Originally Posted by
bikejrff
I will never understand the mindset that people won't start a ride if it's raining but are ok if they are caught in the rain, even if it is only 15 minutes into a 3 hour ride. What the heck is the difference?
Every time you go out in a car you risk becoming one of the approximately 40,000 killed on the road in the U.S. pretty much every year since 1960.
You weigh the odds, you decide to drive to the gym to workout, even though you know people have more accidents when it rains.
If you could predict the future, obviously you would stay home on the day yo were going to get hit by some idiot who wasn't paying attention and going too fast in the rain. Since you cannot, you have to roll the dice.
As Jefnvk notes sometimes it looks like rain is imminent, but it never comes. Some days look fine but a quick-moving local shower will drench you.
Happened to me a couple months back, where I set out to ride because it looked like a great day. I got drenched by a sudden shower, then the clouds blew on and it was again a great day. I went on to do the longest ride of the year.
Another day I took out my best bike because the weather looked perfect. An out-of-nowhere cloudburst completely soaked me. If I had had the slightest suspicion that it might rain, I would have taken my commuter.
In between those two rides, I set out on a day when I hoped it wouldn't rain. It rained so hard I cut my ride in half and went home. Since I don't commute anymore, and have nothing to prove, riding into driving rain pushed by a high wind doesn't much appeal any more.
In every case, I put in miles and time on the bike that would have instead have been spent on the couch, eating unnecessary calories and wishing I had decided to brave the elements and roll the dice.
Quoting jefnvk,
Originally Posted by
jefnvk
Had I not gone, I would have been PO'd at myself for wasting what turned out to be a good afternoon.
I never lack for excuses not to ride.
Also, far too many days when the weather is finer, other factors keep me from riding ... chores, necessary household repairs, fatigue, soreness ....
Yesterday I went out between light rains .... The roads were damp and wet in places, but it never rained more than a few mostly random drops. It was my first ride all month.
Even if I had gotten drenched, I would rather have gotten at least Some time on the bike, than to have waited for another day which might never have come.