# I`m done.....



## iateyoubutler (13 Feb 2020)

I`ve been on here moaning about the relentless rain back in December. Now 2 months on it`s still f*cking raining, that`s pretty much non stop since September last year. As of 1 Jan, I tried to take on the "I`m not giving into it" attitude, but after nearly 7 weeks of get up - get soaked - do day at work - get soaked - wash and dry kit - go to bed - get soaked - do day at work yada yada yada. I`m burnt out with it, my bike is a mess, I`ve wasted about half a ton of washing powder, and my morale is in the sewer.

Well today I gave in, I`m done, totally pissed off with it all. After 20 years of it I`ve had enough, I`m hanging up my cycling shoes and giving up. Please don`t give me the cobblers about there being no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit, rule no 5 etc. I`ve been through thick and thin with it, but yet the weather over the last 6 months has finished me. I`m out of here

Watch the ads guys, there will be plenty going up for sale


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## I like Skol (13 Feb 2020)

Lightweight.....


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## classic33 (13 Feb 2020)

You're "P" off at getting "p'ssed wet through". Don't let it beat you.

And yes, it's easier say than do.


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## vickster (13 Feb 2020)

Spring is round the corner. Hibernate your kit for a month and take a holiday somewhere sunny


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## Milkfloat (13 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve been on here moaning about the relentless rain back in December. Now 2 months on it`s still f*cking raining, that`s pretty much non stop since September last year. As of 1 Jan, I tried to take on the "I`m not giving into it" attitude, but after nearly 7 weeks of get up - get soaked - do day at work - get soaked - wash and dry kit - go to bed - get soaked - do day at work yada yada yada. I`m burnt out with it, my bike is a mess, I`ve wasted about half a ton of washing powder, and my morale is in the sewer.
> 
> Well today I gave in, I`m done, totally pissed off with it all. After 20 years of it I`ve had enough, I`m hanging up my cycling shoes and giving up. Please don`t give me the cobblers about there being no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit, rule no 5 etc. I`ve been through thick and thin with it, but yet the weather over the last 6 months has finished me. I`m out of here
> 
> Watch the ads guys, there will be plenty going up for sale



Rather than being so rash, wait it out for better weather, I must admit this year it seems that I have got soaked more than previous years on my commute.


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## Drago (13 Feb 2020)

The rest of us are enduring the same and doing just fine...when the going gets tough, the tough get going.


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## gavroche (13 Feb 2020)

Do you drive? If so, take the car until the weather improves. It will give you a break and you will feel better for it.


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## CanucksTraveller (13 Feb 2020)

I get your frustration but I am with the "take a break" view, have a rest for a bit. It all looks so much more inviting on a bright, dry, warm morning. Chin up big man.


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## Jenkins (13 Feb 2020)

Have a break from the cycle commute. Take the bus, take the train, sit in your car in a traffic jam - whatever it takes to make you appreciate the ease of bike travel.


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## davidphilips (13 Feb 2020)

Must say i agree with you i am fed up of getting soaked and freezing cold then theres all the cleaning of both bike and kit. So i am taking a break until the weather improves and tbh looking forward to cycling again. will be keeping a look on gumtree etc never know may pick up a great deal?


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## PeteXXX (13 Feb 2020)




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## ColinJ (13 Feb 2020)

PeteXXX said:


> View attachment 504492


A 60 mph gust of wind wouldn't be nice with _that_ wrapped round you!


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## Slioch (13 Feb 2020)

Totally get where you're coming from. But as said upthread, better weather is on the way. Don't flog all your kit in a knee-jerk reaction. Sit on it for a couple of months, take a few deep breaths, then see where your head is at. If you still feel the same, then fair enough.

Just out of interest, what sort of kit have you got that you may be flogging cheap? Just asking for a friend like.


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## Rusty Nails (13 Feb 2020)

Drago said:


> The rest of us are enduring the same and doing just fine...when the going gets tough, the tough get going.



I thought you were a man of leisure. Do you commute each day?


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## DCBassman (14 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve been on here moaning about the relentless rain back in December. Now 2 months on it`s still f*cking raining, that`s pretty much non stop since September last year. As of 1 Jan, I tried to take on the "I`m not giving into it" attitude, but after nearly 7 weeks of get up - get soaked - do day at work - get soaked - wash and dry kit - go to bed - get soaked - do day at work yada yada yada. I`m burnt out with it, my bike is a mess, I`ve wasted about half a ton of washing powder, and my morale is in the sewer.
> 
> Well today I gave in, I`m done, totally pissed off with it all. After 20 years of it I`ve had enough, I`m hanging up my cycling shoes and giving up. Please don`t give me the cobblers about there being no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit, rule no 5 etc. I`ve been through thick and thin with it, but yet the weather over the last 6 months has finished me. I`m out of here
> 
> Watch the ads guys, there will be plenty going up for sale



We are talking about Tavistock, and it IS one of the wettest places around....


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## Mo1959 (14 Feb 2020)

Does seem to have been exceptional this year. I'm sick to death of it myself. Thankfully, I am retired so don't have to cycle in it. Think I've only managed out half a dozen times this year so far.

Maybe there can't be much more of the wet stuff left up there and we will have a long, glorious and dry spring and summer.


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## hoopdriver (14 Feb 2020)

I totally understand your frustration as well. I am a photographer as well as a cyclist and over the past few months I have been working on creating a gallery of cycling images - and the combination of wet weather and bad light has just been relentless. It is so, so rare to have a clear morning. Never seen anything like it. It is hugely frustrating and after a while you start talking it personally, as though the Fates are doing this deliberately to spite you, make you their plaything. Just give it a rest. Take a breather. This cycle of lousy weather is bound to break. Spring will come.


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## Sharky (14 Feb 2020)

I'm sure you will enjoy being On the Buses more than the bike with this bad weather.


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## Vantage (14 Feb 2020)

Get the bike out today. It looks set to be mostly dry. A bit of rain won't kill you. 
And don't forget, it's winter. Cold and wet is standard.


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## SpokeyDokey (14 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve been on here moaning about the relentless rain back in December. Now 2 months on it`s still f*cking raining, that`s pretty much non stop since September last year. As of 1 Jan, I tried to take on the "I`m not giving into it" attitude, but after nearly 7 weeks of get up - get soaked - do day at work - get soaked - wash and dry kit - go to bed - get soaked - do day at work yada yada yada. I`m burnt out with it, my bike is a mess, I`ve wasted about half a ton of washing powder, and my morale is in the sewer.
> 
> Well today I gave in, I`m done, totally pissed off with it all. After 20 years of it I`ve had enough, I`m hanging up my cycling shoes and giving up. Please don`t give me the cobblers about there being no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit, rule no 5 etc. I`ve been through thick and thin with it, but yet the weather over the last 6 months has finished me. I`m out of here
> 
> Watch the ads guys, there will be plenty going up for sale



Been the same here since November - pretty much relentless.

Only done 100 miles in 3 months which is a waste of time tbh.
Don't give up though - it'll soon be Spring.


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## sleuthey (14 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve been on here moaning about the relentless rain back in December. Now 2 months on it`s still f*cking raining, that`s pretty much non stop since September last year. As of 1 Jan, I tried to take on the "I`m not giving into it" attitude, but after nearly 7 weeks of get up - get soaked - do day at work - get soaked - wash and dry kit - go to bed - get soaked - do day at work yada yada yada. I`m burnt out with it, my bike is a mess, I`ve wasted about half a ton of washing powder, and my morale is in the sewer.
> 
> Well today I gave in, I`m done, totally pissed off with it all. After 20 years of it I`ve had enough, I`m hanging up my cycling shoes and giving up. Please don`t give me the cobblers about there being no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit, rule no 5 etc. I`ve been through thick and thin with it, but yet the weather over the last 6 months has finished me. I`m out of here
> 
> Watch the ads guys, there will be plenty going up for sale


.......and the day after you give up its flippin georgeous:


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## Drago (14 Feb 2020)

We live in the UK, famed across the world for its sheety weather. If we let the elements dictate our pastimes none of us would ever be active...ever.


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## kingrollo (14 Feb 2020)

Drago said:


> We live in the UK, famed across the world for its sheety weather. If we let the elements dictate our pastimes none of us would ever be active...ever.



Take it youre just back from a swift 50 then ?


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## screenman (14 Feb 2020)

No point in doing something you do not like doing if you do not need to, life is too short.


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## biggs682 (14 Feb 2020)

kingrollo said:


> Take it youre just back from a swift 50 then ?


That would be nice


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## Fab Foodie (14 Feb 2020)

DCBassman said:


> We are talking about Tavistock, and it IS one of the wettest places around....


Didn’t know you were in Tavy, we were down for a few days at the campsite just before Christmas. Yes, it rained a lot just ad we left for Dawlish where we were drowned! But a good couple of days were had exploring the moors :-). Am used to SW weather, born and raised in Exeter... 
Could happily move to Tavistock!


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## welsh dragon (14 Feb 2020)

I am I Wales. It rains a lot so I am a fair weather cyclist and I don't care what anyone else thinks.. Keep your stuff and just go out when the weather is nice.


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## ianrauk (14 Feb 2020)

Move to the south east..much drier in this part of the world


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## Pale Rider (14 Feb 2020)

The OP is a soft southern Jesse.

He ought to try riding in the frozen north east.

That would make a man of him.


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## nickyboy (14 Feb 2020)

It's been a mild winter so far. We've had much worse winters than this

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/summaries/index

January was average rainfall and was 2 degrees warmer than average. The OP getting fed up with cycling isn't to do with unusually bad weather


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## BigMeatball (14 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve been on here moaning about the relentless rain back in December. Now 2 months on it`s still f*cking raining, that`s pretty much non stop since September last year. As of 1 Jan, I tried to take on the "I`m not giving into it" attitude, but after nearly 7 weeks of get up - get soaked - do day at work - get soaked - wash and dry kit - go to bed - get soaked - do day at work yada yada yada. I`m burnt out with it, my bike is a mess, I`ve wasted about half a ton of washing powder, and my morale is in the sewer.
> 
> Well today I gave in, I`m done, totally pissed off with it all. After 20 years of it I`ve had enough, I`m hanging up my cycling shoes and giving up. Please don`t give me the cobblers about there being no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit, rule no 5 etc. I`ve been through thick and thin with it, but yet the weather over the last 6 months has finished me. I`m out of here
> 
> Watch the ads guys, there will be plenty going up for sale



I totally approve your decision.

Having to endure awful weather day in and day out can really make you hate cycling and spoil it forever. I hope you stopped before reaching the point of non return.

