Seems like a no brainer, but some storms sometimes only last a few minutes and if you can leave 10 minutes later or earlier you can may avoid the downpour entirely, or at least shorten it. Our favorite weather app that includes up to the minute updates is Dark Sky.

Find a helmet that has less vents for those rainy days. Keeping your head dry will greatly impact the overall comfort of pedaling through a storm. Helmets and caps can keep you dry momentarily but pending the length of a storm, could get soggy. Nothing is worse than a wet cotton cap keeping you cold - so prepare wisely!

Sometimes in a downpour, some of our other senses are compromised, such as visibility and sound. So on a "bluebird" day when you could easily get someone's attention by yelling “on your left”, your voice won't carry with the sound of pouring rain. A bell can easily can get someone’s attention, regardless of the conditions, to alert that you are quickly approaching.