Rain Rain Rain

compo
compo Posts: 1,370
edited January 2013 in MTB general
Right I'm farked off with all this rain and its stopping me going out.

Short of MTFU, how does anyone enjoy the rainy rides and have the motivation to go out when its already raining?
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Comments

  • DanDax1990
    DanDax1990 Posts: 1,201
    It can be more fun... Less people out on the trails for a starter... Will be trickier which will improve your riding?
  • querhoch
    querhoch Posts: 111
    make a coffee and stick a dvd in. theres no use in being all macho about it because its going to suck, no matter where you go. all youre going to do is get miserable and collect crap in your drivetrain. stay at home where its dry
  • VWsurfbum
    VWsurfbum Posts: 7,881
    I reverted to cycling to work :shock: with the state of the roads at the moment, it was just like hitting the trails! LOL
    16 miles on 2.4 knobbies gives you a good work out.
    Kazza the Tranny
    Now for sale Fatty
  • I'm struggling to motivate with how bad it is, i don't mind a bit of rain but even for Wales this is a bit over the top :(
  • VWsurfbum
    VWsurfbum Posts: 7,881
    there's little point hitting the woods, it was killing the bikes last week, came home aching like hell, and we only did about 12 miles!
    No fun apart from the comedy off's
    Kazza the Tranny
    Now for sale Fatty
  • schmako
    schmako Posts: 1,982
    I got myself a new waterproof jacket to test, hopefully that encourages me to get out!
  • WindyG
    WindyG Posts: 1,099
    The comedy off's are great as it's not normally me, my mate never stays upright on any ride or race in the mud he's even worse. I don't mind hitting the forest in some rain but the the amount we are having at the moment it's not enjoyable in any way.
  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Forced myself to go llandegla yesterday. Was good, but time we'd done a lap the rain started and it was just miserable. We went to do an easy lap of the blue but I turned back near top of the climb, the cafe was calling me..
  • DanDax1990
    DanDax1990 Posts: 1,201
    I really don't mind rain at all... As long as you can get clean and dry when you get home it's all good :D You're gonna get wet once you get in the shower anyway lol.
  • Greer_
    Greer_ Posts: 1,716
    I don't mind if it rains, as long as I stay warm! I do hate starting a ride in the rain though, but it doesn't bother me as much if it just starts while i'm out!
  • DCR00
    DCR00 Posts: 2,160
    DanDax1990 wrote:
    I really don't mind rain at all... As long as you can get clean and dry when you get home it's all good :D You're gonna get wet once you get in the shower anyway lol.

    this ^^^

    MTFU

    Time on the bike, whether wet or not, is better than no time on the bike
  • Get a bunch of mates who go out regadless!!!

    Thats what i got, didnt really fancy going out yesterday morning, but it was pre-arranged and we were going regardless of weather lol

    And to be fair, once you get going, its fun, the rain, and wet slidy conditions just add to the fun.

    Although to be fair, we only hit trail centres, (glyncorrwg yesterday) and the drainage is fairly good.

    Just get on it!
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Costing a small fortune in brake pads. Otherwise I quite enjoy the slippery stuff.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • DanDax1990
    DanDax1990 Posts: 1,201
    Reward yourself after wet rides... Every hour of wetness = 1 pint...
  • I don't mind the rain so much, with the right clothes it's not really much different to a regular ride.

    HOWEVER....

    We've had so much rain this year our trails here are all completely ruined. Without exception they are all either flooded, rutted to death, boggy as hell, land-slipped away, or turned into a river. As a result the last 3 months for me have been spent entirely on the road, and I've been loving it.

    This year is the only year I've ever really wished we had a good trail centre here.
  • DanDax1990
    DanDax1990 Posts: 1,201
    I don't mind the rain so much, with the right clothes it's not really much different to a regular ride.

    HOWEVER....

    We've had so much rain this year our trails here are all completely ruined. Without exception they are all either flooded, rutted to death, boggy as hell, land-slipped away, or turned into a river. As a result the last 3 months for me have been spent entirely on the road, and I've been loving it.

    This year is the only year I've ever really wished we had a good trail centre here.

    Get doing some maintenance?
  • querhoch
    querhoch Posts: 111
    DCROO, there is nothing manly about going out in 40mph winds and sleet just to prove Im stupid enough to do it. i dont mind a bit of rain, but after a year of it my trails are non existant and there is absolutely nothing to be gained from riding where they used to be.i toom the dog out for a long walk today and passed 2 riders who had gone about a mile then turned back.

    its not manly, its stupid to go out in this.
  • BigJimmyB
    BigJimmyB Posts: 1,302
    I was going to get out over Xmas as I have 11 days off, then all this bl00dy rain (on top of the loads we've already had) has just killed my motivation.

    I live 20 seconds away from hundreds of acres of wood and farmland which is pretty much too boggy to ride on.

    Add the weather to sickness, the squits and heavy colds (the joys of train commuting), plus shoulder and back niggles have all conspired to eff my year up.

