Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Fifty Plus (50+)
Reload this Page >

Enough Already With the Rain!

Notices
Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

Enough Already With the Rain!

Old 09-30-12, 12:35 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New England
Posts: 1,001

Bikes: Trek 1.1

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 2 Posts
Enough Already With the Rain!

Have not been out on the road in 4 days. Did not think I would be forced to use my trainer this early in the season. In any case, I am using it and hopefully will not be too out of shape if the sun comes out again before the snow flies. Below, sunnier days.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg
TrekAtMarsh.jpg (57.3 KB, 13 views)
Sculptor7 is offline  
Old 09-30-12, 12:46 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,260
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I can understand your frustration. Why not just do what I do...put on your waterproof helmet cover, old shoes, short pants, keep your ears and hands warm, and go ride in the rain. After all, it's only water.

In reality gentle showers or an 'all day rain' are not that much of a problem for cycling, its the downpours that are nasty.
cranky old dude is offline  
Old 09-30-12, 01:30 PM
  #3  
Time for a change.
 
stapfam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 6 miles inland from the coast of Sussex, in the South East of England
Posts: 19,913

Bikes: Dale MT2000. Bianchi FS920 Kona Explosif. Giant TCR C. Boreas Ignis. Pinarello Fp Uno.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
This week and summer broke in the UK. Plenty of flooding up North but just plenty of rain down here. Settled down to just showers now but 1/2" of rain in 20 minutes said that I am not going out if there is the slightest hint of rain.

Last few winters over here have been dry- Cold came in just a couple of spells but wind has been the main problem. Horizontal rain is not that exciting to me anymore.
__________________
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.


Spike Milligan
stapfam is offline  
Old 09-30-12, 01:47 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
gear's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: North shore of Mass.
Posts: 2,131
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
I rode yesterday and today, full fenders and disc brakes are where it's at.
gear is offline  
Old 09-30-12, 02:12 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
GeorgeBMac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 2,061

Bikes: 2012 Trek DS 8.5 all weather hybrid, 2008 LeMond Poprad cyclocross, 1992 Cannondale R500 roadbike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I was quite pleased riding in the rain today:

I had been riding a road bike but, riding it on limestone rails-to-trails in the rain was very wet, and VERY messy -- plus the bike didn't like to stop when it got wet.

So, for that (and other reasons) I invested in a Trek DS 8.5 with hydraulic disk brakes and loaded it down with full fenders, a rack and a trunk big enough to carry some rain gear. My goal wasn't to explicitly do rain rides -- but at least not be hesitant to go out if rain was forecast. But, since I got it a month ago, I hadn't had a chance to test it in the rain -- either it rained continuously all day, or the rain only came down at night.

But, today, I was out in the rain and the full fenders and a Gore-Tex rain jacket kept me nice and dry. Plus I was even able to stop when I wanted to!

... I love it when a plan comes together!
GeorgeBMac is offline  
Old 09-30-12, 04:11 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
gear's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: North shore of Mass.
Posts: 2,131
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
Originally Posted by GeorgeBMac
I was quite pleased riding in the rain today:

I had been riding a road bike but, riding it on limestone rails-to-trails in the rain was very wet, and VERY messy -- plus the bike didn't like to stop when it got wet.

So, for that (and other reasons) I invested in a Trek DS 8.5 with hydraulic disk brakes and loaded it down with full fenders, a rack and a trunk big enough to carry some rain gear. My goal wasn't to explicitly do rain rides -- but at least not be hesitant to go out if rain was forecast. But, since I got it a month ago, I hadn't had a chance to test it in the rain -- either it rained continuously all day, or the rain only came down at night.

But, today, I was out in the rain and the full fenders and a Gore-Tex rain jacket kept me nice and dry. Plus I was even able to stop when I wanted to!

