How do bent-riders cope with deep puddles/floods?

[Pancho]

I've been back on the bike commuting for a few months now (see other thread) but my knackered arm is giving me a lot of grief (see other thread). So, once again, I find myself thinking a lot about recumbents (while riding one handed). Trust me, they look really, really appealing right now.

However, they also look really, really *low*. Ignoring my instinct that it must feel horrible mixing with traffic when your head is at about the height of a lorry's wheel nuts, I've identified a more tangible problem. My commute is often wet. "Wet" as in "deep" - bottom bracket deep on bad days. With my waterproof overtrousers and Shimano boots on, this is not a problem for me. But how do you cope on a 'bent? Wear a wet suit?

[CoCo]

Not too badly, actually. The bottom bracket is much higher and feet, although out at the front, tend not to get too wet. You'll catch most of the rain on the front of your jacket instead of the shoulders so a waterproof zip is useful. The only place I have problems is at the elbows - the rain runs down there and collects. There's no escape for it. I'd be interested to know how others cope with this. I don't fancy putting holes in the elbows of my jacket!

[LMT]

As mentioned a high BB means no wet feet, however I do unclip both feet and gingerly turn the pedals ready to put my feet down should I hit a hidden pothole.

If you are riding a trike of low racer you could bridge, but this requires some half decent bike handling skills on a bent that is not all that twitchy.

[Wothill]

Puddling on the front of the jacket is a problem. I use an over the head waterproof with a half length zip which solves the problem but they are hard to get hold of. I haven't tried a jacket with a waterproof zip but I suppose that should work too. My bikes are both high so my head is only about a foot lower than my upright partner's head. That's good for seeing through cars and eyeballing drivers and it also means I don't get so much of the spray as you get on a low recumbent. The seat is an excellent protector and the fat frame tube means I don't get any of my own spray from the front wheel either without mudguards. The main downside in the wet is that there is a lot more chain to clean! Big puddles are a danger on any bike I guess. Unless I know there are no pot holes, I either avoid the puddle or take it very slowly.
Alf

[Kim]

Yeah, the BB height of the Streetmachine means getting less wet than an upwrong (unless you're following another bike).  With the ICE trike, you're out of luck, though - any deeper than 6" or so and you get a wet bottom.  At least on a trike you can go dead slow in case of unseen hazards and to reduce splashing (though with a lightly loaded rear wheel, it's entirely possible to get stranded in the middle of a slippery-banked ford).  TBH, I consider that sort of silly fording to be a summer and sandals activity.

If I had to pick a 'bent for fording, it would probably be a delta trike (Kettwiesel or similar).  If you could MacGyver some kind of diff lock, all the better.

[CoCo]

Oh, I forgot. Without a front mudguard the water from the front wheel gets thrown onto a part of the body that you really don't want it to. I heard that one laid back rider packed on the L-E-L after having his nether regions rubbed raw on wet roads. Not a way to go ....

[Pancho]

I've just been poking around the HPVelotechnik site website and see they do a version of the Scorpion with a 57cm seat height. That's practically a bar stool on wheels! Should cope with most fording events.

[Kim]

I've just been poking around the HPVelotechnik site website and see they do a version of the Scorpion with a 57cm seat height. That's practically a bar stool on wheels! Should cope with most fording events.

Wow, that's higher than the Kettwiesel and almost double that of the ICE Adventure.  Wonder what the handling's like - they've evidently moved the seat back a bit to improve the centre of gravity, which is probably good news for traction, too.  Presumably you have to not take the piss on corners, but most riders who need a high seat aren't too fussed about that.

[Krystine_M]

On a Crystal Orbit I have managed to cycle through flood water which nearly covered the front wheel (451 / 20"). Drop into low gear and try to keep pedalling . With my Fuego I have gone through water deep enough to half cover the front wheel, only problem was clipping the front mudguard back in.

[Kim]

But I should probably also say that in flood season I'm more likely to be on an alloy-framed upwrong than a 'bent.  Obviously I'm lucky to be able to have that choice, but it saves an awful lot of tedious drivetrain maintenance.  (Wet chains in chain tubes are less than optimally enthusiastic about drying out.)

[Tigerbiten]

On my ICE sprint I'm ok (but very wet) up to about 15" deep floods.
After that, if the side pods are full, the backend starts to float and I lose traction.
Don't ask how I know ......... 

Normally ......
I'm fine up to around 10 mph.
Faster than that, the spray off the front wheels starts to hit the backs of your legs.
If cars are going passed faster than about 25 mph, the spray thrown up by their wheels when they hit a puddle starts getting to my shoulder height.

[Mr Larrington]

Once rode a flooded lane on the Speedmachine with water just lapping at the bottom of the seat, so about 40 cm deep.  SON completely unfazed by this cavalier treatment.  I wouldn't have tried that on the Trice, though I once did hit a deep road-spanning puddle at speed on it and got completely drenched from the head down.

[Torslanda]

Re: How do bent-riders cope with deep puddles/floods?

Hopefully better than this poor sap . . .

[Mr Larrington]

Miss von Brandenburg reported a similar incident from the 90s.  It happened when the Fulda burst its banks in Kassel, where she was a Penniless Student Oafette at the time.  The biker in this case discovered the location of the steps down into the pedestrian underpass

[Dave_C]

Mudguards,

I foolishly ordered 700cc mudguards for my 26" Ice B2 but they fit semi well as the B2 also accepts 700cc wheels.

One thing I found on first use of my B2 in the rain was the lack of holes in the seat. Water pooled but my endura w/p dhorts (yes shorts!) worked very well. After that I drilled a couple of holes to let water drain away.

Dave C

[c0d3x42]

However, they also look really, really *low*. Ignoring my instinct that it must feel horrible mixing with traffic when your head is at about the height of a lorry's wheel nuts, I've identified a more tangible problem. My commute is often wet. "Wet" as in "deep" - bottom bracket deep on bad days. With my waterproof overtrousers and Shimano boots on, this is not a problem for me. But how do you cope on a 'bent? Wear a wet suit?

Much easier than a DF!
I rode back from Brighton to London before Xmas and part of the route was completely flooded. I thought some yoot were having a laugh placing a signpost in the middle of a pond at one point. I found myself going through what felt like a foot of water at one point  and the panniers on the back were acting like anchors pushing through the water. The rest of me, feet included reminded dry.
I'll totally admit, my biggest fear at that "lake where a path should have been" was loosing balance and toppling sideways!