Fifty Plus (50+) - Don't EVER trust a weatherman

My husband had just put new shifters on my bike and wanted me to try them. Planned on doing a 40 mile ride.

Weatherman called for clearing, so I waited until 9:30 for the streets to dry out a little. It looked like it was going to clear up, even saw some blue sky. 11 miles out on my ride it started to rain so I turned around, then it started to rain HARDER.

Thank goodness I had my windbreaker on, otherwise I would have been more soaked then I was. Luckily none of my friends took me up on the offer to ride today, otherwise I don't think I would have any friends left.

Now it will take me a couple of hours to clean up bike. Thank goodness I'm not a typical lady who hates to get her hands dirty--well back to cleaning.

Living in the UK I don't trust anyone except myself. I go outside- Look up at the sky and If I can see clouds it is going to rain- If I see the sun it is a mirage and I can't see anything at all- It is night time.

Your story of getting caught in the rain brings back ugly memories of a crazy century.

So, how did the new shifters work?

Weatherman called for clearing, so I waited until 9:30 for the streets to dry out a little. It looked like it was going to clear up, even saw some blue sky. 11 miles out on my ride it started to rain so I turned around, then it started to rain HARDER. ...

Yes, we got quite a storm in good ol' weather wimp southern California. :) The only cycling I have done recently was a few miles on Sunday morning, between rain events.

Your story of getting caught in the rain brings back ugly memories of a crazy century.

So, how did the new shifters work?

Shifters worked great -- even in the rain. It took me 2 hours to completely clean the bike, chain, cassette etc. etc.

I grew up in Punxsutawney PA and I don't trust Punxsutawney Phil either.

I had one of those Weatherman experiences last summer. I believed him when he told me that all of the strong storms in the area were over. So I went for a ride, heading east. Meanwhile a new strong thunderstorm was forming to the west, which I saw when I turned around to ride back to the car. I rode right into the looming thunderheads for 10 miles, getting back to the car about 1 minute before the hailstones starting falling, riding the last couple miles in the rain.

Why not finish the ride? Once you're wet, you're wet!:D..It never rains in California!:p

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/020709C.jpg

Living in the UK I don't trust anyone except myself. I go outside- Look up at the sky and If I can see clouds it is going to rain- If I see the sun it is a mirage and I can't see anything at all- It is night time.

Reminds me of a rock outside my door. If it's spotted, it's sprinkling. If it's wet, it's raining. If it's dry, the darn Grandkids must have just turned it over. :D

Seriously, we don't get that many rainy days.

Why not finish the ride? Once you're wet, you're wet!:D..It never rains in California!:p

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/020709C.jpg

Wow, tremendous color saturation (no pun intended)! :)

If I made as many mistakes at my job as the local weatherman does, I would have been fired a long time ago. I think most weathermen must have incriminating photos of their station managers tucked away somewhere.

As a bike commuter who will ride in the rain I find each rain ride to be a learning experience. They are usually only pleasant learning experiences in mid summer but they are all learning experiences.

I grew up in an agricultural community where folks pretty much learned to read weather patterns themselves. The attitude was, "Why would I need a thermometer? I know when it's cold enough that I need to put on a jacket." So, I guess it explains why I tend to see weather forcasts as general possibilities for what could happen with the day.

If I made as many mistakes at my job as the local weatherman does, I would have been fired a long time ago. I think most weathermen must have incriminating photos of their station managers tucked away somewhere.

As a bike commuter who will ride in the rain I find each rain ride to be a learning experience. They are usually only pleasant learning experiences in mid summer but they are all learning experiences.

Ever notice the local weatherman spends about 60% or more of his on-air time explaining the day we just had? Unless your in a prision with no windows you already know what happened. It's not like restating the scores of a big game that happened while you are out riding!

On Sunday our local weather forcast called for temps in the low 30's with a chance of snow flurries. I met a friend for a 50 mile ride assuming the roads would stay dry and the temps would be above freezing. Well the flurries kept coming, even though the sun was in and out, they were the large kind that looked like a "snow globe" and the temps never got above freezing. As the ride went on our bottles froze up, forcing me to keep one under my vest while riding. The residual salt on the road surface kept the roads wet and the spray would freeze to the underside of the bike, cables, derailers and shoe covers. We cut the ride short to 44 miles and when I was done there must have been 6 lbs of ice built up on everything. I'm not sure how the derailers and brakes worked but they did. I had to pry the ice off the bike and parts before putting it into the car. Needless to say, I spent part of the day cleaning up the bike aferwards.

I grew up in an agricultural community where folks pretty much learned to read weather patterns themselves. The attitude was, "Why would I need a thermometer? I know when it's cold enough that I need to put on a jacket." So, I guess it explains why I tend to see weather forcasts as general possibilities for what could happen with the day.

That's just about exactly what they are. When a weatherperson says 4 in 10 chances of rain, they mean that the computers indicate that in the last 10 times that similar conditions occured it rained 4 times.
















somewhere.

You should have come up to Portland for the Worst Day of the Year ride.

Glorious sunshine all the way.

Wow, tremendous color saturation (no pun intended)! :)


I'm a colorful guy!:roflmao2: