Cycling to Work in the Rain

Today I got properly wet while cycling for the first time this winter. In the honour of the occasion, I thought I would post my practical thoughts on cycling to work through Cape Town winter!

Chances are, at some point in winter you will get wet!
Photo credit: Nick (CC-BY 2.0)

jjdaydream's ten hints for commuting in the rain

1. Try to avoid getting very wet on the way to work. Risk it on the way home, no problem. But if it is pouring in the morning, you might want to wimp out, just this once. This is easier to control anyway, because once you're at work on your bike you don't really have a choice. (Fortunately, home is usually better supplied with hot water and towels!)
2. Keep dry clothes at work, for days when 1. doesn't quite work out.  These should include socks, shoes and underwear, because wet underwear = not cool. (Mr Cent(ri)Frugal Force also takes in some spare clothes protected with plastic when he cycles in inclement weather.)
3. If you're gonna get wet, you're gonna get wet. Embrace the wateriness and don't be grumpy about it. You'll just ruin the fun of getting properly drenched for once: remember how awesome that was when you were a kid? 
4. In the spirit of 3., don't bother with heavy rain gear. Obviously this is different if you have a very long way to go, but in Cape Town the weather is so unpredictable that if you take extra gear you could very well get stuck carrying a useless and heavy load. And I always get too hot in serious rain coats anyway: rain pants are worse. If I'm going to be wet, I'd rather it was with water than sweat/condensation. 
5. However, plastic bags are your friends: you will dry, but your electronics and papers may not.
6. Subways may be full of water: 'nuff said.
7. Remember that roads are slippery: both you and the cars will take longer to stop in an emergency, so be extra careful. Visibility is probably also down. Switch on your lights, and be especially cautious at intersections.
8. Be friendly to fellow orphans of the storm. It is always good for a shared laugh when you are waiting at a traffic light with an equally soaked beggar or trudging commuter. And that helps you to forget that there is a chilly trickle of water running down the inside of your socks.
9. You will get mud on your butt. There is no easy way to avoid this.
10. If there is any chance at all of rain, do not wear your glasses. Contact lenses are the way forward. Please trust me on this, my friends.