Don't sell all your kit, keep a bike and just cycle FOR LEISURE, over the weekend if the weather allows. Cycle alone or with mates...whatever makes it enjoyable.

PS: also don't listen to all the people who may say you're not tough enough. They're not tougher than you...just dumber


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## iateyoubutler (14 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> It's been a mild winter so far. We've had much worse winters than this
> 
> https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/summaries/index
> 
> January was average rainfall and was 2 degrees warmer than average. The OP getting fed up with cycling isn't to do with unusually bad weather


So you know my mind better than I do then?


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## iateyoubutler (14 Feb 2020)

Drago said:


> We live in the UK, famed across the world for its sheety weather. If we let the elements dictate our pastimes none of us would ever be active...ever.


If you say so..................


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## iateyoubutler (14 Feb 2020)

Drago said:


> The rest of us are enduring the same and doing just fine...when the going gets tough, the tough get going.


Well you`re very lucky then aren`t you?????


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## rivers (14 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> It's been a mild winter so far. We've had much worse winters than this
> 
> https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/summaries/index
> 
> January was average rainfall and was 2 degrees warmer than average. The OP getting fed up with cycling isn't to do with unusually bad weather



Mild, yes. But windy and rainy as can be. I will take the cold, dry, and lack of wind over what we have been having.


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## vickster (14 Feb 2020)

@iateyoubutler have you managed to get anywhere further with your plans to make some wider changes in your life overall? Having a plan or something to look forward too may help to lift the mood


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## nickyboy (14 Feb 2020)

rivers said:


> Mild, yes. But windy and rainy as can be. I will take the cold, dry, and lack of wind over what we have been having.


Nope....January actual rainfall in the UK was 100% of the average for January. It was.....average. December was a bit wetter than average (117%), November was slightly drier than average (97%)

We live on a rather wet and windy island. Every winter is rather wet and windy.


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## Milkfloat (14 Feb 2020)

For me the horrible weather this season seems to come at the most inappropriate times namely - 7.30am and 5pm commuting times mid week and 7am Sunday rides. When I am sat in the office it seems to be nice out there. I can believe that overall the rain has been average, but for sure this season it seems to be out to get me more than ever before. On a plus note, much fewer icy days, so not all bad.


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## iandg (14 Feb 2020)

We've just left the EU - the forecast for the UK is bright and sunny


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## iateyoubutler (14 Feb 2020)

vickster said:


> @iateyoubutler have you managed to get anywhere further with your plans to make some wider changes in your life overall? Having a plan or something to look forward too may help to lift the mood


I haven`t yet, but will be having a major shakeup as soon as I get the opportunity


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## vickster (14 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I haven`t yet, but will be having a major shakeup as soon as I get the opportunity


Good luck with it all


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## classic33 (14 Feb 2020)

There's a certain satisfaction in doing what others say you can't do(Not possible). They may even think you're nuts for doing it. That's lost when you start going the same way as everybody else.

If physical effort is required, you're nuttier still. But there'll be those bits that being stuck on a train, round here waiting on a train, hoping it'll show, that can't be got any other way. The feeling of freedom on two wheels, or four, doing what others regard as mad. I was told I was "f***ing nuts" when I said I could cycle in on the Bank Holidays, when services were limited.


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## Electric_Andy (14 Feb 2020)

There's no shame in how you feel. Cycling should be enjoyable, or at least tolerable through the bad bits. If it's not then best not to do it. Keep your bike for leisure cycling when the weather is nice


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## glasgowcyclist (14 Feb 2020)

Completely understand your feelings, it can be a grind sometimes. I hope you find something else you can enjoy that keeps you active.

However, why sell all your stuff now? The weather's still rubbish and you'll likely not get a good price for it. I'd keep everything until the better weather starts and then you can either advertise it all at a time when it'll be more attractive to buyers, or you might just be tempted by the better weather yourself and hang on to it.

Either way, do what will make you happy.


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## iandg (14 Feb 2020)

iandg said:


> We've just left the EU - the forecast for the UK is bright and sunny



Seriously though. Comes a time when we've all had enough of something.

I had enough in 1981 and stopped being a 'serious' racer, stopped chasing national ambition and returned to club runs and local time trials. In 1984 I went for a steady ride around local lanes to relax and clear my head after a day's revision for my degree and had an argument with a car driver who forced me into a ditch and then threatened me ( I was lucky to get away without a black eye/broken nose, he was a big guy). I decided that I wasn't getting the same enjoyment out of cycling anymore and stopped completely and started running.

I came back in the early 90s when my dad bought me a Saracen Tuff Trax mtb (out of some inheritance money from his brother). I started riding off-road at weekends on Cannock Chase and slowly the passion returned.

Take care and all the best.


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## SpokeyDokey (14 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> It's been a mild winter so far. We've had much worse winters than this
> 
> https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/summaries/index
> 
> January was average rainfall and was 2 degrees warmer than average. The OP getting fed up with cycling isn't to do with unusually bad weather



Well, I live in the bit of Cumbria that's showing a lot more rain than the usual average and a lot less sun than the usual average which coincides nicely with my on the ground assessment of it being utter shoot weather this winter.

Being slightly warmer than average temperatures does you no favour whatsoever when you live in the lee of a mountain range that precipitates and decants sodden south-westerlies upon you.  

Give me a north or north-easterly fueled chill any time over this grey skied nonsense.


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## BigMeatball (14 Feb 2020)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Being slightly warmer than average temperatures does you no favour whatsoever when you live in the lee of a mountain range that precipitates and decants sodden south-westerlies upon you.



if anything, being slightly warmer makes it even worse because you also sweat more


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## Smokin Joe (14 Feb 2020)

Cycling isn't compulsory, if you're not enjoying it stop and do something else. I've packed the bike away for the winter for the last couple of years and it will be the end of this month (Weather permitting) or March before it sees daylight again. Getting cold and wet is no longer par for the course like it used to be, it just makes me lose interest.


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## confusedcyclist (14 Feb 2020)

Time for a fully enclosed velomobile? Or a rain jacket? 







I've been where you are, only it was terrible drivers that did my head in and stopped riding for a good 6 months, sadly it was the summer months I missed out on, not this crap winter. I still don't cycle as much as I used to, but getting back into it now I've moved and have quieter and safer roads to navigate, buying a new ebike helped my motivation too.


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## ColinJ (14 Feb 2020)

screenman said:


> No point in doing something you do not like doing if you do not need to, life is too short.


I wish someone had told me that 60 years ago! 

Just to make sure that I've fully grasped the concept - everyone should try to spend their lives doing important things, and preferably things that they actually _enjoy_ doing? If so, I am going to have a go at living like that. Once I have finished doing the unimportant, boring things, naturally!


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## Mo1959 (14 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I wish someone had told me that 60 years ago!
> 
> Just to make sure that I've fully grasped the concept - everyone should try to spend their lives doing important things, and preferably things that they actually _enjoy_ doing? If so, I am going to have a go at living like that. Once I have finished doing the unimportant, boring things, naturally!


I wonder how many of us would do a lot of things differently if we had our time again. Could think of quite a few things.


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## vickster (14 Feb 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> I wonder how many of us would do a lot of things differently if we had our time again. Could think of quite a few things.


The OP is a relatively young chap, plenty of life left for changes


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## ianbarton (14 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Nope....January actual rainfall in the UK was 100% of the average for January. It was.....average. December was a bit wetter than average (117%), November was slightly drier than average (97%)


Interesting. I haven't checked our local stats. but it has been one of the wettest Autumns/Winters I can remember. We have only planted a bit more than 50% of lour winter crops. The fields are wetter than anyone can remember. Most winters we get some dry windy periods which dry things out, but we haven't really had any this year.


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## Smokin Joe (14 Feb 2020)

Wales has had more than it's fair share of rain this winter. We have a field behind us and at times it has looked more like a lake.


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## Ming the Merciless (14 Feb 2020)

Drago said:


> The rest of us are enduring the same and doing just fine...when the going gets tough, the tough get going.



or do they head down the pub ?


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## ColinJ (14 Feb 2020)

vickster said:


> The OP is a relatively young chap, plenty of life left for changes


Ha - old(-ish!) age creeps up on you while you are thinking that you still have plenty of time - _example_. I am another 12 years older than _that_ now (and 19 years older than the teacher in the story)!

As for cycling in the wind and rain... I haven't cycled much since the end of October. I lost about 50% of my fitness, and need to get stuck in, but I agree with the OP about riding in these conditions. I went to do a session on my turbo trainer instead last night and... got a puncture! (Strictly speaking - a small split in a seam on the tube.)


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## vickster (14 Feb 2020)

I'm on around 350 miles for the year, I don't bike commute now (usually 3 days at home, 1 day in London office, use public transport). I am trying to select my non-working day in accordance with bike-friendly weather


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## Dave7 (14 Feb 2020)

davidphilips said:


> Must say i agree with you i am fed up of getting soaked and freezing cold then theres all the cleaning of both bike and kit. So i am taking a break until the weather improves and tbh looking forward to cycling again. will be keeping a look on gumtree etc never know may pick up a great deal?


I am with the 'fair weather cycling' club but what I dont understand is all this 'bike cleaning' malarky.
In my 20s (ok many years ago) I cycled to work all through winter & summer and dont recall ever cleaning my bike. Oil the chain and that was it. I dont recall any problems as a result. What am I missing?


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## vickster (14 Feb 2020)

Dave7 said:


> I am with the 'fair weather cycling' club but what I dont understand is all this 'bike cleaning' malarky.
> In my 20s (ok many years ago) I cycled to work all through winter & summer and dont recall ever cleaning my bike. Oil the chain and that was it. I dont recall any problems as a result. *What am I missing?*


Nothing as you would have had more time to do fun stuff


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## screenman (14 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I wish someone had told me that 60 years ago!
> 
> Just to make sure that I've fully grasped the concept - everyone should try to spend their lives doing important things, and preferably things that they actually _enjoy_ doing? If so, I am going to have a go at living like that. Once I have finished doing the unimportant, boring things, naturally!



I am not getting your point on this.


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## vickster (14 Feb 2020)

screenman said:


> I am not getting your point on this.


I think he's saying that we all have to do things we don't much enjoy ...and sometimes they get in the way of doing the fun stuff


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## screenman (14 Feb 2020)

vickster said:


> I think he's saying that we all have to do things we don't much enjoy ...and sometimes they get in the way of doing the fun stuff



I agree with that, what has it got to do with packing up doing something you do not enjoy when you do not have to do it? As in cycling in rubbish weather.


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## ColinJ (14 Feb 2020)

screenman said:


> I am not getting your point on this.


I'm saying that you are right!



vickster said:


> I think he's saying that we all have to do things we don't much enjoy ...and sometimes they get in the way of doing the fun stuff


It's true, but I think he suggested that.

What I was really saying was that for one reason or another I have spent a lot of my life with the worst of both - doing boring things which were also unimportant! 

Foul weather cycling that you don't enjoy may not be important either, as long as it is replaced by something else that keeps you fit.


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## vickster (14 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I'm saying that you are right!
> 
> 
> It's true, but I think he suggested that.
> ...


Or that simply gives you enjoyment, reduces stress, anxiety


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## davidphilips (14 Feb 2020)

Dave7 ? Yes a bike can just be used in bad weather like you did but brakes work better if kept clean plus gears work better and theres both less friction in the drive chain plus less wear and corrosion. So its actually costs less to cycle on a clean bike, Goes better and over all requires less maintenance plus dont know about any one else but i like a clean bike.


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## screenman (14 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I'm saying that you are right!
> 
> 
> It's true, but I think he suggested that.
> ...



That makes sad reading, can I suggest aqua zumba to brighten your life.


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## ColinJ (14 Feb 2020)

screenman said:


> That makes sad reading, can I suggest aqua zumba to brighten your life.


I can't see me doing that, but I just checked and there is a session at Todmorden pool every Friday. That is only a 10-15 minute walk from here. £4.20 with a local 'passport to leisure' card, which I don't currently have, but is available free to all over-60s.

I have just taken up the guitar again. That should keep me entertained for as long as I want it to.

I'm now busy writing computer games (which I enjoy doing, but they will need to earn me some money this year otherwise I will need to do something else for 18 months until I get my state pension).


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## Wobbling (14 Feb 2020)

Yep it just seems like we have had a very very long autumn that’s gone on for five months.Ive just taken a month off ticking over on a gym bike and getting the bus a bit more .I have this illusion it’s going to get out nice in mid March based on absolutely nothing


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## ColinJ (14 Feb 2020)

Wobbling said:


> Yep it just seems like we have had a very very long autumn that’s gone on for five months.Ive just taken a month off ticking over on a gym bike and getting the bus a bit more .I have this illusion it’s going to get out nice in mid March based on absolutely nothing


I organised a 'forum walk' from Hebden Bridge, due to take place on 23rd March 2013. I decided to call it off...


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## CXRAndy (15 Feb 2020)

Put the bike on a turbo, train with Zwift for a few months to keep fit. Then when weather is much better go back outside.

I dont need to cycle to work,. I work from home. I train/ride for nearly 6 months a year in-doors. I ride outside when the weather is nice and warm


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## screenman (15 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Nope....January actual rainfall in the UK was 100% of the average for January. It was.....average. December was a bit wetter than average (117%), November was slightly drier than average (97%)
> 
> We live on a rather wet and windy island. Every winter is rather wet and windy.



I bet Henry Ward the farmer does not feel it was average.


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## DCBassman (15 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Nope....January actual rainfall in the UK was 100% of the average for January. It was.....average. December was a bit wetter than average (117%), November was slightly drier than average (97%)
> 
> We live on a rather wet and windy island. Every winter is rather wet and windy.


But the distribution of that average obviously isn't average, else places would not suffer flooding to the degree they have.
It has been bad leisure cycling weather here for months, let alone commuting.
And as for "the wrong clothes " or "the tough get going"...garbage. If you enjoy cycling so much that you'll go out in anything, well great, more power to you. But don't have the temerity to slag off others who don't.
Rant over.


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## Bobario (15 Feb 2020)

Couldn't you just get a cheapo turbo trainer to keep your fitness up through the winter months? Spring is just around the corner and temps are starting to get into double figures at last.


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## Edwardoka (15 Feb 2020)

Being inured to commuting in the rain is pretty much mandatory in Glasgow, so I never used to mind rainy weather that much - although the constant leaden skies and inevitable soakings do exert a toll on morale.

I've had some pretty great rides in terrible weather, too.

What puts me off is that I've simply had too many negative interactions with drivers. I no longer trust them to be capable of driving to conditions, nor do I trust them to understand the role that ABS and traction control plays in their ability to drive, or that bikes are far worse at braking and cornering in the wet than their oversized go-karts are, and with far worse consequences if traction suddenly disappears because of a manhole cover.


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## snorri (15 Feb 2020)

Rusty Nails said:


> I thought you were a man of leisure. Do you commute each day?


Does Drago commute?
Drago commutes for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea before the final trek home for the evening meal.


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## snorri (15 Feb 2020)

I think this this problem of having to clean the bike regularly in winter is a British thing brought on by our bike retailers failing to enlighten their customers that non derailleur gearing systems are available along with chain guards and mudguards.
Or, dare I say the influence of cycle sport works to the detriment of the utility cyclist?


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## rogerzilla (15 Feb 2020)

I clean my commuting bike once or twice a year (I do the chain and sprockets 4 times a year). It's a fixie and has mudguards. You can get away with even less cleaning - I once went 2 years without cleaning a hub-geared bike with a coaster brake.


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## si_c (15 Feb 2020)

screenman said:


> That makes sad reading, can I suggest aqua zumba to brighten your life.


That would finish me off.


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2020)

si_c said:


> That would finish me off.


I did a search for information and found a video of a large group, (mainly middle-aged women), who looked as though they had consumed huge doses of MDMA, judging from their expansive grins and frenetic activity to a pounding beat!

Not for me...


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## nickyboy (15 Feb 2020)

DCBassman said:


> But the distribution of that average obviously isn't average, else places would not suffer flooding to the degree they have.
> It has been bad leisure cycling weather here for months, let alone commuting.
> And as for "the wrong clothes " or "the tough get going"...garbage. If you enjoy cycling so much that you'll go out in anything, well great, more power to you. But don't have the temerity to slag off others who don't.
> Rant over.


Eh? I've not said anything at all about wrong clothes, man up etc etc. You're confusing me with someone else so wind it back in , ok?

All I've said is that this winter has been....well.....average except it's been milder than usual which is good. A decent barometer around here is the Snake Pass. It's only been closed 2 days this winter which is really unusual


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

@iateyoubutler ; I feel your pain. I too have tried, and failed, to feel the love for cycling in this depressing climate (west coast of Scotland). It has been utterly foul for years now, including most of the "summer" months. I sit here on yet another disgustingly wet and windy Saturday, on a cycling forum instead of getting the wind in my hair. It really worries me that climate change has indeed arrived, and this is the future. Those who think that cycling is a solution to congestion problems clearly don't live in this part of the country - it won't catch on here until hell freezes over. No one wants to get soaked, frozen and blown backwards; not even reasonably keen cyclists, so what chance for your average Joe. 
I have a stable of 5 nice bikes; 3 of which will be going up for sale soon, as the realisation dawns that they are just gathering dust and that 2 will be more than enough for my needs. Fitness has dropped and cycling holidays are no longer an option due to the lack of fitness - and as I approach the big 60 I can't see things improving. I tried and failed; thank you weather gods .


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## Magpies (15 Feb 2020)

snorri said:


> I think this this problem of having to clean the bike regularly in winter is a British thing brought on by our bike retailers failing to enlighten their customers that non derailleur gearing systems are available along with chain guards and mudguards.



This. I switched to a full chain guard plus hub gears for my commuting bike and winter commuting is so much easier.


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## Mo1959 (15 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> @iateyoubutler ; I feel your pain. I too have tried, and failed, to feel the love for cycling in this depressing climate (west coast of Scotland). It has been utterly foul for years now, including most of the "summer" months. I sit here on yet another disgustingly wet and windy Saturday, on a cycling forum instead of getting the wind in my hair. It really worries me that climate change has indeed arrived, and this is the future. Those who think that cycling is a solution to congestion problems clearly don't live in this part of the country - it won't catch on here until hell freezes over. No one wants to get soaked, frozen and blown backwards; not even reasonably keen cyclists, so what chance for your average Joe.
> I have a stable of 5 nice bikes; 3 of which will be going up for sale soon, as the realisation dawns that they are just gathering dust and that 2 will be more than enough for my needs. Fitness has dropped and cycling holidays are no longer an option due to the lack of fitness - and as I approach the big 60 I can't see things improving. I tried and failed; thank you weather gods .


It’s getting seriously depressing! Long range forecast is more wet and windy weather right up until the end of the month. I’ve put on weight and the fitness is going. Only thing that I could do would be trying to run again but that just wrecks my body with all the lower back/sciatic problems I’ve had. I refuse to exercise indoors as I detest it.


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## cyberknight (15 Feb 2020)

No club ride for me 3 weeks in a row it's even cold and wet or blowing a gale and wet 😵


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## SkipdiverJohn (15 Feb 2020)

Dave7 said:


> I am with the 'fair weather cycling' club but what I dont understand is all this 'bike cleaning' malarky.
> In my 20s (ok many years ago) I cycled to work all through winter & summer and dont recall ever cleaning my bike. Oil the chain and that was it. I dont recall any problems as a result. What am I missing?





snorri said:


> I think this this problem of having to clean the bike regularly in winter is a British thing brought on by our bike retailers failing to enlighten their customers that non derailleur gearing systems are available along with chain guards and mudguards. Or, dare I say the influence of cycle sport works to the detriment of the utility cyclist?





Magpies said:


> This. I switched to a full chain guard plus hub gears for my commuting bike and winter commuting is so much easier.



What it boils down to is people are commuting on completely the wrong sort of bikes these days. They are obsessing about bike weights, being able to achieve X average speed, and how many gears they can get on a bike.
i used to do 4 miles each way to work by bike, come rain or shine - unless the weather was really foul in which case I got the bus.
The difference is though I used a hub geared 3-speed roadster with steel wheels. It didn't need cleaning every five minutes (in fact it hardly ever got cleaned unless I was at a loose end and I was feeling extra enthusiastic), the rims didn't get ground into grey alloy paste, and there were no derailleurs to get gummed up with shite off the road. It was low-cost, low maintenance cycling. Tyres and brake blocks were the only thing I ever had to replace, and not frequently either. I used to accept that 4 miles would take me an average of 25 minutes each way per day, so about 10 mph. I wasn't trying to ride a silly long commute distance at the speed a fit club rider might aspire to manage at the weekend. 
What a lot of people are doing now is riding long commutes, but trying to compress the time absorbed by riding unsuitable fast sporting bikes, not accepting the lower average speeds involved in utility riding using a proper utility bike.