    Here's to a drier, fitter 2013!
  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    I've got out loads recently. All the trail centres seem in good nick locally (North Wales). Natural XC can be wet/boggy in some places so we try and give that a miss. Roads are also fine to keep the fitness up, again wet and gravelly but fine even on a road bike.

    Hardest part is leaving the house, once you've done that its great!
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    MTFU and ride.....

    Sure you need to pick your trails carefully, my local woods which are really great when dryish and currently unrideable in many places as the muter (mud and water mixed) is upto 6" deep, also takes almost as long to clean the bike as it does to ride it!
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    DanDax1990 wrote:
    It can be more fun... Less people out on the trails for a starter
    VWsurfbum wrote:
    I reverted to cycling to work :shock:
    I don't usually mind some rain, but it's been such absolutely shocking weather for so long this year, that I really couldn't be arsed any more. When it rains all the bloody time, right through the winter that never happened, right through spring, right through the summer that never happened, right through... well, you get the idea, it just becomes disheartening.
    I ended up riding to work almost every day, but gave up on that about a month ago when there were several flooded sections of road with hub-depth water. The car seemed a more sensible choice.

    Bloody crap year all round.
    As for the trails? I tried walking alone one area where I used to ride a couple of weeks ago. Unless I had a hovercraft, then it was impassable.
  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    Really guys, its not that bad... Just get out there!
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    gezebo wrote:
    Really guys, its not that bad... Just get out there!
    Yes, it is. There's been villages turned into rivers, several friends have had to leave their homes because they're underwater, there's been landslides, the sewer water bought to the surface has spread diseases, roads have been washed from hillsides.
    It's about as bad as wet weather can possibly get.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    gezebo wrote:
    Really guys, its not that bad... Just get out there!
    Yes, it is. There's been villages turned into rivers, several friends have had to leave their homes because they're underwater, there's been landslides, the sewer water bought to the surface has spread diseases, roads have been washed from hillsides.
    It's about as bad as wet weather can possibly get.
    Maybe those Mayans......
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    Yes, it is. There's been villages turned into rivers, several friends have had to leave their homes because they're underwater, there's been landslides, the sewer water bought to the surface has spread diseases, roads have been washed from hillsides.

    Our village is cut off due to to a landslide and was badly affected by floods and all the trauma that goes with losing homes, livelyhoods etc... I also see some truly horrific sights through work... but life goes on, it has too and in honesty it's not that bad out there, ok the last few weeks have been challenging but the spring, summer and last winter were not that bad at all.

    Penmachno was great a couple of days ago, CYB brilliant today, The DH at Blaenau is going as well as other local stuff. I know there is lots going on further afield too. So just make the most of it as there are people out there that would love to but will never get the chance.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    gezebo wrote:
    make the most of it as there are people out there that would love to but will never get the chance.
    What kind of hippy sh*t is that?
    I've racked up thousands of miles on the bike this year, but I've had enough rain. The vast, vast majority of my rides have been wet.
    Pretty sure the DH at Blaenau is closed, since there's storm force winds outside.
  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    What kind of hippy sh*t is that?
    I've racked up thousands of miles on the bike this year, but I've had enough rain. The vast, vast majority of my rides have been wet.
    Pretty sure the DH at Blaenau is closed, since there's storm force winds outside.

    We'll its the sort of 'hippy sh*t' that means you should be grateful for what you have because there are people far, far worse off than you can probably ever imagine.

    DH was most certainly open today.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    gezebo wrote:
    What kind of hippy sh*t is that?
    I've racked up thousands of miles on the bike this year, but I've had enough rain. The vast, vast majority of my rides have been wet.
    Pretty sure the DH at Blaenau is closed, since there's storm force winds outside.

    We'll its the sort of 'hippy sh*t' that means you should be grateful for what you have because there are people far, far worse off than you can probably ever imagine.

    DH was most certainly open today.
    Am i supposed to force feed myself marmite because some people in the world don't have access to it?
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    gezebo wrote:
    We'll its the sort of 'hippy sh*t' that means you should be grateful for what you have because there are people far, far worse off than you can probably ever imagine.
    That's why I save up all my leftovers and post them to poor people in poor countries. Cornflakes can be a bit of a bugger though, envelope gets all soggy.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    gezebo wrote:
    What kind of hippy sh*t is that?
    I've racked up thousands of miles on the bike this year, but I've had enough rain. The vast, vast majority of my rides have been wet.
    Pretty sure the DH at Blaenau is closed, since there's storm force winds outside.

    We'll its the sort of 'hippy sh*t' that means you should be grateful for what you have because there are people far, far worse off than you can probably ever imagine.

    DH was most certainly open today.
    What the hell has got your knickers in a twist? Did you catch your husband sleeping with Santa? Or Rudolph?
    Are you seriously, in all honesty saying, that since there are people in, I dunno, third world countries, that I should just go, "it's just a bit of rain, on top of all the rest of the rain"?
    No, I've had enough.

    Kudos to AS for opening today though, I went for a walk along the coast earlier, I had to lean into the wind, and struggled to keep balance. Maybe they don't have as much wind inland or something.