... I love it when a plan comes together!
+1 that's why I got my Volagi. I got sick of waiting for the roads to dry or cleaning road grit out of my drive train when I couldn't wait. Having a real road bike dedicated to wet conditions is a wonderful thing.
gear is offline  
Old 09-30-12, 04:16 PM
  #7  
Semper Fi
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 12,942
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1172 Post(s)
Liked 358 Times in 241 Posts
Rode between showers today, really soaking wet out on the roads. Lost yesterday to the thunderstorms, watched feetsball games with my son and his friends from his church, great group of young adults to be with. Looking for a rain jacket, gilet and shoe covers right now at Ribble and Wiggle. Cannot stand to loose a day's riding to some showers, no riding in lightning, however.

Bill
__________________
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977

I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13



Last edited by qcpmsame; 09-30-12 at 05:25 PM.
qcpmsame is offline  
Old 09-30-12, 08:40 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
GeorgeBMac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 2,061

Bikes: 2012 Trek DS 8.5 all weather hybrid, 2008 LeMond Poprad cyclocross, 1992 Cannondale R500 roadbike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by qcpmsame
... Cannot stand to loose a day's riding to some showers, no riding in lightning, however.

Bill
... Yeh, lightening loves that Cannondale aluminum. Sounds like a good excuse to start looking at some CF's-- Maybe a SuperSix? You know, just for days when it might start lightening? After all, we gotta be safe!
GeorgeBMac is offline  
Old 10-01-12, 05:24 AM
  #9  
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Hull, MA
Posts: 14

Bikes: 2006 Fuji Absolute 4.0, 2011 Diamondback Podium 1

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by GeorgeBMac
... Yeh, lightening loves that Cannondale aluminum. Sounds like a good excuse to start looking at some CF's-- Maybe a SuperSix? You know, just for days when it might start lightening? After all, we gotta be safe!

CF is no better - excellent conductivity.
Soaranator is offline  
Old 10-01-12, 05:26 AM
  #10  
Semper Fi
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 12,942
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1172 Post(s)
Liked 358 Times in 241 Posts
Yep, a semiconductor in as good a conductor as any in a lightning storm. Between the SR300, R500 and CAAD 10 it is a wonder I haven't been zapped on one. Got struck on the phone in 1984, though.

Bill
__________________
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977

I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13


qcpmsame is offline  
Old 10-01-12, 05:33 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Dudelsack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: South Hutchinson Island
Posts: 6,647

Bikes: Lectric Xpedition.

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 146 Post(s)
Liked 96 Times in 46 Posts
Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, whiskey makes my babe a little frisky.
__________________
Momento mori, amor fati.




Dudelsack is offline  
Old 10-01-12, 12:49 PM
  #12  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
Extraordinarily dry in the Pac NW.. AKA elevated fire hazard season.
fietsbob is offline  
Old 10-01-12, 04:23 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 7,048
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 509 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 8 Posts
Originally Posted by fietsbob
Extraordinarily dry in the Pac NW.. AKA elevated fire hazard season.
Yeah, it's been so long since we had any real rain I've almost forgotten what it is like. I'm sure I'll have many vivid reminders within a month or two as we enter our seven month wet season. As has been said many times, in the PNW, if you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride.
B. Carfree is offline  
Old 10-01-12, 04:41 PM
  #14  
Saved by Grace
 
lphilpot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: The slow guy in the back
Posts: 740

Bikes: Only one at a time; currently a 2012 Specialized Tricross Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
...looked online last week and saw One Lone Cabin unreserved at Hodges Gardens State Park (Hornbeck, LA), so it didn't take much prompting for us to go over for the weekend (about 75 miles). We all needed a break.

We took all three bikes, but the rain set in and my daughter and I ended up doing a massive 3 miles between us late Saturday afternoon. That was it. The rest of the time we were either watching the rain, driving, sleeping, watching football, walking the gardens, eating or some other sort of family stuff. I guess that's good, too, but I was looking forward to riding the little short but hilly 5.x mile loop at the park (despite the old worn pavement being far worse than the worst chip seal I've ever seen).
lphilpot is offline  
Old 10-02-12, 07:22 AM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
GeorgeBMac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 2,061

Bikes: 2012 Trek DS 8.5 all weather hybrid, 2008 LeMond Poprad cyclocross, 1992 Cannondale R500 roadbike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by qcpmsame
Yep, a semiconductor in as good a conductor as any in a lightning storm. Between the SR300, R500 and CAAD 10 it is a wonder I haven't been zapped on one. Got struck on the phone in 1984, though.

