Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Soggy Tour for The Historian?

I'm going to make a second attempt to pull off my Green Lane Park Campground tour this weekend. I say "attempt" because I might be deterred by the weather. Forecast is for an inch of rain Saturday, clearing in the overnight. Lows in the 40s.

The route is 25 miles by road and trail, and perhaps a little longer if I stick to roads.

Would you ride in the rain, and then camp in it? What suggestions do you have?

I'm going to make a second attempt to pull off my Green Lane Park Campground tour this weekend. I say "attempt" because I might be deterred by the weather. Forecast is for an inch of rain Saturday, clearing in the overnight. Lows in the 40s.

The route is 25 miles by road and trail, and perhaps a little longer if I stick to roads.

Would you ride in the rain, and then camp in it? What suggestions do you have?

Forecast:
Day:

Winds: SE at 11mph
Wind Gusts: 29 mph
Max UV Index: Low (1)
Thunderstorm Probability: 24%
Amount of Precipitation: 0.88in
Amount of Rain: 0.88in
Amount of Snow: 0.0in
Hours of Precipitation: 10 Hrs
Hours of Rain: 10 Hrs
Hours of Daylight: 10.7 Hrs

Night:

Winds: W at 5mph
Wind Gusts: 17 mph
Min UV Index: N/A
Thunderstorm Probability: 5%
Amount of Precipitation: 0.28in
Amount of Rain: 0.28in
Amount Snow: 0.0in
Hours of Precipitation: 3 Hrs
Hours of Rain: 3 Hrs
Hours of Dark 13.3 Hrs

I said no, but then I'm a huge wuss when it comes to camping. I'll do whatever is required in sketchy conditions during the day, but I want a hot shower and a comfy bed at night.

I voted yes. Sure it could be fun in the same sense that preping for a colonoscopy could be fun if thats your thing.

If there is any elevation at all to the campground pick the site that is up the highest. Poo tends to roll downhill. Also, when you get back set your tent up in the garage to air out and dry. Leave the door and vents open. This will keep it from growing mildew and keep the tent funk down. Layer appropriatly and you'll be fine.

We demand cold soggy pics!

I said no. I did enough wet camping as a kid. I won't do that if I don't have to now, and I don't have to!

Really this boils down to you. Will you have fun or not? Be honest now.

I would say no if the rain appears to be a near certainty.

Riding in the rain in the Summer is no big deal. Wet and warm, not a big stress on your body. Rain and 40's is VERY unpleasant in my book. I find keeping my hands warm nearly impossible with those temps and get misarable quickly. I can handle a 5 mile commute, but I would not go for a "fun" 25 mile ride in those temps. If I had to I could survive it... but it just would not be fun. I can deal with cold dry weather just fine, but wet and cold is an other story.

I know you've already had a hard time lately with your cycling motication, going for what has a high probablity of being a miserable ride is not going to help. I'd look closely at the weather radar and see how big a system is moving in. If there don't appear to be a solid wall of rain that is going to cross most of the state then take it as a sign. This Summer we had lots of rain/thunderstorms, but there were large areas of clear between the storms. Therefore this Summer if the weather was bad, all you had to do was find some shelter for a little while and the storms would pass over. Therefore the worst weather was easy to avoid.

Either way, good luck and enjoy your weekend.

Happy riding,
André

I voted no only because of the time of year. If it were warmer months I would say go for it. I would ride in cold, wet and miserable. Camping in it and riding back the next day, not so much.

If this were a well planned multi day/week tour, all bets are off and I would go for it.

I may have stuck my foot in it and sort of thrown my hat into the ring for a Dallas To Corpus Christie tour in the Spring. There would be at least one N Texas BF Clyde member going along. All the riders are BF'ers though. Weather will not make a difference on this lil' trip.

NO - brrr wet and cold..... Stay home and cuddle.

Cold and wet is no fun at all. If it was July wet would not be too bad.

I wouldn't condemn anyone to wet, cold camping. I've done it in the past and it was hideous. I spent an entire weekend shivering, wet, and deeply unhappy.

Read a book. Pet a cat. Eat some homemade stew.

An inch of rain? If it were an inch of rain in an hour or something that would be entirely different perhaps..
However please note I enjoy riding in hail, blizzards back home or 110 degree heat because it is something to break the monotony. So anything I say is just ramblings of a crazy person.

