After five years of drought, those of us living in the Southwest have forgotten how to ride in the rain (and that people actually have to do that!). Here are a handful of tips posted by many cyclists on the TrainingPeaks.com discussion board.

• Brake early before a turn as brake pads don't work so well on wet rims and it takes longer to slow down.

• When going through corners, take them slower than normal. Avoid leaning your bike to turn as that can cause your tires to lose traction and slip sideways if the ground is wet - keep your bike upright and steer it around the corner instead.

• Be careful about standing up and cranking on the pedals as this can cause your rear wheel to lose traction and slide around.

• Use a thicker lube on the chain so it isn't washed off by the halfway point.

• Tape a baggie over your computer if you want it to still be reading by the end of the ride.

• Don't ever ride over a puddle in the rain, especially on unfamiliar roads. There could be an unseen pothole beneath.

• Be careful about the line paint on the road - it will be slick.

After the ride

• Mark the seat post height and remove if from the frame. Turn your bike upside-down. Do this somewhere where a quart of yucky water on the floor won't be a problem (that's how much could be in the frame). Hang the bike up to dry and rotate to a new position after a few hours to make sure you get all the water out. Re-grease the seat post before putting it back in the frame after the inside of the frame dries.

• You may also find your rims get loaded up with water. If you have clinchers, deflate the tire, hold the wheel almost horizontal, and push the tire bead away from the rim at the point closest to the ground. More water than you can believe is in a rim will come out.

• Don't forget to re-lube every moving part appropriately. It will save you hours of work later (when stuff on your bike seizes or rusts).

If you have any training questions, please ask them on my forum