patentcad

Yesterday, Xmas day, I was jonzing for a long road ride. Hadn't done anything over 40 miles in a while. My family was driving from Chester, NY to Ridgefield, NJ to see some family (about 55-65 miles) so I said: I'll ride the bicycle, meet me there. They thought I was crazy of course (they always do), but whatever.

So I left 3.5 hours early (figured it for a 3-4 hour ride). It was cold and crappy out (low 40's, cloudy). Then 1/2 through it starts raining. Then at the end it starts POURING. But you know what? It was a GREAT ride. The roads were empty. My route takes me up into the lovely Harriman State Park which includes a great 2.5 mile climb going followed by another 1+ mile climb going out the south side followed by a screaming 2-3 mile descent down to Route 9W in Haverstraw. Then it's mainly flat (besides the 1 mile Hook Mtn. climb north of Nyack). And a funny thing happened on the way to my relative's house: as the rain really opened up, and I got colder and wetter, I started to really get into riding in the rain. I was hammering and for some bizarre reason that I still can't quite understand, loving it. It was pissing rain like March in Flanders, but it stopped bothering me for that last half hour. Completely. I think I experienced 'cyclist's high' if there is such a thing.

I get there and I'm soaking wet and cold - but I felt GREAT. And overall, and I still don't quite get this, it was one of the best rides of the year. Maybe it was because the roads were empty. Maybe it's because it was Xmas day and I was the only cyclist on the road. Maybe it's because I rode in somewhat adverse conditions and still enjoyed it. I don't know, I don't care.

By the way my ride took almost exactly 3.5 hours for the 61 miles. Slow for the first 20 miles (lots of climbing) but I must have averaged 20mph + for that last 10 miles. It was outstanding. I'll probably always remember that particular ride.

God help me, but I love cycling. Merry Xmas everybody.

Phatman

sounds like a good ride, I love that area of NY. I was there for an internship this past fall, and it was torture not to ride.

Trev Doyle

That was a great story, thanks for sharing.

A Festivus for the Rest of us.

patentcad

What is a bike weenie's Festivus pole made of? Titanium? Carbon Fiber? Reynolds 853?

NoRacer

I had the same sort of experience on 11/22/2005 coming home from work. Here's the post that I made on another forum:

Louis

Sounds like you spent a good part of the ride in the elusive "sweet spot", weather be damned. Great ride.

Great story.

Anbaric Cog

Dear PatentCAD.

Great Post. I am always amazed at the looks people give me when I ride in the rain. I guess there is fear that I'll melt like the witch in the Wizard of Oz.

Great christmas present to yourself.

I'll be that slow guy that you pass during the downpour!

a.c.

patentcad

I've given up on trying to explain what's so great about cycling to non-cyclists. But the people here - they understand...

emayex

just curious...what do you ride?

shimanopower

the riding in the rain moment!! I had it only once but it was one of my favoriate moements in my life. If I had to name what the experience was it would be simply: the joy of living. I would even decribe it as a sort of religious experience (and i'm an atheist).

mooglinux

if only there was rain to ride in in phenix.....let alone snow...

patentcad

I wouldn't feel too bad living in Phoenix because it doesn't rain or snow enough. For all my romantic ramblings about riding in the rain it generally does kind of suck. But not all the time.

I ride a Cannondale Six13 Dura Ace (2006) road bike that's getting entirely too much road grime and salt on it for a new bicycle (2.5 months old). But of course I bought the bike to ride it, not stare at it in my living room, so I just keep wiping it off, waxing it up and riding it some more. When the roads get really icy/salty/snowy I ride my 1999 Jamis hard tail MTB (Reynolds 853 steel frame, XTR) which is mostly a road bike with snow tires for me.

oopfoo

You've learned what lots of riders have learned:

The rain can be fun.

Many of the best rides I've ever had have been in the rain. Perhaps it's recognition of the committment to cycling required to undertake regular rides, no matter the weather. Perhaps it's those stares from passing motorists. Maybe it's something else. I still remember a race that rained--beginning to end--in the North Georgia mountains around Chickamauga. 60 miles or so of torrential downpours, riding through farm and dairy land, then climbing up the ridgeline on broken gravel where water was streaming down in the hillside, and a final screaming descent into town, spray from the wheels flying. We did that loop twice, and I remember that ride like it was yesterday. It was 1989.

patentcad

>>Perhaps it's those stares from passing motorists. Maybe it's something else. I still remember a race that rained--beginning to end-<

I do enjoy the looks from motorists.

RACING in the rain is another matter. I did this in a downpour ONCE. The rooster tails from the peloton were unbearable. The certain knowledge that I had zero braking power also sucked, I bailed after ten miles. Never again. And I've done a lot of racing. But wet roads/pack riding don't mix. I'm in total awe of those pro racers in Europe. I'm sure you can get used to it - but I wouldn't want to.

If they paid me I think I could manage that : ).

Mo'Phat

Sounds like a great ride. I would have enjoyed a frigid, wet, slogging trek, but unfortunately, it was 81 deg, and partly cloudy in San Diego on Christmas day.

I had to suffer through it anyway.

biker7

Great story...
George

jimbud

I had a experience like that a year ago last May. I had not been out on the bike for a week and all though the weather was a good steady rain and a temp. in the mid 60's I went out on my normal 20 mile ride on one of our local paved trails. At about the 2 mile mark I started to notice that 20 mph felt kind of slow. I thought my bike computer might be doing something weird. It didn't matter the rain felt great and hammering along at 24 or 25 mph was a blast. I was shifting into cogs on the bottom of my cassette I had not touched in a long time.
Up a head I could see 2 riders on road bikes going my direction. As I got closer I recognized one of the riders who was a owner of a local bike shop and he was riding with someone on a new Giant Carbon OCR. This LBS owner is a great guy but has always thought I was a little beneath his regular customers because I bought most of my bike components and frames on-line and I did all my own repair and bike building myself.
I pulled a long side the 2 riders and we exchanged hellos and commented on the wet conditions. I asked how fast they were riding and both said 20 mph. Looking down at my computer and noticing it said the same.
With that I said see you latter and shifted down to the 13 or 14 cog and just blasted off away from the two riders as if the were standing still. It was one of the great rides you remember for years.

Johnny Rad

How much weight did the rain add?

timmhaan

the best rides are often the hardest. either effort, or harsh weather, or whatever. fair weather rides are great, but it's the tough stuff that you remember for a long time.

webist

It is possible, but not necessary to ride in the rain in Arizona.