Is it pouring outside?

On the previous post we talked about of how to prepare yourself if the answer to the question "is it raining outside?" was followed by a "yes".

I became an enthusiast and tried to make you understand that riding a bicycle in the rain isn't something difficult if you are prepared, which it true!

However it isn't all nice and cozy, and while I enjoy to ride my bicycle in the rain, I always face myself with the same problem.

It is not a problem with lighter rain or if I ride short distances (aka when I'm already in town) but it is a problem when I'm commuting from home to work or backwards, or when it is pouring outside. 
(I don't want any of you being caught in heavy rain with your bicycle while thinking devious ways of eliminating me, as I was the one who told you to just grab a jacket and your boots and go out with your bicycle, which led to your rain "misery"!)

Fortunately, these cases are more rare than other people think. I don't know if the same applies to you, but to me, it is like that heavy rain starts to fall always after I've reached my destination!

This post also, it is not one for preaching or finding all the answers. It is one that I'm asking help from you, and want to discuss a few problems and how I try to handle them. 

So look outside of the window...

Is it pouring outside?

One of my major problems of riding a bicycle in the rain is wet knees. Usually I choose to wear a skirt when it is raining because tights have the ability to dry up really fast, so I won't find myself walking around with wet knees all day long. However, when it is really cold outside, I prefer to wear a pair of pants which isn't the most comfortable piece of clothing during heavy rain. No matter the length of my coat/jacket, my knees always get wet. I have found that if I don't "sit" on my coat and let it hang freely behind my saddle, then the front part doesn't "open" that much, which protects my knees better, but still not enough.

Another thing I have found to be somewhat irritating when I ride in heavy rain is that I tend to sweat, which is frustrating. I do not know why this is happening, as I tend to keep the same speed and I don't force into it. Also it is not that I'm wearing any additional clothes, I wear exactly what I wear everyday. My thought is that it might be the fact that there is more moisture in the atmosphere when it is pouring, so the heat generated from my body cannot "escape" which leads to sweating. At least that's my explanation.

Moreover, when it is pouring outside and I'm already into the town and just want to travel from point A to point B, I think for a couple of minutes and try to decide whether to use my bicycle or not. If the rain is heavy but normal heavy (which means no sudden air drafts) then I will wear my hood but also grab an umbrella, to protect my face from all the water, and I will ride carefully to my destination. However, if the rain is really heavy and with lots of sudden air drafts, then I will just walk my bicycle and I won't ride it as I don't feel safe doing it due to the air. 

Which leads to another piece of advise, it is wise to know when to give in. When the water coming down from the sky is more than I could take, then I will simply give in and search for another way to head to my destination. Usually by car or bus. The reason I will be doing that is because, at least to me, riding on a downpour feels like drowning, which isn't pleasant at all. I'm serious. There is constant water coming down to your face, blocking your vision and your noise. If you inhale from the mouth, then you drink the water. As I said it is not pleasant. And during a downpour holding an umbrella it is not an option, because not only it will broke in an instant, but it is crucial to use both hands to handle the bicycle. 

But what happens when you have no alternative? Well, this is something I would really like to know. I consider myself one of the "lucky" ones, as in the majority of the times that I need to ride my bicycle from my home to work or the opposite way, the rain is just normal rain or when I'm being caught by a downpour I'm either already in town, or I will simply wait it out as it doesn't last for a long time, only fifteen minutes tops. And in the rare times that there is a big thunder outside I have an alternative way of transportation. 

But I can't hold myself and wonder...
What do you do when there is a downpour and you have to be at your work on a certain hour? Do you use an alternative way of transportation?
Also have you ever notice that you sweat when there is heavy rain, but not when there is mild rain or no rain at all?
And last but not least, how do you deal with wet knees? 

I would like you to share your personal stories with me and give any additional piece of advise.
What do you do to protect yourself when being caught in a downpour?