Living in Ireland, I have a choice: ride in the rain or do not ride at all for about six months of the year. So I have had plenty of practice getting this right, and plenty of early lessons in getting it wrong. If you are the type of rider who cancels every session when the forecast shows a cloud, this episode is for you.
The single most impactful thing you can do before a wet ride takes 30 seconds. Drop your tyre pressure. If you normally run 80 PSI on 25mm tyres, bring it down to 65 or 70. The softer tyre deforms against the road, the contact patch gets bigger, and your grip improves dramatically. I see riders show up to wet group rides on the same pressure they use in July and then wonder why they are sliding on every corner. This is fixable in the time it takes to use a track pump.
Cornering technique changes completely in the wet. The golden rule is: all braking happens before the corner. In dry conditions, you can get away with a bit of braking into a turn. In the wet, that is how you end up on your hip. Brake early, brake in a straight line, then release and roll through the corner. Keep the bike more upright than you would in the dry. Steer with your body weight. Look through the exit, not at the surface in front of your wheel.
The hazards list is longer than you think. Painted road markings become dangerously slippery when wet. Manhole covers are worse. Metal grates, wet leaves, diesel spills at roundabouts — these are all effectively ice. Treat them as obstacles. Ride around them when you can. When you cannot, cross them upright with no lean angle and no braking. The moment you try to change direction or slow down on a painted line in the rain is the moment you learn what wet paint feels like through a jersey.
Visibility is not optional. Run front and rear lights even during the day. Wear something bright — it does not have to be a full high-vis vest, but a splash of colour on your jersey or a reflective gilet makes a measurable difference to how early a driver sees you. In low light and rain, your default assumption should be that drivers cannot see you.
Kit-wise, a decent rain jacket and a good pair of overshoes make wet rides tolerable rather than miserable. Mudguards on a winter bike save your backside and your riding partners from a constant spray. Wrap your phone in a small plastic bag. Apply chamois cream more generously than usual — wet chamois causes saddle sores faster than dry ones.
Rain rides are not fun in the way a sunny mountain ride is fun. But there is a quiet satisfaction in coming back from a wet session knowing you did not dodge it. The fitness gains from consistency through winter come from the riders who show up regardless. Be one of those riders.
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