Forecast:
Day:

Winds: SE at 11mph
Wind Gusts: 29 mph
Max UV Index: Low (1)
Thunderstorm Probability: 24%
Amount of Precipitation: 0.88in
Amount of Rain: 0.88in
Amount of Snow: 0.0in
Hours of Precipitation: 10 Hrs
Hours of Rain: 10 Hrs
Hours of Daylight: 10.7 Hrs

Night:

Winds: W at 5mph
Wind Gusts: 17 mph
Min UV Index: N/A
Thunderstorm Probability: 5%
Amount of Precipitation: 0.28in
Amount of Rain: 0.28in
Amount Snow: 0.0in
Hours of Precipitation: 3 Hrs
Hours of Rain: 3 Hrs
Hours of Dark 13.3 Hrs

An inch of rain in an hour, would be okay, in that you could always stop somewhere while it was raining, but an inch over 10 hours, I call that rain ad nausium. No matter how you dress, you end up wet and miserable by the end of it, toss in the fact that it's not hot this time of year, and one could get a dangerous case of hypothermia Putting a tent up in rain doesn't make things any better. Therefore I voted no,....

Postphone it! This weekend is supposed to be miserable in PA. I agree, warm and rain riding not an issue. Cold and rainy just plain sucks. Camping in the rain really sucks. The only thing that could possibly get me through camping in the cold rain would be if I had a huge arse camp fire (interpret as bon fire) and a lot of beer. I know you don't drink (you made a comment to the effect in a previous post somewhere back in time) so I think you should put it off for better weather. If you weren't camping and staying some place warm (where you can dry off and warm up) then that would change things.

I also voted nay! Better off to just ride somewhere close to a warm shower after you're done. I'm watching the wind getting stronger, and the skies getting darker on the east side of the state as I type. That rain, she's a coming!

Denny

I vote "Yes". What better way to get away from it all? No one else will be out there, so you'll be all alone to enjoy getting in touch with nature... or... it might get in touch with you... :)

Just don't complain when you get sick... cold, flu, or pneumonia... emphasis on "when".

Good luck,

V

When I was a kid I enjoyed camping in crappy weather more than in nice weather. Some of my most memorable camping trips were in the dead of winter. It really tests your camping skills.

Hell, anybody can camp out when it's 75 and clear, but you really have to know what you're doing to camp out in cold, wet weather. So, do you really know what you're doing? Know how to stay comfortable? Know how to fix a warm meal in a cold drizzle? Know how to keep the sleeping bag dry? Know how to keep tomorrow's clothes dry?

I don't think I'd go, and I certainly wouldn't do it alone (that whole 'misery loves company' thing). I'm not a kid anymore, and nowadays my idea of "roughing it" is when the hotel doesn't serve breakfast.

Its rain.

Only ****e or sugar will melt in it...

Close call but I voted NO. Nothing wrong with a cozy motel or B&B... the ride is the thing, not the camping. If camping out on a warm starry night would add something favorable to the experience I would say camp.

Forecast:
Day:

Winds: SE at 11mph
Wind Gusts: 29 mph
Max UV Index: Low (1)
Thunderstorm Probability: 24%
Amount of Precipitation: 0.88in
Amount of Rain: 0.88in
Amount of Snow: 0.0in
Hours of Precipitation: 10 Hrs
Hours of Rain: 10 Hrs
Hours of Daylight: 10.7 Hrs

Night:

Winds: W at 5mph
Wind Gusts: 17 mph
Min UV Index: N/A
Thunderstorm Probability: 5%
Amount of Precipitation: 0.28in
Amount of Rain: 0.28in
Amount Snow: 0.0in
Hours of Precipitation: 3 Hrs
Hours of Rain: 3 Hrs
Hours of Dark 13.3 Hrs

Little or no change in the forecast since this morning. It's now "periods of rain", meaning there will be times it won't be raining, or it will be raining a little.

My backup plan is to ride to Philadelphia and stay at the hostel I stayed at last month. This means I'll be inside and won't need the trailer or tent.

Roark is now fitted with massive cyclecross tires. They are so big I need to partially deflate them to take the front wheel off.

I vote "Yes". What better way to get away from it all? No one else will be out there, so you'll be all alone to enjoy getting in touch with nature... or... it might get in touch with you... :)

Just don't complain when you get sick... cold, flu, or pneumonia... emphasis on "when".

Good luck,

V

I don't recall getting sick from riding in the rain back in December. It was 20 degrees colder then.

I don't recall getting sick from riding in the rain back in December. It was 20 degrees colder then.

