What's with this weather?

meanredspider
meanredspider Posts: 12,337
edited May 2012 in Commuting chat
Building up to the Etape Caledonia in 3 weeks, I thought I'd better get some miles under my belt so did a 40-mile route home rather than the direct 15 miles. I rather underestimated the weather though and was wearing shorts. Now I've learned to live with the 20, gusting to 25mph,headwinds and the 6C temps. I could, however, have done without the lashing hail which I saw coming at me as a wall - it smarts against your face and legs. I went to stand as I rode into my street and realised I couldn't feel my feet in my soaking shoes. C'mon - it's nearly May FFS - I shouldn't be getting so much value out of my truly brilliant Assos Airjack.
ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
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Comments

  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    The wind was completely back to front today - headwind in, tailwind home - and we managed to skirt the edge of one NASTY looking cloud that was moving away from us quicker than we could catch it.

    You could see the downpour going on as we turned westwards - very lucky tonight I have to say
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Just April Showers.

    Think I've had my 12 days per year of getting rained on already this year.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    Initialised wrote:
    Just April Showers.
    +1 but if it is like this in eight days, then we can moan.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    The wind was completely back to front today - headwind in, tailwind home

    It's been like that for a week or two up here - wind from the east which is rare.

    Dunno about April showers - the fields around here are waterlogged with ponds/lakes forming. Apparently we've had 150% of our usual rain.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    It hasn't really stopped raining and being windy here since I moved here over 5 years ago, that's one of the reasons I started the Silly Commuter Stats in the early version I used to record the weather, wind etc oh and body weight hence the other threads in the series.
    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.
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    Rubbish - that is all
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    I heard May isn't meant to be that great, either. That'll be really annoying.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,775
    Meh, I think we've just been a bit spoilt with weeks of warm dry weather earlier in the year.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    it was dry and now its wet. Expect some dry days then for the rain to return.

    What were you expecting?
  • medoramas
    medoramas Posts: 202
    Oh, sorry... Some time ago I noticed that it's me who controls the weather. You know, if I don't fit the mudguards and I leave my waterproof jacket at home then we've got the 20mm rainfalls, but when I've got all on me and the bike - it is sunny, +25° weather... I'm taking the stuff with me today and will keep it for the nearest future, so feel comfortable wearing just shorts and t-shirts.

    ;-)
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    We should all decamp to our winter training camps
    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.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Just hearing that rain is forecast for every single day for the next two weeks in England. I'm sure some areas will be glad of it.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • Yukirin
    Yukirin Posts: 231
    meanredspider wrote:
    Just hearing that rain is forecast for every single day for the next two weeks in England. I'm sure some areas will be glad of it.


    WE ARE IN DROUGHT!
    Thames valley water forgot to send the memo to Laura Tobin!
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    coriordan wrote:
    it was dry and now its wet. Expect some dry days then for the rain to return.

    What were you expecting?
    Funnily enough, we were expecting somewhere around 100% of average rainfall, not a whole lot more.
    MRS wrote:
    Apparently we've had 150% of our usual rain.
    TBH I'd be surprised if it's only 150% round here. Whatever you do DON'T ask me how much opportunity I had to get out on the bike during the summer (march) when NE Scotland was the warmest part of Europe. (FWIW the only times I got out were early in the morning when it was still below zero).

    The last 5 runs have all been relentless cold rain, apart from last night, when the sun actually came out. After the first half hour, when it was exactly as described in the OP. I think I had just about dried out ten minutes from home, when the next one hit.
    At least, I thought, the forecast was for it to stay dry until after I got to work today. Ha. Let's just say that it didn't.

    And can anyone explain to me how, in a season of unremitting north-easterlies, the wind manages to swing to the south-west for a couple of hours in the morning? Care to guess which direction my commute is in?

