Riding in the wet....for fun
Discussion
I am desperately trying to up my weekly mileage, but until today rain always stops play for my post work cycle.
Tonight however I managed to do a quick 8 or so miles despite leaving the house in torrential rain. Needles to say that it rained for the duration of my ride and stopped when I had returned home
Anyway, the whole point of posting is to say how much I enjoyed it. The roads were quite nice to ride with less cyclists around (my part of London can be congested with commuters), the rain kept me cool so my pace improved, and I actually enjoyed it immensely. I only came home as I had plans or I would have stayed out for longer.
My gear was soaked through, and braking for a van pulling out on me was a little worrying (idiot rider forgetting about lack of braking in the wet) but I'm embarrassed that I have avoided it for so long.
Tonight however I managed to do a quick 8 or so miles despite leaving the house in torrential rain. Needles to say that it rained for the duration of my ride and stopped when I had returned home
Anyway, the whole point of posting is to say how much I enjoyed it. The roads were quite nice to ride with less cyclists around (my part of London can be congested with commuters), the rain kept me cool so my pace improved, and I actually enjoyed it immensely. I only came home as I had plans or I would have stayed out for longer.
My gear was soaked through, and braking for a van pulling out on me was a little worrying (idiot rider forgetting about lack of braking in the wet) but I'm embarrassed that I have avoided it for so long.
It's miserable until you get warm, but then it can be fun.
Two big issues for me - aside from the need to dry the bike afterwards.
1. Visibility; the bus driver will be able to see you, but his spray means the car right behind him won't.
2. Puddle = pothole. Maybe.
Two big issues for me - aside from the need to dry the bike afterwards.
1. Visibility; the bus driver will be able to see you, but his spray means the car right behind him won't.
2. Puddle = pothole. Maybe.
Edited by Nick_F on Thursday 25th March 23:09
Nick_F said:
It's miserable until you get warm, but then it can be fun.
Two big issues for me - aside from the need to dry the bike afterwards.
1. Visibility; the bus driver will be able to see you, but his spray means the car right him won't.
2. Puddle = pothole. Maybe.
Are you naturally cautious? It's a wonder you ever venture out.........Two big issues for me - aside from the need to dry the bike afterwards.
1. Visibility; the bus driver will be able to see you, but his spray means the car right him won't.
2. Puddle = pothole. Maybe.
Gooby said:
Oh for gods sake!
You bunch of tarty roadies!
I have had more wet rides than Ron Jeremy.
Get off road and splatter some mud around!
well played. I was thinking about putting this but then thought the better of it. The amount of shoutings at I've had from walkers cluttering up the trails with children and dogs is insane and they don't like it when i zoom past them at a million miles an hour splashing them with some fresh mud. I even had one complain that I didn't have a bell or lights and she said, i quote- "it's the law to have bells and lights on a bike so you should bloody well use them before you kill someone" even after giving her about 5m clearnce and travelling at around 10mph. I politely told her that although it's the law to sell a bike with a bell it isnt compulsory to have one on the bike, and lights are only recomended for night riding. she wasn't too impressed. On the other hand some walkers like to see bikers. I had one guy shout at me as i ploud(?) through about 10" of really watery mud saying "give it some!" on the approach and "good lad!" as it sprayed up everywhere.You bunch of tarty roadies!
I have had more wet rides than Ron Jeremy.
Get off road and splatter some mud around!
I'll put my hand up to being a fair weather roadie. It is purely down to the grip / visibilty issue. I used to love rowing training in the rain, and running was a pleasure too, as you keep cool.
This week has been rubbish for post-work rides. I'm hoping for a dry Sat / Sun morning to bash out a few miles...
This week has been rubbish for post-work rides. I'm hoping for a dry Sat / Sun morning to bash out a few miles...
I don't mind biking in the rain, but it's certainly more difficult to get the enthusiasm up to head out if it's already raining...
That's MTB I'm talking about though. I commute every single day regardless of the weather: there's a strange, perverse satisfaction from riding in through the s
ttiest of weather!
That's MTB I'm talking about though. I commute every single day regardless of the weather: there's a strange, perverse satisfaction from riding in through the s
ttiest of weather!Nick_F said:
Gooby said:
Oh for gods sake!
