Riding in the rain this week, whose still on two wheels?
Riding in to the CBD from the Helderberg seemed like a dry run, so I lazily opted to skip stowing a rainsuite in favor of catching up some time.
I keep one in the office so was covered for rain later.
However, the high cloud I'd seen from Gordon's Bay soon became low cloud pregnant with rain.
A few calls to town gave me hope for a short dry window with light drizzle at worst.
And so it was, all the way to Atlantic M, with evidence of light showers earlier, the road was fine.
However, I'd forgotten a chore and after my 2nd stop sojourn to AFB Ysterplaat, found I had to return to the CBD- this time in healthy new born rain, not shy about showing Cape Town how it can rain.
This time I slid and slipped into town on tip toe. The rain was floating up the last few weeks of diff oil and grime from the road surface. Even dead stopped at a traffic signal I was sliding around.
Interesting?!
I found that in this road-state the 1200RT traction control kicks in only after you are sliding and the ABS was great, but the oil-slicked road surface had several 'moments' to offer not just for the brave, but also more so for the unwary.
I passed two downed scuta's, also no rain gear, caught out like me.
Later in late arvie I headed back for the regular meeting of the crew at the Cape tech survival centre and this time the rain was the genuine real thing.
But the roads were clean of slick oil topping and very grippy.
I found the traction control and ABS were in their own element and the confidence this gives had me pushing the envelope to filtering and homing to my garage at normal road speeds despite the constant rain.
My Shark helmut only clears of water at speeds over 100kph so I tend to use the windscreen settings and speed to keep my vizor clear and viz good.
Riding in rain has to be decisive.
You cannot poer-poer in any way.
And in the dark with rain and heavy home-going traffic, the office is so busy 'reading' the environment around you that you can get disorientated quickly.
And this is the real danger, dodging in the wrong direction.
So no music or phone calls when traffic is around you and keep your right foot OFF THE BRAKE LEVER.
But what a lekker ride it was.
I have that feeling that apart from Annie, I'm going to be a lonely biker in today's rain.....
Oh by the way, the R300 Vuka rainsuites appear to be good value-for-money.
In 20 years of all-weather biking I find no rainsuite irrespective of cost and quality can last sustained usage.
I work on one suite per season.
It's always the crotch that leaks first (from outside in) and then the lowe legs get flapped to uselessness as water proofing de-lams.
A good zip is what destinguishes a good from bad suite as well as a one-piece crotch.
The seams all meeting in the crotch is a sure fire guarantee of a short life.
I wear darkish trousers so any dampness is less evident.
Yep still on 2 wheels. That's me ... sitting down in the rain 
Me got no choice .....me dont do the cage thingie as I have not had one since 1993>
In fact the rain is fun as there is no real difference to the dry as I am carefull most of the time in traffic anyway.
Being waterproof helps a lot admittedly.
I use the Lookwell Rain pants which has very good seams
and my Kappa overboots work the best.
I have also had my Lookwell Jacket for a number of years which has been used daily and on the bike I feel quite cosy as one would in a duvet....you know that feeling....mmmmmm
Gloves: I use the Prorider Winter glove and find that warm and waterproof but it is too warm to wear at temperatures above 15 degrees in which case I use my summer glove with overmitten.
Thats me....in the rain.....with a HUGE grin 
under my helmet which is a Arai Tour-x which has great ventilation for all types of weather...
Took Brenda in yesterday to get new tyres. The wynberg road was one long diesel slick. I am glad I took up offroad riding and did the training - when the back wheel spins out it is a source of exhilaration and fun, not fear and freezing up.
The best thing about the rain is that the fair-weather scomutas don't steal my parking...
Have been using my BMW rainsuit close on six years and see no reason why it should not last another couple of years.
Have been using my BMW rainsuit close on six years and see no reason why it should not last another couple of years.
+1
The BMW Pro Rain 2 suit is the last rainsuit you will buy...
It completely eliminates "nat-bal" ;-)
The Frank Thomas one-piece is brilliant and keeps me bone dry, irrespective of the weather or conditions.
One thing about riding in the rain, WHAT IS IT WITH THESE IDIOTS WITH THEIR FOG LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME? It's rain, not bl@@dy FOG! With rain on your visor, those lights are like shining a thousand high intensity laser pointers straight into your eyes.
