When Bangalore gets Rainy!

[Sudarshan Iyengar]

Hi,

This Monday night, when I came riding back home from Banashankari,
there was mild rain and I had to ride on the wet roads of bangalore.
It was such a discomfort (and noticeably risky) to ride amidst the
maddening traffic in the wet roads of Bangalore. I was so frustrated
that I made up my mind not to take my bicycle out without taking a
look at the weather forecast (which again is almost always not very
accurate).

Any tips from the city riders on riding on wet tarring?

Regards,
Sudarshan

--

 o__
 _>  /__
(_) \(_)... Burn fat not fuel - Byke along to a healthier lyfe and cleaner
world! :)

###################################
[Lawrence Krauss]
Scientists love mysteries
They love not knowing

[Richard Feynman]
I don't feel frightened by not knowing things
I think it's much more interesting
###################################

[Mohit Chawla]

Same apprehension here. I rode for 3 weeks, got sick, and now the
rains. Fat, eventually to follow - again.

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

On Wednesday 23 February 2011 10:26 PM, Sudarshan Iyengar wrote:
> Hi,
>
> This Monday night, when I came riding back home from Banashankari,
> there was mild rain and I had to ride on the wet roads of bangalore.
> It was such a discomfort (and noticeably risky) to ride amidst the
> maddening traffic in the wet roads of Bangalore. I was so frustrated
> that I made up my mind not to take my bicycle out without taking a
> look at the weather forecast (which again is almost always not very
> accurate).
>
> Any tips from the city riders on riding on wet tarring?
>
> Regards,
> Sudarshan
>

unless you are on a road bike, the traction is normally okay. i do it
all the time, even have fun splashing water around. (Don't go too fast)

[gokul]

I don't have any problems on the mtb with semislicks. Have to respect
the slippery powers of wet paint or wet metal on the road. Otherwise
it's fine.

[Rohan Kini]

Actually MTBs can also slip on slippery paved surfaces, if the tires are very knobby.

on road should be fine though

--
biking conversations on the world famous "Bangalore Bikers Club" :)

are you a part of the bicycle racing scene? Visit www.bangalorebicyclechampionships.com for more details

[dhawal]

i carry a jacket all the time; handy for rides early morning / late night (when it's cold), plus whenever it rains.  shorts/legs still get wet, but if it's light / moderate rains, it's ok. that, proper lighting (head / tail), using sports goggles (again, i use them everytime i ride) and riding a bit slower, should put you in a good position, i'd say.  you can checkout the waterproof jackets at decathlon.  (if you are carry a backpack w/ laptop, better to always keep the laptop covered in a plastic bag, even if the backpack is 'waterproof'; plus when it rains, wear the jacket over the backpack, as far as possible.)

unless it's a ride to work or some such important engagement, id' say it's an interesting change - riding in light to moderate rains - adds to the sense of adventure.

-dhawal.

[George]

Just run!

George Joseph
gjos...@gmail.com
IN cell: 9480999078
NA cell:1-847-859-9591

-sent from my iPad

On Feb 23, 2011, at 12:56 PM, Mohit Chawla <mohit.cha...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> Same apprehension here. I rode for 3 weeks, got sick, and now the
> rains. Fat, eventually to follow - again.
>

[gokul]

On Feb 24, 2:50 am, dhawal <dhaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> i carry a jacket all the time; handy for rides early morning / late night
> (when it's cold), plus whenever it rains.  shorts/legs still get wet, but if
> it's light / moderate rains, it's ok. that, proper lighting (head / tail),
> using sports goggles (again, i use them everytime i ride) and riding a bit
> slower, should put you in a good position, i'd say.  you can checkout the
> waterproof jackets at decathlon.  (if you are carry a backpack w/ laptop,
> better to always keep the laptop covered in a plastic bag, even if the
> backpack is 'waterproof'; plus when it rains, wear the jacket over the
> backpack, as far as possible.)

The jacket would not allow sweat to evaporate too. Do you feel
uncomfortable with it?