Bill
Don't let facts and reality get in the way of an N+1!
GeorgeBMac is offline  
Old 10-02-12, 07:30 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New England
Posts: 1,001

Bikes: Trek 1.1

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 2 Posts
Okay. It stopped raining. I am going for a ride.
Sculptor7 is offline  
Old 10-02-12, 09:41 AM
  #17  
Dharma Dog
 
lhbernhardt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 2,073

Bikes: Rodriguez Shiftless street fixie with S&S couplers, Kuwahara tandem, Trek carbon, Dolan track

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Thanks, all you dudes in New England, for taking the hit for us here in the Pac NW.

Vancouver, BC set a record for the driest September since 1896! I think I put the race blades on once (and for just a couple of days) during all of latter July, August, and September. This is pretty much unheard of here. I am getting quite used to riding without fenders. I think it's payback for the wet winter that's been lasting longer into the wet spring lately. Normally, if you want to ride a bike in the Pac NW, you've gotta ENJOY riding in the rain.

The dry weather has also extended the life of brake blocks and chains, too. Might as well get what you can out of global warming.

Luis
lhbernhardt is offline  
Old 10-02-12, 10:14 AM
  #18  
Time for a change.
 
stapfam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 6 miles inland from the coast of Sussex, in the South East of England
Posts: 19,913

Bikes: Dale MT2000. Bianchi FS920 Kona Explosif. Giant TCR C. Boreas Ignis. Pinarello Fp Uno.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
Garden dried out this morning so was thinking of an Evening ride. Little rain was forecast but 5pm and it has started. I'll need waterwings to go out in that lot. Rain forecast till saturday so may have to take a bike down to Brighton Saturday and while the rest look at the VW RV's- I go for a ride---If it is not raining.
__________________
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.


Spike Milligan
stapfam is offline  
Old 10-02-12, 02:19 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bristol, R. I.
Posts: 4,340

Bikes: Specialized Secteur, old Peugeot

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 663 Post(s)
Liked 496 Times in 299 Posts
I feel the same way Sculptor7. The many rainy days has reduced mileage these past few weeks. I don't mind riding in a bit of rain but the cleanup job on the bike afterwards is a drag. I may look into some sort of temporary fender/mud guard for this season. Today at least, I got in a short ride before the rain began.

This autumn is wet just like last year and that resulted in a ski season that was not. It seems that all the precip fell before temperatures dropped below freezing and it never got consistantly cold anyway. I've more or less decided to skip buying a season ski pass again. Last year I rode the bike quite a bit during the winter months because the roads were snowless and temperatures mild. Have we now devolved to complaining about weather, a favorite New England topic?
berner is offline  
Old 10-02-12, 04:22 PM
  #20  
Beicwyr Hapus
 
Gerryattrick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Caerdydd
Posts: 1,527

Bikes: Genesis Equilibrium, Genesis Datum, Whyte 901 Dawes 701,1973 Harry Hall

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 152 Post(s)
Liked 36 Times in 16 Posts
Originally Posted by Sculptor7
Have not been out on the road in 4 days. Did not think I would be forced to use my trainer this early in the season. In any case, I am using it and hopefully will not be too out of shape if the sun comes out again before the snow flies. Below, sunnier days.
4 days Try moving to the UK, it seems to be raining 4/5 days every week here I think I'll have to take up rowing to get fit.
Gerryattrick is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
berner
Fifty Plus (50+)
50
10-10-15 08:07 PM
Wogster
Fifty Plus (50+)
23
06-26-13 12:08 PM
beatlebee
Southwest
2
12-15-12 06:54 PM
swak
Road Cycling
72
06-07-10 03:45 PM
mkeller234
Commuting
5
12-08-09 07:12 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.