Let me start by acknowledging those of you who are car free. I know you're committed. I salute you.
Next, let me say that I don't consider myself a fair weather cyclist. My primary commuting bike is purpose built for riding in the rain. Of course it has fenders but also disc brakes and the best wet-traction tire I could find. Even the drive train is selected with the thought that it's going to be used in the rain a lot. I see myself as someone who bikes to work in the rain. Normally, I only look at the weather forecast to see how I should dress.
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Those of you who also live in the PNW probably know where I'm going with this. Those who don't at least know that it rains a lot here, right? We're known for our rain. When I moved here from the east coast my old co-workers gave me an umbrella as a going away present. I thought "50 Shades of Grey" was going to be about our fall, winter and spring weather. People say it only rains once a year here...but that "once" September to June. It rains here. It rains a lot. But this month...this month....
It rains a lot in the PNW. Historically December is our rainiest month, so you know we get a lot of rain in December. This December we've had more than twice the amount of rain that we get in an average December. We passed the mark for the most rainfall ever recorded at PDX airport in any single month at 6:53 AM on December 21. That morning the NOAA forecast showed that the next time the chance of rain for any single hour was going to drop below 50% was 4 PM on Thursday.
Today is our 24th consecutive day of rain. It may be getting to me, just a little.
Like I said, I think of myself as someone who bikes to work in the rain, but this month my resolve has failed. As of today I've driven to work more days (9) this month than I've biked in (8), and I'm on vacation for the rest of the month so my shame is permanent. Does anybody else in here feel the way I do?
On the bright side, the ten day forecast shows eight days with 40% chance of rain or less. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sit in front of my happy lamp.