[Vinay]

Active brake lights are "a must" during night.. Also reflector strips
are useful.

[Raghu K]

I get way too uncomfortable with a jacket/raincoat. I tried it a few times and gave up on these things.
Get wet cycling or take a bus is my policy in rains. Both these options are better than wearing a jacket and cycling.

[Sree Ram]

Where's the fun if you're not riding a yemteebee in the rain?? that too, without any mudguards :D



--
=========================================
Your friendly neighborhood butcher,
Sre3-P0

[RT]

I got thoroughly drenched that day too coming back from work. Riding
on MG Road under the metro was a nightmare with a long sheet of water
disguising all the horrible potholes caused by the construction. Was
terrified of going straight into a really deep hole any second.
Traffic around me splashed me completely, from head to toe with
disgusting, filthy water. I had a big waterproof jacket over me and my
bag and that saved my bag but was wet through up to me waist and
filthy. Also, riding with spectacles proved a real problem since they
got wet, misted over and sprayed with filth.

I ride a motorcycle and its never been this bad with the traffic.
Autos and SUVs were the worst offenders without the slightest
consideration for anyone. I think for the first time I realised how
bad it is for cycling in this city. Always thought Bangalore was among
the worst places for traffic-sense and this experience only served to
reinforce that impression.

On another count, is there some sort of cleaning one's chain and gears
require after an outing like this?

[Shankar Shastry]

Agree with butcher. Even when I used to ride a motorbike, I never used to stop for the rains. Now on an MTB its even more fun. How can you not ride in rain? Its so much fun!! Since I carry a set of clothes for office I dont care about how dirty I get.

But of course, skill required is higher if you wanna ride fast in the rain.

[RT]

I meant I 'also' ride a motorcycle (only recently took to a cycle) so
that was just a comparison.

[Venkatesh N]

Actually there are bike specific and also work-out specific rain jackets available. They are breathable while keeping the rain off.

On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 12:21 PM, Raghu K <kodali...@gmail.com> wrote:

I get way too uncomfortable with a jacket/raincoat. I tried it a few times and gave up on these things.
Get wet cycling or take a bus is my policy in rains. Both these options are better than wearing a jacket and cycling.

--

[abhyuday n jagannath]

Hey , even i have the same question as RT , I was cycling back from work during the downpour on monday (passed through MG road ) , without any waterproof jacket or sheets, and also without mudguards !! 

The rain did a number on my bicycle with mud splatter in every conceivable place that you can find on it. So i used a water hose to wash the filth off , now do i have to lubricate the gears and chain again.

Also my bicycle is a bianchi Camaleonte 1 . It has very low clearance between the tires and the frame ,are there any mudguards available that can fit into that thin space ? i do not want the ones which are attached just below the seats .

P.S. : Minus the mud and filth being hurled my way  , the ride was a pretty awesome one

--
JAGannath A N

[shan...@gmail.com]

Yes clean it down with soap water and lubricate the links. Check some bots link or somethin for more details on lubrication..

Regards,
Shankar
Sent from my Nokia N85

[gokul]

On Feb 24, 12:07 pm, Shankar Shastry <shanka...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Agree with butcher. Even when I used to ride a motorbike, I never used to
> stop for the rains. Now on an MTB its even more fun. How can you not ride in

> rain? Its so much fun!! ...

+1 :)

> ... Since I carry a set of clothes for office I dont

> care about how dirty I get.
>
> But of course, skill required is higher if you wanna ride fast in the rain.
>

[krishna kumar]

Hi all,

i also use jacket while raining. it help my bag from rain. b'coz i put my mobile & my other stuff  in my  bag. but i can cover me top portion of my body only. left part get dirty.during rainy time after reach home i can see a big amount of mud in back of my jacket. so have to wash my jacket regularly some time i can find dirt in my helmet tooo.....LOL.

one good thing in rainy season that no bikers & auto walas not follow me b'coz if they follow me they cover with dirt come from my back Tyre .... hahaha..

in raining using rear blinkers help a lot. i help other road riders to avoid accidents...

