My rain ride by Shino Master

[shinomaster]

Being the lazy dork that I am I didn't get out for my ride till 4:30 and wouldn't you know it it started to rain! Rats I thought, but I wasn't about to turn back even though I was on my Pretty steel Atlanta. As a friend of mine once said so wisely " who gives a @%*$ they're just bike parts!"

So Off I went on a 40 mile ride in the rain. It was warm and I was properly dressed so It was fun once I got going. I rode on a bike path that once was a railroad track so you can still feel ever bump under the pavement from the tracks..It is for this reason that I ride the smooth steel bike and not the sexy red vibrator that is my Cannondale.

I saw lots of little animals and they for some reason all wanted to either run fly, or crawl in front of me. Dozens of baby bunnies, beautiful birds, squirrels, a mama duck and her baby ducks ( oh my god they are so cute) and many slugs and worms. I ran over a worm...oops and maybe a slug or too..sorry..I wouldn't make a very good Jane... Actually the ducks are the smartest of the bunch because the waddled into the blackberry brambles instead of either drag racing or cutting in front of me like the rabbits.. Ducks are clearly smarter, and bunnies clearly do breed like rabbits..
Anyway once it got into being soaked and somewhat cold I have a great time. I was the only person on the path for miles. It feel really refreshing to ride in the rain, and I always feel tough like a Belgian pro even though I was crawling along at __ MPH...oh well.. It's early in the season for me..The biggest problem is that my stupid glasses were so covered with water it was difficult to see--maybe I'll get contacts.
When I got home I had to wipe all the grime off my bike and take out the post so all the water could run out...now it's upside down drying off, as I shovel pasta I made into my very skinny face. Yep It is a skinny face after all..Anyway that's what I did today..

Yawn. :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[ericmurphy]

Speaking of wildlife, am I the only one who is getting consistently pelted with large winged insects on virtually every ride I do these days? I swear, the damned things aim for me. It's getting to the point where I don't want to breathe through my mouth when I'm riding anymore.

I can't tell you how many times I'll see, say, a large dragonfly cross my path, and then veer right into me to ricochet off my helmet or my goggles. It's unnerving, to say the least. Sometimes it seems deliberate. But it's gotta hurt for the bug, crashing into me at a combined velocity of 30 or 40 MPH...

[shinomaster]

I have been hurt by bugs...But get this.. A small brown bird flew into my arm the other day!! I couldn't figure out what happened. I thought it was a ball or a big-assed bug , but then I saw it fly away. Glad it didn't hit my face. Hope he was ok. Maybe it was the color of my jersey?

[vaxn8r]

I always feel great after a rain ride. It rained so hard last Saturday morning but my group went out in the down-pour anyway. People look at us like we're knuckleheads. Unless it's in the low 30's, or lower, riding in the rain is not that bad. Plus you always feel like you stole a ride you shouldn't have gotten in.

A couple of Saturdays ago I was out with the racer boys and it was coming down hard. We were going hard, about upper 20's and there was about an 8 foot wall of water spray surrounding our group of about 20 some riders (Too many in the group did not have fenders that day :crap: ). Pretty impressive to see though...

If you can rust out or wear out you Serotta...then you deserve a new one anyway. Keep it up!

[gwk]

Shino,

Thanks for sharing a description of your rain ride with us. Sounds wonderful......makes me want to get outside and and ride again. I've only done ten miles on my Serotta since last July when I had a crash. Been riding inside on a Lifecycle since then. Thanks for the inspiration! George :)

[M_A_Martin]

I stopped by the shop this evening to get fit on my new bikey. Wow, it looks great built up! So pretty! The geometry looks fantastic. I usually find small frames odd..but this one flows.
We go through the rigamarol to get everything where it belongs. Don't cut the stem yet, you might want to go up or down. Get a couple weeks on it see what you think. Big dark clouds fill the front window of the shop. I spin on some water bottle holders, the last touch before I head out of there on a spin to see if all of the wait and all of the phone calls and emails and pennies were really worth it.
A few pictures later I click into the new cleats and head down the road. Stop at the beginning of that evening's group ride. Nope, not taking it on dirt tonight, have a fun time!.
Getting used to a new bike is fun. I love the alloy shifters that I had to dig up on ebay 'cause you can't get them like that anymore. I find I'm sitting on the seat correctly. So many years on too big bikes makes the sensation odd, I think I'll get used to it. The fork is smooth as steel can be. The bike seems to glide. I'm not sure about the rear...there's something about it. This bike doesn't twitch like my other bikes. Its confident in its line and disappears underneath me like I've heard other people describe a bike that fits correctly. And its fast! No computer but I'm just flying along. I head up the overpass and the first rain drop hits my arm. I contemplate riding the next stretch of new construction and think about that nasty limestone dust soaked into my new frame with the rain. It starts to sprinkle. I wait until traffic is clear and turn around. The drops dry on the top tube. As I wind my way through town to the shop riding between the rain drops I take the sidewalk, smooth as can be, the rear triangle is ever so quietly smoothing out those little hard hits that tire me after 50 miles. Its Working!

