Wet weather transportation idea

[veloman]

With the winter coming, that means more rain for my area. And I've been lucky to finally get a job, so I need to make sure I can get to work in bad weather. I sold my car in 2014 when I moved in with my wife, who has a car.

So the situation is:
- one car between the both of us
- we work in opposite directions from our house
- bus option would take an hour, including significant walking (not a solution in heavy rain)
- car2go car sharing is a possibility, but would require walking as well. Then the fact that it's not something that can be absolutely relied upon
- my commute is 6 miles

Last year I just put on my rain gear and used the electric scooter. After more brainstorming, I still think this is my best option.

Just get another cheap car? I could. But it would only be used when it rains, which is maybe 5-10% of the time in winter. I don't want another money pit with maintenance, and depreciation. Most of all, it just feels wrong considering how rarely we use a car.

So right now I am thinking of how I can further the rain protection on the ebike/scooter. Full face helmet, heavy waterproof jacket, gloves and pants, I already bought big rubber boots.

There is a parking garage at work, with a bike rack inside. I could change out of my lame rain gear in the garage.

It's that or just get another car and be like everyone else.
Thoughts?

 

[amberwolf]

I'd just use the bike with good rain gear, but I'm not your typical rider.

It doesn't rain much here, and my commute is presently only about 2.5 miles each way; right now I just use a motorcycle rain suit and warm clothes under it, with army boots to keep my feet dry, and a fullface MC helmet to keep my head/face dry. So far it's worked fine, the few instances I had to test it.

For the latter half of 2013, I had a longer commute of around the same length as yours, I guess, maybe a bit more, and I had less-sufficient rain gear for it, but it still kept me pretty dry, though not perfectly. I also got colder on those rides, especially in what passes for winter here, at least at night.

The one thing I don't really have is good gloves, but the different ones I've tried worked ok, mostly, to keep my hands warm if not truly dry, when used in conjunction with brush-guard-like wind guards on the handlebars.

 

[Lurkin]

We have showers/ storage at work.

I just wear a cycling jacket and running gear. Happy to get wet, just leave it to dry out, no big drama. Usually more worried about the mid drive/battery getting wet than myself. Decent hail stones are another story though!

Only hate the rain when I'm not in a position to get changed.. which is never for the commute.

 

[dogman dan]

Velomobile for Veloman, of course. But maybe for this year, just the best rain gear you can come up with and ride the scoot.

Easier to stay dry and warm, not actually pedaling. You can get something like the insulated bibs motorcycle riders use, and then of course, warm and dry full face helmet. Better gloves are out there. Good ski gloves usually have a gore tex lining that keeps the insides dry, even if the shell is soaked. But I'm sure, similar good gloves are there at the motorcycle stores.

On a large motorcycle or scooter with good fairing, the secret is haul ass. Fast enough, you stay drier for sure. The rain the windshield misses goes over your head at 50 mph. Plodding along on a bike at 15-20 mph, you get soaked.

 

[Ykick]

Problem I’ve encountered with 2pc rain suits is that the jacket often pools water around the midsection/waist and then finds a way in looking as if I pissed my pants.

I haven’t found a “perfect” solution yet but I’m gonna try one of those rain capes soon. Add waterproof pants or bib coveralls - rain chaps also work pretty well as long as you have a good rear fender setup to prevent water from spraying up your ass.

Still no matter how much you try there's a always a time that things don't work as intended. CYA, keep a dry set of clothes someplace just in case.

 

[The fingers]

I generally avoid rain like the plague. Since we get so little here and with all the cars and trucks the road surface becomes too slick for safety, being oily and wet making two wheeled travel even more precarious. The asphalt is much like an oiled sponge just waiting for some water to float the oil to the to the top. You can see it running along with the water, rubber dust, and sand into the storm drains feeding directly to the ocean.

 

[veloman]

Yeah, I hate riding the moto/scooter on wet roads for that reason. On the bike I am off to the side, so I'm not as affected by the oil slick in the center of the lane. Plus lower speed reduces the severity of losing control.

My ebike has a fairing that I can make taller. And with rain gear, I can stay dry. I just don't like getting the ebike soaked as I haven't completely waterproofed it.

Velomobile is always the dream. It's a lot of investment in either money or time to build one though. The choroplast diy ones are neat. They have a good facebook group I watch.

 

[marty]

When it rains take the car and ask the wife if she will ride the scooter to her job.

 

[Drunkskunk]

It would be awesome if we lived in a world were public transportation was so good and reliable that we had no need for cars, but this is Texas.

A Velo would keep you dry, but that Escalade in the next lane isn't going to see you out of their rain covered windows.

The obvious answer is the one you'll hate the most: Get a car. Keeping your job is always cheaper than losing it, so having reliable transportation for those days when you're sick/hungover/hurt, or just running late because the girlfriend woke up frisky, is a good idea.

There is the Electric option, and there are some cheap ones out there, if you only occasionally need it. https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5349802607.html It's also sort of a truck, so good to have around. But electric isn't always the best option. If you're going to have a car, IMHO it should be more useful.

Something small like the Smart won't take up much room when not in use, is relatively reliable, and economical. https://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/5331589555.html

Or get something fun. The Miata is even cheaper, highly reliable, and taking your girl out on the occasional topless ride through the hill country will get you forgiven for many sins.
https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5341234076.html

Or get a tiny utility truck. This is Texas, it's morally OK to own a Truck. And they are handy for hauling things around, even if used only 5 or 6 times a year. https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5337370747.html

 

[veloman]

A little truck is not a bad idea. I was most considering getting something like my previous car - late 90s civic. But the truck would be good to have that utility on occasion.

 

[John in CR]

How many days of rain or wet roads at commute times per year are you talking about?

 

[ecycler]

Simple. Spray your whole body and bike with this stuff every week.

[youtube]DZrjXSsfxMQ[/youtube]

 

[veloman]

Rough guess at about 30 days per year that it will be raining. 22 weekdays (work)

 

[gogo]

Used Dodge/Chrysler minivan.

 

[Chalo]

$5000 per year will buy you a lot of Uber rides when you can't ride your bike for whatever reason. And you had better count on at least that much money out of pocket to own a car, or the car will definitely remind you who's in charge. Based on my observation of my ex's attempt to make Car2Go work as her transportation solution, Uber has much higher availability and lower trip cost on average. And unlike a car, it's not there sucking away your prosperity when you don't need it.

There are two really sticky and prevalent factors that can turn a low income into miserable poverty: Car. Child. Avoid these, and you can engineer your own circumstances and expectations to lead a decent life on very little money. When you don't need much money, you're free to make life choices for your own reasons rather than out of financial desperation.

 

[PedalingBiped]

Bar mittens , attach to handle bars and you insert your hands into them
NEOS ( new England over shoes )
Think gatitors attack to a shoe . Slid over your regular shoe and are waterproof

Can't your wife drive 6 miles? Or 2 miles.
Look at the map and see where a good drop off point is.
Or look at the bus map
Maybe she can drop you off at a major arterial , might mean a 10 mile bus ride but it could be fast and drop you off at work