" BURN YOUR FAT NOT FUEL....!!! "

With Regards,
Krishna
+919611905879
+917795257227

[krishna kumar]

hi all,

[George]

.... Well for starters I'd rather minimize the amount of fecal matter that I breathe in or ingest through splashed rain street water.

Then there is the small matter of the countless chemicals, the least of which is the diesel, present everywhere, and a known carcinogen.

George Joseph
gjos...@gmail.com
IN cell: 9480999078
NA cell:1-847-859-9591

-sent from my iPad

[Opendro]

I had been looking for a think polythene poncho, the kind used in US.
I had seen labourers / workers at lower strata using it on the
Devanahalli / Airport road side when I was riding once in the rain. I
don't know where they got it from.

Ok... these ponchos are so comfortable. No problem of sweat, no
problem of laptop bags. Even laptop bags will go inside the poncho. Of
course, you will get wet below knees and elbows. My wife got me once
and I have only one.

If it is available anywhere in Bangalore, please let me know.

On Feb 24, 11:51 am, Raghu K <kodali.ra...@gmail.com> wrote:

[gokul]

Hmmm... maybe like the reflective jacket these are also on SP road?

[dhawal]

during rains, it's anyway cooler than usual; plus (as i said earlier), one usually rides a bit slower.  so i suppose sweating is anyway less than usual.  i for one haven't felt particularly uncomfortable riding with a jacket when is cold or raining moderately.  i prefer it over not wearing a jacket and getting wet straightaway, or skipping riding.

[Shreelesh Kumar]

Ponchos were available in Decathlon a year or two back. It was a
standard size, meant for 'hiking' as it said. Not sure if they have
got it in stock again but the last time I went there, it wasn't. But
that was really long back. Check if its there and let me know too. I
want to pick up another piece.

> --
> biking conversations on the world famous "Bangalore Bikers Club" :)
>
> are you a part of the bicycle racing scene?
> Visit www.bangalorebicyclechampionships.com for more details

--
Shreelesh Kumar
http://twitter.com/shreelesh
www.shreeleshkumar.blogspot.com
www.flickr.com/photos/shreeleshkumar

Protect the Trees. Save Open Spaces. Save Bangalore

[RT]

I saw the ponchos in Decathlon about 2 weeks ago.

On Feb 24, 7:19 pm, Shreelesh Kumar <shreel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ponchos were available in Decathlon a year or two back. It was a
> standard size, meant for 'hiking' as it said. Not sure if they have
> got it in stock again but the last time I went there, it wasn't. But
> that was really long back. Check if its there and let me know too. I
> want to pick up another piece.
>

[Sudarshan Iyengar]

Hi,

I see that many of you seem to enjoy riding in the rain!! who doesn't!!! :-)

It is no doubt fun to bicycle with the droplets splashing all over
you!!. It is real joy to ride in rain if we are on
bicycle-friendly-lanes (do we have one in Bangalore?). Very
importantly, have you observed that the two wheelers get more
aggressive during the rains? they ride faster! and try all charms to
catch or even miss a signal (for a reason that they don't want to get
further drenched waiting for the signal to go green). Visibility is a
lot unclear during rains to all the commuters, from pedestrians to the
car drivers. Brakes are not only ineffective on our bicycles, it is a
lot ineffective on all the two wheelers that zooms past us!.

It is always a good idea to wait for the rain to completely stop, or a
better idea would be to take public transport and reach home/office
safely!!!!

Regards,
Sudarshan

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

Which two wheelers are you talking about. They all take shelter under
flyovers, i have the road to myself when it rains.

[Sreepathi Pai]

On Sat, Feb 26, 2011 at 10:50 AM, Sudarshan Iyengar
<sudars...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Brakes are not only ineffective on our bicycles,

What brakes are these?

If you have aluminium rims, properly setup brakes should have very
little loss in braking power even in the wet (unless the rim is
covered in mud).

Of course, if you have steel rims (which I know you don't :) ), then
there is considerable loss in braking power in the rains.

--
Sreepathi Pai