Don't like riding in the rain, but really hate bike maintenance required afterwards: cleaning, relubing, etc. can really add time.

I ride in the rain all winter. It's fine. Go to a dive shop and buy a pair of dry suit leg seals. Put them on your bare legs, then your socks, then your shoes, then your booties. Pull the dry seal down over the top of your booties, zip your leg warmers or tights down over the top of the leg seals. Dry feet forever. You may have to trim the legs seals slightly to size them to your feet and ankles.

Spring in New England has never been charitable to cyclists. I remember back in 1983 when I sustained a stress fracture in my foot running. I asked the orthopedic surgeon if I could ride a bicycle to stay in shape for the eight weeks he suggested I not run. He said yes as long as I did not use toe clips and pull. He also said to wear a really stiff-soled shoe so I would not ride with my toes flexed because the fracture was right behind the toe joint. I rode my Montgomery Ward bicycle for six weeks and never gained a pound. At the end of six weeks I threw the bike away because I destroyed the bottom bracket and the headset by riding the bike 40 miles a day, seven days a week. It rained hard for 21 days in April 1983 and was wet for two days in May that year. I froze my hands and feet but I stuck it out and went on to run very well that year. I started riding in March this year which was very cold as was April. May has been wet for most of the month and wearing just a shirt and shorts has been a rare event. I look forward to just a shirt and shorts today because the temp should hit the 70's with no rain.

Friday I completed 27 straight days riding but my crank came loose in mile 39 of a 40 mile ride. I've been cycling since 1983 and have never had a crank come loose. I took it back to the shop where I had the bottom bracket replaced and the guy said he doesn't sell Cannondales so he didn't have the right spacers for the crank. He didn't tell me that when I paid him. My average times have been slower this year probably because the crank has been binding. It's in a different shop now. I went and got my old 1994 Cannondale R800 back from my son and it's still usable but my Look Keo cleats don't fit the old Look pedals. The bike has a Mavic CXP30 wheel set on it and it's fairly light for the vintage. It has 105 shifters and they work well. I haven't ridden the bike since 2008 and want to replace the handlebar stem because I don't like the angle. It's going to be my rain bike so it doesn't matter if it's two sizes to large for me which I didn't know when I bought it in '94.


Update: My wife just came home and told me to look in a closet where I found a brand new pair of Specialized cycling shoes (never used) circa 1999 equipped with the old style Look cleats. I'm going riding!