Naturally, almost everyone is more tentative riding in the wet. Even the pros. And that’s because cycling in the rain requires a little more care, a little more attention and more than a little finesse when it comes to cornering.

Now the temptation is to stay inside when the weather’s really bad, but if you do that then you’re never going to get any better at riding in the rain, are you? Let’s face it, there’s going to be a time when you have to ride in the rain, perhaps in that sportive you’ve spent months training for.

Riding in the wet is great, because it puts you right out of your comfort zone, and brings conscious thought into play during riding in a way that most of us don’t need to on a dry ride. In the wet, you’ll suddenly find yourself thinking about cornering rather than relying on your natural riding instincts, and that’s where the problem starts.

By riding in the wet a lot, you’ll get good at riding in the wet. And if you don’t, you won’t. It’s as simple as that. Plus, if you stay inside all winter and don’t venture out on the bike you’ll probably find you’re a little rusty when you climb back aboard come the spring, and you’ll need a few weeks to get back into it.

Plus, once you’ve learned to take corners relatively quickly and capably in the wet, cornering in the dry will feel rock solid by comparison.