on my daily 10 mile ride. Forecasts are only so good….

And also “Your bike near water.”

Dan

It rains in Florida every day.

Last time I got stuck in the rain I hid under a store awning just to get away from the cars...

I went for a little 90-minute spin this morning. Watched the radar and figured I could sort of ride around the showers. Cut it a bit short because I could see the clouds moving towards town and figured I'd better get back sooner rather than later.

Hear a text notification and it's from my wife, she says she's coming to get me. I'm completely dry, I can tell it's raining in town but it doesn't look bad. I pull over to call her to ask her if something's wrong.

Apparently it was absolutely pouring in town and according to my livetracking it looked like I was just stopped for a long time at a street in town. Turns out my Garmin watch had died so the livetracking made it look like I wasn't moving. I told her I was fine, she was relieved, she went back home.

So I continue on my way and five minutes later the heavens absolutely opened up on me. Pretty sure I saw a boat with two of every animal float by. I got absolutely drenched in about 10 seconds.

It's one of those midwest summer showers that lasts about 10 minutes and then it's done. Sun was shining by the time I got home but now my shoes are sitting in front of a box fan drying out.

TBH it wasn't bad, just got wet. It's when there's lightning and hail that I pull over and call for evacuation. But it's funny that I thought I was going to be fine and then as soon as I got off the phone I got drenched.

Been caught a few times I'll find a nice tree to wait it out. One time I wasn't far from home so I rode on, was I soaked, usually it's around 80° so it's not too bad

That’s why they call them forecasts.

In the PNW we call it liquid sunshine. If only it was fortified with vitamin D.

Yes, yes it does.

Had to get a train the other evening on the commute home, the rain was so miserable

then left my prescription oakleys (old but I still use them a lot) on the platform bench and had to jump off 1 station down the line and get the train back to retrieve them

only took about an hour longer than usual to get home

Dude, I love that bike!

Where I live in SW Florida we had only two days with rain in the last three months. But then last week we got 10 inches of rain in four days. Rainy season is coming…..

I was out for a ride on a sunny day when it clouded up and immediately started to rain heavily. I was soaked and had trouble seeing through my glasses. I headed for a friend's house and found his garage open. I ducked in and called him on the phone. I asked him if he was home and when he said he was I asked him to p!ease bring a towel out to his garage.

Bingo. Most folks in other states are solar-powered, whereas here in the PNW we're hydroelectric.

Riding in the rain can be fun, though it can also be risky (visibility, reduced friction, cars), and sometimes painful (if going fast). And, the clean-up can be a PITA. Fortunately, I have an enclosed furnace/water heater room in the basement, so drying gear is easy year-round: just hang it in the furnace room. Even thick/padded items are dry by the next morning.

I rarely head out if it's raining, but if it's warm I'll usually risk it (absent lightning) if it isn't raining at the beginning of a ride. Depends on my mood, a bit, too.

My fastest ride ever was accomplished while riding like heck to dodge thunderstorms that were wandering around. I mostly succeeded (got sprinkled a couple of times, but not soaked).

Currently holed up.

Yet you seldom see bikes with mudguards…

When you tour, you sometimes have no option but to duck into the woods if you want to take refuge from a thunderstorm.

West slope of Thompson Pass, 2019.

The cool kids say that they are too heavy and that they are ugly.

We always removed them.... Because Racing Bike!

The cool kids are right on that one.

riding on a road thru corn fields, 1/2 way thru a 17 mile commute home, a horrendous thunder storm & torrential downpour commenced upon my sad riding arse. I took cover under the only house's front bush. crouched & grabbed my ankles hoping not to get electrocuted by lighting. then I saw the metal mailbox on a metal pole in the ground, 10 feet away from me. just stared at it. luckily the storm passed & I didn't die

fond memories

I like when the rain holds off until I am in camp.



And then it stops.

But sometimes the rain changes to snow before it stops.