I normally ride with full brights on when I come up behind one of these idiots as the intensity of the red light is less in a well lit environment.
Yup, still on 2 wheels. I don't own a cage. I've got a Hein Gericke one piece rainsuit that my wife got for me in Germany a good few years ago and it still works a treat. Riding in the wet, I back off considerably, most car drivers are too busy fuming at being stuck in the excessive traffic 'cos everyone took their car to work when it started raining and wiping the mist that forms on the windscreen from all the heavy breathing. The last thing they're worried about is little ol' me sliding past them on the bike, so I am very wary.
The slip and slide yesterday on the diesel, oil and whatever else was great fun. No ABS or traction control, so it all came down to wise use of accelerator and brake, but fun all the same.
It's lekker to see so many poeple still ride in all weather.
Todays rain irde to work was just fine, the roads are cleaned by now, but there was a lick up Old Paarl road dropped by some vehicle.
On the topic of how long a rian suite lasts. Maybe I should add perspective.
I cover 45 to 55 000 kilometers a year on my bikes.
Daily, I do a to and a form trip of 56 kilos each and then always one or three short trips during the day.
So in rainy season I'm in an out my rainsuite 4 times a day, often more.
I think thats what eats up rain gear.
When I'm big and can afford to smoke, I'll invest in a Rally 2 pro lego suite. but that will have to wait.
I must say I miss the dynamic of my 1150 in rain, I stnad up fast, haulher round and use my weight to keep control.
On the RT, its sitting and a totally different dyanmic.
I used to ride in all weather... but I don't have ideal tyres on my bike at the moment.
(TKC up front, Maxxis 6006 on the rear)
The most dangerous part of my commute is entering the undercover parking at work - man, that concrete is slippery!
I should get road tyres on my bike for the winter months.
Still commuting every day , on hard knobblies ( TKC's) and luckily have not had any slippery moments this Winter ( of one week) at all , but am much more careful riding in the rain and also keeping my eyes and nose peeled for diesel . Guess I have just been lucky so far . But its still much better than being in a car 
, the thought of sitting in traffic for hours does not appeal at to me at all!
Poor poor me.
Right now my commute is from main road Green Point to main road Sea Point.
But next month I'm moving to Kenilworth. 
I dunno how I'm gonna survive commuting... and traffic... I've never had to deal with such things before.
Still riding. I ride to work all year round regardless of weather. Use a two piece suit from Sparks and Ellis. Keeps me dry. Would not drive my car to work. No secure parking for car and traffic is horrid. Have to have some fun in the day, so I ride.
People at work ask me if I even own a car. Go figure.
"It's always the crotch that leaks first (from outside in)"
Andy, interesting one! Why did you have to qualify "from outside in"? Do you sometimes leak from the inside out? (maybe after a narrow miss....?!)
I was mof (in cage) earlier this week due to flue, but back on 2 wheels to-day.
DTV, cos' often I piss myself laughing (from the inside out) at the poor peeps in cars crawling thru traffic smoking themselves stinkie and getting all hot n bothered so they arrive at destination already with a bad hair day.
Most days I arrive and I'm asked what I'm smiling about.
Go figure
This morning on my way to work at 6am in torrential rain, I stopped at a robot between 2 cars (avoiding the bar of soap that masquerades as a white line) minding my own business when I heard this little voice of a Cape Town persuasion coming from the car next to me. It went something like this....
"Ek sê, OB?"
I looked across, lifting my visor.. "Morning!.. Wat's fout?"
"Is djy dan bef@# (I can't complete the word, its a family forum) om in hierrie reen te ry? Djy gat versuip en in djou m#%r val!"
I replied with "Maar dis pret! Ek kom elke oggend by die werk aan met 'n helse glimlag op my gesig. Dié is seker die beste manier om die dag te begin!"
He replied: "Djislaaik, maar djulle baaikers is bedonnerd"
...... I'm still giggling at the exchange...
Ten out of ten Jeremy ... the people in the office here want to know why I'm laughing out loud!
It was also a good day to see if your rain gear is really really really waterproof.
evert day in all weather! either on two wheels or I stay in bed 
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