This morning I decided to ride in the rain to Saint’s Cafe in State College, Pennsylvania. Watching the Weather.com radar map on my iPhone I postulated that I could make it into town before the orange and red blobs arrived.
I was wrong.
By the time I was on the road the rain started falling faster. By the traffic light at the end of the street my gloves were soaked and water was pouring through my vented riding pants.
A half mile farther and I could see rivers of water pouring down the right side of the road with occasional tributaries crossing my path. Another mile and the rain begins to slow slightly as I pull off the road to make this photograph. The stream snaking through the pasture isn’t a stream. It’ one of those ephemeral waterways only coming to life during particularly hard, fast, heavy downpours.
Probably not the best day to ride.
An hour later the sky was blue and the sun was shining. I was mostly dry save for my gloves and I was thinking I really need to get a rainsuit for riding. The foul weather sailing gear I use just isn’t designed to deal with a helmet.
It was a great ride though rain and all…
Charlie6 says
Looks like a good ride to me too Steve….sunny and warm is often boring to me.
Steve Williams says
Charlie6 (Dom): Sunny and warm definitely can be boring to look at — that postcard weather. But I also can appreciate the relaxed riding it can engender.
You aren’t happy unless you are on your knees in the snow, temperature hovering around 5F and you’re changing a tire on the URAL.