Steve Sawyer

Now that the weather has eased up a bit, I'm finding the usual life-stuff getting in the way of my riding. We did the 51-mile Zoo-de-Mack last weekend, and I managed to get out for a quick little 18-miler on Tuesday.

This last holiday weekend was looking dodgy - cool and chances of rain, but it looked like yesterday (Memorial Day) was going to be the warmest/driest of the three, so I planned accordingly. Spent the day on Saturday doing yard work and cleaning the deck and deck furniture, then delivered on a promise to go to a puppy adoption event at a local pet store with the wife, then did some shopping for a barbecue we had planned for Sunday. Spent the day Sunday cooking and hosting some friends (mostly my son's gang of cutthroats and thieves) for ribs & trimmings.

All this left the decks clear for a good ride on Monday. I worked out this great route that would cover almost 40 miles on a paved MUP, and was all ready to get out there on Monday. However, I was so busy on Sat/Sun that I failed to notice the deteriorating forecast.

It was cold by the time I got to my departure point (about 58*) and I wasn't really dressed warmly enough - just shorts, jersey and a marino wool base layer, but it wasn't too bad once I got rolling. What I was completely unprepared for was rain, as there was only a 10% probability of precipitation forecast. The rain started when I was only 6 miles out, and the radar made it clear that this wasn't just a passing sprinkle. By the time I got back to my car (with only a stinkin' 12 miles on the computer) I was pretty wet and freezing cold (I don't do well with the cold under the BEST of circumstances).

Kinda like coitus interruptus, ya know??

Velo Dog

You live in Michigan and 58 degrees is cold?

Steve Sawyer

Hey, for me, 75 degrees is cold!! That's no joke. As I've gotten older and lost more weight it just starts to begin to feel comfortable when it hits 80. I get flack from the rest of the family about setting the thermostat at 76* in the summer.

Had I realized that the temp was going to drop 6 degrees from leaving my house until I got to my departure point (from 64 to 58), I would have worn tights, a windbreaker/rain jacket and maybe one more wicking layer, and really would have been fine, even with a bit of drizzle, but it did turn out to be an all-day steady rain so the ride was going to get aborted in any event.

And yes, I am a notoriously fair-weather cyclist!

It's just frustrating that I can't get out of work early enough to get in much of a ride on weeknights (a max of about 20 miles is all I can find time for, if that), and then to have a nice weekend ride fouled up by the weather really gets me to grumbling...

But hey, it's only the end of May - should be plenty of warm, dry weather to come and I don't have another major ride scheduled until the 23rd of June.

Cougrrcj

In the Cleveland area, it started out with a layer of frost - yes FROST on Memorial Day, and for the previous three mornings as well -our HIGH temp yesterday was only 55 with cold drizzle. Today it is already 80 and humid. The rest of the week is forecast to be mid-to-upper 80s and humid as well... Cleveland... hmmmmph!

Steve Sawyer

I feel yer pain, but yeah, today is warmer (70 now and expected to go up to 81) but still rainy. Might be good riding tomorrow or Thursday.

I'm off on Friday, and both Friday and Saturday mornings look good (possible thunderstorms in the afternoon), so I should be able to get some miles under my wheels by the weekend (unless I get sucked into helping the wife with the garage sale she's putting on <grrr...>)