to cycle or not cycle home in pouring rain?
- Thread starter joanna
- Start date
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i dont actually mind the rain itself but tonight a big puddle was hiding a pot hole... BANG, hit the thing with a horrendous thump, instant buckled wheel... please stay inflated.... please... please... no it's going down 
quick phone call to the wife to say i'll be running late.
quick change of tube in the rain and muck (never fun in the rain), noticed broken spoke. 8 miles still to go with bent wheel that rubbed on the brake blocks and a half inflated tyre (never can get them back up to 100 psi)
nearly home... wife calls... you OK?... yeah, im trying to bloody cycle home
still raining ?.
cant say i noticed 
spare wheel fitted
gonna be raining tomorrow as well
quick phone call to the wife to say i'll be running late.
quick change of tube in the rain and muck (never fun in the rain), noticed broken spoke. 8 miles still to go with bent wheel that rubbed on the brake blocks and a half inflated tyre (never can get them back up to 100 psi)
nearly home... wife calls... you OK?... yeah, im trying to bloody cycle home
still raining ?.
cant say i noticed spare wheel fitted
gonna be raining tomorrow as well
tiswas-steve
Über Member
- Location
- Forest Hill S.E. london
Done a mere 6 miles home today in the rain, must say it was very refreshing and kinda fun too when whistling " we,re alllllllllllllll going on a summer hollllllllllliday "
Stephenite
Membå
- Location
- OslO
Not nice, jiggy. Commiserations.
But spare a thought for this pilgrim. Working lates this week so have to cycle home in the rain at night. It'll be after midnight before i get home. You lot will be tucked up in bed "resting".
I put "resting" in quotes because Dayvo did. So he knows what i mean
But spare a thought for this pilgrim. Working lates this week so have to cycle home in the rain at night. It'll be after midnight before i get home. You lot will be tucked up in bed "resting".
I put "resting" in quotes because Dayvo did. So he knows what i mean
johnr
Über Member
- Location
- Grand depart 2014 county (east)
Do how did the ride go Joanna?
I can remember the first time I looked out of the window and saw that I was going to get soaked on my way to work. Spent 10 minutes looking for car keys even though I knew my partner had taken the car already.
There's an old saw: 'no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes'. As long s you're comfortable, most things are doable.
I use rainlegs and waterproof socks. For some reason dryish thighs and feet are all I need. I picked up a rain jacket from Aldi a few years ago, but it's got to be raining pretty hard to make up for the lack of breathability.
Hope you got plenty of 'tough guy' type comments when you got home.
I can remember the first time I looked out of the window and saw that I was going to get soaked on my way to work. Spent 10 minutes looking for car keys even though I knew my partner had taken the car already.
There's an old saw: 'no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes'. As long s you're comfortable, most things are doable.
I use rainlegs and waterproof socks. For some reason dryish thighs and feet are all I need. I picked up a rain jacket from Aldi a few years ago, but it's got to be raining pretty hard to make up for the lack of breathability.
Hope you got plenty of 'tough guy' type comments when you got home.
Purely because of this thread, I got home this evening and went straight back out on the MTB for a riverside run. Things that I noticed...
1. Disk brakes are better in the wet up to a point. I'm not sure exactly where that point is, but it's somewhere between my garage and the first junction that I need to slow down for.
2. Big puddles and childlike behaviour are all well and good, but what if the puddle is 6 miles long? There's only so long even my momentum will carry me.
3. "No, I wasn't expecting to see anyone else either, but now that we have met, could you please call your Labrador off before he sucks the life out of all four of my aglets."
4. My big fat tyres are fantastic on wet mud.
5. Wet branches can hang anything up to 6 feet lower than they are when they are dry. I was glad to be wearing a helmet when I rounded a corner in the dark and found myself riding through a willow which I rode under only 2 days ago.
6. My usual path on the road is where the near-side tyres of cars roll... which is also just one long puddle.
7. Most drivers (certainly all those who passed me this evening) do make allowances for the cyclist who takes extra space in the rain
8. Most people seem to think that we dissolve in the rain. Everyone that I mentioned tonight's ride to thinks that I'm insane. I'm sure they spent a happy evening in front of the tv, but I'm damned sure I had more fun.
9. Riding off-road in the rain on a slippery surface is about 15% slower than it is in the dry on a good surface.
10. You need to tell your other half that riding off-road in the rain on a slippery surface is about 15% slower than it is in the dry on a good surface, or they'll be more than a tad worried when your ride takes 5 minutes longer than normal.
11. Wet is fine. Cold is not.
12. I LOVE having decent lights. A powerful light on the bars, a light but still powerful head-mounted light and I had no problems seeing where I was going. I can't sing their praises enough,
I had at least one road which was flooded for its entire length, which was fun. And another road was flooded deep enough that the pedals were underwater.
