Riding in the rain

[bnschroder]

Last weekend I skirted the various rain clouds hovering over North Georgia successfully for the majority of a trip to Pigeon Forge, but eventually my luck ran out and Sunday morning I didn't have the luxury to wait for the rain to pass and so I had to head from Pigeon Forge to Cherokee in driving rain.
It wasn't all that bad: My Darien Jacket and pants, and my Forma Adventure boots kept me nice and dry, and I knew that my cheap work gloves would be soaked immediately. My Arai with pin lock didn't fog up, and my Mitas E07 proved to have reassuring traction on flooded roads.
But still, visibility sucked since I haven't figured out a way to keep the exterior of my faceshield transparent enough to safely see the road. I do have a tall shield so I don't get a lot of wind pressure on the shield, but even if I stick my head out sideways it doesn't really help.

What do folks do? RainX, Squeege on the glove (tried that and was underwhelmed), ride with open visor (and safety glasses - sometimes the only thing working for me)? I would love to figure this out, since beside visibility, rain doesn't bother me all that much.

 

[Xcalibur]

Funny you should ask. Fortnine just posted a video on this.

 

[Kyle_E]

It rains here 6 days a year so I am no expert.

I keep a ziplock with a soft towel in it. Pull over, phone and gloves go in the ziolock. Then I use the soft towel to wipe my shield at lights or as needed. I just tuck it under my leg. I normally have to keep my shield cracked to keep it from fogging because I never use the pinlock.

 

[Sierra1]

"Back in the day" when in rode in the rain, I used Rain-X. Going down the road, even behind a fairing, with the visor treated, all I had to do is turn my head left/right, and the water would completely slide off of the visor. Now, the soggy underwear.....that's a whole different story.

 

[CatBehemoth]

And don't forget that in a rain you're invisible for drivers.
My general recipe is to put on a rain suite and suck it up. Grips heater usually comes handy.

 

[EricV]

Your shield it just too tall. W/o the wind to blow the rain off, you're just letting it sit there. I still sometimes use the glove to wipe the outside. With the pinlock you may still get water on the inside of the visor, and even sometimes need to crack it just a little, but you should have good vision otherwise. I grew up in Portland, OR. Riding in the rain is just riding. You do what you can to be comfortable with good gear and just zip up and go. Some like the lobster claw gloves. I have some Klim goretex gloves that keep my hands dry and until recently the gear was keeping me dry. (time to replace it after 6 years and a lot of miles). Boots are goretex too. I wash the gear and re-apply durable water proofing spray every season or more often if need be too. Follow the instructions for the brand of gear you have. Dryer afterwards helps set and re-activate the stuff too.

As for being invisible in rain. We're invisible all the time. If you're not riding that way, you should be.

FYI - Be careful about RainX. Great product for glass. It eats some coatings though. Good way to trash a screen or visor, depending on what you have. Check with the manufacturer of the product you're using, (screen and visor).

 

[squarebore]

FYI - Be careful about RainX. Great product for glass. It eats some coatings though. Good way to trash a screen or visor, depending on what you have. Check with the manufacturer of the product you're using, (screen and visor).

There is a specific RainX for polycarbonate now that is perfect for visors.
https://www.rainx.com/product/plastic-water-repellent/rain-x-plastic-water-repellent/#.XNZ28VOuadM

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[Gigitt]

I use PleXus to clean my face shield and bike screens

RainX contains an alcohol or something that can affect plastics etc. It works very well to repel water, and people still use it on helmet face shield and bike screen without issues but it can cause the plastics to go cloudy and you cannot clean this. I think the alcohol(??) in RainX lets the plastics absorb moisture like a sponge and this causes the cloudiness.

As above you can try RainX for Plastics.

One of my riding friends is very organised and does carry a helmet clare kit. Zip lock bag with small microfibre cloth a little refillable spray bottle (the size of a lipstick) filled with screen cleaner. She and hubby clean face shieds every fillup. She also has another spray bottle filled with Glen-20 to deodorise and kill manky helmet smells on multi day rides.

You will need to get some airflow onto your helmet when it rains - try lowering it when it's raining.

Remember a clean face shield the water will stick to it in large drops, so you need more air flow to remove them.
A dirty faceshield water does not form drops but rather globs and streaks which are harder to see through with grime and insect muck.
RainX and other similar products work by adding a coating to make the surface more slick and water surface tension is less making the water droplets smaller so they require less air flow to be flung off the shield. Also smaller droplets are easier to see through.

