I had to drive around 1500km this past weekend in a rented mini-van. I don’t own a car, so that’s probably more distance than I’ve covered in a motor vehicle in the past 5 years.
Today, back home and on my way to work, there was rather torrential rain, but I was still so thankful to be back on the bike.
I always feel like its only the first couple minutes of rain that suck. Once you get past that initial blast, it usually isn’t so bad. Having the right gear is a must though.
And a change of clothes. Having wet ass all day at work is miserable
Rain jacket and pants all the way for me, I arrive to work perfectly dry other than my shoes and socks. Just have to change into the pair I keep at my desk.
Guess you throw out clothes a lot. Rain jackets are never water proof more than 10 years.
🤷
I walk a lot and I actually like walking in the rain. It feels right.
Imho riding in light rain is great. Breathing is better, cars go slower, less people, it can be relaxing too.
The only “it sucks” part is having to wash the bike afterwards
To me another suck part is the rain drop directly hitting my eye and also make my visibility worst with the raindrop on my glasses. But yeah it’s quite nice riding in light rain.
Try wearing a shor-billed cycling cap under your helmet. They work great at keeping eyes dry while still being able to see.
I like riding in the rain. But really only for “fun”. Not when i have to go somewhere
… You’re supposed to wash your bike afterwards?
I don’t mind the rain as much as all the washing you have to do when back home.
Yes, this. I can shower and throw my clothes in the wash, but getting all that road grit off the bike is a pain.
Beautiful machine. Looks theft-resistant and really comfortable. :D
Thanks, I’ll make sure to pass the compliment onto her!
My city is kinda shit for cycling, bike theft is pretty bad and there’s a severe lack of cycling infrastructure. I always carry both the folding lock visible in the picture and a u-lock. It’s also a rather large bike, anyone under 6 feet tall would struggle to ride away with it.
The cruiser bars allow for a really upright riding position, which I prefer for visibility purposes with how dangerously people drive here.
Despite being a bike dedicated to urban riding, she’s been known to venture down the odd rural route or ATV trail.
As I don’t own a car, I am very happy that public transport is a very good option if I don’t want to ride my bike to work.
I hate this false dichotomy: You don’t have to drive when it’s raining, but neither must you ride around with wet brakes, bad traction, and poor visibility.
You can just stay home.
I can’t really not go to work just because it’s raining. Not only would it fuck over my coworkers; I need the money.
It’s not like I’m made of salt, anyways :P With a raincoat and rain pants it’s really not that bad.
I’m amazed how many people, even daily cycling commuters just don’t know about rain pants. Couldn’t live without them personally.
You got recommendations? I get hot very easily. So if I wear rain pants on a ride that’s longer than a few miles, I’m gonna be wet anyway.
Just go to any local outdoor gear shop and get ones that are light weight gore-Tex or equivalent material. Though I will say I am somewhat of a freak in how little I sweat, so your experience might differ from mine. They definitely will not be as breathable as normal pants, but better than being soaked and wet. Helps if you cycle at a more leisurely pace.
Nice. I have trouble not riding fast. It’s too fun. But I do go slower in the rain. I’ll check out some gortex for sure
Crossposting to r/fuckcars…lol
Akira Slide.
That is when I call in and say I’m WFH for the day.
I’m thankful being able to step into my own car after a long day at work. It’s just so comfy
Why? I hate my car and every car I’ve been in because they only go where there’s a ton of traffic. Give me a bike path any day of the week.
Because it is dry and warm and you get to sit down.
That also describes buses and trains, both of which I prefer to driving because I can do other stuff while getting where I need to go. In fact, the main reason I like bikes is because I can get exercise while going places, which saves time.
I hate sitting in cars because that means I’m not doing something productive, it’s just wasted time.
Right but for me it would add a lot of walking and about 1,5h of travel time daily. And with car I get to leave exactly when I want to and I have all my stuff in my car.
Same. If I take transit to work, it’s 2 hours each way vs 30 min by car. Cycling is similar, even with an ebike since I work ~25 miles away.
I drive because it’s faster. That doesn’t mean I like my car, it just means it’s the most reasonable way to get to work. At my last job, I bike commuted since the ride was only 30-45 min away (depending on wind), and I could take the bus if the weather sucked (esp in the winter when it was snowing).
My preference is still cycling/walking, then the train, then the bus, and then my car. I’ll drive if it’s the best option, but driving feels like a massive waste of time compared to exercising on my bicycle or doing other stuff while riding the train or bus.
I think in ideal conditions, I’d prefer not to drive. But a car right now just has just so many advantages to me and I don’t think public transit would work with my current line of work. Freedom of schedule and movements, time saving, carrying all my stuff, comfiness from familiarity and controllable ac, no other people… Downsides are having to actually drive, which is especially bad one when tired but also cost, though benzine isn’t as expensive as it is cracked out to be compared to public transport, but all the other expenses do pile on.
Right now for me, a personal car just can’t be beat. Well, there’s one thing that could beat it and that’s company car hah
If all three options were practical, which would be your preference? As in, if your work had all the amenities for cycling (bicycle storage, showers, etc), the bus stops conveniently close to your work, and there was sufficient parking, and each mode would get you there in a reasonable amount of time, which would you choose?
For example, here’s my previous commute:
- bike - 30-40 min, 100% separated bike path, have shower at work and indoor space for my bike
- bus - 30-40 min, one transfer (<5 min wait), and stops right in front of my work
- car - 20-30 min drive, depending on traffic, outdoor parking
The car is a little bit faster, but not dramatically so. If 30-40 min cycling is too much, change the thought experiment down 10 min for each option.
For me, my preferences are:
- cycling - get exercise and commute done at the same time
- transit - can do other stuff while commuting, like read a book, play video games, etc
- car - a bit faster and more flexible
I don’t like driving, but I’ll do it if the benefits outweigh my preference.
