Riding in the rain: Is it worth the risk?

As sweltering European summer bike racing is in full swing, forecasts in the UK are heading the opposite way, with rain predicted for most of this coming week. Amateur riders are under no obligation to brave the elements, yet we often do. Professionals like Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegard have to race in the rain regardless of their personal sentiments, although many pros have staged mass boycotts of races when they consider conditions too dangerous. This led me to think: when conditions worsen and the heavens open, is it worth it for mere mortals like you and me to step outside and brave it?

Crashing

The obvious risk of wet weather is crashing; a study in the Netherlands found that nearly 20% of crash victims in Dutch A&E were due to slippery road surfaces. Of course, slippery road services can include snow and ice, not just rain, but if you could cut down your chance of crashing by 20%, wouldn't you consider skipping training for one day to avoid a catastrophic crash and potential months off the bike?

Safety aside, wet conditions accelerate drivetrain wear, especially if you’re not on top of your post-ride maintenance. Rain can wash away lubrication from your drivetrain, leading to increased friction between parts and accelerated wear of components like the chain, cassette, and chainrings. Over time, consistent exposure to wet conditions without good maintenance can cause rust, corrosion, and premature drivetrain failure. As a result: frequent wet rides can turn into frequent visits to the bike shop and an unnecessary hit to already stretched budgets. In 2025 the average cassette price is about 100 GBP/Euros, and about half that for a chain. Avoiding wet and muddy rides will help keep your bike clean and extend the life of parts, ultimately costing you less in the long run.

Illness

Riding in wet weather can significantly increase the risk of illness. Wet rides can rapidly lower core temperature and your then needs to divert energy towards attempting to maintain your core temperature. This diversion of energy can suppress immune function and leave you at risk of infection. Exercise itself further compounds this issue; after a hard ride, the immune system enters a period where it is less effective at fighting off pathogens called the “open window”. This state is due to a number of factors but most notably due to higher levels of the cortisol hormone post ride, the body redistributing white blood cells and your body switching to focus on fighting inflammation instead of supressing possible illness. As a result being cold and wet during this post-ride danger zone can widen that window, increasing the likelihood of catching colds, flu, or respiratory infections. 

Finally cold, moist air itself can irritate your airways and reduce the effectiveness of mucosal linings in the nose and throat, your body's first line of defence against airborne viruses and bacteria. For people with underlying respiratory conditions like asthma, this irritation can be even more severe. 

Alternatives

Now we have covered all of the risks, let's talk about the options to avoid or embrace the rain. The obvious choice for cyclists in 2025 is indoor training, whether that be on a turbo trainer or an indoor bike. I wrote an article on indoor training last month, if you need tips on this! Riding indoors allows for time-efficient and crucially safe workouts, meaning you don't need to skip your structured rides when the weather is bad.

Another obvious but often overlooked way to avoid the rain is good planning, checking the forecast at the start of the week and scheduling and planning your rides around the weather is key. Training Peaks added weather forecasts to their calendar view last year, making it easy to structure your training yourself or with a coach in their software. If you are committed to riding in any weather, scheduling a rest day or an easy hour of riding to the cafe and back is always a good option.

Finally, if you are looking for a reason to ride in the rain and ignore the other advice the last line of defence for foul weather cycling is the ability to cultivate mental toughness. Getting out on the bike when it's wet and cold outside makes you feel tougher, and getting quality training done on top of this leaves you feeling great…once you have warmed back up that is. Poor weather in racing feels easy compared to potentially horrendous weather you may have experienced during your training. Mental toughness over bad weather can take you far in a bike race, giving you the edge over competition that never ventures out into the wet. When competitor moral is low the last thing they want to see is someone embracing poor conditions.

In conclusion, maybe it's not a great idea to always ride in the dry, and the odd ride outside in the wet can be helpful to generate some mental fortitude, but there is reams of evidence supporting the narrative that riding in bad weather can be detrimental to the body and the bike. As a result: approach with caution.