Hi... my name's Bob. And I'm an addict. I'm addicted to riding in less than perfect conditions. As a matter of fact, I frequently ride in downright crappy conditions. Rain... cold... heat... wind... dark... I love them all. Sometimes I even look out the window and lament the cloudless 70 degree day...sigh... what I'd give for even a light drizzle.

I rode in to the office this morning on a "perfect" 50 degree morning, and my coworkers smiled and informed me that tomorrow is forcasted to be stormy and windy... surely I wouldn't ride in that! Their wicked smirks belied the fact that they don't know... they have no idea that the nasty forcast makes my day brighter...

How many of you often find yourself looking forward to adverse ride conditions? Do you sometimes find perfect weather and perfect roads... errrr... boring?

Chilly Hilly: 33mi, 2675' (I rode to/from the ride for a total of 81mi, 4950')
Chelan Century Challenge: 100mi, 9300'
7 Hills of Kirkland: metric century, 4600' (might do the full century, 7000', but I'm riding the TdC century the weekend before it.)

My new found addiction is hills. I've got around 1600' daily in my 22mi r/t commute, and I keep looking for steeper and longer hills to ride. I'm building my way up to riding the High Pass Challenge (114mi, 7000+ elevation gain, 10hr time limit) and RAMROD (150mi, 11K elevation gain)
I'm not so concerned with the weather being good or bad, except that I don't like riding long distance in really cold, wet weather. Just make sure the course hasn't got too many dead-level roads.

I see snow and I get excited unlike before when I had only skinny tired bikes. Now the MTB comes out and I feel like a little kid. Not to sure about cold rain. I need better clothing and then I may start liking it.

I use bad conditions as motivation, and as a chance to test the equipment.

Cold does not bother me at all (now that I have the right gear).

I like riding in snow. Too deep and I can't ride on mtn tires though.

Rain I don't know about yet. I don't have any rain gear yet.

It is fun to have people ask you "did you ride today"? Then be amazed when you did.

"Hi, Bob!" I know just what you mean.I love riding in the rain and snow. My poor wife is now convinced I'm insane. However, I may have bronchitis now. I've had a nasty cold since Friday that's laughing at the OTC meds I'm taking and I can hardly draw a deep breath or keep my nose clear for more than a minute. And the wind is howling outside right now, too!

I get teased when on a really crappy day i don't ride. my peoples know me all too well. it's like "it's suppoed to rain today, why did you drive?"

It was 25*F when I left the house this morning. Frost on the grass and all the cars in the parking lot. I put on an extra layer between the base and top layers, and grabbed the balaclava instead of the microfleece beanie. As I was ripping down the 2 mile hill to the main road, I could feel the tears freezing to the sides of my face. All of the cars gave me a wide berth, even on the tight dark corners, because nobody wants to mess with the crazy masked downhill bomber!

It's going to be 53*F and sunny for the ride home, and while I don't command the same respect (or fear) without the balaclava, I do enjoy putting in the long miles when the weather is nicer.

I can't say that I've become fond of riding in the rain or high winds...but I love riding at night. Less cars, you're lights/blinkies are seen much easier...generally more comfortable during the summer months.

I don't think I'm "addicted" to adversity (and having a trunk full of genuine addictions, I should know by now!), but I do like to keep sharp at maintaining my equanimity in adverse situations/conditions.

I guess that explains all of my relapses into caving, climbing, etc. over the years...

While I can't wait for spring, I throughly enjoy riding in less-than-optimal as conditions.

OK, I don't mean to be overly corn-ball here, but there is in some of us what I call "The Lingering Neanderthal". See, there is all kinds of athleticism and not all of us can be thin, tawny Armstrongs or Baryshnikovs. Some of us are wiry, low center-of-gravity, rough, tough, hairy humans capable of extreme environmental conditions, able to shake off falls, absorb punishment, and are generally adapted to the worst of Life on Earth. That's the Lingering Neanterthal in some of us and we should celebrate him and seek out those things that he excels in. [You can see one in the image at the left.]

Roughriders Anonymous?