I don’t mind getting wet

[materialvision]

I cycle to work rain or shine and if I get wet I hardly think about it. My colleagues however make such a drama of the rain looking to make out it’s an issue for me when it just is not. Our office is on a trading estate with a really good safe cycle lane into it. Once I reluctantly accepted a lift in stormy weather, it took absolutely ages stuck in traffic, and now when it’s raining that colleague rolls his eyes and says “looks like you’ll be needing a lift” even though I’ve never asked. I know they think they are saving the day but I don’t even care about getting wet and wish they would mind their own business.

Yanbu. It's just water.

My ex is completely weird about rain. You'd think it was acid and he was going to dissolve.
When we looked at buying a house, he wanted to knock down a perfectly good double garage, move it 40 feet and attach it to the house so he could step straight from his car into the dry. 🙄

I think some people who drive everywhere and rarely walk or bike genuinely don't know how to dress for different weather. I know a few people that wear the same sort of shoes all year round for example.

I like cycling and I like the exercise, but the conditions have to be just right. For me it’s a sensory thing too, can’t stand the feeling of being damp particularly at work. If I get wet and/or sweaty I struggle to feel and look professional all day and there’s nowhere to change at work except a gross toilet cubicle. There are also no safe cycle lanes on my route, just busy roads with lots of pot holes, glass etc and besides all that, some drivers are just very aggressive. I sometimes brave it but where I am it tends to drizzle at least once a day, and as our roads are awful and full of puddles I end up getting splashed by cars or else mud all up my back which I don’t want at work. So all in all it’s a net loss for me!

Convert here! Used to absolutely hate getting wet in the rain and now I don't mind at all. I would go as far as to say I quite enjoy walking in the rain now. It makes me feel connected to the season and alive! Don't like wet feet so I have short welly boots. Twenty something me would be shocked at this post.

Surely the majority of people know to wear weather-appropriate clothing? Don’t you wear waterproof clothes when it’s raining @Oopsylazy ?

I also don't mind getting wet in the rain. If it's on my way to work it's fine, luckily (?) my uniform is made from polyester, it dries out in a few minutes while I'm still wearing it.

People have died when they've been in cars in storms too!!

Probably the same kind of numptie who has to park in the closest possible space next to the entrance of the gym, supermarket, etc., even if it's not a real parking space or a disabled/motherchild space. I find it hilarious when people do it at gyms - can't be arsed to walk a few extra steps but then spend an hour on treadmills/exercise bikes etc. I think it's some kind of demented "auto pilot". We have a neighbour who does similar - there's a shop literally in sight of our houses, and no more than a 2 minute walk, but she always takes her car for a pint of milk or loaf of bread which actually takes longer due to turning and parking than if she just walked it. Crazy! But she does it in dry weather too, so nothing to do with wanting to avoid the rain!

I'm sure the OP and other cyclists know all that and are capable of making their own decisions. They don't need other people to impose their views/opinions on them. Nothing wrong with a polite offer of a lift, but too many people go further and go on and on forcing the issue despite being told no.

I agree that forcing the issue is wrong. But I don't think it actually hurts to be reminded of the issues regarding cycling in bad weather ?

I remember before I started driving as a cyclist I would sometimes drive on the road without lights, or not use high vis. That's because I was too ignorant and didn't have the driving experience to realise how difficult it can be in the rain at night to see cyclists.

And in my experience there are still a lot of people out on the roads at night and in the rain on bikes that do not use lights or high vis, so clearly there are a lot of people still out there who have not got the message.

Waterproofs are horrible to sit in if you commute on public transport (assuming a walk/bike ride to/from station).
They also often look terrible with a smartish outfit

I'm like the wicked witch of the West, water and me do not mix. I live in a very rainy place and have 2 dogs that need walking rain or shine and a lot of the time it's rain. My face is like 😡when I'm walking them in the rain.

Having said that if someone said that if someone else said that they were happy out being in the rain I would leave them to it and not comment again. I'd just make a quip about how much faster you are on your bike than they are in their car and move on. It's annoying that it keeps getting brought up but people generally are annoying.

Oh god this is me. I hate getting wet especially for no reason. I really enjoy going outside in clement weather but it does NOT make me happy in any way, shape or form to be out in the rain. Even with waterproofs on they’re rarely actually waterproof - there’s always a hood trying to blow down or a trickle running up a sleeve or something deeply annoying that I just can’t ignore. And rain in this country is very often linked to horrible cold wind. Maybe that’s the worst thing as thinking about it, I don’t mind rain on a warm day in a hot country!

@Zippedydodah

can wear waterproof coat but what about the lower half? Trousers and shoes gonna be soaked

My DP loves a cycle in the rain or cold... says all the fair weather cyclists are off the road.
I prefer to walk even if it's raining. I quite like getting home with wet hair and having to get snuggly and warm... my daughter does too... gets home from school like a drowned rat and enjoys warming up with a shower and a warm dressing gown!
Horrid being soaked on your way to a night out and having to sit in wet clothes with ruined hair...

You can get waterproof trousers!

and shoes although sometimes having 2 pairs of shoes isn’t a bad idea

and … shock alert - you can dry both clothes and shoes

@midgetastic

waterproof trousers are not cool and don’t look good on anyone

Are you sitting around in wet/damp clothing that starts to whiff as the day goes on? Or wet shoes/feet? If that’s the case, they may feel awkward to tell you and are instead making suggestions.

Similarly - are you client facing? Being in front of customers with wet, straggly hair may be unprofessional, dep on the job.

Otherwise… carry on and ignore them!
I love running in the rain, it’s such a nice feeling 😊

Not if you wear a pair of thin waterproof leggings

You get the ones you wear over your normal pants and then just take them off to dry at work, so during the day you're wearing dry normal pants/trousers.

Anyone who says there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing, is lucky enough not to wear glasses. I am blind without mine and can’t wear contact lenses.

Nope. I wear glasses all the time and just buy a coat with a large enough hood to cover my eyes far enough, or use an umbrella. If you shop around in a good outdoor clothing store, you'll find coats with proper fitting hoods that don't restrict your vision yet offer enough protection to stop the raindrops blocking your vision, some have a kind of built in "peaked cap" type thing that is firm enough not to flop down over your eyes. Obviously, if you just buy "fashion" style coats from High Street fashion shops, you're buying for looks rather than function so no surprise that the hoods flap round or fall over your ears or won't stay put etc. Lots of walkers/ramblers wear glasses yet still manage to walk tens of miles on rainy days! So, my assertion of "inappropriate clothing" still stands!

Do you have a place to change at work if it’s raining on the way in?

Surely the most cast iron reason for refusing a lift is to point out that you need your bike to come home with you?

My 9year old DS loves getting wet and hates it when they keep them in for wet break times at school.

Some people really feel the cold and wet and some don't. I'm lucky to be in the latter category, but then I overheat in summer.

I don't think it's possible for the two groups really to understand how the other feels because they just experience weather differently. Even on the coldest days, I rarely wear more than top, sweater and light-ish coat, while I see people wrapped up in those padded, duvet-style coats on days which I would consider relatively warm.

There are only a few very rainy days where it pours constantly, but I will admit to finding those depressing. I don't mind a light drizzle or intermittent showers but a constant downpour is a bit much even for me.

Warm rain is nice. I don’t much like cold, blustery rain. I have to catch a train this afternoon and am currently cursing the rain as I’m so tired of it.