I "was" riding in snow and rain, BUT, after last week, almost going down in hard ice, and watching other bikers tumble in it, and then telling my wife about it ( I was bragging I guess that the Harley boys can't touch me   ) she forbade me from riding under 40 degrees....
But she is right, I'll be 60 this Tuesday, a fall at my age could have consequences I'm not willing to pay. Living in the Pacific Northwest rain is my normal riding condition    you just ride accordingly and have good waterproof gear.
I use a full face helmet as those drops do sting, and I use a product called raincoat, I get it from an aviation supplier...its made for helicopters, it really works well, it beads up and slides right off....love it, and anti fogging stuff on the inside keeps the nostril flare at bay too...

I have in the low 20's (F). Great when I was 16.. Now days I'll avoid it.

If I get caught in the rain, I won't stop unless it's too bad.  But I do try to plan for rains if I'm going to spend most of my time in town like going to work or places I want to be dry at.

BOBD wrote on 01/11/13 at 03:45:38:

PFFFT.WIMP...........Just kidding

I ride all year 'round.When I was in Dallas,my '86 was my only transportation.And it Does get cold in Dallas.19 degrees the morning I hit black ice and went down.2 years ago I rode to the local HD shop,they have a contest every January to ride your bike in.Called the Winter Warrior.I had slush and icicles on my bike when I got there.12 degrees that day.Last year,mid 60s.Tomorrow 60....I'm there.I don't intentionally go in the rain unless it's my only transportation,but I've gotten caught in it.

Neither cold, rain or cold rain bothered me much when I didn't have a choice. But when I can choose, I choose neither.

I like to ride when it's 50 degrees or warmer and dry. Got the gear and always prepared for less than favorable conditions.

12Bravo wrote on 01/09/13 at 05:43:10:


Ditto that.

I commute a good 20 miles/day in downtown Roma, with cobbled streets, streetcar rails and white plastic pedestrian crossings... the lot !

Riding in July is like July in Miami, 35°C+ and 80% humidity, yet I insist on a FF helmet for safety.

Riding in January is like January in NYC or San Francisco (well... maybe more like San Francisco)
this morning it was an acceptable 12°C and light drizzle, two days ago it was 3°C and fog so thick I couldn't see my arms outstretched  
last December it was a few degrees below freezing.

February 2012 we had a surprise snowstorm that left quite a few inches of snow for the entire weekend,
and about half the commuters had to leave their cars at work or stranded in the streets and walk their way home.
I left my bike (you can't ride in 6" snow!) and walked the 10 miles home.
Climbed on a bus only the last two miles because it was less than 1"snow, quite mushy, but the city center was a whiteout!
(psycologically speaking... imagine 6" snow in Los Angeles...)

Else, my philosophy is

It was a close miss this morning...

Rained all yesterday afternoon (got home wet, have a good weatherproof riding jacket but had no rain trousers  ) rained hard all night, rained even harder very early in the morning.
Roads were waterlogged.

Donned rain gear, FF helmet, pulled out the BMW (I will not ride the Savage in the rain if I can help it, and the Beemer has a better frame and ABS!)

My morning commute consists of several miles of local neighborhood traffic, a few miles of 4-laner and more miles of downtown traffic.
Don't let the terms "neighborhood" and "downtown" fool you, Rome is NOT Manhattan !

Starting from home, these are my first few miles... it was pouring this morning...


I then climbed onto the 4-lane bypass...


And finally made my way through downtown Roma


40 minutes for a mere 10 miles... it could have been worse ! (it snowed in the outskirts... )

Maurizio,
You are a better rider and braver man than me. My commute, rain, snow, cold, or hot is about 15 feet, the length of the hallway to my home office.

Ride safe and good hunting