I wasn't allowed into the house afterwards, though, I had to strip on the doorstep.
Well for me it was a choice of cycle home in the rain, or sleep in the office overnight.
I was somewhat fortunate in that I managed to set off during a lull in the rain, so with the waterproof jacket on I didn't get wet on the inside. Rain picked up again on the last couple of miles but even then managed to stay dry. The tricky bit was avoiding dripping rainwater all through the house when I got home (that's where having laminated flooring is useful - you just wipe up any water).
Quickly remembered that during rain, rim brakes take a couple of seconds to take effect.
I was somewhat fortunate in that I managed to set off during a lull in the rain, so with the waterproof jacket on I didn't get wet on the inside. Rain picked up again on the last couple of miles but even then managed to stay dry. The tricky bit was avoiding dripping rainwater all through the house when I got home (that's where having laminated flooring is useful - you just wipe up any water).
Quickly remembered that during rain, rim brakes take a couple of seconds to take effect.
Becs
Veteran
- Location
- Old Hatfield (it's nice honest!)
The mini-skirt survived cycling across London for dinner and then home, thanks to the pub bike and its mudguards and panniers! (Did have to get changed in the loos of Galipoli before dinner though!).
Purely because of this thread, I got home this evening and went straight back out on the MTB for a riverside run. Things that I noticed...
1. Disk brakes are better in the wet up to a point. I'm not sure exactly where that point is, but it's somewhere between my garage and the first junction that I need to slow down for.
2. Big puddles and childlike behaviour are all well and good, but what if the puddle is 6 miles long? There's only so long even my momentum will carry me.
3. "No, I wasn't expecting to see anyone else either, but now that we have met, could you please call your Labrador off before he sucks the life out of all four of my aglets."
4. My big fat tyres are fantastic on wet mud.
5. Wet branches can hang anything up to 6 feet lower than they are when they are dry. I was glad to be wearing a helmet when I rounded a corner in the dark and found myself riding through a willow which I rode under only 2 days ago.
6. My usual path on the road is where the near-side tyres of cars roll... which is also just one long puddle.
7. Most drivers (certainly all those who passed me this evening) do make allowances for the cyclist who takes extra space in the rain
8. Most people seem to think that we dissolve in the rain. Everyone that I mentioned tonight's ride to thinks that I'm insane. I'm sure they spent a happy evening in front of the tv, but I'm damned sure I had more fun.
9. Riding off-road in the rain on a slippery surface is about 15% slower than it is in the dry on a good surface.
10. You need to tell your other half that riding off-road in the rain on a slippery surface is about 15% slower than it is in the dry on a good surface, or they'll be more than a tad worried when your ride takes 5 minutes longer than normal.
11. Wet is fine. Cold is not.
12. I LOVE having decent lights. A powerful light on the bars, a light but still powerful head-mounted light and I had no problems seeing where I was going. I can't sing their praises enough,
I had at least one road which was flooded for its entire length, which was fun. And another road was flooded deep enough that the pedals were underwater.
I wasn't allowed into the house afterwards, though, I had to strip on the doorstep.
Do you notice stones grow larger when there are deep puddles. When the water has gone, the small stones that were there have grown incredibly large.
Entirely true, JimBo, but I ride that track several times a week so I am fairly confident that I can remember the bigger holes. Aside from anything else, months of dry weather mean that even the muddier sections have been worn flat.
My shoes were still in the middle of the garden this morning, still of an unrecognisable colour because of the coating of mud.
My shoes were still in the middle of the garden this morning, still of an unrecognisable colour because of the coating of mud.
I also had no choice but to cycle home in the rain last night.
Only three miles, but no waterproofs . As somebody else said, I knew I was going to get wet and its only unpleasant for the first minute or two. After that it was fun
The only other cyclist I saw was female. She was ingeniously using a carrier bag hanging from her rucksack to stop her back getting wet.
It was wet again on my morning commute today, but nothing like last night. Hopefully it'll be a little drier this evening.
Only three miles, but no waterproofs
. As somebody else said, I knew I was going to get wet and its only unpleasant for the first minute or two. After that it was fun The only other cyclist I saw was female. She was ingeniously using a carrier bag hanging from her rucksack to stop her back getting wet.
It was wet again on my morning commute today, but nothing like last night. Hopefully it'll be a little drier this evening.
swee'pea99
Squire
Getting wet doesn't matter at this time of year. In a couple of months, it'll be a bit unpleasant, but now? Nah. Just ride. As long as you've somewhere dry and clothes to change into when you get there, nothing else matters.
