Weather forecast

madtam

I really should take more notice of the weather forecast.
I have been using the car more than the bike lately due to dropping the older son at college on my way. However, since he has now finished, and I didn't get chance for a spin out at the weekend I came on the bike today. I did hear a few ridiculous warnings on the radio yesterday and this morning, about severe gale force winds and torrential rain leading to flooding. However, after a pleasant walk with the dog first thing it seemed a calm settled day just about dry underfoot and mild for the time of year. So at 07.45 I hopped on the bike and pedalled in.
Staring out of the window now at solid sheets of water passing horizontally down the road at some speed, I am questioning how wise a decision this was. Particularly as I had my waterproof trousers out of the bag recently and haven't put them back so that leaves me with a jacket and tights. I do have lightweight overshoes so it's not all bad !
It's normally not a bad commute and although generally uphill it's fairly short at about 5 miles. Unfortunately I know the prevailing wind is full in the face as I got soaked when I nipped out briefly at lunchtime - and that was before the weather really turned bad.


Wish me luck in about an hour.


I'm just nipping outside for a bit and might be some time ...

cornerblock

I wouldn't, not worth the risk when it's dangerously windy.

madtam

Not much option apart from walking, as I'm not leaving the bike at work and I doubt they would let me on a bus.

Wind direction is pretty much head on rather than side wind so it should be OK, if a little slow.

gingaman

For future reference:

http://www.raintoday.co.uk/
http://xcweather.co.uk/

It is very strange when moving along to suddenly be blown by the wind 2 feet to the side. If you have to do it, take care, leave more 'wiggle' room than normal between you and the kerb

Kieran_Burns

gingaman wrote:

For future reference:

http://www.raintoday.co.uk/
http://xcweather.co.uk/

It is very strange when moving along to suddenly be blown by the wind 2 feet to the side. If you have to do it, take care, leave more 'wiggle' room than normal between you and the kerb

and less between you and the saddle...

navt

Blackfriars bridge wasn't fun this evening. Quite unnerving to go from 18 to10 mph in the middle of an intersection due to headwind.

madtam

Quite pleasingly the weather eased up significantly and I hung around a bit to finish some things such that by the time I left it was barely raining and the wind was much reduced. I have certainly got wetter on the bike and in fact there was a period when it wasn't raining at all, just confirming that genuine wet commutes probably do occur only a few times a year.

Back in the car today due to the lunchtime finish. Well, we usually head to the pub on Christmas Eve for a few (lot of!) drinks and after half a dozen pints plus a few shorts etc I can have difficulty standing let alone riding a bike. There is no way I would make it home safely on a bike so I drive instead.








(Joke !)

mattv

I deliberately don't watch the weather forecasts. I intend to cycle commute every single day this winter! I would have wimped out yesterday if I had seen the 50mph gusts and heavy rain all day. Sleet on me on the way in, but clear skies. It had burnt itself out in Leicester by 5:30 and I overheated on the way home!

meanredspider

mattv wrote:

I deliberately don't watch the weather forecasts......... I overheated on the way home!

That must happen quite often!

I watch the forecasts and just dress appropriately

rolf_f

gingaman wrote:

For future reference:

http://www.raintoday.co.uk/
http://xcweather.co.uk/

Oh god no. Just stick with Met Office. Anything else is either just reformatting the Met Office data or using seaweed.

I don't let the weather get in the way of a commute (if the weather is bad enough that the bike seems a bad idea, then public transport tends to be an even worse idea!) - but I do tend to make sure I leave home and work well before the rush hour to make sure that the roads are relatively quiet for the ride. I can cope with being blown about on the roads a bit as long as there aren't loads of cars about as well.

rjsterry

Not sure any Boxing Day rides out into the Surrey Hills would be sensible, seeing as Burford Bridge (at the foot of the Box Hill climb) was under at least 3ft of water yesterday.

bendertherobot

Rolf F wrote:

gingaman wrote:

For future reference:

http://www.raintoday.co.uk/
http://xcweather.co.uk/

Oh god no. Just stick with Met Office. Anything else is either just reformatting the Met Office data or using seaweed.

I don't let the weather get in the way of a commute (if the weather is bad enough that the bike seems a bad idea, then public transport tends to be an even worse idea!) - but I do tend to make sure I leave home and work well before the rush hour to make sure that the roads are relatively quiet for the ride. I can cope with being blown about on the roads a bit as long as there aren't loads of cars about as well.

Nope. Raintoday is a radar. No reformatting at all and it's better resolution than the MetoO one. Raintoday isn't a forecasting site, well it does but it's rubbish for that, it's a nowcasting one. With just a bit of common sense you can see where the rain is, the direction it's heading and how intense it is. During Monday's storm the squall line was very clearly visible.

It staggers me that anyone ignores the weather as a cyclist. I go out in everything but I like to know what it is I am going out in so that I can be prepared.

The METO site is a good start. It tells you what the weather is likely to be like on any given day. But, because it's location specific, it has errors built in.

The best sites are Netweather, Raintoday etc. I use net weather for planning purposes and to monitor what's happening through the regional forum.

BTW, everyone should avoid MetCheck. Just google met check owner.

rolf_f

rjsterry wrote:

Not sure any Boxing Day rides out into the Surrey Hills would be sensible, seeing as Burford Bridge (at the foot of the Box Hill climb) was under at least 3ft of water yesterday.

I've been out most days in the last week and every day I've had to either brave a flooded road or turn back at one, dodge fallen trees and creep under half downed power lines. It's nice having to worry about other potentially lethal things than other road users!

bendertherobot wrote:

It staggers me that anyone ignores the weather as a cyclist. I go out in everything but I like to know what it is I am going out in so that I can be prepared.

I'd agree with you there but I can't be bothered faffing around with a small pile of websites when the MetOffice does all I need and it almost never fails me. Because I'm out almost every day, it does help as you pick up on the stability of the forecast from the three day down to the 24 hour forecast. It becomes pretty straightforward then to interpret the uncertainty.

All forecasts have errors built in - just the Met Office has more knowledge to minimise them.