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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@minion That's the one. Except if you're using a bar that tapers (IE, most that aren't PRO's Vibe, to my knowledge), you can insert it from the taper section. Sometimes that means removing the tape, but it appears that on most bars you can even fit it with tape in place. No reason to touch the shifters in any case.
It's also super-light (~100g for a 100mm stem? Hell yeah!), stiff, inexpensive and gorgeous. Yes, mine awaits me in Frankfurt.
@Xyverz
Hmm yes, I see what you mean - the comment button or whatever was there before seems to have disappeared.
I'll try to find out from support, but nothing has been changed in terms of club details or access for members. Maybe connected to the recent legal issues ???
And by the way I see we have 94 people now !
While Frank is revising Rule 74 maybe he can add the Strava Widget to this site ;-) then you could see all my miles in the snow in Abu Dhabi, if it freezes over before Hell.
On the subject of Strava, I just found this site which allows you to compare multiple rides over a segment. Quite interesting for working out where everybody looses or gains time. Haven't quite worked out if it will compare all of my rides over a segment which would be useful as well.
@frank
YUP! I definitely consider owning a few nice bikes a huge privilege. No, I don't have to have all of them, but it's completely awesome to be able to choose from a few different really nice bikes which one you feel like riding on a particular day. I actually like the slightly different feel and fit on them and don't try to match my them exactly. But, I also don't live in a rainy place where I might be on my rain bike as much as the #1.
On the topic of lights, being seen, etc - I picked up a Spiuk gilet last fall for fall/winter low-light riding. It's neon green/yellow with some reflective stripes. Not piping, but real stripes. I was amazed at how much more room drivers gave me. It was around $30 and has made me feel much, much safer on low-light rides. Yeah, you look like a commuter on a hybrid, but I'd suggest it to anyone doing a lot of winter riding. When I pull it on mid-ride I suddenly feel much safer because drivers really use a lot more caution around me. Makes the 2nd half of the ride that much better.
Instead of TTing it home to get off the roads I've been able to just enjoy the ride.
@versio
Dude, stop calling it "The Sword." That's as bad as the douchebag who posts on here who insists on calling himself "The Oracle."
@mcsqueak
Yeah, I'd rather mount it directly on my eyeball than put it out on the front like that.
@Nate
I've heard reports from various people that putting it in the jersey impacts accuracy, especially on cloudy days. Not true? The GPS-calculated speeds and distances are already suspect, based on cloud cover. (I noticed on the Cogal, that @urbanwhitetrash was riding 2kph faster than me on climbs that we rode together according to Strava.)
@scaler911
I do love it, I wouldn't do it otherwise. Its the whole narcissistic feedback loop inherent to the internet. "Of course people care about what I have to say, so I'm going to say it...SHUT UP MOM, I'M BUSY!!!! AND BRING ME FRESH CHOCOLATE MILK!!!!"
@frank Thats where the wheel/cadence sensor comes in to it's own, the unit uses it to smooth out the inaccuracies of what is probably a relatively low end GPS unit.
@frank I quite the look of that mount in terms of the position it puts the Garmin but it would work as no one would be able to see the rather fine looking white 3T of my new bar and stem combo.