You bunch of tarty roadies!
I have had more wet rides than Ron Jeremy.
Get off road and splatter some mud around!
Off-road is a completely different matter, although there can't be many who prefer mudplugging to dusty trails?You bunch of tarty roadies!
I have had more wet rides than Ron Jeremy.
Get off road and splatter some mud around!
slomax said:
well played. I was thinking about putting this but then thought the better of it. The amount of shoutings at I've had from walkers cluttering up the trails with children and dogs is insane and they don't like it when i zoom past them at a million miles an hour splashing them with some fresh mud. I even had one complain that I didn't have a bell or lights and she said, i quote- "it's the law to have bells and lights on a bike so you should bloody well use them before you kill someone" even after giving her about 5m clearnce and travelling at around 10mph. I politely told her that although it's the law to sell a bike with a bell it isnt compulsory to have one on the bike, and lights are only recomended for night riding. she wasn't too impressed. On the other hand some walkers like to see bikers. I had one guy shout at me as i ploud(?) through about 10" of really watery mud saying "give it some!" on the approach and "good lad!" as it sprayed up everywhere.
It seems a british afliction that they love to winge especially when someone is having more fun than them. We do our very best to be as polite and pleasant to everyone we meet when we ride and meet all with a cheery "hello/ good day/ good morning" etc and 97% are very polite in return, we do however meet the grumpy barsteward rambler who quote stupid non-existent rules at us. We had one guy last year block the trail for us, it was basically a sheep trail around a big hill and we decided to go exploring, he had to be the most obnoxious prat ever encountered. Held us up for 10 mins or so while we tried to politely reason with him. In the end one of the group barged by blocked his route with a bike while the others went by, most of them pointing out the destinct inbreeding in his recent gene pool. This happens rarely, usually at the beginning of any nice weather, all the ramblers dust off thier walking boots and find thier aluminium walking poles and get pissy 'cos the trails dont actually belong to them. It is so rare it lodges in the mind and pisses you off.Last week we had this cool lady at the bottom of a hill shout at us "hit the watersplash", a huge puddle a couple of ft from her and we did, sending curtains of water everyware, she was giggling so much, she came and shook our hands!
The worst we find are horse riders. We had one telling us that a "bridleway" is just for horses! One of my best friends is a horse rider and we ride with her LOADS, my dogs were brought up with horses and some of the crap spewed by the horsey fraternity is just shocking. We have been told that "my horse is scared of bikes and dogs, horses were here before bikes so I have right of way". My responce was not all she expected - she was told (Very politely!), that the dogs were here before the horses by that logic, and perhaps she should either train her horse better or use one of the many quieter bridleways with no bikes or dogs for her (and her horses) welfare, the deficiencies in her horses training are her fault and not our concern.
We are all very willing to share the trails and respect each other, it doesnt take much to pull over while a horse / family etc goes by and we are more than willing to do so, when some cretin starts up that we have no right to be there we sure as hell put them right. We love our rides and once some maroon gets the idea that we are not allowed to be there, put them right. Same for small minded morons and "you dont pay road tax" comments. I love that one! "Wow, you pay road tax? You are the only one because I pay road fund licence for my cars but bikes are exempt. Perhaps you should expand your learning past reading the mirror and then you could have a real world conversation"
Rant over - and breathe!
Gooby said:
Nick_F said:
Gooby said:
Oh for gods sake!
You bunch of tarty roadies!
I have had more wet rides than Ron Jeremy.
Get off road and splatter some mud around!
Off-road is a completely different matter, although there can't be many who prefer mudplugging to dusty trails?You bunch of tarty roadies!
I have had more wet rides than Ron Jeremy.
Get off road and splatter some mud around!
Here Here!
The ideal ride: warm, dry, sunny. Dusty trails. Loadsa grip and little rolling resistance.
But there's something special about ride in the pouring rain. Turns easy sections into slippery tail-out fun and I feel done more if I have to rinse mud out of my nose and ears.
Oh and a Chilli & Sourcream Jacket in the Drop-Off is so much nicer if you come in shivering and wet and you can enjoy it as the feeling comes back to your toes.
God I need a good ride.....
Could do with getting the bike out too.
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