a wax-based lubricant to keep the dirt from sticking to it more than with traditional oil-based lubes.
But most of all, remember that the best kind of ride is the one you’ll be able to do again; stay safe and ride carefully. Vive la Vie Velominatus.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/LVV Rain Bike/”/]
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View Comments
@Gianni
Just wait until the DA9 goes to the CX rig later this year, and this one gets Record (with Veloce cassette and ConneX chain).
@morten okbo
Ah, I am so angry about shoe covers. I've resorted to only using my DeFeet slipstreams because its the only thing that stays warm when its wet and they do OK at keeping the grime out of my shoes. Every other covers seem to go useless when wet and then fall apart after a few weeks of slipping over my gigantic peds.
Stupid shoe covers.
@RedRanger
I have been asleep for five million years and know not of this "green" of which you speak.
Oh - you mean washing up liquid?
@frank
I was looking for that vid you posted of your blindly setup. No luck on my end.
@frank
25mm tire fits on a Cervelo S1 without problems.
@the Engine
http://www.simplegreen.com/
It's an eco friendly de greaser.
@TommyTubolare
Depends on the tire; my FMB Paris-Roubaix 25's won't fit at all, but the main problem is the Alpha Q GS40 fork which won't take anything bigger than a 23mm. (Though I suppose you're right that the fork is not the Soloist's fault.)
@RedRanger
Blindly?
And after the rainbike comes the "pekelfiets"
@frank
I've got some neoprene Pro's and with a Gore Tex sock combo they at least prevent trench foot.
However - in my rapidly growing list of stupid things to do with bikes I managed to squeeze an extra one out of my overshoes.
I have huge wide feet which leads to close tolerances betwixt crank and chainstay even without an overshoe, so unless I put them on just so, I have to stop somewhere in the sleet and adjust them with frozen fingers - the classic "shoe faff" as Lay Brother Simon calls it.
On their last outing in the monsoon at the Etape Caledonia I got the Velcro at the bottom super tight for the flush fit pro look. This was wonderful no sound of neoprene on Campagnolo was heard - however after about four hours my feet were somewhat uncomfortable and at the end I had to prop the bike up against a marshal and take off my shoes as if my feet were on fire as the were in the kind of agony that 18th century gout sufferers must have suffered following a month's bender on the old ruby port.
Because (as I'm rapidly learning) I'm not that bright I blamed my blameless Shimano shoes but in a "duh" moment the next day I realised that yanking down rubber compression bandages on each foot does probably cause gangrene.
Yet another lesson learned and passed on.
You're welcome
@RedRanger
Only available to Former Colonials and Dominion residents as far as I can tell - is there a Scottish equivalent?