Serious drenchings you have had on the bike ?

Serious Cat

I headed out today in early afternoon and it was bright and sunny, about 20 miles in there was a flash in my glasses and a huge thunderous boom. When I say the heavens opened :shock: the rain came down like a power shower and there were more lightning flashes and rumbles of thunder. It reminded me of sub tropical electric storms when I was in Florida. I was soaked through 101 ,% and shoes were like a glass of water had been poured into them. That's my drenching, tell us about a rainfest whilst on your bike.

sloppyschleckonds

Went out cycling. It rained. Got wet.

homers_double

viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=12967757&hilit=Wuss#p18851613

Frank Wilson

It's an outdoor activity.

tapscrew

I often head out in the rain. You get drenched but that's part of the fun!- tipping the water out of your shoes and wringing your cycle kit out after! And it makes riding in the sun even more enjoyable coz you appreciate it more

mr_evil

Almost every day in the winter. It's why I have disc brakes now.

Serious Cat

To be honest I didnt mind,when my wife heard my feet squelching as I entered the house was another story

luv2ride

Bike Bath Sportive last Saturday, during the last 10 miles or so. Proper monsoon with roads like rivers and blown manhole covers, etc. Wasn't really dressed for it either

Chunky101

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Went out cycling. It rained. Got wet.

This ^^^

kajjal

Wakes mountain biking, wet through in a couple of minutes and the tracks were like raging torrents. Got back to the car eventually but a canoe would have been more useful.

chris_bass

Luv2ride wrote:

Bike Bath Sportive last Saturday, during the last 10 miles or so. Proper monsoon with roads like rivers and blown manhole covers, etc. Wasn't really dressed for it either

sounds like an appropriately named sportive

redvee

On the commute home one night last winter and it started to rain, I didn't think too much of it as I was less 2 miles from home but I got absolutely soaked in those 2 miles, head to toe. It's part of the fun of cycling, I don't mind a wet ride home as I've got ample time to sort of wet kit etc and sometimes don't bother with waterproofs, riding to work in the rain isn't so good.

Old_Timer

As I live in Florida with the daily pop-up thunderstorms the OP is familiar with, he can understand a good drenching is a regular thing for me. It can be sunny and peaceful and within a few minutes a strong T'storm can come up. With the number of lightning strikes for people in Florida I park it somewhere when that starts, them ride home through the steamy streets. Just another afternoon here. I won't melt.

Initialised

This happened a couple of years ago.

The flood wiped out KB Cycles in Newburn.

Scenes like this were happening all over Tyne & Wear.



I was glad to be on a bike that day, in a car it would have taken hours to get through.

Ouija

Once got caught in a flash flood on my carbon steed. Felt really hard peddling up a hill on the way back home in the sunshine, which i put down to all the weight of my water logged clothing...... then i got home and turned the bike upside down to do some maintenance and watched as a couple of litres of water came pouring out all over my carpet. The frame had filled up with water all the way to the headtube. Most alu bikes have small holes to stop this happening, the carbon frame didn't (Saracen/Merida frame).

Mikey23

Happened to us today. Up on the edge of dartmoor from sourton to mary tavy in the middle of a warm and sweaty ride. Dark cloud appears and gives us a power shower for about ten minutes. A couple of miles further on the roads are bone dry and on return, missus says it hasnt rained at all... Such is life!

Downward

Apart from all the time Commuting, Went out a couple of Saturdays ago in the evening, No rain all day non forecast. Just in short sleeved jersey and shorts. Started to lash it down about 5 miles in. Going up the main 1 mile climb in the pouring rain with water running down the road to the river. A not of approval to another cyclist near the top on his way down who also looked like he had been caught out too. Luckily it was warm ish !

ugo.santalucia

I think the worst was 3 years ago... 3 hours under torrential rain. The local weather station said it was about 30 mm of rain

The worst in terms of being cold, second day of the Raid Pyrenees... coming down the Tourmalet in the rain was brutal

d_o_g

Late December last year, wanted to get a decent ride in before the Christmas break, headed out on a new route, it started to rain after 45 mins and didn't stop for the next 5 hours. I've never been so wet, wrang out litres of water from my gloves, my forehead was in agony from the cold.




Great ride

Mikey23

Yes, a soaking at this time of year is an inconvenience. In the middle of winter it can be a serious problem. I have been so cold after a dousing that i become a danger to myself and others...

Phil_D

The only time it has ever bothered me has been on tours where I have been camping and there is nowhere to dry shoes and clothes overnight.

peat

My worst was an all day ride from Balloch to Fort WIlliam in the pi$$ing rain and cold last year. By the time we reached Glencoe, i'd lost use of my hands, hearing and could barely speak. Just sort of slurred sounds from my mouth. It was not a good day.

The Mechanic

I rode with some friends from Durness to Cape Wrath on Friday (ferry across the Kyle of course). It was bucketing it down and blowing a hoollie. By the time we got to the light house we were dripping wet and freezing. Then had to ride back. Fortunately there was more of a tail wind on the way back. This was my first ride on a full suss MTB and it does not half make a difference on rough tracks. I was flying on the downhills. Just don't try standing up and pedaling on one though.

chris_bass

don't know if this counts but xmas eve 2012 on my way home from work, it had been raining for about 9 months (how I loved 2012!!) and all the roads near name had flooded sections. I was gingerly going through a particularly bad section, the water was about up to the axles of my wheels, a car came the other way, didnt see th flood and hit it at about 50mph causing a massive wave to knock me over. I was fully submerged! that is the wettest I have been on a bike! Being clipped in under water was fun!

Mikey23

That made i larf!