Weather watching.

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

Hi all,

How many of you check the weather radar before venturing out on a training ride?
I never trust the weather forecast, and prefer to look at what is "upwind" of my location
before heading out on my evening 30 miler.

Here's a bit of information which may help:

If i'm near a pc, the following radar sites are checked, in both cases i'll click on the
play/animate buttons to start the animation, this helps to see which direction the rain
clouds are heading:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/radar/
http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=radar;sess= (good)

If i'm already mobile, an app called "rain alarm pro" is used, this pings an alarm in my pocket
if rain is approaching (well worth a look if you're into android/iphones).

Another thing i'm interested in, is local wind speed/direction.

Around the country many people have these sub £100 weather stations linked up to pc's, sending
out data to various "sites" on the internet.

In my case i have a twitter feed going ( @wisbechweather ) which chucks out weather readings
at 30 minute intervals, here's an example from earlier:

NOW: Temp Falling:5.3c Humidity:82% Dewpoint:2.5c Wind:WSW 15.7mph Gust:19.0mph.
SINCE MIDNIGHT: Tempmax:8.9c Tempmin:4.4c Windmax:35.8mph

If you'd like to find your own "local" weather station that sends out automatic tweets, checkout
these "lists" of auto-tweeting uk weather stations (obviously from the twitter site).

@epsomweather/weather-stations
@spireweatherman/weather-4
@staffsstormspot/uk-weather-stations

Ok, i've probably baffled everyone over the age of 80 with all this fangled stuff, but in 2500miles
of cycling i've only got wet twice. Once from a shower, the second time falling into a dyke.

 

[col]

I used to just look out of the front door, didnt work most of the time.

 

[ianrauk]

Impending rain doesn't stop me from going out.

 

[snorri]

I go cycling to get away from techie stuff, a look out the window before I start, waterproof gear in the panniers, can't remember when I last got wet or cold.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I often look on here ( http://www.xcweather.co.uk/ ) to see what direction I'll be coming home in. It looks like I'll be heading out west again today.

 

[G-Zero]

Ok, i've probably baffled everyone over the age of 80 with all this fangled stuff, but in 2500miles
of cycling i've only got wet twice. Once from a shower, the second time falling into a dyke.

Thanks for the links, but I can't help thinking.... "Not so 'psycho' cyclist then" ?

If you're restricted to evening training sessions and you've managed to avoid the rain for so long, you must be missing loads of riding opportunities.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the weather watching stuff, as I'm the same when it comes to heading up in to the mountains, but as far as a couple of hours of riding is concerned, my skin is waterproof when the rain invariably reaches it, and as my training rides are usually my commute rides, I don't have the luxury of not turning out if rain is forecast.

 

[Alien8]

Nice post.

... but in 2500miles of cycling I've only got wet twice...

So how many times in that period would you guess you've not gone out due to impending rain?

You're (we're) in one of the driest areas so I'm wondering whether you'd get the same sort of result if you ignored the forecast and just looked up.

 

[briantrumpet]

but in 2500miles of cycling i've only got wet twice.

I'm a weather-watcher too - Met Office, XC Weather, Rain Today, and a local site. Apart from just being interesting, I'd rather go out in the dry if I can, just by choosing the time I go out. And that's got me up to about 6000 miles in the dry this year - no serious soakings. And I do take extra care when there's a chance of ice - I didn't pay enough attention on a ride last January and paid the price: if I'd read the forecasts more carefully, I'd have gone out in the afternoon and saved a spill.

The commute, of course, is different - that's whatever the weather throws at me, though I still look at the forecasts to see what gear to take.

 

[VamP]

With appropriate clothing, I laugh in the face of rain. And no I don't mean waterproofs...

 

[sdr gb]

I don't mind riding in the rain. Up here in the Pennines you get used to it. Some areas seem to have there own micro climate so it can be hosing down with rain and half a mile up the road, the sun can be out with dry roads. I check the forecast the night before and if it says rain, I'll stuff a waterproof jacket in a jersey pocket and stick on the mudguards. When I get back I'll wipe and lube the bike ready for the next ride.

As the sub-title of a cycling magazine says "Just get out and ride"

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the replies!! Must add i'm pretty busy at work, usually putting in three evenings a week and every other saturday morning,
so my cycling outings have to be fitted in around my work (and family).
I've did several 30 milers last year in 5cm's of snow (sticky tyres on the mountain bike) and been out when its extremely icy, it's just
the prospect of having to fix a puncture in the rain, miles away from any steet lighting that is the real bug, rather than getting wet.
(My usual 30 miler route is very dark, but free of vehicles).

Its 5c and raining at the moment ... so who is going out in that tonight?

I use the garmin connect site to upload my rides, and i frequently use the explore tab
to see what the "pros" in my home town are up to ... they're not riding as much this
end of the year, in fact some are riding less than me now!!

As for the psycho bit ... lets just say i often play chicken with cars. (We all know how quickly we can flick and ditch our rides, most car drivers don't).
Nice to see them go when the cyclist they try to force out the way doesn't budge.

 

[Matthew_T]

I always use www.windfinder.com/weatherforecast/ every day before I go out. I am not too bothered about the wind or temperature but the wind aspect is very helpful because you get the whole 24 hours of the next three days.
I would definately recomend it.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

I always use www.windfinder.com/weatherforecast/ every day before I go out. I am not too bothered about the wind or temperature but the wind aspect is very helpful because you get the whole 24 hours of the next three days.
I would definately recomend it.

Thanks for that matthew, very useful.
Here's a sub-page of the popular netweather website that may be of interest, also showing the wind forecast ahead:

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=nwdc;sess=

And select "uk wind dir/speeds (streams)" in the left hand drop down box ... then click through the hours ahead.

 

[summerdays]

I do look at the weather continuously.... I love looking at the maps ... I use a combination of the satelite maps on the Met Office together with Raintoday as my main method of gauging the weather. It doesn't stop me going out just because it is raining but it might make me wait 20 mins if I have the time for it to ease a little. I get wet far too often for my liking but I normally dry out ... its my boots that take the longest time.