Siu Blue Wind

Do you all ever get ANTSY because you can't ride? Every day off that I've had, it rains! And the rare times I get a weekend off, that's because I have a prior commitment. Today is a perfect day to ride but I have all kinds of appts set up. I've got a new bike I brought home on the 24th of March and I took it out ONCE ~ and only for a little bit because it started to rain!!

daven1986

I love riding in the rain! I get to ride to and from work 5 days a week so that keeps me happy. However if I do go for too long without any exercise then I do get a bit ratty!

AdamDZ

Yup. It takes me two days of not riding. I try to to ride in any weather. I only missed one week due to sickness and few days when I took some time off. It's become like a drug to me. Riding in rain with the right gear isn't that bad, even when it's wet and cold..

Siu Blue Wind

Yeah but this is a new bike. I know it won't hurt it, and I DO have a bike for the rain...but I'd really like to ride the new one, you know? *sigh*

daven1986

Yea I know what you mean! One wants to keep a new bike nice and shiny for as long as possible!

Arcanum

The bike isn't really mine until it's dirty. If it's not dirty yet, I haven't ridden it enough.

RatedZ

I'm going to make a confession here, and it's not pretty.

My wife and I just got new bikes on Saturday. I had to order mine, so I haven't gotten it yet, but we got hers; a 2010 GT Avalanche 3.0 Disc (I got a 1.0 Disc). I hadn't been on a bike in 22 years, and I'm so stoked to be back on one, I've just tossed and turned for the past two nights thinking about getting my new bike.

Well, I had the urge to ride last night, so I got up at 2am, put on a pair of boxers and my sneakers, made my way down into the basement, and started riding her bike in circles around the basement, weaving in and out of support beams and "making" my own little "auto-cross" track. The house is 5100 sq-ft big, and the basement is unfinished, so there is room. To make matters more interesting, we've been kicking around the idea of finally getting around to finishing the basement, but honestly, after last night's journey, I'm second-guessing the decision; I kind of enjoyed having a nice, cool, dry place to ride a bike.

My wife got up for work this morning, and I also woke up. I couldn't help but to tell her about the little trek I took around the basement. She just looked at me with a blank stare, sort of like, "Wow...just...WOW.

Wildflower

Hey! Once you start riding you get wet anyway because of the sweat and whether you ride in rain or whether you ride when it's dry, you come home soaked anyway. That's when you can have a lovely hot shower and appreciate getting dry again. If you wait for the perfect day, you might msis out on lots of rides. The worst bit is when you start and the first km after that. Might I suggest that you get a rain jacket for your bike and a cover for your backpack and try it out. I ride every day and the only days I don't ride is when we've had huge storms with strong winds and it's dangerous. A bit of rain! You might come to enjoy the experience.

Wildflower

You are funny! I also have a new road bike and I've had it a month. I love the look of a new bike as you're wheeling it out of the shop and everyone goes 'Ahh! What a beautiful bike. " And you love it because it looks so clean and new. Well, dreams have to end and so does the newness of new bikes. I tell you what! Next time you ride in the rain, get a soft Chux wipe and a bowl of warm water with just a tiny drop of detergent in it (the tiniest drop!) and wipe down all the wet parts of your bike. If there is sand, do NOT do this! Wait until the sand has dried and get a soft brush and brush it off when dry. The wash down said bike and then dry off with another dry cloth. Your bike will look as good as new.

knobster

I am in bad need to go for a ride.. Portland has had nasty weather for the past couple weeks and I am convinced that it's because I (like you) bought a new bike. Never fails.

bikecrate

I missed a bunch of riding the last couple of months due to weird FL weather, illness and family obligations. I do get antsy. However, it helps me appreciate the biking more.

Today's high temp is 82 with light winds. It should be perfect.

Wylde06

The weather is pretty much perfect right now...and I'm stuck inside writing a paper.

Siu Blue Wind

Thanks for the tip, Wildflower! Tomorrow should be fantastic weather and I've slated out four hours minimum to take that new bike out. Today would be good too weatherwise but we are going on a family outing. Can't wait!

