Robert Foster

Escaped from Berkely did you?

Thanks for the light hearted comments. Let me ask myself, do I want to be a tuff cold, wet cyclist or a warm, dry cyclist?
Been to Vancouver, nice place to visit but not a place I would choose to live. Not because it isn’t nice but seriously dude your winter weather sucks eh!

Our solution to weather like yours is just different. We decided not to live in it. We live here because we like the weather. Do you ever see paradise described as cold, wet or freezing? Maybe we are just a bit more laid back because of it?

Truthfully my dad took me kicking and screaming to Seattle for my last two years of High School and I am a child of the sun. I was going nuts in the rain there. They did have a great T-shirt at Pikes market however, it said, “no this isn’t a tan, we rust.”

Last point, when the old USSR wanted to punish someone did they send them to a warm dry place or a cold wet one? I am sure they rode fixies in Siberia.

lhbernhardt

Who's being light hearted? Eh?

Seriously, I think that when you're over 50, you have earned the right to do things that might be frowned on for those who are younger. Like having Campag Record stuff on your bike without having won it in a race, or without having the bike with the stuff on it give to you by a team. And probably not having to go out in the rain is one of those privileges!

One of the main reasons I preferred doing track races in the Pac NW is that if it rained, they didn't make you race. I just hated cleaning up after a dirty, wet road race in the rain.

But I'd sure hate to have scheduled my winter training camp in SouCal for this past week! Talk about carrying coals to Newcastle...

Luis

Metric Man

Humph

Here in my little corner of so Cal it's snowing. I'll be on my trainer if you need me.

Robert Foster

Snow in Beaumont? If I were you I would shoot a letter off to Al Gore right now. I moved here specifically to get away from snow.

prxmid

[QUOTE=Robert Foster;10302941]
. Do you ever see paradise described as cold, wet or freezing?
QUOTE]

Been to Aspen lately

Metric Man

To each his own...but not my idea of paradise.

Robert Foster

[QUOTE=prxmid;10304495]Yes I have in fact. Mostly there is a caveat attached to Aspen, “for skiing”. Not for cycling however I am not used to the altitude but I am working on that. It was all I could do to ride the two weeks we were in Colorado Springs Last October. But then I was on my MTB and I have been assured it would have been better on my road bike. I like Tahoe and Salt Lake as well, to visit.
I have the classic view of paradise, warm sun, hammocks, shorts or bathing suites, birds singing things like that. I might even go with the description of Eden. I just moved from the Lake Arrowhead area of Southern California so I have had my fill of snow. For 19 years we got discounted ski lift tickets in the Big Bear area as locals. However to me this was not cycling country, at least not in the winter. I only got back into cycling about two years ago and last year I think I only missed two rides because of weather.
I now understand what a snow bird is, and they like other birds move south for the winter. But it looks like we will get some sun tomorrow and next week so I am already feeling better.

icyclist 

The prcip is so serious in So Cal that I put on my fenders on my bike and zipped up my raincoat inside my house this afternoon, and went hydroplaning down the hallways for three hours to work on my base, as well as my snorkeling skills.

Metric Man

No kidding...I just checked and we have had 6.5" of rain since Monday.

BengeBoy 

No rain in Seattle all week.

I just loaded my bike in my car for a ride tomorrow morning -- I am riding my "summer" bike, not my "rain" bike.

Just wanted to say that, as I rarely get to type the phrase "no rain" in January.

Robert Foster

Finally I got out today. The roads were damp and in places muddy and I had a bit of a cold but I was determined to get out. I took on my least favorite Climb out Sage on Saint John’s grade that steps up several times with one of the last sections just over 8 percent. When I got to the top I was just about finished but I got a call from a friend on the other side of town heading up Batista Canyon, a nine mile climb of about 4 percent with a few little climbs towards the end. Still I got in 42 miles under blue skies with some white puffy clouds and a temperature of about 55 degrees. I came home bushed and had a hard time breathing but it was good to get out.

Red Rider

We have fenders for the tandem and rain gear, and we just go.

Last week I rode the Diva in the rain w/o rain gear and it sucked. Not only did I get wet but my beautiful bike got filthy. I even rode the trainer 2 days to avoid the nastiness outside. I do not enjoy riding in the rain, but will do it if I've committed to it.

Otherwise there's the trainer and my awesome playlists...not what I want but it serves the purpose.

BengeBoy 

I should not have written this -- it cursed me. A few hours after writing this, I woke up Saturday morning, and it was raining moderately hard. Pulled the summer bike out of the car, put the rain bike in, and proceeded to drive to the group ride. 43 miles, probably 35 of it in light to moderate rain. I was pretty comfy; the hills about killed me, though.

Robert Foster

When the white man first settled in the great North West they couldn’t pronounce the Indian word for the area. But the translation to English simply meant Sea Elephant in Air Tiny Tinkle when Least Expected. At least that is what I have heard.

Daspydyr 

I like playing fixer upper on my bike. My wife thinks its an excuse to not watch Lifetime with her.

could be?

SaiKaiTai

Man Vs. Rrrood...

Well, we had enough of a clearing on Saturday to actually get off of the trainer and onto the pavement.
I've been dying to try out the adjustments I made to the Jamis and, well, here was my opportunity.
I don't think I have ever been less enthused to get out for a ride. Mostly, everything was just.... hard. More work than fun.
But, you know, even at that, I just couldn't turn around and go back... I figured I was already out so I might as well just keep going.
In the end, it was only 20 miles but it felt like forty and I was still sorry to see it end after I pulled into the garage and dismounted.
The best part was telling people at that night's monthly jam that I just did a short ride.
"How short?", they asked.
"20 miles", said I.
"You consider 20 miles short? That's not short!"
I just laughed. What else could I do? Ya get it... or you don't

overthehillmedi

My question is, after all the bi**hin and moaning from my southern left coast neighbours is, are the reserivoirs and lakes full yet or do you still need us northern left coasters to keep sending the rain your way? As per DG's request earlier.

Metric Man

It would take a month of that kind of weather to fill all the lakes...so keep it coming!

The Smokester

SKT, I hear ya. After a week of being rained out over here in Livermore, CA, I got 45 miles on Saturday and lead an 80 mile ride on Sunday. On Sunday, we stopped at a deli half way and while eating a "heavy dew" refreshed the pavement. We finished with nary more than a sweat.