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## BigMeatball (15 Feb 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> What it boils down to is people are commuting on completely the wrong sort of bikes these days.



When the weather is awful as it's been and as it's been described, there is no right bike. You're going to get soaked, it's going to be demoralising and in the long term you're going to hate cycling regardless of what bike you use to commute with.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

Dave7 said:


> I am with the 'fair weather cycling' club but what I dont understand is all this 'bike cleaning' malarky.
> In my 20s (ok many years ago) I cycled to work all through winter & summer and dont recall ever cleaning my bike. Oil the chain and that was it. I dont recall any problems as a result. What am I missing?



Many don’t fit mudguards


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## SkipdiverJohn (15 Feb 2020)

No, I agree with @BigMeatball the weather lately has been utter shite. It's pissing down outside now as I type this. Even the best equipped bike is no fun in these conditions, but I often see people commuting on mudguard-less bikes with absolutely no weather protection whatsoever, so they and their bike get absolutely covered with dirty water and gritty abrasive crap thrown up off the road when it's wet. It's demoralising, and it quickly destroys bike mechanicals.
Fortunately I don't ride to work any more, as I need to carry too much gear around. I don't miss it either. Commuting is a means to an end, not a pleasurable activity in it's own right. These days I only ride when I feel like it and the weather is at least tolerable.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

BigMeatball said:


> When the weather is awful as it's been and as it's been described, there is no right bike. You're going to get soaked, it's going to be demoralising and in the long term you're going to hate cycling regardless of what bike you use to commute with.



Not true, whether you hate getting damp on the bike is a personal thing, not inevitable. Plenty of clothing choices out there to keep you comfortable in the conditions we’ve had this winter. But those who refuse to fit mudguards and get covered with crap off the road, well that’s a different matter that’s perfectly avoidable.


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## johnnyb47 (15 Feb 2020)

Just hang your bike up until the weather gets better. It will do soon enough. 
Its frustrating this time of the year, as its now coming to the end of the long winter where everybody is at there lowest ebb with cycling. 
Soon enough though, the warmer lighter dryer days will be amongst us again, and you'll be back out there again enjoying your bike


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## carlosfandangus (15 Feb 2020)

BigMeatball said:


> When the weather is awful as it's been and as it's been described, there is no right bike. You're going to get soaked, it's going to be demoralising and in the long term you're going to hate cycling regardless of what bike you use to commute with.



It is certainly demoralising, horizontal rain and 60 mph gusts as I type this, I don't blame anyone who gives it a miss for awhile, 2 more months and hopefully a different story.


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## classic33 (15 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> @iateyoubutler ; I feel your pain. I too have tried, and failed, to feel the love for cycling in this depressing climate (west coast of Scotland). It has been utterly foul for years now, including most of the "summer" months. I sit here on yet another disgustingly wet and windy Saturday, on a cycling forum instead of getting the wind in my hair. It really worries me that climate change has indeed arrived, and this is the future. Those who think that cycling is a solution to congestion problems clearly don't live in this part of the country - it won't catch on here until hell freezes over. No one wants to get soaked, frozen and blown backwards; not even reasonably keen cyclists, so what chance for your average Joe.
> I have a stable of 5 nice bikes; 3 of which will be going up for sale soon, as the realisation dawns that they are just gathering dust and that 2 will be more than enough for my needs. Fitness has dropped and cycling holidays are no longer an option due to the lack of fitness - and as I approach the big 60 I can't see things improving. I tried and failed; thank you weather gods .


Failure only comes through no longer trying. Don't stop trying!


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

classic33 said:


> Failure only comes through no longer trying. Don't stop trying!


It's only a failure on the cycling front; there IS more to life!


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> I refuse to exercise indoors as I detest it.


This in spades. I suppose it depends on what your motivation for cycling is; obviously if your aim is to achieve fitness then any old form of exercise is better than nothing - but I tried rollers and they were torture. All that sweat and effort but no fresh air or scenery? Must be like cycling in London . No thanks!


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## SpokeyDokey (15 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> This in spades. I suppose it depends on what your motivation for cycling is; obviously if your aim is to achieve fitness then any old form of exercise is better than nothing - but I tried rollers and they were torture. All that sweat and effort but no fresh air or scenery? Must be like cycling in London . No thanks!



I have odd spates of using my Turbo and it is hideous - a truly mind-numbing experience. Even as short a stint as 30 minutes is enough to fry my brain.

How anyone can enjoy it is beyond me - it's in the same category as boring housework, ironing, diy, gardening etc - all stuff that you sub-contract out...

...now there's a thought!


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## Racing roadkill (15 Feb 2020)

Take up cycle speedway. We’ve got loads of big storms lining up over the next few weeks. This current weather is just the amuse bouche. #5 #9


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## BigMeatball (15 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Not true, whether you hate getting damp on the bike is a personal thing, not inevitable. Plenty of clothing choices out there to keep you comfortable in the conditions we’ve had this winter. But those who refuse to fit mudguards and get covered with crap off the road, well that’s a different matter that’s perfectly avoidable.


Enjoy your miserable rides then


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## Mo1959 (15 Feb 2020)

Not true, whether you hate getting damp on the bike is a personal thing, not inevitable. Plenty of clothing choices out there to keep you comfortable in the conditions we’ve had this winter.


Sorry, but when the road just 2 miles away looks like this, it doesn’t matter what clothes, bike or mudguards you have!


View: https://www.facebook.com/stvnews/videos/623345001798271/UzpfSTU0MDQzODc5MDoxMDE1NzUyNzE0ODEwODc5MQ/


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## Smokin Joe (15 Feb 2020)

SpokeyDokey said:


> I have odd spates of using my Turbo and it is hideous - a truly mind-numbing experience. Even as short a stint as 30 minutes is enough to fry my brain.


Thirty minutes is ten longer than I can put up with. I only use the turbo when I have been off the bike for a while and I want to get the legs back in some sort of trim for when I venture out.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

BigMeatball said:


> Enjoy your miserable rides then



The rides aren’t miserable it’s you that is miserable. The emotion is yours it doesn’t belong to the ride or weather. I don’t get miserable in rain or challenging conditions , you do, there’s a difference.


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## rivers (15 Feb 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> What it boils down to is people are commuting on completely the wrong sort of bikes these days. They are obsessing about bike weights, being able to achieve X average speed, and how many gears they can get on a bike.
> i used to do 4 miles each way to work by bike, come rain or shine - unless the weather was really foul in which case I got the bus.
> The difference is though I used a hub geared 3-speed roadster with steel wheels. It didn't need cleaning every five minutes (in fact it hardly ever got cleaned unless I was at a loose end and I was feeling extra enthusiastic), the rims didn't get ground into grey alloy paste, and there were no derailleurs to get gummed up with shite off the road. It was low-cost, low maintenance cycling. Tyres and brake blocks were the only thing I ever had to replace, and not frequently either. I used to accept that 4 miles would take me an average of 25 minutes each way per day, so about 10 mph. I wasn't trying to ride a silly long commute distance at the speed a fit club rider might aspire to manage at the weekend.
> What a lot of people are doing now is riding long commutes, but trying to compress the time absorbed by riding unsuitable fast sporting bikes, not accepting the lower average speeds involved in utility riding using a proper utility bike.



For me, cycle commuting is the quickest, easiest, and most pleasant way to get to work. But it is a long-ish commute at 16 miles on the way and 10 on the way home. I opt for the longer way in because it is mostly off-road, and there is less angry traffic. However, as it is a 16 mile commute, I want to get to work in good time. So I opt for a bike that will get me there quicker (which is also a blast to ride), which when the weather is nice is one of your worst nightmares of a bike, 11 speed carbon fibre aero bike. It takes me about an hour, give or take a couple of minutes. When the weather is a bit grim, I take my other bike, which you also wouldn't like, being it's aluminium with hydro disc brakes. But it does have mudguards. It takes me about an hour and 8 minutes on that bike. 
I could take the bus to work, but it's 3 buses and 90-150 minutes. I could drive, but my wife and I only have one car, and she normally needs it as she is a self-employed fitness instructor and works all over the place. Plus driving could easily take 90 minutes +. I don't want to spend 3+ hours of my day commuting to and from work. So I spend about 2 hours a day commuting, but use it as a workout which means I don't need to go to the gym. Win-win. Just because others choose to do something differently than you, or choose to ride expensive carbon fibre bikes for commuting, doesn't mean it's wrong. It's just different.


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## SkipdiverJohn (15 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> But those who refuse to fit mudguards and get covered with crap off the road, well that’s a different matter that’s perfectly avoidable.



Even on a properly-equipped bike, cycling in shite weather is not an enjoyable experience - plus it becomes more dangerous with less grip, less visibility, and more other idiot road users to contend with.

Most members of the public are simply not silly or masochistic enough to deliberately beast themselves by riding bikes in foul conditions - hence that year-round cycling to work is always going to remain very much a small minority activity.

Everyone on here must enjoy cycling in some form or other, but just because you enjoy riding bikes in your free time in decent weather doesn't automatically mean you are going to put up with doing it every working day, and endure spending half your time at work slowly drying out, only to get another drenching on the way home after you've been on your feet all day. That's not 99% of the population's idea of fun.


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## DCBassman (15 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Eh? I've not said anything at all about wrong clothes, man up etc etc. You're confusing me with someone else so wind it back in , ok?
> 
> All I've said is that this winter has been....well.....average except it's been milder than usual which is good. A decent barometer around here is the Snake Pass. It's only been closed 2 days this winter which is really unusual


Wasn't aimed at you, was aimed, in a general fashion, at the man-up brigade. But your averages are still meaningless at any given location.


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> @iateyoubutler ; I feel your pain. I too have tried, and failed, to feel the love for cycling in this depressing climate (west coast of Scotland). It has been utterly foul for years now, including most of the "summer" months. I sit here on yet another disgustingly wet and windy Saturday, on a cycling forum instead of getting the wind in my hair. It really worries me that climate change has indeed arrived, and this is the future. Those who think that cycling is a solution to congestion problems clearly don't live in this part of the country - it won't catch on here until hell freezes over. No one wants to get soaked, frozen and blown backwards; not even reasonably keen cyclists, so what chance for your average Joe.


My late mum and her side of the family were from Mull and the Oban area. I love the country and the people but I could never live there. The weather is bad enough here in Yorkshire - I couldn't take it worse than _this_!

It does seem that the weather is getting worse but I had a 6-week holiday in Scotland (around the mid 1960s; I can't remember the exact year) in which it poured with rain every day! OTOH. I also had a couple of glorious 6-week holidays with the sun shining all day, every day. 