Forecast is now for 1.5 inches of rain and thunderstorms. I draw the line at thunderstorms. Tour scrubbed.

I don't recall getting sick from riding in the rain back in December. It was 20 degrees colder then.


Then you shouldn't have a problem then :) Should be fun either way. I agree with Bau that you need to post some rainy pictures though. You really do have a good eye with the camera.

V

Forecast is now for 1.5 inches of rain and thunderstorms. I draw the line at thunderstorms. Tour scrubbed.

That's a good idea...

Forecast is now for 1.5 inches of rain and thunderstorms. I draw the line at thunderstorms. Tour scrubbed.


Good idea.

BTW, one of my most memorable rides was in a steady, light, warm rain, up along Route 29 in NJ from Washington Crossing to Frenchtown and back.

Warm rain good. Cold rain bad. Lightning bad.

Forecast is now for 1.5 inches of rain and thunderstorms. I draw the line at thunderstorms. Tour scrubbed.

Good call.

Of course, now there is no reason to put aside all those chores... rats, eh? I'm in a similar boat.

Since you just got cross tires, you could invent a new sport. Lightening Cross where you doge lightening bolts:twitchy:

Canceling is a good idea.

That's a good idea...

I definitely agree. You (or, rather, I...) wouldn't want to be out in this weather -- it's a nasty hard-driving rain and there's no reason to expect it'd lighten up as it travels east from here to where you are.

I definitely agree. You (or, rather, I...) wouldn't want to be out in this weather -- it's a nasty hard-driving rain and there's no reason to expect it'd lighten up as it travels east from here to where you are.

I feel like I bunted instead of swinging for the pitch. It's been windy but rather dry for the past few hours. Had I left at 8:00 AM I'd be near the campground by now. Provided I didn't stop for photos, of course.

I feel like I bunted instead of swinging for the pitch. It's been windy but rather dry for the past few hours. Had I left at 8:00 AM I'd be near the campground by now. Provided I didn't stop for photos, of course.

Yea, but if you had left at 8:00 AM there would have been monsoon/typhoon like conditions. Murphy rules.

Since Green Lane is closing for the year this weekend, I've found an alternate campground for next weekend. The drawback is it's only 13 miles from my house. I'll have to arrange this as a "hub and spoke" tour, meaning I camp in one location a couple of days and ride on day trips from there.

I would say no if the rain appears to be a near certainty.

Riding in the rain in the Summer is no big deal. Wet and warm, not a big stress on your body. Rain and 40's is VERY unpleasant in my book. I find keeping my hands warm nearly impossible with those temps and get misarable quickly. I can handle a 5 mile commute, but I would not go for a "fun" 25 mile ride in those temps. If I had to I could survive it... but it just would not be fun. I can deal with cold dry weather just fine, but wet and cold is an other story.

I know you've already had a hard time lately with your cycling motication, going for what has a high probablity of being a miserable ride is not going to help. I'd look closely at the weather radar and see how big a system is moving in. If there don't appear to be a solid wall of rain that is going to cross most of the state then take it as a sign. This Summer we had lots of rain/thunderstorms, but there were large areas of clear between the storms. Therefore this Summer if the weather was bad, all you had to do was find some shelter for a little while and the storms would pass over. Therefore the worst weather was easy to avoid.

Either way, good luck and enjoy your weekend.

Happy riding,
André

Thank you Andre, for the kind words. However, the weather wouldn't have discouraged me. My discouragement hasn't stemmed from outside, but inside. I didn't want to give up after my crash in Cumberland, MD, in June, or after my broken rib from that ride. Instead I thought about giving up because a person whose opinion I trusted 'persuaded' me with his negativity that I couldn't ride a bike. Five months later I'm still struggling with that toxic legacy. I can put up with broken spokes, busted ribs, bad saddles, bad knees, the wind and the rain, the pain and the stress and the bruises - but not the thought that I'll never get any better and I'm not good to begin with.

Let me add that I'm working to clean up that toxic legacy. And each ride is a little cleanup attempt.

Neil, let me remind you of "Nonscalar Victories".

