Started With Skepticism
Honestly, I used to panic whenever clouds rolled in before a ride. My brain screamed “nope nope nope” like some broken record. Last Tuesday though, drizzle hit mid-commute – zero escape routes. Felt my knuckles go white gripping those handlebars.
Prepped Like a Squirrel Before Winter
Next weekend, I went full doomsday prepper mode:
- Dug out my ancient rain suit that smelled like grandma’s attic
- Grabbed dish soap for helmet visor smearing (weird trick!)
- Threw my bike keys in rice to dry overnight after dropping them in a puddle
Found old hockey tape in the garage too – wrapped my gloves like a mummy for extra grip.
Test Run in Controlled Chaos
Waited for Sunday’s downpour and rode to the empty Kmart parking lot. First five minutes were pure comedy:
- Braked too hard turning into a puddle – fishtailed like a drunk dolphin
- Rain suit crinkled louder than chip bags at 3am
- Visor fog turned me blind faster than sauna goggles
Used the dish soap hack – drew swirls on visor with fingertips then wiped. Magic! Could actually see yellow parking lines again.
Eureka Moments
After two hours practicing emergency stops in wet:
- Started leaning less than on dry roads – like riding on banana peels
- Kept revs steady through puddles instead of jerking throttle
- Followed tire tracks where asphalt showed through water
That hockey tape? Totally saved my butt when monsoon-level spray hit.
Now Feels Like a Webbed-Foot Duck
Last Thursday got caught in proper thunderstorm. Zero panic! Just muttered “showtime” and did all this:
- Shifted weight back when hitting deep water
- Left giant gaps between cars – like rolling in a bubble
- Stayed loose on grips instead of wrestling handlebars
Pulled into garage soaked but grinning like an idiot. Bike stank of wet dog for days though – still figuring that part out.