Mr. Beanz

In California, we don't ride new bikes in the rain. Why should we when tomorrow will more than likely be perfect?

Soaked sweat? Yuck! I for one am not a dripper!

RatedZ

85 here today in WV. It's hard to believe it's warmer here than in FL, but I guess that's the way it goes! Yeah, there's a nice breeze, but when you're on your first week of being on a bike for the first time in 22 years and you're trying to rebuild some leg muscle, it can get pretty taxing.

Wildflower

I live in Western Australia which has a similar climate to California, or so I'm told. we have fantastic weather too, but in the winter we also have quite a bit of rain and many times, strong winds which aren't fun. We are in autumn now and we have had a bit of rain and my beautiful new road bike (about 2 months old) has already got wet and sandy at least three times.

In regard to the sweat, I can't help it. After 21 kms each morning, I come home wet through. Got any solutions? It's hard work riding up hills.

es82

Once the nice weather comes, I'd rather be biking. It always killed me last year, it'd be sunny and beautiful all week - I could get in after-work rides, but it's not the same.

Then Saturday would roll around, and it'd be raining/storming/etc. This seemed to happen without fail last year - beautiful during the week, turning crap on the weekend.

Starting to let rain-riding detour me less, but only if it's still warm-ish out. I'm still a bit of a fair-weather-cyclist.

Turning into a bit of an issue with my partner though, he's not as into-cycling, but is my workout/gym buddy. "Want to go to the gym tonight?", "But its nice - i want to go for a ride!"

|3iker

If you stop posting and reading this forum, you can be out and about with your bike.

Mr. Beanz

In California, we don't get much rain at all. This year is somewhat shocking since it has rainded some this winter!

I dont know what to tell ya about the sweat though! My buds and I can go climb 5,000- 10,000 ft and I'll be bone dry at the top. Really bothers one buddy since we can ride downhill in 60 degree temps and he'll be dripping like a faucet. He gets somewhat frustrated thinking that I'm not working up a sweat. I actually know I am, it just evaporates quickly, I guess.

We rarely ride together anymore thank goodness. I hate that his sweat flies off in the wind and sprays my face and glasses. I've learned it's better to ride side by side with these types rather than alternating at the front!

Wildflower

Hi Mr Beanz

LOL I don't spray sweat everywhere. It's just on me! I wear a compression top (Skins) and they are meant to wick the sweat away but when I get back from my ride. I'm drenched anyway. Doesn't bother me too much though. Can always have a hot shower. You're lucky that you evaporate.

We are coming into winter soon and already the rains are here. I still go riding in the rain and once I've started, it's not too cold. Soon, it'll be wet until around September/October. If I waited for the rain to stop, I wouldn't get to ride.

shouldberiding

Summer rain feels amazing (assumes presence of fenders). I can't wait for it.

EDIT: Wet shoes not fun for too long though.

wabbit

i've gotten one ride this year! i'm not much of a cold weather rider. Then it got rainy and miserable. The last two days it's been really nice...and I have a cold. But the season is still young...there will be plenty of other nice days that I don't have to work or have a cold....lol.

powerhouse

I know what you mean, Siu.

I get VERY antsy in that many days have passed which were perfectly good for riding but I couldn't due to a current temporary predicament. I won't go into its details On days when I'm out, I've seen teams of cyclists ride by and I wished I could be among them. People who are used to seeing me out riding and dressed in full kit stop what they're doing and ask me why I'm not. Hopefully, it won't be too long before my bicycle can come out of cold storage and I can climb onto the saddle again. It feels like there's something missing.

RatedZ

I was sick as a dog yesterday. I was a bit upset I didn't get to go out riding, but that's okay, because today I rode at Summit Point Raceway around the Jefferson Circuit and hit some new trails they had just put in. Just watching the cars on the Shenandoah Circuit was an added bonus, with the high point being a Ferrari F430 screaming by at wide-open throttle.

Roody

I don't know, because the only day I don't ride a bike is a day when I'm too sick to care. I never let rain (or Michigan winters) stop me from enjoying a ride.