You started at zero, and now you're where you are today. My advice, be less concerned with others perceptions of you and more concerned with reinforcing the fact that you've accomplished what you have so far, with much more to come. ;)

In short, allow yourself your imperfections and just concentrate of the sheer freedom cycling allows you that you didn't have before. ;)


Thank you Andre, for the kind words. However, the weather wouldn't have discouraged me. My discouragement hasn't stemmed from outside, but inside. I didn't want to give up after my crash in Cumberland, MD, in June, or after my broken rib from that ride. Instead I thought about giving up because a person whose opinion I trusted 'persuaded' me with his negativity that I couldn't ride a bike. Five months later I'm still struggling with that toxic legacy. I can put up with broken spokes, busted ribs, bad saddles, bad knees, the wind and the rain, the pain and the stress and the bruises - but not the thought that I'll never get any better and I'm not good to begin with.

Let me add that I'm working to clean up that toxic legacy. And each ride is a little cleanup attempt.

Neil, let me remind you of "Nonscalar Victories".

You started at zero, and now you're where you are today. My advice, be less concerned with others perceptions of you and more concerned with reinforcing the fact that you've accomplished what you have so far, with much more to come. ;)

In short, allow yourself your imperfections and just concentrate of the sheer freedom cycling allows you that you didn't have before. ;)

Understood. I didn't want Andre to think I would become discouraged by riding in bad weather. Only the thunderstorms deterred me. And speaking of which, they're coming in now, so I'm off to try to photograph some. :)

Thank you Andre, for the kind words. However, the weather wouldn't have discouraged me. My discouragement hasn't stemmed from outside, but inside. I didn't want to give up after my crash in Cumberland, MD, in June, or after my broken rib from that ride. Instead I thought about giving up because a person whose opinion I trusted 'persuaded' me with his negativity that I couldn't ride a bike. Five months later I'm still struggling with that toxic legacy. I can put up with broken spokes, busted ribs, bad saddles, bad knees, the wind and the rain, the pain and the stress and the bruises - but not the thought that I'll never get any better and I'm not good to begin with.

Let me add that I'm working to clean up that toxic legacy. And each ride is a little cleanup attempt.

Who would say such a thing? That's ridiculous. Whoever said that, I'd love to go on a "ride" with, and show them what a big fella can do.

I voted YES, but, on second thought - if you don't have to , what's the use. If you had a place to be dry around a campfire, in the evenings, daytimes, and first light, it would be a lot better.

Being wet, just to be wet, is no fun. I know, I've been there!

Change my vote to NO!

I voted YES, but, on second thought - if you don't have to , what's the use. If you had a place to be dry around a campfire, in the evenings, daytimes, and first light, it would be a lot better.

Being wet, just to be wet, is no fun. I know, I've been there!

Change my vote to NO!

Well, it didn't happen. However, I'm looking at another campsite, about 13 miles from here. It's going to be for two nights, and COLD the second night - 35 degrees or so. Any suggestions for this trip?

Well, it didn't happen. However, I'm looking at another campsite, about 13 miles from here. It's going to be for two nights, and COLD the second night - 35 degrees or so. Any suggestions for this trip?

Yeah, make sure your sleeping bag is rated at least 10 degrees colder then the coldest expected temperature, nothing ruins a good nights sleep like being too cold. Oh, and this sounds silly, but wear a hat to bed.....

Go to walmart and get a Fleece sleepsack for a liner bag for your sleeping bag. ;) It'll increase your comfort factor X 10, and they are cheap!

Go to walmart and get a Fleece sleepsack for a liner bag for your sleeping bag. ;) It'll increase your comfort factor X 10, and they are cheap!

+1000

Also pick up some hand and feet warmers. In my previous hiking days, when we'd do cold weather campouts (and there were a few), they were saviors. I remember one night in the low teens, where I had two foot warmers stuffed in my wool sucks, and two in my hat. They last about 3 hrs, fyi, make sure you have a good fire going to wake up and warm up to, then replensih the warmers :).

Those cold weather campouts were the most fun, by far, I've ever had camping. I'm kinda sadistic.

Go to walmart and get a Fleece sleepsack for a liner bag for your sleeping bag. ;) It'll increase your comfort factor X 10, and they are cheap!


Hmm, I did not know Wally World had sleep sacks. I have scoping them out on REI's closeout page for a while now. They make great sleeping bags in much warmer weather as well. They pack really really small too.

Yep, they do,and I've camped in temperatures as low as -20℉ with this method.

Well, it didn't happen. However, I'm looking at another campsite, about 13 miles from here. It's going to be for two nights, and COLD the second night - 35 degrees or so. Any suggestions for this trip?

I can't seem to win with getting another tour in. Two weeks ago it was equipment problems. Last week weather. This weekend, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reservation website, the campground is full. In November, mind you. So now I'm scrambling to find another campground for Saturday night.