If I ever have enough money (which seems unlikely!), I would start spending late autumn to early spring abroad, somewhere with a warm climate and lovely roads for cycling. (And go back there again in between if/when the summer here were a washout!)


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## nickyboy (15 Feb 2020)

DCBassman said:


> Wasn't aimed at you, was aimed, in a general fashion, at the man-up brigade. But your averages are still meaningless at any given location.


Averages being averages, if rainfalll was average half the country will have been drier than average and half wetter than average

The way people are talking it sounds like this winter is an outlier, ridiculously wet. It isn't, the actual rainfall numbers don't support this. We forget that every winter has poor weather in the UK and this year is no worse than most


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## iateyoubutler (15 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Averages being averages, if rainfalll was average half the country will have been drier than average and half wetter than average
> 
> The way people are talking it sounds like this winter is an outlier, ridiculously wet. It isn't, the actual rainfall numbers don't support this. We forget that every winter has poor weather in the UK and this year is no worse than most


If you say so.......


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> It does seem that the weather is getting worse but I had a 6-week holiday in Scotland (around the mid 1960s; I can't remember the exact year) in which it poured with rain every day! OTOH. I also had a couple of glorious 6-week holidays with the sun shining all day, every day.


That is exactly how it is, and part of the problem. When the sun comes out and there's some warmth in the air, there is nowhere better than some parts of Scotland, and I love it - wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The downside is, it is just so unpredictable that you dare not try to organise any outdoor activities because the chances are stacked against you with regards to the weather. As the years go by, that nice, warm, sunny weather seems to get rarer and rarer. It frustrates the hell out of me .


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Even on a properly-equipped bike, cycling in shite weather is not an enjoyable experience



...for you.

Unless it’s icy, grip is rarely affected to any serious extent.

I‘d rather be out cycling in shoot weather, than working in a warm office anytime. Too much is made of “shoot weather” when really it’s just raining which is easily dealt with. It can and usually is very enjoyable cycling out in the hills or lanes in the rain but does depend on your mindset.


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

nickyboy said:


> The way people are talking it sounds like this winter is an outlier, ridiculously wet. It isn't, the actual rainfall numbers don't support this


No; ALL British (Scottish) winters are ridiculously wet. The summers are not a lot better IME..


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> It can and usually is very enjoyable cycling out in the hills or lanes in the rain but does depend on your mindset.


......for you.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> ......for you.



and many thousands like me


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> and many thousands like me


Whatevahhhh.... But I, and hundreds of thousands like me, would rather find something more pleasant to do on a rainy day, and save the cycling for more pleasant weather. It's not compulsory and proves nothing. Each to their own and all that.


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## johnnyb47 (15 Feb 2020)

You could look at this way. 
Its piddling down outside and my amazing bike is parked up next to the warm kitchen radiator out of the way from the elements. Its not depreciating in any substantial money. Its not costing me in VED or insurance. Meanwhile my old British Leyland iron chariot parked outside is slowly dissolving away in the rain and is costing me, even though it hasn't turned a wheel today through VED and insurance. 
The weather is awful at the moment but tomorrow's another day, and when you're parked up enjoying your ice cold beer after that long ride in the sunshine, today will feel like a million years ago. 
Just keep the faith and before you know it summer will be back again 🌞👍👍🌞


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> Whatevahhhh.... But I, and hundreds of thousands like me, would rather find something more pleasant to do on a rainy day, and save the cycling for more pleasant weather. It's not compulsory and proves nothing. Each to their own and all that.



Proves you’ve lost touch with the outdoors and become softened by 21st century “comforts”


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## johnnyb47 (15 Feb 2020)

We all get a bit down and disillusioned about cycling from time to time.. 
This time of year when the weather is rubbish is hard going sometimes. 
Some of us are more hardy than others and will take the rough with the smooth better than others. It's just the way we are, and that we're all different. 
Some people relish the challenge of cycling in strong head winds and driving rain. I think they call it "character building" 
There's others that use there bikes for commuting and its the only way round for them to get to work practically. 
Then you've got the Weekend warriors, or in may case a wannabe Weekend Warrior 🤔 who enjoys a blast around the countryside trying to burn off the lard. 
Either way, we're all cyclists and do it for many different reasons. 
Personally i don't mind cycling in the dark or windy conditions, but i draw the line when it's raining.


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## Mo1959 (15 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> I‘d rather be out cycling in shoot weather, than working in a warm office anytime. Too much is made of “shoot weather” when really it’s just raining which is easily dealt with. It can and usually is very enjoyable cycling out in the hills or lanes in the rain but does depend on your mindset.


On you go then! A village 3 miles away. Looks like perfect cycling weather for you


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## davidphilips (15 Feb 2020)

A utube from last year of Portaferry (road i cycle most saturdays) even worse this year, very few would enjoy cycling in this. 

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgrTdmDABnM


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2020)

A little bit of wind and/or rain... (Wo)Man up!


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> On you go then! A village 3 miles away. Looks like perfect cycling weather for you
> View attachment 504691



Theres somewhat of a difference between flooding and rain when riding a bike.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> A little bit of wind and/or rain... (Wo)Man up!




Again extremes are quoted but we are talking about normal rain and typical winds as a reason for giving up. Not constant extreme weather.


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## davidphilips (15 Feb 2020)

Where i am the weather for the last few weeks has been extreme, https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2655984
Up until a few weeks ago i cycled through every winter may have missed a few days in a row but never do i remember weather like this? Know for me theres nothing nice about cycling in high winds ice on the roads plus a few times along the coast high waves have came right over me a bit like some one turning a fire hose on at me.
The last few times i have cycled i have been cold to the point of shivering when cycling and thinking i would not be able to mend a flat if i had one plus my hands where that cold i could not even change gear or even remove my helmet when i stopped. Have been told to expect these conditions in winter from now on due to global warming? Cycling to me is for a hobby, commuting, fun, and sport but until weather improves as they say in dragons den for this reason i am out.


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## I like Skol (15 Feb 2020)

Done a fantastic commute home tonight. Storm Dennis saw to it being of biblical monsoon proportions and I was dripping wet at the end but still loved all 10 miles of it.



Mo1959 said:


> Not true, whether you hate getting damp on the bike is a personal thing, not inevitable. Plenty of clothing choices out there to keep you comfortable in the conditions we’ve had this winter.
> 
> 
> Sorry, but when the road just 2 miles away looks like this, it doesn’t matter what clothes, bike or mudguards you have!
> ...



Looks like my commute tonight 


YukonBoy said:


> ...for you.
> 
> Unless it’s icy, grip is rarely affected to any serious extent.
> 
> I‘d rather be out cycling in shoot weather, than working in a warm office anytime. Too much is made of “shoot weather” when really it’s just raining which is easily dealt with. It can and usually is very enjoyable cycling out in the hills or lanes in the rain but does depend on your mindset.


Just as I left the bike shed tonight the heavens opened. When I was kitting up in the shed the wind had been rattling the perspex roof quite violently so I knew I was in for a fun one but had no idea how good it was going to be. It was brill. The rain was really quite warm in a lovely summer shower kind of way and I enjoyed riding in it....


Mo1959 said:


> On you go then! A village 3 miles away. Looks like perfect cycling weather for you
> View attachment 504691


Thats a lovely stitched leather dashboard. Silly car for playing around in such conditions in!


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Again extremes are quoted but we are talking about normal rain and typical winds as a reason for giving up. Not constant extreme weather.


There's nothing normal about winds gusting around 50 mph and rain, every day for 2 weeks with no end in sight. THAT is the real situation in coastal Ayrshire. Not sure where you are located, but might be different there.


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## classic33 (15 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> My late mum and her side of the family were from Mull and the Oban area. I love the country and the people but I could never live there. *The weather is bad enough here in Yorkshire - I couldn't take it worse than this!**
> 
> It does seem that the weather is getting worse but I had a 6-week holiday in Scotland (around the mid 1960s; I can't remember the exact year) in which it poured with rain every day! OTOH. I also had a couple of glorious 6-week holidays with the sun shining all day, every day.
> 
> If I ever have enough money (which seems unlikely!), I would start spending late autumn to early spring abroad, somewhere with a warm climate and lovely roads for cycling. (And go back there again in between if/when the summer here were a washout!)


You on the right side of the pre 1974 border to be saying that?


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## iateyoubutler (15 Feb 2020)

As OP it`s time for my 2p. There are plenty of you here arguing about cycling in crap weather, quoting figures, going on about the tough get going etc etc but at the end of the day I am sick of the drenchings.

For information, I ride a singlespeed bike, with mudguards, 29.4 miles 5 days a week, and am wrapped up like a Christmas turkey. It is still bloody miserable. At the end of the day I am fed up with it, and I am allowed to be. I have commuted, all weathers 7000 miles/year for the last 18/19 years.

I appreciate those who try to encourage and see my side of it

It`s got old now though and I`ve had enough of the same old same old. I used to live for cycling. Right now I hate it, I don`t want to, but I do, and the non stop rain has caused that


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## Drago (15 Feb 2020)

Let's just hope the Hun don't kick off again, because no Englishman will turn up to give Jerry good kicking this time because it's raining and they're fed up. Sheesh.


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## iateyoubutler (15 Feb 2020)

Shut up Drago your pathetic contributions are beginning to p*ss me off


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## vickster (15 Feb 2020)

Can you drive on the wet days and cycle the dry if you wish to?
I expect commuting to a job you hate (as you’ve stated before) in bad weather doesn’t help


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## iateyoubutler (15 Feb 2020)

vickster said:


> Can you drive on the wet days and cycle the dry if you wish to?
> I expect commuting to a job you hate (as you’ve stated before) in bad weather doesn’t help


That`s all very true


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## roubaixtuesday (15 Feb 2020)

Regardless of chucking it all in now or not, respect for 30 daily miles for the best part of 20 years. 

Chapeau!


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## Drago (15 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> Shut up Drago your pathetic contributions are beginning to p*ss me off


And? Should I sycophantically agree with everything you say, or am I mot allowed to air my own opinion in the way you do yours?


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## classic33 (15 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> As OP it`s time for my 2p. There are plenty of you here arguing about cycling in crap weather, quoting figures, going on about the tough get going etc etc but at the end of the day I am sick of the drenchings.
> 
> For information, I ride a singlespeed bike, with mudguards, 29.4 miles 5 days a week, and am wrapped up like a Christmas turkey. It is still bloody miserable. At the end of the day I am fed up with it, and I am allowed to be. I have commuted, all weathers 7000 miles/year for the last 18/19 years.
> 
> ...


