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Ask different people and you always get different answer how do you stay safe riding in the rain? Some people avoid it all together the “it’s not worth the risk” approach, some people are cautious “slow and steady wins the race” types and then you have few crazies who thrive in wet conditions and feed off the thrill. Whether you like it or not you can’t deny in the glorious British weather you’ll be caught out in the rain at least a couple of times and then you’re going to have to deal with it one way or another so we’ve put together a nifty little guide to help you when the heavens open. Whether it’s wet or dry on the road riding smoothly is must for any one, if you already have that down you need to massively change your riding style in accordance to the weather. I’m not however telling you there aren’t risks to riding in the rain of course it has its own dangers to look out for but accidents can be avoided simply by staying relaxed and lose as possible. Stay supple and relaxed on the bike if you’re too ridged or tense when the bike does slide or twitch it will be amplified so much more if you’re are locked rigidly into it so make sure your hands are resting on the handle bars without too much grip all of your upper body and feet should be free to move. Having a general looseness throughout your body will help a lot if you experience a slide or twitch and it will be much easier for the bike to recover from it without any issues. On top that if you’re more relaxed and confident in dangerous conditions then obviously instead of being tense shaky wreck you will have better control over the bike but maybe that just comes with experience. Now there are some general rules you’re going to want to follow to avoid getting you’re self into a sticky situation…. 1. Keep an eye on the road if something was slippery before it’s a death trap now, white lines and metal grids you avoid like the plague as a general rule. 2. If the heavens open for the first time in a couple of weeks leave it about an hour before you hit the road, the tarmac will be covered in oil and dirt that when wet will only cause you more problems. After an hour or so if should all be washed away leaving it safe for a ride. 3. Keep plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front it might seem obvious that breaking distances increase in bad weather conditions but the amount of people you see that don’t leave that little extra space is a bit scary! 4. Riding through puddles is a no no. Yes I know it can be fun to splash about I the rain but when you ride straight through a puddle you don’t know what the condition of the ground it like underneath, it could be a huge pot hole or a hidden pool of oil. If could really be anything but do you want to find out the hard way? 5. When it comes to breaking apply more to the rear brake than the front because if the brake wheel slides you can you can correct it easily. When you do brake make sure you do it gradually and not too strongly, in an urgent situation pump the breaks to avoid a crash. Being prepared for rain is another important part of staying safe, picture this you go out on a sunny afternoon ride and then all of a sudden the sky opens and it’s chucking it down with rain and you have no correct gear for this condition. Oops. There a couple of precautions you can take in the case of rainy weather to begin with you should always carry water proof gear you can get some great jackets and trousers you can get to keep dry and safe from the rain. Unless you have tiny window wipers on your helmet visibility might be a bit tricky in a heavy down pour but getting a spray like Rain-X will make the water slide right off your helmet keeping your vision clear. If you want to avoid disaster on a rainy ride its best to make sure you have the right tires for the job in other words don’t go out in the rain with slick tires that is simply a recipe for trouble! Another tip that might sound obvious is having full face helmet with the visor down, sure “a bit of rain never hurt anybody” but when you’re going anywhere above 30mph straight into rain that’s going to sting!