The coldest and wettest I've ever been on a bike - Clive Goes Cycling

A circular ride from Faringdon, between Oxford and Swindon, on a wet and cold October Saturday. The weather on the days either side was fine — sunny autumn sunshine on the Friday, glorious conditions on the Sunday — but the cycling day itself was grim. Here is what the trip taught me about riding in the rain.

The Route

A 65-mile circuit on roads between Oxford and Swindon, mostly quiet country lanes with a few short stretches on busier roads. It was planned as a day’s riding from a weekend base in Faringdon.

Lessons from the Ride

I have not often cycled in cold, wet weather, so some of these points may seem obvious. They will not be next time.

1. More stops, but shorter ones

We set off at 9.30am and finished at 3.30pm, riding with few breaks in order to get the route done as quickly as possible. The longest pause was 40 minutes, spent over a coffee and a sandwich at a petrol station. With hindsight that was too long: we cooled down, and getting going again afterwards was very cold and very hard.

Another time I would stop for warmth and coffee more often, but keep each stop shorter.

2. Better protection for hands and feet

I had left my long gloves behind and rode in fingerless ones. From roughly halfway round, changing gear became difficult because my left hand was cold and numb. Long, waterproof gloves would have offered far more protection.

Waterproof socks may or may not exist; either way, I did not have any. After a couple of hours, walking from the bike to the petrol station shop for coffee felt like walking on blocks of ice — an unusual sensation I would rather not repeat.

Tip: a friend wears plastic bags on his feet to keep them dry on wet rides, over his socks and inside his shoes. I will try that next time.

3. Waterproof tops only do half the job

My upper body stayed reasonably dry, but water running off my jacket left my lower half soaked. Baggy cycling trousers would probably be the better choice next time.

Overall

The lessons are mostly about preparation, and mostly about waterproofing, which is where I fell short. Five or six hours on a bike generates body heat, and better waterproof kit would have held on to that warmth for longer.

I am glad I finished the ride. It was a different sort of challenge.