London Rain

13

Comments

  • That JG Ballard - a proper clairvoyant
    "Consider the grebe..."
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    15miles of wetness; sealskinz soaked through, gloves a smegging mess.... who'd take the car.

    Bath and a beer and alls well again.
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Enjoyed that apart from the sobering sight of a rider down. Overshoes did their job admirably, which makes a change :D
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    wot it rains in Londin town? surely not .........

    its the capital of the universe, yes!
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,487
    The handling of my Giant is quite skittish. Generally that's a handy thing, as I can chuck it around potholes quite easily and that sort of thing... in the dry. In the wet, with the quantity of ironwork on London roads, it's just terrifying. Pootled all the way home, just taking it all nice and steady. Half way back, it looked like it was going to ease off, then it got heavier instead. On the up side, drivers were remarkably considerate this evening on the whole; handed out a few thumbs ups and waves of thanks.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • morxy
    morxy Posts: 114
    3km into my commute through the driving, torrential rain my rear gear cable decided to snap. Nice. But it's okay. I still have a choice of 2 gears: 53x11 or 39x11. Stopping and gradually (hnnnggg!) accelerating every 50 metres due to red lights, suicidal pedestrians and heavy traffic in 39x11 and heavy rain was exactly what I wanted...

    Now I'm home I realize the broken shards of split cable are lodged inside the shifter canal and I absolutely cannot get the f'ker out. So now my bike's effectively unrideable as well. Perfect way to consummate my journey :)

    Anyone else had a particularly pleasant commute home tonight?
  • Norky
    Norky Posts: 276
    edited August 2010
    Clever Pun wrote:
    It's really not that bad out, sort it out, I may still even cycle the long way home



    This has been a MTFU announcement

    +1

    I did that, only an extra 3 miles though, not the silly detour I was planning. I got proper wet. Windproof gilet is only windproof. Couldn't see a blessed thing either. Cycling glasses with prescription insert were totally misted up. I could only tell I was going up or down hill by the change in effort required. The country lanes (i.e. the whole ride) were trecherous: filthy with mud, grit and beastly oomska, puddles deep enough to lose cattle in. I was having a great time. Getting cold enough to start shivering dampened (YSWIDT?) my enthusiasm only slightly.

    I did however very much enjoy the bath when I got home. Yes, I had a bath. No bubbles mind, I'm not completely homosexual.

    Tomorrow I might bring overshoes. And a jacket. And the non "best" bike.
    The above is a post in a forum on the Intertubes, and should be taken with the appropriate amount of seriousness.
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    Rain? Pffffftttt. The most important thing about tonights weather was the lack of head wind.

    40kph+ from Molsey to Walton when on Monday I was struggling to maintain 25.

    Excellent.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,487
    Indeed. I think there was actually an easterley this evening, as I was picking up soeed very easily on Vic. Emb.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • morxy wrote:
    Anyone else had a particularly pleasant commute home tonight?

    I took the cycle path at Vauxhall tonight since the traffic was at a standstill.

    Found a drunk standing in the middle of it, clutching a beer can for grim life and looking vacantly at the sky. Slowed down and made to go round him. At which point, he finally looked at me and stumbled back into my path. Cue brakes/swerve and down I go.

    He is fine. I, after having to deal with him trying to hug me better (urgh!) and get away again, have a large swollen tender bump just under my kneecap... Ah well, I suppose if you have to come off while dodging pedestrians better to do so when not in traffic!

    He'd eventually wandered off as I put my helmet back on... as I set off, he stumbled towards me again to check I was OK... so it was lucky that I'd taken a very wide berth and since he was still on the cycle path, I went past on the pavement!
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Great ride home grinning like a loon. Bottom half completely soaked but the Altura hi-viz stood up to the job well. I could wring my socks out and my shoes won't need washing for a while :D

    Have turned the heating on to give the panniers etc a chance to dry out for tomorrow. Hope it's not raining when I head off to Lidls in the morning. Good timing. Need a second pair of gloves and a new helmet :)

    Great test for my brakes. Time to upgrade the pads I think.
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Commute home was lovely, 32 miles of Clyde and countryside, got a bit of the sun... lovely jubbly!! What a change from Monday!! Almost feel sorry for the London guys!! 8)
    But not quite....
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • I am bathed and fed now but that was a journey full of exitement.
    Tailwind, which was nice, every concievable type of rain and me feeling well enough to give it a bit of tap, but having the brakes tested first time put paid to that.

    Wet and wild
    No Babbit No, Look what Birdy doing
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Commute home was lovely, 32 miles of Clyde and countryside, got a bit of the sun... lovely jubbly!! What a change from Monday!! Almost feel sorry for the London guys!! 8)
    But not quite....

    A Scottish cyclist boasting about nice weather?! Fill your boots mate, doesn't happen often! :P
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    notsoblue wrote:
    Commute home was lovely, 32 miles of Clyde and countryside, got a bit of the sun... lovely jubbly!! What a change from Monday!! Almost feel sorry for the London guys!! 8)
    But not quite....

