SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY

From summer showers to winter storms, rain can be a cyclist’s nemesis. But with sharp skills, good kit and a gritty mindset, you can turn an ordeal into an opportunity and enjoy the romance and rewards of wet weather rides

Mark Bailey

“Don’t worry about the rain – your skin’s waterproof. Crack on!” That’s the stoical attitude Geraint Thomas adopts when leaden skies give him, as he puts it, the “meteorological middle finger”. In The World of Cycling According to G, Thomas insists: “You can’t be a bike rider in the UK if you don’t like riding in the rain.” Yes, when fat droplets sizzle on the tarmac, it can be dispiriting. But rainy days are also a chance to enjoy some raw elemental fun, learn vital wet weather skills and build extra mental resilience, giving you an edge over fair weather riders. As Thomas writes: “We can handle it where others cannot.” Many riders have already experienced Thomas’s wet weather epiphany. But most of us have to consciously sculpt a new…

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Cycling Plus (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 2024

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