concrete is like a sheet of ice when wet on a bike .....

Find a very deserted stretch of road to ride on in the rain. Your stopping distance will be greatly compromised, but more importantly the visiblity of cars and their stopping distance will be compromised. So unless you can find a deserted stretch of road to go out and play in the rain, I'd skip it until the weather improves.

I've ridden in the rain lots of times on my Cannondale Synapse. I am one of those fools who even starts a ride in the rain, yet alone continue riding once the rain starts.

Tips:

* Watch for paint stripes on the surface. Water beads up on them easily. Makes em kinda like ice.
* Oil-slickened spots on the road are worse than they are under drier conditions. Extra caution is advised.
* Unless you have disc brakes, be prepared for longer breaking times and be prepared to use the brakes properly given the wet conditions.
* Your visibility to other vehicles on the road is less in the rain. Plus they don't expect you to be out there as much. Wear bright stuff and use lighting. Make your capacity for situational awareness even greater in inclement weather.
* If you know it's gonna rain, I find wearing a helmet with a visor is helpful.
* "Handle with care."

Be safe and happy wet riding!

Many experienced riders ride in the rain, but I do not (excepting when I get caught out!) My lbs owner strongly discourages riding in the rain, whether road or mountain biking. The shop guys all ride rain or shine, the owner discourages it. He says that the bike picks up grit when it's wet and the grit migrates to lots of places where you don't want it. It becomes like sandpaper to rims and brake pads and finds its way into any opening in the frame, or suspension for mtb riders. Maybe this is just local due to some geographical predisposition to grit, or maybe it is universal, I don't know. But he never rides in the rain and cancels the rides he leads. My mtb brake pads wear out frequently enough as it is so I have followed his advice and do something else on rainy days. Plus we have a lot of redneck drivers around here that are dangerous enough on nice sunny days. In the rain it is mayhem! I frequently see cars off the road in a ditch. Crazy drivers here! Mountain biking avoids that issue but increases the grit factor. That said, I rode my mtb on an icy, snowy, muddy trail the other day because I drove three hours to get to my favorite trail and was not going to be denied! Of course I spent half a day cleaning and lubing the bike afterwards, and while it was worth it I usually don't have that much time. So while many good riders don't hesitate when it rains, I pass. Ask your lbs owner about local conditions.

I just rode in the rain on Wednesday, you just have to watch riding on wet lines. They are as slick as ice. Also, make sure that you clean and lube your chain afterwards. Rain gear is very helpful.

Love the way discs look on a bike. What was the name of that company with disc brake road bikes? I can't recall... Specialized sued them recently.

Volagi, I think...? Yeah, our LBS owner and I were talking about those. He seems pretty impressed by what he's seeing from them.