Newsflash: I rode my bicycle to work in the rain and I didn't melt.
I confirmed it once more. Riding your bicycle in the rain doesn't hurt. I felt no pain caused by being wet today. I had a most enjoyable ride in the rain and light fog.
Why are so many people afraid to get wet? I almost got side swiped this morning by a pedestrian running from her house to her car parked on the opposite curb. She was trying to keep her face covered so it wouldn't get wet. Why? She'd rather run blindly into a street than get her face wet. Am I from a different world? I don't understand this fear of falling water.
Why are so many people afraid to get wet? I almost got side swiped this morning by a pedestrian running from her house to her car parked on the opposite curb. She was trying to keep her face covered so it wouldn't get wet. Why? She'd rather run blindly into a street than get her face wet. Am I from a different world? I don't understand this fear of falling water.
posted by Doug @ 8:57 PM
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12 Comments:
I melted today- it was crazy, my feet re-formed and were stuck in my shoes. No, it was a nice ride today, no other crazy bicyclist to get in my way :) Just Doug, but he and I don't cross paths too often.
It seems I've been riding in the rain now for weeks, we've had a dreadful summer, over here. Apart from drying my gear no problem at all, everyone still thinks I'm mad. The good news is, there seems to be more bicycle commuters out there, even in the pouring rain.
I've become a three day a week hybrid commuter and rain scares me only in the sense of motorists' reduced visibility of me, and just a tad bit of fear in maneuvering and braking in the rain in the case of an unplanned stop, turn, etc.
But yeah, other than that -- it's just a matter of drying gear and lubing the chain.
Yeah, I don't understand it either. When I tell people that I ride to work everyday, they usually ask what I do on days that it rains?!? I'm going to start telling them that I melt. ;-)
Often, I'll get offers for rides home on rainy days too, but nobody offers to give me a ride home when it's 95 and humid. I don't get it.
Welshcyclist: when I was in Wales a few years ago, I rented a bike instead of a car to get from Cardiff to Barry for two weeks, and I think it only rained once! It must have been some freak weather that year. Glad to hear that you're not melting!
We're having some Welsh weather down here in NZ also.
I melted both to and from work yesterday.
Last time I wore my rainsuit because it was raining I almost did melt sweaty!
Tim.
I rode in the rain yesterday as well. I wore my swimsuit to work and a light shirt. It was refreshing, I hung it up when i got to work and it was completely dry by the time I went home. I get comments all the time about how do you get to work in the rain, why are people afraid of rain?
I find it an easy excuse to be lazy. Nobody questions you loyalty to commuting by bike if you do not do so in the rain! (For heaven's sake you get your make-up and clothes wet... not in this day and age!) I bike year around here in Minneapolis and find winter to be the most pleasing as there are very few other bikes out there, you don't get so hot and sweaty, plus you bike slower and take in sites cause you don't have the ability to fly around like the summer affords. It's not scary, just get a shell and a good wool sweater, some goggles for the really cold days and you are fine...
I love riding in the rain maybe part of it is the idea that others don't...I can't weight to see your new ride. Someday someday maybe someday, I am going to get me a custom Bob Brown (from the Twin Cities) fully lugged stainless steel cross bike frame built just for me...of course by then I'll be too old and feeble to ride it much!!! Love your blog!!!
Cheers,
Charlie
Are you kidding? Rain is scary!
I can understand why many bicycle commuters won't commute in the rain. It takes me three times as long to fix myself up at the office on rainy days compared to non-rainy days. Not to mention all the extra stuff you have to carry. It's more gear and time-intensive than dry-weather winter cycling, in my opinion.
I can tell already that I need to invest in a boot dryer and a drying rack for work.
My main issue at the moment is that the gravels I commute on turn to soup, and they seem to like to grade my road when it rains, which then turns to mud. It really kills my drivetrain. But it keeps the dust down!
I can hardly wait for winter.
DG
getting sprinkled on is terrifying! Just the other day I almost got into the shower without my rain coat, whew! Seriously, people seem to compartmentalize everything: wet only while in the pool or shower, cold only while skiing or snowmobiling, hot and sweaty only in a sauna. It would probably suck if I was a chick with huge hair I had to cram into a helmet and 40 year old skin I had to plaster with make-up to appear 18. (please, only get pissed at that comment if you fit the stereotype)
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