MattWhen I picked up my bike, I did so in 0 degrees C (30F) with rain and light snow. If you keep your speed down, modern tires are incredible things. Also, speed limits tend to be set for worst case scenarios. So if you ride at the posted limit (or slightly under) and keep watch for posted warning speeds on corners, the bike will be able to handle it.
I’ve driven what I thought were pretty crazy Florida mid-day rains (turns out my “crazy” is your “everyday”). I’m not sure I’d be comfortable on a bike in those… Heck, I wan’t comfortable in my car! I just organized my days to keep me off the road about 11:30am (which was when the rain hit every day for the week I was there).
That said, try not to ride on the road right when the rain starts (They’ll talk about this in the MSF – basically the initial half hour of rain rinses all the oil off the asphalt and can be dangerous in that time).
Also, I highly recommend a set of Fully-rainproof textiles (I wear Joe Rocket Alter-Ego pants).
Physical and Mental preperation makes the difference between totally miserable and enjoyable.
As Kick says, it’ll all come down to personal comfort and preference.
