Rain, rain, rain

Commuting in the Rain on a Budget

By Brian Miller

For the last year, I've cycled to work about 80% of the time. From time to time, I get caught in the rain at the office, and either wait for a break in the rain or just get wet and change when I get home. Getting motivated to get on my bike in the rain on the way TO work is another matter... especially when there's a perfectly good car sitting in my driveway. Today, I broke that trend. Rain cycling on a budget?

Try a $2 rain parka, and old bike tube, two plastic shopping bags, and a baseball cap (for those of us who wear glasses).

I cut up an old bike tube and used it like a belt to tie the back side of the parka around my waist. This gave me extra protection from the water while preventing the back from flapping in the wind like a giant flag.

The front of the parka drapes nicely over the handlebars, covering my arms and hands. It also provides a big "roof" over my legs, keeping them relatively dry as well.
The plastic bags cover the shoes. You can fasten them with a rubber band or just tie them around your ankles as I did.

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Full story and photos at http://www.smwbike.org/commuting/rainbike.html