I can't seem to win with getting another tour in. Two weeks ago it was equipment problems. Last week weather. This weekend, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reservation website, the campground is full. In November, mind you. So now I'm scrambling to find another campground for Saturday night.

Cue for a campground rant....

I thought camping was about getting away from it all, not bringing it all with you. Area commercial campgrounds advertise all sorts of 'amenities' such as TV, indoor pools, and wireless access. I want to go and pitch a tent, period. And not pay more for a campsite than I would for a bed in a hostel.

This photo is from a link posted to the Touring Forum, but it illustrates my complaint. This is what two people brought on an overnight. I spent nine days on tour with a fraction of the gear:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CR4yNJ2gHAo/RsNJbsu1a_I/AAAAAAAAAHE/TEktXc0FsUY/s1600/CampDead02.jpg

Cue for a campground rant....

I thought camping was about getting away from it all, not bringing it all with you. Area commercial campgrounds advertise all sorts of 'amenities' such as TV, indoor pools, and wireless access. I want to go and pitch a tent, period. And not pay more for a campsite than I would for a bed in a hostel.

This photo is from a link posted to the Touring Forum, but it illustrates my complaint. This is what two people brought on an overnight. I spent nine days on tour with a fraction of the gear:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CR4yNJ2gHAo/RsNJbsu1a_I/AAAAAAAAAHE/TEktXc0FsUY/s1600/CampDead02.jpg

Gee and I thought full amenities in a camp ground was a shower, water on tap, coin operated washer and dryer and reasonable proximity to a lake..... :D

Gee and I thought full amenities in a camp ground was a shower, water on tap, coin operated washer and dryer and reasonable proximity to a lake..... :D

I thought so too. Half my camping last tour was 'primitive' - no running water or flush bathroom facilities. And my last campsite didn't even have a water pump!

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of public land in the East to 'stealth' camp, and I don't want to trespass on private land, especially during hunting season. Too many people in PA cling to guns and religion..... :)

I thought so too. Half my camping last tour was 'primitive' - no running water or flush bathroom facilities. And my last campsite didn't even have a water pump!

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of public land in the East to 'stealth' camp, and I don't want to trespass on private land, especially during hunting season. Too many people in PA cling to guns and religion..... :)

I thought in the US guns are a religion.:eek:....

I find it funny, here I am, when I go camping, I like to get away from it all, just a tent, sleeping bag, camp fire, as minimal as I can get away with. Of course in the next site is a guy with a 12m camper, they will sit there inside their camper for a whole week, staring at the satellite TV, with the A/C or heat full on....

The only thing I might care about is the weather, and they post that at the ranger station. I can wait until I get back to the city to find out that murder and mayhem haven't gone away, and that politicians are still being caught with their hands in the cookie jar or their pants down or both.

I guess it's why I like the idea of bike camping, it forces you to minimize what you take with you.

I thought in the US guns are a religion.:eek:....

I find it funny, here I am, when I go camping, I like to get away from it all, just a tent, sleeping bag, camp fire, as minimal as I can get away with. Of course in the next site is a guy with a 12m camper, they will sit there inside their camper for a whole week, staring at the satellite TV, with the A/C or heat full on....

The only thing I might care about is the weather, and they post that at the ranger station. I can wait until I get back to the city to find out that murder and mayhem haven't gone away, and that politicians are still being caught with their hands in the cookie jar or their pants down or both.

I guess it's why I like the idea of bike camping, it forces you to minimize what you take with you.

I scored a campsite for Sunday evening. Now to plot a course to the campsite.

Go to walmart and get a Fleece sleepsack for a liner bag for your sleeping bag. ;) It'll increase your comfort factor X 10, and they are cheap!

Can't find these things at Wal-mart.com.

My sleeping bag is rated to 40 degrees. Low on Sunday overnight is going to be 35. Am I headed for disaster, or aside from buying a new sleeping bag is there a workaround?

Got a Dick's Sporting Goods near you? This is on sale right now.

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3131040

http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p4814274p275w.jpg

Got a Dick's Sporting Goods near you? This is on sale right now.

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3131040

http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p4814274p275w.jpg

Sigh. I have two bikes, why not two sleeping bags? :) OK, it's on the list.

Now to stretch my 13-14 mile trip to the campground to something a little more 'epic'. Without adding much to the 1000 feet of climbing I have already ahead of me. :)