 

[Rambler]

Exactly same experience last weekend in North GA - Tray Mountain section of the Georgia Traverse.
I’ll probably swing with the RainX for plastics for now and see how that goes. Wearing glasses which can fog up is another little irritation to solve. Would be nice if there were Prescription Visors

 

[squarebore]

If the rain is real bad for a long ride I take the screen off then wind blows rain away.

Also carry a pair of ski googles with double lenses. They have never fogged up and water beads off.

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[Tombstone]

I have a stock screen, I don't use my pin system, or extra goggles, this is all I use on my helmet and windscreen (and anything else needing cleaning..) and have used it for years.
I have no problems riding in rain.

 

[JamesGang]

I have a stock screen, I don't use my pin system, or extra goggles, this is all I use on my helmet and windscreen (and anything else needing cleaning..) and have used it for years.
I have no problems riding in rain.

I have found many uses for Pledge. Works well for screen and shield but it does need to be reapplied often. Being mostly water, it does wash off very quickly in the rain. To prevent fogging on the inside of my face shield, I've had good results with a thin coating of mild dish soap (Dawn). Use it full strength and a clean cloth to get an even coating.

 

[SHUMBA]

And don't forget that in a rain you're invisible for drivers.
My general recipe is to put on a rain suite and suck it up. Grips heater usually comes handy.

Agree very good reminder. Some drivers pretend not to see you on sunny days, and a lot of drivers may not see you on a rainy, reduced visibility day. CATBEHEMOTH nailed it....get a bright yellow and or lime green hi-viz rain suit and WEAR IT!!!
I refer to this as "survival of the brightest"
SHUMBA

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[yoyo]

Grips heater usually comes handy.

Don't forget that if you have Gortex gloves using heated grips can actually make them leak.Applying heat from the outside of the glove causes the Gortex to 'reverse' and let water in. I got to text this in a good down pour and even though it was cold I decided to leave the grips off and my hands were bone dry but bloody freezing!



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[SHUMBA]

Don't forget that if you have Gortex gloves using heated grips can actually make them leak.Applying heat from the outside of the glove causes the Gortex to 'reverse' and let water in. I got to text this in a good down pour and even though it was cold I decided to leave the grips off and my hands were bone dry but bloody freezing!



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Hmmmm, thanks as this is good to know.
SHUMBA

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[yoyo]

Hmmmm, thanks as this is good to know.
SHUMBA

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It's well worth testing it out sometime, I was ready to take my gloves back until someone told me this and the test proved them correct.

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[SHUMBA]

It's well worth testing it out sometime, I was ready to take my gloves back until someone told me this and the test proved them correct.

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Could you apply some leather treatment such as mink oil that is used to waterproof boots?? Also there is a product in Canada call "dubbin". It's effective to condition and to prevent damage to your boots from the winter salt and slush.
Or maybe not, as you don't want to make your gloves too slippery.
Another trick is wear a mechanic's disposal gloves under a riding glove to keep your hands dry, but your gloves still get wet. Wet hands = cold hands largely due to the process of evaporation. I carry a spare pair of gloves.
SHUMBA






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[Tenman]

Don't forget that if you have Gortex gloves using heated grips can actually make them leak.Applying heat from the outside of the glove causes the Gortex to 'reverse' and let water in. I got to text this in a good down pour and even though it was cold I decided to leave the grips off and my hands were bone dry but bloody freezing!



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Get you some grip mitts. They work better than heated grips and knock the wind off all the way to my elbows.

 

[SHUMBA]

They go over your gloves. They work. Has to be bad for me to put them on. Usaly only if it’s cold and rain. Alpinstar gortex boots, aerostich darrion gortex overpants, and Badlands gortex jacket. It took years to lear this. Spend the money it will last and you will be dry and comfortable. Or be like me and have a closet full of economical chooses that did not work out for the long haul..... First gear Kilimanjaro, Tourmaster pants etc.....

Agree with you, buy quality gear the first time and don't "cheap out" because in the long run after a few of what you perceived to be bargains or great deals, one finally realises you get what you pay for.
Now, having said this, I will contradict myself. Some of my riding gear was purchased used. But, do your research so you can recognise a quality item, pants or a jacket, or gloves etc and you will be amazed at what is available for roughly half the price of new items.
Just depends on the depth of your wallet, desire to ride, and to increase or lenghten your riding season.
Oh, there's something else at play here, as we age, our anatomy changes, that is, we gain weight!!!
MY GEAR::
Oxford Montreal 2.0 jacket
Oxford Ranger pants
Oxford Boots x 2
TCX ventilated boots for the summer
FIVE brand gloves X 2
Fieldsheer leather jacket
I also pack a yellow set of rain pants and jacket
My ES has heated grips
Just my two dollars worth.
SHUMBA




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