Don't let a bit of bad weather, given the length of time you've been cycling, force you into selling up. Keep it for when the weather improves.

It's always more expensive to get back into something than what you got for what you sold.


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## Poacher (15 Feb 2020)

Drago said:


> And? Should I sycophantically agree with everything you say, or am I mot allowed to air my own opinion in the way you do yours?


Judging by the lapses in your normally impeccable spelling, and your unwarranted aggression, I'd guess that you've got outside a bevvy or several. Maybe it's time for beddy-byes. Good night John Boy. 


Edit: I note you've edited your post to correct one error. Well done.


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2020)

classic33 said:


> You on the right side of the pre 1974 border to be saying that?


Almost on the border. Oldham postcode, Yorkshire council, and website forms seem 50-50 on where I am - some insisting that it is Lancashire and some West Yorkshire. I'm sticking with calling it Yorkshire where I have the choice, not that I have anything against Lancashire.



iateyoubutler said:


> For information, I ride a singlespeed bike, with mudguards, 29.4 miles 5 days a week, and am wrapped up like a Christmas turkey. It is still bloody miserable. At the end of the day I am fed up with it, and I am allowed to be. I have commuted, all weathers 7000 miles/year for the last 18/19 years.


That's a pretty impressive cycle commuting record. I don't blame you for wanting to cut back now, but I would keep at least one bike for the seven or eight days a year of perfect cycling conditions!


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## Brandane (15 Feb 2020)

Drago said:


> And? Should I sycophantically agree with everything you say, or am I mot allowed to air my own opinion in the way you do yours?


Comparing cycling to troops having to fight in the Great Wars isn't exactly a sensible contribution though, is it? Or did we all get drafted into cycling so now we have to keep doing it no matter what? Times have moved on since 1945, and those who DID fight in the wars did so to ensure we are allowed to make these choices.


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## johnnyb47 (16 Feb 2020)

We can't draw a line on what's good for one and bad for another. Just enjoy what you do. At the end of the day we are all cyclists and enjoy it for different reasons and purposes


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## DCBassman (16 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Theres somewhat of a difference between flooding and rain when riding a bike.


Ah, but we've been assured it's all "average"...


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## DCBassman (16 Feb 2020)

Anyhow, as the OP has stated, we've about wrung this one out...


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## Brandane (16 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Proves you’ve lost touch with the outdoors and become softened by 21st century “comforts”


Yes, and I've lost my fur too, stand upright, and no longer live in a cave .


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## DCBassman (16 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Proves you’ve lost touch with the outdoors and become softened by 21st century “comforts”


No, this is just one more example of "tough-get-going" nonsense.


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## Sharky (16 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve been on here moaning about the relentless rain back in December. Now 2 months on it`s still f*cking raining, that`s pretty much non stop since September last year. As of 1 Jan, I tried to take on the "I`m not giving into it" attitude, but after nearly 7 weeks of get up - get soaked - do day at work - get soaked - wash and dry kit - go to bed - get soaked - do day at work yada yada yada. I`m burnt out with it, my bike is a mess, I`ve wasted about half a ton of washing powder, and my morale is in the sewer.
> 
> Well today I gave in, I`m done, totally pissed off with it all. After 20 years of it I`ve had enough, I`m hanging up my cycling shoes and giving up. Please don`t give me the cobblers about there being no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit, rule no 5 etc. I`ve been through thick and thin with it, but yet the weather over the last 6 months has finished me. I`m out of here
> 
> Watch the ads guys, there will be plenty going up for sale


With this continuous bad weather, I don't blame you. Get rid of the bike stuff and get a TV for the bedroom and stay all day in bed.
- What could go wrong with that ?


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## iateyoubutler (16 Feb 2020)

Sharky said:


> With this continuous bad weather, I don't blame you. Get rid of the bike stuff and get a TV for the bedroom and stay all day in bed.
> - What could go wrong with that ?


And your problem with that would be??

I am allowed to...................


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## I like Skol (16 Feb 2020)

Ok, calm down every one. As has been said, it isn't a tough guy contest and really we should only be riding if we are (mostly) enjoying it.
iateyoubutler has commuted a big distance for many years and I find that impressive. I don't believe for one minute that you will be able to just jack it all in and sell up, it's in your blood. Take a break, wait for spring and better weather, then see how you feel. If you sell everything now I can almost guarantee you will be looking to buy another bike before the fall.


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## HMS_Dave (16 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> Time for a fully enclosed velomobile? Or a rain jacket?
> 
> View attachment 504524
> 
> ...



Jeez! That's a surefire way id end up head first into the canal with no hope of escaping my demise!


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## vickster (16 Feb 2020)

I like Skol said:


> Ok, calm down every one. As has been said, it isn't a tough guy contest and really we should only be riding if we are (mostly) enjoying it.


Indeed, the MTFU dross is particularly unhelpful for someone who's having a tough time generally


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## Jimidh (16 Feb 2020)

Don’t give up just take a break for a period and the love and joy will all come back when the weather improves.

Blowing 50 mph + winds outside today so I’m not thinking that anyone out on their bikes in this is as hard as nails I’m thinking they are off their heads.

cycling should be fun - if the crap weather makes it unenjoyable for you then give it a rest And do something else for a while. Doesn’t make you less of a cyclist than the ‘I’m as hard as nails brigade’ who claim ( and sometimes actually do) go out in all weathers.

I’m desperate for Spring to come round as although I still get out most of the winter it’s just so much nicer when it’s not freezing wet and windy.

I hardly ever commute during the winter as it’s a miserable experience in my situation cycling home 15 miles mostly up hill usually into the wind in the cold and dark. Especially when I can sit in my lovely warm car and be eating my dinner 25 minutes after leaving work - light weight that I am.


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## MarkF (16 Feb 2020)

Jimidh said:


> Don’t give up just take a break for a period and the love and joy will all come back when the weather improves.
> 
> Blowing 50 mph + winds outside today so I’m not thinking that anyone out on their bikes in this is as hard as nails I’m thinking they are off their heads.
> 
> ...



Same here, why would I do something I wouldn't enjoy? I do respect and admire thoso who commute through all weathers, but it's not for me, I don't like cold or wet. Cycling is a hobby from which I get enormous pleasure, I get all giddy as spring comes around as I hardly ever ride betwen November & April, then there is no stopping me.


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## DCBassman (16 Feb 2020)

MarkF said:


> Same here, why would I do something I wouldn't enjoy? I do respect and admire thoso who commute through all weathers, but it's not for me, I don't like cold or wet. Cycling is a hobby from which I get enormous pleasure, I get all giddy as spring comes around as I hardly ever ride betwen November & April, then there is no stopping me.


Exactly this. I did all my unavoidable bad-weather cycling from ages 11 to 18 to get to school and back, and promptly abandoned anything to do with cycling for the next 30 years. Why? I'd had enough of _having_ to cycle, as opposed to choosing it.


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## davidphilips (16 Feb 2020)

Dont get talked into selling your bike? 
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CEY1cGMn-Q


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## AuroraSaab (16 Feb 2020)

30 miles a day, in all weather, for 18 years, is nothing short of heroic in my book. Flipping Herculean to be honest. You deserve a break. Don't sell the gear though. Keep it for when the weather improves and you can go out spontaneously and enjoy a ride in the sunshine. Even enjoyable things become a chore when they have to be done out of necessity rather than choice.


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## Brandane (16 Feb 2020)

So some cyclists think THEY are hard? 
This was a rugby match played yesterday (Saturday) during storm Dennis. Musselburgh v. Selkirk.


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## DCBassman (16 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> So some cyclists think THEY are hard?
> This was a rugby match played yesterday (Saturday) during storm Dennis. Musselburgh v. Selkirk.
> 
> View attachment 504848



Yet there's probably some among those players who would think it completely loony to go _cycling_ in such weather!


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## Ming the Merciless (16 Feb 2020)

DCBassman said:


> No, this is just one more example of "tough-get-going" nonsense.



No it’s not, what is all this tough get going you promote.


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## Pale Rider (17 Feb 2020)

Brandane said:


> So some cyclists think THEY are hard?
> This was a rugby match played yesterday (Saturday) during storm Dennis. Musselburgh v. Selkirk.
> 
> View attachment 504848



Selkirk are the team in the, er, grey.

As are Musselburgh.


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## DCBassman (17 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Proves you’ve lost touch with the outdoors and become softened by 21st century “comforts”





YukonBoy said:


> No it’s not, what is all this tough get going you promote.


See above. "Lost touch with the outdoors"?
No. Just no. It's simply not inherently better to cycle in all weathers, if you don't have to or want to. If you like it, great. If others don't, great. There's no point to be made out of it. The first quote was straight out of the "man up" cookbook, and cannot be easily seen as anything else. And I'm sure as hell not promoting it...


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## Ming the Merciless (17 Feb 2020)

DCBassman said:


> See above. "Lost touch with the outdoors"?
> No. Just no. It's simply not inherently better to cycle in all weathers, if you don't have to or want to. If you like it, great. If others don't, great. There's no point to be made out of it. The first quote was straight out of the "man up" cookbook, and cannot be easily seen as anything else. And I'm sure as hell not promoting it...



Nope nothing to do with man up to would you insist woman. Ones gender has nowt to do with this. It’s just your mental disposition to natural weather and being outdoors. Speak with those who work outdoors and you’ll understand.


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## confusedcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

Modern humans are coddled to the point that they would gladly plug in to the matrix and be living batteries for their machine overlords rather than get a bit cold and damp or sweaty. With the advent of the motor and electricity, any kind of adversity is seemingly now something that should be avoided. Heaven forbid another war break out in Europe, as we'd lose before it's even started based on some of the whinging in this thread. 






Which one will you take?


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## roubaixtuesday (17 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> I often wonder how today's youth would cope if conscripted into the army. Not well, I assume.



How well do you think the youth of a century ago coped?

80,000 were formally diagnosed with shell shock and 306 executed for cowardice.


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## confusedcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

roubaixtuesday said:


> How well do you think the youth of a century ago coped?
> 
> 80,000 were formally diagnosed with shell shock and 306 executed for cowardice.


I imagine it would be a lot worse nowadays. Things have changed a lot for the worse since the 40s as far as detachment from nature is concerned. Of course, the shell shock and PTSD was less about inclement weather than it was about being constantly at risk of being blown to smithereens.


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## iateyoubutler (17 Feb 2020)

I`ve had it with this thread. Wish I`d never started it now. I`ll do what I want and just keep zipped about it.