    I wouldn't normally be whingeing, it's part of living in Scotland to take a perverse delight in the perverse weather. It's just that it's looking worryingly like not much change by the 13th May :-(
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    I'm guessing there's some local effect of the sea in your wind direction problem, Bompington, but don't ask me to explain exactly what (air rising over the sea?). I can pretty much be sure that the strongest winds will be around 2pm here, regardless of direction. But then the sea is only 50 odd miles away to the west so direction doesn't seem to be influenced.

    Ah the 13th - Etape day. I was thinking yesterday that my ride might be good practice for the conditions then & thinking about what I would wear if that was the case. Certainly need to keep my feet warmer - I don't think they've ever been so cold on the bike as they were yesterday.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    i heard some MTFU and STFU was required for this thread.... ;)

    (didnt we have one of the driest / mildest winters for a long time anyway...ie, the reason for the drought...)
    Boardman Hybrid Commuter Workhorse
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    richVSrich wrote:
    (didnt we have one of the driest / mildest winters for a long time anyway...ie, the reason for the drought...)

    YOU (in the soft south) might have done.... :wink: Feel free to come and get some of our surplus water :D
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,425
    richVSrich wrote:
    i heard some MTFU and STFU was required for this thread.... ;)

    (didnt we have one of the driest / mildest winters for a long time anyway...ie, the reason for the drought...)


    I don't think any of you need to MTFU, I think you are all very *brave :D




    For *brave read stubborn, resilient, wet, daft, insane, hardy, weathered, keen, soggy, irrepressible
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Take the positives. Rain dissolves nodders.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
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  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    meanredspider wrote:
    Ah the 13th - Etape day. I was thinking yesterday that my ride might be good practice for the conditions then & thinking about what I would wear if that was the case. Certainly need to keep my feet warmer - I don't think they've ever been so cold on the bike as they were yesterday.
    Mine have never been so cold as they were on the day of the Etape last year :(
    Whippet
  • optimisticbiker
    optimisticbiker Posts: 1,657
    Only dry day this week and I'm working from home and on conf calls all day :(
    Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph :cry:
  • Fireblade96
    Fireblade96 Posts: 1,123
    I blame Thames Water.

    Their announcing a hosepipe ban has a similar effect on the weather to the BBC predicting a barbecue summer...
    Misguided Idealist
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    itboffin wrote:
    We should all decamp to our winter training camps

    Well I'm off to Cyprus with the bike in May...
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Ben6899 wrote:
    Take the positives. Rain dissolves nodders.

    Great point. Apart from passing two guys up the Kessock Bridge (I am Strava KOM on that segment - the only one with some "serious" competition) last night, I didn't see a single other bike out there*



    * wonders why...... :oops:
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Il Principe wrote:
    Well I'm off to Cyprus with the bike in May...

    I assume that's the thing with two wheels rather than the perjorative term for a local lass of easy virtue? :wink:
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Two different apps told me it'd be dry for the ride home. They we're both wrong, so was I because I didn't bother with overshoes etc...

    Soaked by the time I got home.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    I left home this morning expect the worst but carrying multi types of layers, nada! perfect fresh blue sky the whole way and again on the way home.

    So that's my summers riding over then :x

    Tomorrow is another day, bag is packed reserved bike at the ready = no mud guards :?
    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.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Initialised wrote:
    Two different apps told me it'd be dry for the ride home. They we're both wrong, so was I because I didn't bother with overshoes etc...

    Soaked by the time I got home.


    Exact opposite for me. Expected rain. Dressed for rain.

    No rain.

    Blazing sun.

    Soaked by the time I got home. :?
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    @itb & KB You git's. My shoes are still on the radiator trying to dry out

    At least I was fast, I guess a soaked drive train is well lubricated, just with a corrosive lubricant.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • optimisticbiker
    optimisticbiker Posts: 1,657
    Initialised wrote:
    @itb & KB You git's. My shoes are still on the radiator trying to dry out

    At least I was fast, I guess a soaked drive train is well lubricated, just with a corrosive lubricant.
    that'll ruin them :)...try stuffing them with wadded newspaper, it's very effective at drawing out the moisture
    Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph :cry:

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