Bl**dy weather

[Kirstie]

Well this weekend counted as the coldest I have ever been on a bike, or ever in fact. i was doing a 3 day tour from haltwhistle - hawick - holy island - morpeth. Haltwhistle - Hawick on friday was amazing. Hawick - holy island was mostly OK, but there was an absolutely freezing cross wind, hail, snow, sleet and rain but we stayed dry; and holy island - morpeth was abandoned at Alnmouth because I have never ever been that cold or wet. Despite a 25mph tailwind, it just kept snowing. Despite wearing the requisite clothing, my hands, feet and head were soaked because the precipitation was relentless. To top it all off, on the final run to the station, a 4x4 created a huge tsunami of a bow wave as it went through a big icy puddle, and we got the full force of it. There were chunks of ice in it and everything. It was an utterly miserable day out, but secretly I feel like a hero RAAAARGH!

 

[fossyant]

It will be May in just over 3 weeks - hmm I who thinks we might see temps top 20c - not looking likely at the moment.... blooming freezing !

 

[yoyo]

It will be May in just over 3 weeks - hmm I who thinks we might see temps top 20c - not looking likely at the moment.... blooming freezing !

If it's anything like last summer I suggest you dream on!! Perish the thought but this time last year the daytime temperatures here in the sunny south were in the mid twenties. At the time I pessimistically said to MrYoyo that it was our summer. Little did I realise how prophetic I was. Let's hope the garden furniture and the barbeque see the light of day / sun this year!

 

[Hugo15]

Jeeezzzzzzzzzzz it was chuffing freezing yesterday, the coldest I have been on the bike for a few years. The first 20 miles or so were cold but then the sun disappeared (at the furthest point from home, obviously) and it was a slog from there. Got to the top of the last climb to be blast in the face with a snow shower . Did 32 miles in the end but was pleased to make it back home. Currently trying to decide whether to commute tomorrow..... all the kit is laid out but the forecast looks really cold again.

 

[craigwend]

As I drove home today the weather was of biblical proportions.

Hail the size of BIG hail, but of an intensity I thought it was going to dent my car, a speed and ferocity of more biblical-ness, my windscreen froze with the torrent, the road froze on its large volume-mass impact.

Then I saw the lone roadie on the other side of the road (just) it was that bad the anorak in me could not see the make of bike, just his (or hers, it really was that bad) lycra and black skinny road bike.

Oh powerful velo god forgive me - but I was glad I was driving toady.

 

[Aperitif]

As I drove home today the weather was of biblical proportions.

Hail the size of BIG hail, but of an intensity I thought it was going to dent my car, a speed and ferocity of more biblical-ness, my windscreen froze with the torrent, the road froze on its large volume-mass impact.

Then I saw the lone roadie on the other side of the road (just) it was that bad the anorak in me could not see the make of bike, just his (or hers, it really was that bad) lycra and black skinny road bike.

Oh powerful velo god forgive me - but I was glad I was driving toady.

Good Samaritan/Wind In The Willows type of moment Craig?

 

[WindyRob]

cycled to work this morning; near freezing conditions in bib shorts and leg warmers, very strange sensation - legs really warm but buttocks and nether regions so cold it felt like i didn't have any shorts on!! I've always used tracksters when the weather is this cold....

finished the morning shift an hour early so took the opportunity to get a sandwich to take-away and cycled over to Old Winchester Hill to eat it in the sun at the top of the hill.... by the time i got there i was so cold i put on the leg warmers, thermal skull cap and winter gloves for the 10 miles home, it took until the evening for my feet to warm up again!!

Still i wouldn't trade the privilege of being able to ride in that sort of countryside for anything!!

Windy