Is your bike your only form of transport?

[LilSel]

I have a couple of cars & my bike....
I use car more than bike (dependent on circumstances of course), usually I have training after work and carrying 3x15lb bowling balls on the bike isnt really practical lol.... but if no training... bike it is

[NinjaNanna]

Riding in the rain is good for you. Sharpens your skills and makes you a better rider...

Undoubtably true on a race track, but I think the only skills it should be sharpening on the road are your self preservation skills, ie slow down and ride to the conditions.

Harden up.

Can't disagree with that

[onearmedbandit]

I have a couple of cages as well, along with managing a business that retails cars with over 200 in stock, so I'm never short of transport. But I never drive to work (unless required for some reason, like dropping my daughter off) even if it's raining, snowing or whatever. It's my favourite part of my working day, the ride there and back.

[Crisis management]

Harden up. Riding in the rain is good for you. Sharpens your skills and makes you a better rider...

Doesn't work for me, I just get wet and grumpy....

I have to admit I enjoy the rain as long as I don't have to contend with freshly oiled roads and over excited commuters, so, not much chance of that in Auckland then!

If it gets really wet I take the boat.

[crash harry]

I own a car, but I must use it about 5 times a year. Two of those are to go get a WOF...

[Keystone19]

Undoubtably true on a race track, but I think the only skills it should be sharpening on the road are your self preservation skills, ie slow down and ride to the conditions.

I would argue that riding in the rain teaches you to be smooth in and out of corners and to hold your line. Both useful skills for road riding, not just on the track. It also teaches you to be more aware of what your bike is doing under you (or should be doing) and how to cope if you get into a small slide - again, useful skills on both road and track.

Doesn't work for me, I just get wet and grumpy....

I have to admit I enjoy the rain as long as I don't have to contend with freshly oiled roads and over excited commuters, so, not much chance of that in Auckland then!

If it gets really wet I take the boat.

Nothing beats good wet weather gear - life jacket, life preserver and flippers would have been handy this morning!

I admit that my commute does involve one of the nicest twisty roads close to Auckland so generally only have to deal with the oil, not the motorway hooligans.

[XP@]

Have a car but only used when i need to carry more than i can legally fit on a bike.

Get a light weight rain jacket and trousers to go over the top or a 1 piece rain suit. not too expensive.

[vifferman]

The only vehicle I own is my bike - in theory. In practice, I have up to three cars I can use if necessary, but not today, as my wife's started a new job so she takes her car now; #1 Son took his car to work; and #2 son was still in bed when I left. He works two blocks from me, so we can car/bike pool if we feel like it, but he worked late yesterday so he's starting at midday today.

It wasn't raining much when I left, so I enjoyed the ride in, but I don't like my wet-weather gloves much, and as it was the first rain in a while, I was riding like a pussy as I don't like falling down.

[ManDownUnder]

A tad cliche but there's no such thing as bad weather - only a lack of good gear.

Keystone's exactly right saying it's good for your skills. Hell yes - it's a whole new dimension and while I can't speak to racing in the rain, road riding in the rain is something I'm very familiar with. It dynamically changes a lot of things.

Braking - brake less on corners, straight line braking is impaired and more bias needs to be put on the rear brake. The front is more prone to letting go, especially if you are ANYWHERE NEAR PAINT ON THE ROAD.

Other road users. There are a lot of people that feel all so secure in cars, but when they lose traction they're stuffed - and so is everything vulnerable in their path (i.e. YOU on a bike). Look out for it - accommodate it. Keep more space around you

Visibility. Spray and crap being kicked up off the road is a pain - especially for those that wear glasses. Pledge (as in Johnson and Johnson wax) the visor before you go out - maybe once a week or when the crap starts to stick again. The rain beads up and runs off the visor so much better.

If you wear glasses - DON'T lift your visor. Water on the glasses combined with water on the visor makes 2x the visual impairment.

Riding along at speed, turn your head 90 degrees left, the 90 degrees right to clear your visor.

Make sure your gear's in a good nick. Nugget on the boots keeps water out, as does CRC silicone (901?) on gloves etc.

I think that's it...

DD... good gear really does make a big difference to riding in the rain. I got to work 100% dry this morning, Kumeu to downtown Auckland - 25kms. I know as a student it's not easy to buy a lot of good gear. I understand the bright yellow or black PVC stuff from the Warehouse does the job pretty well.

I'll save my riding in the wind lecture for later...

[Indiana_Jones]

It's my favourite part of my working day, the ride there and back.

amen to that brother lol

-Indy

[NinjaNanna]

I would argue that riding in the rain teaches you to be smooth in and out of corners and to hold your line. Both useful skills for road riding, not just on the track. It also teaches you to be more aware of what your bike is doing under you (or should be doing) and how to cope if you get into a small slide - again, useful skills on both road and track.

I'll concede these points, I misunderstood your first post and thought it could be read as advocating finding where your limits are in the rain. I guess this wasn't what you were about.

[imdying]

The guy that taught me to ride told me 'Always have a car, bikes aren't reliable enough to be you're only transport, some day you'll need to pickup parts, take fairings to the welders etc etc'. Bloody good advice I've found out over the years... brought a drill press last week, that would've been fun on the bike. Not to mention the groceries... Having said that, I use the bike every other time I need to go somewhere Also, I'm happy to risk killing myself at the hands of plonker car drivers, but I prefer to take the woman about by car.

[Bonez]

No- but m/cs are my prefered form of transport in all weather. A few to choose from. Her indoors car comes in damn handy when picking up bits, the groceries, me when a bikes at the docters (yes it does happen occasionally, like once every 10 or so years) and carting the grand kids about. Also not afraid, like yesterday as Connie is over in Hawkes Bay, to walk a few kms or push bike if the need arises. Haven't needed to use public for years, but it is aviable when needed.

[nudemetalz]

My Guzzi is only for weekend use. Catch the bus to & from work.

The Missus rides her RF400 to & work and then jumps onto her CT110 "Business Vehicle"

We have the Pajero for if it's raining.

[bobsmith]

Where is the "NO - I own a car as well for driving g/f around, doing large shopping (ie a tv) and generally moving shit. Otherwise it's bike wet or dry."

doesn't matter if it's raining it's always a bike for commuting for me. unless I have a heavy load which doesn't fit on the bike (or I've just broken a finger)

[edit] - also I wouldn't use public transport other than flights if my life depended on it. I'd rather walk than take a bus.