BigUgly

This past weekend while picking up my rear wheel from the LBS(needed trueing), I had my eye on a Fizik Arione saddle but was hesitant to drop the $$$ because there was no comfort warranty. I heard that you can borrow a Fizik demo seat so I asked. I current have a Fizik Arione CX demo seat on my bike and today's ride is the second ride with the saddle. The first ride was comfy but today was even better after I made some adjustments after the last ride. I gotta to say my arse has never been happier on the bike. I tried a Cobb earlier this year and sent it back. The Fizik Arione CX is the seat of my dreams, no pain, no uncomfortableness, non-issue. That leads me to my Caddyshack reference. Today's ride was like the scene where the reverend is playing the best game of his life and a storm rolls up but he keeps playing. Today's ride was for me was like that. My ride starts out on a 4 mile climb up about 1200 ft. I was feeling good. The fastest I made it up this climb was 30 mins, today I made it up in 28 and so I was feeling it. I had the qwan, the mojo, whatever you call it. Rolling across the ridge, up and down rollers was effortless. Then on the decent the storm rolls up, a little spit of rain here and there, so I keep pushing. My time on my 18 mile loop keeps getting better. Another short but steep climb so I am churning and up and out of the saddle. The random spitting turns into a steady drizzle. I finish the climb up to the airport, then the skies open up. This is the part of the loop where it is a 6 mile level slightly rolling descent back to the office where I jump into the big ring. It's pouring but warm, I am concerned about wiping out on a wet tar strip, but I am thinking to myself I am having the fastest time for this loop in the 3 years since I have been riding. I decide to go for, churning away in the big ring, the rain is pelting my face and is stinging, I keep hammering. I feel like I am gliding along the road, churning along at about 23 mph. Then comes the turn to the next road. A T shaped intersection, do I slow down, do I go for it, no cars around. Then, the scene from Caddyshack pops into my head, the lighting bolt striking the reverend when he curses god. Then my mind starts to stray as I hear Bill Murray shouting, "DIE GOPHER!!!!"", At that point I decide to slow down a little to make the turn. The road is covered with puddles. Can you hydroplane on a bike? Maybe, Maybe not, I remember guys in the TdF just wiping out on wet roads and not turning. I make the turn unscathed, the rain just stopped and I look at my time. Still in good shape. The roads are still soaking wet so the water is whizzing up off the tires, the last 4 miles weren't as fast as I normally go there but I did cut 2 minutes off my best time today. Must be the seat!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

GeoBigJon

Sweet, sounds like a good time, rain and all. I'll say the seat had something to contribute.

CraigB

I don't think the really heavy stuff is going to come down for quite a while...

indyfabz

"Oh...Don't sell yourself short, judge. You're an incredible slouch."--Ty Webb

engstrom

Oh, and to answer your questions bicycle tires (at least 23s and 25 common on road bikes) cannot hydroplane - but they can still slip and throw you down if you hit a painted stripe, a wet tar snake, or any other of a million possibilities on a wet road.

Good job on setting a new PR for your loop!

RunningPirate

I think Judge Smales said it best:

"It's easy to grin
when your ship comes in
and you have the stock market beat.
But the man worthwhile
is the man who can smile
When his shorts are too tight in the seat."

Glad you had a good ride!

SRR

BigUgly, I think the joy you speak of is extra true of all the points of contact - bars, pedals, and seat - improvements in any one of those contact points can make biking so much more fun.