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Hot Tubes: Joe Bell

By Darin Stockton

Regardless of where you live (except for the Sahara, perhaps), if you put in hours on your bike, sooner or later you will have to ride in the rain. Even though I've lived most of my life in Southern California-where the rainy season isn't exactly legendary-I've had my fill of rain-riding experience. I've raced and trained in many different states and countries, such as Colorado, Belgium and the Netherlands, where a sunny day can turn into a torrential downpour without a moment's notice. No matter what the conditions, the most important thing is to be prepared.

Your upper body will get cold quicker than your legs because it's not working as hard. As Steve Hegg (center) shows, it's common to wear a jacket and leave the legs bare.

The following is a list of rain-specific items (general items such as long-sleeve jerseys and tights I'm assuming you already have). I'll start at the head and work my way down.

1. Cycling caps, minimum of two. Cycling caps are probably the cheapest, easiest and most effective way to keep the rain out of your eyes. They help stop any downward falling rain or spray from hitting you in the eyes or getting inside your glasses. I always have two: one unaltered and one with the top cut off, leaving about a 11†2-inch border at the bottom. Use the altered one if a full hat makes your head too hot or if your helmet won't fit with a cap underneath (if the latter is your problem, you can also take some or all of the pads out of your helmet for extra room).

2. Glasses. You can probably just get an extra lens for your existing pair. Try to get a large lens for added coverage in either a clear or highlighted (yellow or amber) color. Some people don't like to wear glasses because they can get dirty. However, I prefer to have my eyes wide open, and looking through a slightly dirty lens is better than squinting and having grit fly into them. (If your lenses get really dirty, spray them off with some water from your bottle. Make sure it's water, not your energy drink!)

3. A good undershirt. You want a polypropylene, wool/polyester blend or anything that won't retain much moisture. Do not wear a cotton T-shirt. You want to keep the chill off your torso-cotton becomes cold, soggy and keeps the water right against your skin.

4. Rain cape and/or vest. Gore-Tex is nice, but costly. I prefer the clear PVC plastic kind. It doesn't breathe but it's inexpensive and totally waterproof. I have one long sleeve and one vest because a lot of the time, only your torso gets cold and a vest fits into your pocket more easily.

5. Neoprene gloves. They are the only gloves I've found that can keep my hands warm and dry in 45-degree rainy weather. I use Glacier gloves which can be found in outdoor stores and catalogs.

6. Shoe covers. I prefer neoprene because they keep my feet warm-wet or dry-and feet almost always get wet. They don't absorb water either, which means you won't be pedaling with a soaked shoe cover. You can also wear an old pair of cycling socks over your shoes for times when the roads might be a little wet and you want to keep your shoes clean.

7. Rain socks. If you have a pair of socks that you've used in the rain before, keep using them. No sense in staining a new pair each time you ride.

8. Rain bag. Take all of these items and put them in a single bag or stuff sack and get in the habit of tossing this in your travel bag whenever you drive to a ride or race. It's a no-brainer to throw the sack in your travel bag rather than having to run through a checklist every time you pack, and you'll always be prepared.

Darren Baker gets a coat of oil on his legs before a cold, wet stage of the '95 DuPont. Note the shoe covers, rain cape and cycling cap.

Temperature is the most important consideration when riding in the rain. If it's warm, I'll only wear a cap with the top cut off and glasses. With no threat of being cold, all I want to do is keep the rain out of my eyes. If it's pouring and cold, dressing in layers is key. I'll wear a full cap, glasses, a long-sleeve undershirt, a long-sleeve jersey, a rain cape, neoprene gloves and shoe covers. If conditions change, you can unzip or take off layers as needed. If it's really cold, I'll rub some heat balm on my chest, back, and toes. In a race situation where I know I'll be going hard from start to finish, I almost never wear anything on my legs. When wet, a pair of tights or leg warmers can hold moisture next to your skin and chill your legs. Instead, I'll rub a coat of oil (you can use safflower or almond oil) on my legs which repels the water and retains warmth. If I'm training and I might stop or have a warm-up period, I'll probably wear leg warmers so that I have the option of wearing them or not. If it's cold, eat more than normal--your body is burning extra calories to keep warm.

When riding in the rain, be wary of metal objects such as grated bridges, train tracks and manhole covers--they become very slick. Also, painted stripes or large road markings can put you on the ground before you know what happened. If you do ride over any of these, try to lean, turn and use your brakes as little as possible. If something runs completely through a turn, such as a crosswalk, turn before it, straighten up as you roll over it and then resume turning afterward. Riding your brakes slightly for a few seconds right before you use them clears water from the rims and eliminates lag time from the moment you apply the brakes to when they start working.

Letting a small amount of pressure out of your tires (about 10 to 15 psi) increases their contact area with the road and improves traction for turning. Make sure your chain is well lubricated, but don't overdo it. A good coating of your normal lube will work fine. Some people swear by all sorts of rain lube concoctions, from motor oil to hot paraffin wax. I once had a mechanic in Europe lube my chain with lithium grease. It didn't last any longer and it turned the chain into something that resembled a gooey Almond Roca! If it's raining hard, your chain will usually go dry no matter what lube you use, and over-oiling it will only make a big mess. A rear fender helps deflect spray off your rear wheel and keep it from going up your back. There are various plastic models that snap onto the seat tube or seatpost and offer adequate coverage. Nothing sends a chill up your spine like a cold skunk stripe on your backside!

Although rain may not be your favorite riding weather, it's really no big deal. If you always waited for a dry day to ride, you could end up waiting a long time (depending on where you live, of course). If you're well prepared, riding in the rain should become second nature, and a lot of times it can even be fun.