4 Tips for Biking in Bad Weather

For the truly committed cyclist, as Tiger Woods says, “there are no rainy days.” If you really can’t resist getting your bicycle out there – even in bad weather – then this article is for you. It’s important not only to learn how to minimize your risk in bad weather, it’s also a good idea to know when you should avoid the weather altogether. And it can’t hurt to learn how to optimize your comfort along the way.

Know when to get out. Sometimes, the weather is so bad that you simply don’t want to be cycling, no matter how crazy about the sport you might be. These times include any piece of weather in which the visibility drops to a serious point, such as in fog or heavy rain. You’ll also want to stay out of the lightning as is the case with about any outdoor physical activity. Lightning may seem like a no-chance-in-hell situation but you won’t think that way if you ever get struck. So minimize your risk by simply getting out of the really bad weather and living to cycle another day.

Go out of your way to avoid traffic in bad weather conditions. If it keeps you safer, stay out of traffic when there’s fog, hail, snow, or rain. Sometimes you can’t help but be trapped in the rain when you’re cycling, so do your best to return home or at least to shelter as safely as possible. It’s best to simply avoid traffic altogether if you can; you never know if a car will hydroplane; it’s as unexpected for the driver as it would be for you.

Keep an eye on the weather reports. Prevention, prevention, prevention. Prevention is key, and all it takes is a quick search on a site like Weather.com to view the forecast for your local area to understand the risks the weather might have in store for you. You can even find forecasts for specific hours of the day, so there’s no excuse to not to at least know what kind of weather will be expected that day.

Dress appropriately. This is usually common sense, but it bears mentioning anyway; if you have a hot day, dress in white and keep the clothes to a minimum. When you’re cycling in the cold, wear something insulating. If there’s a chance of rain, you’ll want to wear something that keeps out moisture – though you’ll want to avoid rain as much as possible.

Photo Credits: Francis Bourgouin

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bad weather, bicycle, common sense, excuse, fog, hail, heavy rain, hell, hot day, lightning, local area, outdoor physical activity, prevention, rainy days, risk, tiger, tiger woods, traffic, visibility, weather conditions

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Biking

Posted by Bike Swim Run on November 17, 2009 in Biking. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.