[shinomaster]

My first rode bike was a beautiful metallic purple Paramount with 600 ultegra parts purchased by in 1993. To go with it I bought fancy carbon shimano shiny silver shoes, they were as shiny and pretty as the new cranks. Of course I picked it up on a rainy day. I rode that pretty bike all the way home from International to Arlington in the rain.
New bikes are so beautiful. Now wonder all you jokers buy one every other month or year. Few things make one feel like such a kid.

[shinomaster]

nothing is better than riding out of doors George..Get out there! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[bcm119]

Shino-
I had a similar ride yesterday. I've been riding at lunch time the past few weeks, and almost every ride has turned out wet. Monday I got caught in a real down pour. Anyway, you're right, rainy rides make you feel tough. Passing cars must think, wow, he must be serious. But of course you aren't, you're just trying to enjoy yourself. By the way, does this rain ever stop? Its June, and I've heard that Oregon summers are beautiful... Does "summer" just mean August?

[gasman]

I have also spent a lot of time riding in the rain the last few weeks, that's Oregon. You can't really count on clear weather until about July 4th- another reason to set off fireworks !! I am counting on clear weather for the Seattle-to-Portalnd bike ride on July 17th, it should be fine by then. After the 4th the weather is usually beautiful until the end of Sept or Oct, usually is the operative word.Just remember-"If it ain't raining, it ain't training." :D :D
It will make you stronger and you appreciate the nice summer even more. BTW I am very jealous you can ride over lunch, I would barely have time to change my clothes.

[weisan]

It's been raining like cats and dogs here in Austin, TX since Monday morning. I managed to squeeze in a 30-mile ride that morning and got home about 30 minutes before all hell break loose. Lucky me! :p
Along the way, I also discovered a new route near my neighborhood, really pretty with good roads, a little lake view, open vistas and zero traffic. Since then, I have been looking forward to go back again. Well, the rain finally stopped today but the road is still wet. I took out the Legend and went back again. It was just as beautiful as I remembered it. After I got home, did my usual quickie clean-up job; spray a paper towel with WD40 and wipe down every exposed surface on the bike, then use a soft brush to brush off any sand or grit buildup on the brake calipers, front/back deraileur, underneath the bottom-bracket, cassette. In five minutes, everything looks new and shiny. :D

weisan

[Tom]

They used to drive me barking mad when I ran. Now they just fly into my helmet and bite me on the top of my head when I climb hills. It's a great motivation to be able to climb hills faster.

[Dekonick]

Fenders on your rain bike?

YES OR NO?

Rear only? or rear and front?

Perm. (bolted) or clamp temp?

Curious... I think I may put some fenders on mine. (I hate the line up the back...and the gritty water dripping down my neck off of my helmet... at least after the first hour or so it becomes annoying...)

[coylifut]

Full with trucker flaps front and back, bolted on. It's not a rain bike if it's not set up for rain.

[vaxn8r]

Ditto on the fenders. If you don't have them chances are less that you're going out in the wet. They make a huge difference. You'll still be wet but it'll be "rain-wet" vs. 'road grime wet".

You need fender extenders if you ride in a group. Fenders alone will keep you dry but the person behind will still get a load of spray in the face. The extender will need to come down to 4-6" off the ground to be effective. Front extender is not nearly as critical.

BTW, yes, it's been raining in Oregon all week, but it's not like it rains for 9 months sraight here. We get plenty of great weather all year, even in the winter. You can easily ride 12 months a year here. so, yes it rains a lot but...it's well worth the other perks out here.