TTFN


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## glasgowcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> Of course, the shell shock and PTSD was less about inclement weather ...



I think I can see how you got your username.


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## 12boy (17 Feb 2020)

This has been one of the most interesting threads I have encountered on this forum. Although it is windy and sometimes bitterly cold here we only get about 13 inches of precip per year and we do get 220 sunny days annually. I have always wondered how you folks deal with the rain and gloomy grey days which apparently are many. Riding over 30 miles a day, day in and day out, in rain and wind is very impressive to me. As for me, if it is too cold or windy or the ice and snow are too much for the bikes I have, I do something else which could be walking, resistance training or some project or another. I can't go without some kind of exercise for long, though, because I'm hooked on the endorphins and become meaner and more grumpy without my daily fix. Hat's off to you folks, though. I have a lot of respect for you.​


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## HMS_Dave (17 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> I imagine it would be a lot worse nowadays. Things have changed a lot for the worse since the 40s as far as detachment from nature is concerned. Of course, the shell shock and PTSD was less about inclement weather than it was about being constantly at risk of being blown to smithereens.



It does seem odd. We have Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, etc etc just like they did in history. Did they cope with that better in the 40's for example? No, i'd say we cope with that better today and i think most people would agree thanks to all the amazing advances we have made and continue to make in Science, but when we talk Mental Health, it was they coped better years ago etc, despite awareness, treatment and knowledge being far far worse... That seems bizarre, well it does to me at least...

Perhaps then im alone in being happy i live now rather than in 40's or whenever that isn't now, because i don't think there is anything wrong seeking help for a wide range of ailments including mental health and seeking help for your cycling needs on this forum... That being said, those that have fought in the World Wars we're exceptionally brave people and we should always remember...


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## confusedcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

HMS_Dave said:


> It does seem odd. We have Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, etc etc just like they did in history. Did they cope with that better in the 40's for example? No, i'd say we cope with that better today and i think most people would agree thanks to all the amazing advances we have made and continue to make in Science, but when we talk Mental Health, it was they coped better years ago etc, despite awareness, treatment and knowledge being far far worse... That seems bizarre, well it does to me at least...
> 
> Perhaps then im alone in being happy i live now rather than in 40's or whenever that isn't now, because i don't think there is anything wrong seeking help for a wide range of ailments including mental health and seeking help for your cycling needs on this forum... That being said, those that have fought in the World Wars we're exceptionally brave people and we should always remember...




I specifically highlighted the connection to nature, and excused them of their mental suffering as that was violence related. Warfare perhaps wasn't the best analogy as you cannot equate warfare with inclement weather. I guess I was coming at it from the angle of being posted outdoors for great lengths of time. Perhaps it would have been more sensible to compare modern day urbanised living with old manual farming practices?


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## HMS_Dave (17 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> I specifically highlighted the connection to nature, and excused them of their mental suffering as that was violence related. Warfare perhaps wasn't the best analogy as you cannot equate warfare with inclement weather. I guess I was coming at it from the angle of being posted outdoors for great lengths of time. Perhaps it would have been more sensible to compare modern day urbanised living with old manual farming practices?



Sure, But i think you're overplaying it a little. I don't think there is a disconnection with nature. I walk regularly around a few local water parks and cycle down the canal i see plenty out and about. With so much of these young un's these days getting vocal about climate change, plastic waste and animal welfare i can't help thinking they have more connection with nature than before. A decline in mental health and a disconnect with nature seems a tenuous link at best. As i say, we're seeing more awareness and treatments for such issues that it is that awareness and a prevalence for more mental health help these days i see as a more reasonable link to what is seen as an increase...


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## ColinJ (17 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Proves you’ve lost touch with the outdoors and become softened by 21st century “comforts”


My dad spent 6 years in the army during and after WWII. He spent much of that time intimately '_in touch with the outdoors_'. He slept in soggy tents, dug trenches, helped clear minefields, dig up UXBs, build roads and bridges and so on, often in terrible weather conditions. Later, back in civilian life he got a job in the building trade, again often working outdoors in terrible conditions. He did that for over 20 years before finally getting a job indoors. 

The result of this rugged outdoor lifestyle was that his body was starting to pack up in his late 40s. He needed a walking stick by the age of 50 and was using 2 sticks by the time he was 55. He _literally_ spent the 10 years after that limping his way through to retirement and he barely walked again from the day that he retired (near enough my age now). 

He spent another 18 years suffering pain and immobility before final dying from conditions related to that.

He always blamed his decline on the many years of hard physical grind in poor conditions.

So... I reckon I'll just stick to avoiding crappy weather where possible and enjoying my 21st century "comforts"! (Even with our poor local weather, there are usually enough acceptable days dotted around that I can afford to be choosy and still get about 6,000 kms a year in.)


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## roadrash (17 Feb 2020)

ride your bike if you want to,...…. or...….. don't ride it if you don't want to (if you have other means of getting to work) and bolox to what anyone else says or thinks, do whatever YOU want to do.


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## classic33 (17 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve had it with this thread. Wish I`d never started it now. I`ll do what I want and just keep zipped about it.
> 
> TTFN


Just don't give up cycling, when you want to!


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## DCBassman (17 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> My dad spent 6 years in the army during and after WWII. He spent much of that time intimately '_in touch with the outdoors_'. He slept in soggy tents, dug trenches, helped clear minefields, dig up UXBs, build roads and bridges and so on, often in terrible weather conditions. Later, back in civilian life he got a job in the building trade, again often working outdoors in terrible conditions. He did that for over 20 years before finally getting a job indoors.
> 
> The result of this rugged outdoor lifestyle was that his body was starting to pack up in his late 40s. He needed a walking stick by the age of 50 and was using 2 sticks by the time he was 55. He _literally_ spent the 10 years after that limping his way through to retirement and he barely walked again from the day that he retired (near enough my age now).
> 
> ...


This. Not everyone is built to take continuous physical work; as said, did my crap weather cycling as a kid, did 12 in tge military too. "In touch with the outdoors " is simply another bs phrase that means, "I love this, and I can't see why everyone else doesn't too".
Not the way the world works, in any context.
End of thread contribution.


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## confusedcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

HMS_Dave said:


> Sure, But i think you're overplaying it a little. I don't think there is a disconnection with nature. I walk regularly around a few local water parks and cycle down the canal i see plenty out and about. With so much of these young un's these days getting vocal about climate change, plastic waste and animal welfare i can't help thinking they have more connection with nature than before. A decline in mental health and a disconnect with nature seems a tenuous link at best. As i say, we're seeing more awareness and treatments for such issues that it is that awareness and a prevalence for more mental health help these days i see as a more reasonable link to what is seen as an increase...


I didn't want to go down the path of mental health, because the causes are complex and multifaceted. Just saying cycling in a rain isn't as big a deal as some are making it out to be. It's just that the dial on adversity has been shifted as people have become more accustomed to urbanised living without having to lift a finger in life. Modern convenience trivialises survival. That doesn't mean I'm advocating cycling in a storm and dying of hypothermia.

Nor I am comparing cycling in the rain to a life time of hard manual labour @ColinJ, if that's what OPs cycling feels like, I'm sure he's made the right decision for himself.

@glasgowcyclist meow


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## glasgowcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> @glasgowcyclist meow



That was my sanitised response. I deleted my original draft.


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## roadrash (17 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> Just saying cycling in a rain isn't as big a deal as some are making it out to be.



it isn't a big deal to me, but to some people it IS a big deal, we are not all the same


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## Ming the Merciless (17 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> My dad spent 6 years in the army during and after WWII. He spent much of that time intimately '_in touch with the outdoors_'. He slept in soggy tents, dug trenches, helped clear minefields, dig up UXBs, build roads and bridges and so on, often in terrible weather conditions. Later, back in civilian life he got a job in the building trade, again often working outdoors in terrible conditions. He did that for over 20 years before finally getting a job indoors.
> 
> The result of this rugged outdoor lifestyle was that his body was starting to pack up in his late 40s. He needed a walking stick by the age of 50 and was using 2 sticks by the time he was 55. He _literally_ spent the 10 years after that limping his way through to retirement and he barely walked again from the day that he retired (near enough my age now).
> 
> ...



That’s very different to going for a ride in the rain. The two are not comparable.


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## confusedcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

Lesson in life, "Don't mention the war" - Basil Fawlty


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## DCBassman (17 Feb 2020)

confusedcyclist said:


> Just saying cycling in a rain isn't as big a deal as some are making it out to be


And I'm saying it's not for you to say, because for some, it absolutely IS a big deal.
And I said I'd shut up...ah well.


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## confusedcyclist (17 Feb 2020)

Again, rain does not equate to warfare. Unless it's raining bullets.


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## DCBassman (17 Feb 2020)

Never remotely suggested such.
Doesn't mean one MUST accept it either.
I don't ride in the rain, period, when riding is for pleasure. Because, for me, and plainly others too, it's not pleasure. If I need to make a utility ride, and it's raining, I'm going to get wet. There might be parts of that ride I'll enjoy. The being-wet bit isn't ever going to be one of them.


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## Smokin Joe (17 Feb 2020)

I've been wet and frozen at work, I've been wet and frozen on bicycles and I've been wet and frozen on motorcycles - countless times with each.

Do I ride in the rain now? Not feckin' likely, and if anyone thinks riding through winter while well wrapped up and waterproofed makes them some kind of superior hard case they're seriously kidding themselves. Try riding 300 miles on a motorbike in torrential rain wearing "Waterproof" gear that fails in anything above a heavy dew and then come back and tell us how you enjoyed it. And I didn't do that because I'm a hardman, I did it because I had no choice.


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## roadrash (17 Feb 2020)

bloody hell...….why is it so hard for folk to accept , some folk do like riding in the rain , other folk don't, it doesn't make either right or wrong,


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## ColinJ (17 Feb 2020)

Smokin Joe said:


> Try riding 300 miles on a motorbike in torrential rain wearing "Waterproof" gear that fails in anything above a heavy dew and then come back and tell us how you enjoyed it. And I didn't do that because I'm a hardman, I did it because I had no choice.


63 years ago (before the M6 was built) my dad took the family up to Scotland from the Midlands. We didn't have a car at the time - he had a sidecar on his motorbike in which were sat my pregnant mum, baby me, and my 5 year old sister!  

We got caught out in a thunderstorm going over Shap Fell and it sounds like my dad developed hypothermia. We had to stop at a pub beyond the Fell for my father to dry out and recover.

