This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Full mudguards do several things:
a) Stop you getting dirty from water sprayed up by the tyres
b) Stop you getting as wet if it has recently rained
c) with a suitable length rear mudguard or mudflap you'll be a much more sociable rider as you won't flick up water into the face of anyone behind you

No front mudguard will mean your shoes/shins/chainset will get covered in grimy water.

If it is raining you'll get wet/soaked anyway, but at least you won't have dirty water being flung up at your feet or back.

For summer commuting my wet weather gear was no different from dry, often just shorts and s/s jersey. It was warm enough that I'd just get soaked and this would dry at work.

The key outside summer is dressing to ensure you will be remain warm when you inevitably get soaked through: "Wet but warm."

There were several progressions in kit:

• fingerless mitts -> full finger gloves -> waterproof gloves
  
• shorts -> shorts + knee warmers -> shorts + leg warmers
  
• s/s jersey -> l/s jersey -> l/s jersey + base layer
  
• no waterproof jacket -> waterproof jacket
  
• no buff -> buff
  (never bothered with overshoes. Only had an 8 mile commute and never got cold/wet enough.)
  
  

Other tactics:-

Proper drying facilities are great, campaign for them if they don't already exist. I was spoiled at my previous job as we had showers, lockers and just enough space to dry things.

If drying at work is crap then take a second set of shorts/gloves/top/socks and have them at work in case the stuff from the morning isn't dry. Then you can ride home in dry stuff and leave the damp stuff there overnight to dry.

Keep some newspaper in your locker in stuff into wet shoes.

Always ensure you have a spare set of cycling gear and work gear in your locker. You'll never know when you'll need it.