It’s a part of life on your two wheels, especially when you live in or visit a tropical country like Indonesia where the wet season can last from three until six months. In Bali, it can be a beautiful sunny day and in a moment, the sky color turns darker and rain fell. The best thing is that it’s never raining a whole day here – just 20 minutes until one or two hours and the sun comes out again.

However, it’s important to know how to handle your bike in the rain, as well as to be confident and comfortable in those conditions. Learn from it and play in it!

Dress to stay dry

Invest in a good waterproof jacket and trousers or rain poncho because it will keep your body dry and helps to regulate your body temperature.

Don’t make rain as your ‘vacation-barrier’! Beside safety helmet and gloves, Infinity always provides the guest with a rain poncho to protect your clothes in an unexpected rain on your tour.

Check your bike components and accessories

Bad weather can be rough on your bike. Moisture can corrode components – make them to rust or seize. If you often cycling in the rain, better check and fix your bike frequently. Take a quick look over your tires – check for flints, glass, and other debris.

Infinity has our own full-time bike mechanic who responsible for bike building, service, and repairs. So, you can count on us to use our well-maintained mountain bikes!

Pic cr: rei.com

Learn some techniques to ride in a rain

First, don’t change the direction too quickly because you don’t have the same grip as in the dry day. Then, try to relax - as soon as you tense up, mistakes can happen. Lastly, if you need to brake, start slowing down earlier than normal since your stopping distance will be greater.

All of Infinity’s tours include a charming, knowledgeable, and senior mountain bike guide. They are definitely the experts on the field. Our guide would love to help you with your bike tour in Bali, including in the wet weather-day! (Although it rarely happened in Bali)

Pic cr: blog.jensonusa.com

Expect some benefits of cycling in the rain!

“There is always something positive in the negatives of life” Including in bad weather.  You will be better in bike handling since riding in the rain is more dangerous and you become more cautious.

Negative ions generated by rain showers will clear the air from all sorts of nastiness – cigarette smoke, vehicle emission, pollen, etc.

Lastly, you will have a greater appreciation for comfort. When you feel wet and uncomfortable, there’s always the warm accommodation to return to. You’ll also value sunny days more than before!

Pic cr: bicycling.com

References

Booth, P. (n.d.). 10 Tips for Riding in the Rain | ACTIVE. Retrieved from https://www.active.com/cycling/articles/10-tips-for-riding-in-the-rain/

Greenwood, B. (2018). How to ride in the rain – BikeRadar. Retrieved from https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/skills/technique/how-to-ride-in-the-rain/

Ng, A. (2018). Seven Benefits of Cycling in the Rain – We Love Cycling magazine. Retrieved from https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2018/06/11/seven-benefits-of-cycling-in-the-rain/

Richardson, S. (2019). 11 tips for cycling in the rain – Cycling Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it-19050

Pic was taken by our guide Ferry in our ‘DISCOVER LOMBOK – 3 DAYS’ tour.