I think someone mentioned it earlier in the thread... All this talk about mudguards, the right clothing, 'man up' and so on is all very well, but if you are out in the wilds and have a mechanical problem such as a puncture in poor weather conditions you can end up in _serious _trouble. I WAS wearing the right clothing on one winter ride and was doing fine until a tyre went flat. Within 5 minutes of stopping I started shivering violently as the sweat on my body rapidly cooled down. My fingers went completely numb once I took my gloves off and I had a long, desperate struggle to fix the puncture. Bad news!


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## DCBassman (17 Feb 2020)

roadrash said:


> bloody hell...….why is it so hard for folk to accept , some folk do like riding in the rain , other folk don't, it doesn't make either right or wrong,


Exactly, not rocket science, is it?


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## pawl (17 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Proves you’ve lost touch with the outdoors and become softened by 21st century “comforts”



It proves nothing I have been cycling since I was 15 ,a total of64 years.in all sorts of conditions.I am now more selective when I ride due to odd niggling aches and pains,Nothing serious but damp wet cold weather doesn’t help.Iam not going to put at risk what ever remains of my cycling life.
If some on here don’t enjoy cycling in the rain so what.You don’t now there physical/medical circumstances.
If you enjoy cycling in adverse conditions that is up to you Kudos to you but don’t belittle those of us that prefer to ride in more clement conditions


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## Oxford Dave (18 Feb 2020)

Smokin Joe said:


> Try riding 300 miles on a motorbike in torrential rain wearing "Waterproof" gear that fails in anything above a heavy dew and then come back and tell us how you enjoyed it. And I didn't do that because I'm a hardman, I did it because I had no choice.



I once rode from eastern Finland to the south of England on a motorcycle, non stop except for petrol breaks (which included coffee, mars bar & a quick visit to the gents). It was raining when I left home in Finland and didn't stop until I left the tunnel terminal in Folkestone. In 1700 miles I was able to sample Finnish, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Belgian, and French rain. It all felt the same - cold and wet. It wasn't fun.
The last time I did the same journey, I made sure of good weather by carrying waterproofs.


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## DRM (18 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> 63 years ago (before the M6 was built) my dad took the family up to Scotland from the Midlands. We didn't have a car at the time - he had a sidecar on his motorbike in which were sat my pregnant mum, baby me, and my 5 year old sister!
> 
> We got caught out in a thunderstorm going over Shap Fell and it sounds like my dad developed hypothermia. We had to stop at a pub beyond the Fell for my father to dry out and recover.
> 
> I think someone mentioned it earlier in the thread... All this talk about mudguards, the right clothing, 'man up' and so on is all very well, but if you are out in the wilds and have a mechanical problem such as a puncture in poor weather conditions you can end up in _serious _trouble. I WAS wearing the right clothing on one winter ride and was doing fine until a tyre went flat. Within 5 minutes of stopping I started shivering violently as the sweat on my body rapidly cooled down. My fingers went completely numb once I took my gloves off and I had a long, desperate struggle to fix the puncture. Bad news!


I remember an episode of one of Ray Mears survival programmes where he said it’s a given that you should always leave matches with at least one with the stick part poking out of the box, with the head inside the box and tinder easily available when leaving a bothy, as when you are very cold, your fingers just don’t work very well, by doing this you could quite easily be saving the life of someone who is borderline or is actually hypothermic, by giving them a fighting chance of getting a fire going, a lot of people don’t realise just how easy it is by being wet, along with windchill to be a victim of hypothermia, unfortunately one of the symptoms is confusion, which can lead to lethal decisions being made, which if you are alone could well be the beginning of your demise if you don’t know what to do, as is someone unwittingly warming the victim too quickly.


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## iateyoubutler (18 Feb 2020)

DRM said:


> I remember an episode of one of Ray Mears survival programmes where he said it’s a given that you should always leave matches with at least one with the stick part poking out of the box, with the head inside the box and tinder easily available when leaving a bothy, as when you are very cold, your fingers just don’t work very well, by doing this you could quite easily be saving the life of someone who is borderline or is actually hypothermic, by giving them a fighting chance of getting a fire going, a lot of people don’t realise just how easy it is by being wet, along with windchill to be a victim of hypothermia, unfortunately one of the symptoms is confusion, which can lead to lethal decisions being made, which if you are alone could well be the beginning of your demise if you don’t know what to do, as is someone unwittingly warming the victim too quickly.


I`ve had it, 3 times over the last 20 years, and always through unavoidable circumstances, it`s nice a nice place to go to.....

But, as others have said here I`ve got too used to 21st century comforts, too soft, when the going gets tough the tough get going, the wrong clothes, should read rule no5, etc etc.............

Sorry, not a pop at you my friend


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## classic33 (18 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve had it, 3 times over the last 20 years, and always through unavoidable circumstances, it`s nice a nice place to go to.....
> 
> But, as others have said here I`ve got too used to 21st century comforts, too soft, when the going gets tough the tough get going, the wrong clothes, should read rule no5, etc etc.............
> 
> Sorry, not a pop at you my friend


Everyone reacts differently to the same situation, why should you be any different?


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## DRM (18 Feb 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> ...for you.
> 
> Unless it’s icy, grip is rarely affected to any serious extent.
> 
> I‘d rather be out cycling in shoot weather, than working in a warm office anytime. Too much is made of “shoot weather” when really it’s just raining which is easily dealt with. It can and usually is very enjoyable cycling out in the hills or lanes in the rain but does depend on your mindset.


Perhaps if you do work in a warm office you may feel inclined to go outside in the rain, however those who have to work outside in this lot, getting wet through and frozen to the bone, and find it takes ages to get warm once you get home, the idea of going out for a bike ride in it is, less then appealing, all I can say is thank god for Zwift so at least I can keep my fitness up for when the decent weather, hopefully shows up.


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## DRM (18 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`ve had it, 3 times over the last 20 years, and always through unavoidable circumstances, it`s nice a nice place to go to.....
> 
> But, as others have said here I`ve got too used to 21st century comforts, too soft, when the going gets tough the tough get going, the wrong clothes, should read rule no5, etc etc.............
> 
> Sorry, not a pop at you my friend


No offence taken, and no it’s not a nice place to be in, and I also agree life’s to short to be miserable, hopefully the sun will start to show itself soon and we can all enjoy some decent weather, whatever we are up to in the great outdoors


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## Algarvecycling (20 Feb 2020)

I don't go out in the rain or very strong winds, don't need to, thankfully as a warm Sunny day is the norm. But, if I lived in the UK now, I would be on Zwift for Winter and rainy days. I grew up in a Sunny clime so it is what I am used to, of course, which does affect my outlook, naturally. 

I'm not impressed by someone thinking that they are 'tough' because they ride in all conditions, if they want to and feel a sense of achievement from that then that is great for them, kudos, but equally, if it does nothing for you and only makes your cycling less enjoyable, then I'm all for staying indoors, or, like me, move to place where adverse weather is infrequent. 

If you commute and have no alternative transport on bad weather days, then yeah, I get that you might have to face those bad conditions regardless but then you are cycling those days not necessarily for fun but to get to work, different thing. If you are training for events, racing, then you can do as well with indoor training; braving all conditions doesn't make you faster - I've raced against tough all-weather cyclists plenty of times and my 'wussy' approach to weather has not seemed to make any difference, I still have to wait for them to finish at the end.


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## DRM (20 Feb 2020)

Just watching the recording of the tour of the Algarve, any chance you could courier some of the weather to West Yorkshire please,


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## Crankarm (20 Feb 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> Does seem to have been exceptional this year. I'm sick to death of it myself. Thankfully, I am retired so don't have to cycle in it. Think I've only managed out half a dozen times this year so far.
> 
> Maybe there can't be much more of the wet stuff left up there and *we will have a long, glorious and dry spring and summer*.



Don't count on it.


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## Crankarm (20 Feb 2020)

rogerzilla said:


> I clean my commuting bike once or twice a year (I do the chain and sprockets 4 times a year). It's a fixie and has mudguards. You can get away with even less cleaning - I once went 2 years without cleaning a hub-geared bike with a coaster brake.



I clean my Surly Troll which has Rohloff hub, full chain guard and disc brakes once a year and even this is too frequent as I reckon I could easily go for cleaning intervals of 2 years or never at all. I just got a belt drive bike with IHG and disc brakes which is not so high maintenance as my Troll. Happy days.


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## Ming the Merciless (20 Feb 2020)

Proper mudguards and flaps and you don’t need to be cleaning a bike much. Just look after drive train and it’ll be right.


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## mjr (20 Feb 2020)

ColinJ said:


> .
> I think someone mentioned it earlier in the thread... All this talk about mudguards, the right clothing, 'man up' and so on is all very well, but if you are out in the wilds and have a mechanical problem such as a puncture in poor weather conditions you can end up in _serious _trouble. I WAS wearing the right clothing on one winter ride and was doing fine until a tyre went flat. Within 5 minutes of stopping I started shivering violently as the sweat on my body rapidly cooled down. My fingers went completely numb once I took my gloves off and I had a long, desperate struggle to fix the puncture. Bad news!


1. Wear thermal waterproofs, or at least carry them and don them as soon as possible once stopped. Yes, you'll still be sweaty but not frozen.
2. Carry a sealant canister in winter. You might still break your bike and need to do a real repair but punctures are common enough to be worth spending £5 on a tin not to stop and freeze IMO.

I don't much like riding in rain but that's why I wear real waterproof waterproofs and slow down a bit to prevent or at least minimise sweating. It's a £30ish hiking coat because cycling waterproofs seem to have gone crazy and merely drizzleproof seems to qualify as waterproof until you get up to spending really big money. :Wacko:


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## classic33 (20 Feb 2020)

mjr said:


> *1. Wear thermal waterproofs, or at least carry them and don them as soon as possible once stopped. Yes, you'll still be sweaty but not frozen.*
> 2. Carry a sealant canister in winter. You might still break your bike and need to do a real repair but punctures are common enough to be worth spending £5 on a tin not to stop and freeze IMO.
> 
> I don't much like riding in rain but that's why I wear real waterproof waterproofs and slow down a bit to prevent or at least minimise sweating. It's a £30ish hiking coat because cycling waterproofs seem to have gone crazy and merely drizzleproof seems to qualify as waterproof until you get up to spending really big money. :Wacko:


Taking any layer off in the cold, when cold isn't exactly the best way. Removing more than one will take time, heat loss will increase.

Normal method is to add a layer on top off what is already being worn. Thereby avoiding any further heat loss.


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## mjr (21 Feb 2020)

classic33 said:


> Taking any layer off in the cold, when cold isn't exactly the best way.


Yes, that'll be why I said to put a layer on, not to take one off!


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