    A Scottish cyclist boasting about nice weather?! Fill your boots mate, doesn't happen often! :P

    I know!! I did fill my boots... not often, but was superb! Good to have it on the other foot for once!! usually get the cold, dark, wet commutes, but tonight was a joy!
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Had some beers while waiting for the rain to stop. It didn't.

    Ended up doing three totally unnecessary laps of Regent's Park outer circle in the pissing rain. Why wouldn't you?
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    Haha! good answer brun!

    Same(ish) for me. My road home was snorkleworthy (new word for the OED? should be) but I was grinning like a dancing fool! Favourite part was stopping at the supermaket for a coupla bits 'n bobs and realising that the numpties running in from their cars were actually wetter than me (on the inside of couse :D )

    Lovely young thing gave me sympathy too;

    "Ooo it's wet out there for you isn't it?"
    Yeah but look at my tight arse"
    "giggle giggle gigggle"

    Aah, I love being green.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • waddlie
    waddlie Posts: 542
    I had a MTFU moment at breakfast time, changed back into my cycling clobber and rode into work through the monsoon.

    Sadly my route involves 1.5 miles of building site. All the puddles were a hideous orangey brown colour and my saliva tasted so much of house-brick I was spitting it out every 30 seconds as I didn't want to poison myself.

    Decided against riding back through it so Mrs Waddlie picked me up (please be kind, no-one wants to take the scenic route home at 2215) and I now have to go back to work on a day off tomorrow to retrieve my bike.

    Arse.
    Rules are for fools.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    _Brun_ wrote:
    Had some beers while waiting for the rain to stop. It didn't.

    Ended up doing three totally unnecessary laps of Regent's Park outer circle in the pissing rain. Why wouldn't you?

    It's okay to admit you have a problem you're among friends :roll:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    SimonAH wrote:
    Lovely young thing gave me sympathy too;

    "Ooo it's wet out there for you isn't it?"
    Yeah but look at my tight ars*"
    "giggle giggle gigggle"

    Aah, I love being green.

    ROFL!
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    oh well looks like my "I'll be taking the long route" has gone out the window
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • dcurzon
    dcurzon Posts: 290
    well, the rain highlighted to me the fact that i have absolutely NO wet weather gear at all!
    tshirt and shorts really didnt cut the mustard.

    Any suggestions of what is needed?

    i'm thinking:
    Long trousers (dare i go the lycra route?)
    Long sleeved top
    Some kind of windproof/water resistant top

    Any suggestions on any of the above, or other suggestions? On a (very tight) budget
    B'Twin Sport 1
    FCN 7 =4, +2(non cycling clothes) +1(beard)
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    dcurzon wrote:
    well, the rain highlighted to me the fact that i have absolutely NO wet weather gear at all!
    tshirt and shorts really didnt cut the mustard.

    Any suggestions of what is needed?

    i'm thinking:
    Long trousers (dare i go the lycra route?)
    Long sleeved top
    Some kind of windproof/water resistant top

    Any suggestions on any of the above, or other suggestions? On a (very tight) budget

    Lycra. Then if it's cold wear a windproof jacket. It's ok to be wet as long as you stay warm.
  • Blimey, weather is delaying flights into LHR?

    :shock: :?
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    I'm just amazed the weather is this bad before the bank holiday.
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    just think of the early campers at Reading festival :lol::lol:


    :lol:
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • dcurzon wrote:
    well, the rain highlighted to me the fact that i have absolutely NO wet weather gear at all!
    tshirt and shorts really didnt cut the mustard.

    Any suggestions of what is needed?

    i'm thinking:
    Long trousers (dare i go the lycra route?)
    Long sleeved top
    Some kind of windproof/water resistant top

    Any suggestions on any of the above, or other suggestions? On a (very tight) budget

    Personally, I go shorts and tshirt, but with an Endura fluro waterproof jacket on the top. I figure that bare legs dry quicker than trousers, and if I'm riding in the wet I have a complete change of clothes/shoes with me/at work anyway. I also like shorts because they're a bit cooler, and while the Endura is excellent at keeping rain out, it's also rather efficient at keeping the warmth in.
    FCN - 10
    Cannondale Bad Boy Solo with baggies.
  • Wet wet wet!

    Turns out CF is not water-soluble.

    Phew.

    :D
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Looks like I'm gonna have to brave the pub again doesn't it.
  • dcurzon wrote:
    Any suggestions of what is needed?

    i'm thinking:
    Long trousers (dare i go the lycra route?)
    Long sleeved top
    Some kind of windproof/water resistant top

    Any suggestions on any of the above, or other suggestions? On a (very tight) budget

    ...trip to Lidl?

    All the gear I wore today came from Lidl I think - no water res top as I don't like steaming up from inside. Everything else dries out in a jiffy (yes the trousers are Lycra-ish but silver lining is they dry very fast without spinning).
    The novelty of rain both ways morning and evening is wearing thin... bring back the snow.
    "Consider the grebe..."