Water is an asshole, at least when it comes to bicycles. So is wind, now that I think of it; I don’t love it, unless its at my back, but that rarely seems to happen even on out-and-back routes. Fire’s not winning any prizes either, unless you’re talking about the hunk-a-hunka burnin’ V. Even le soleil isn’t scoring points for either the bike or the rider, unless given in carefully-controlled amounts, a fact which has large portions of the Pacific Northwest – perhaps the gloomiest place on Earth – buying up more high-SPF sunscreen and sunglasses per capita than any other place in the civilized world.
In other words, Nature’s a bit of a beyotch.
As far as our bikes go, water seems to be the biggest of these opponents. When I rode the 7-hour Heck of the North over clay-gravel roads in wind and rain; the wind was unpleasant but it left no indelible mark on me, apart from some sore muscles. The rain, on the other hand, combined with the clay from the roads to form a slurry that destroyed every bearing in my bike save one – not to mention the quarter cup of slurry that found its way into my chamois. The replacement bearings took a few weeks to source and install; the damage from the sandy chammy took over a month to heal. Water – and the additional wear it imposes on the machine (and sometimes our bodies), is not to be under estimated.
Water also introduces direct challenges while riding, the nuances of which can be explored while climbing or cornering by means of spinning out and crashing, respectively. Things get particularly interesting right around the freezing point, where the laws of physics governing cornering take on The Price is Right rules.
I have long espoused the merits of riding in bad weather; it removes the seductive qualities of riding a bike that see the weekend warriors flocking to the sport in droves during the summer months. In bad weather, the simple act of going out is already enough to make you feel the strength of your resolve as a Cyclist. But the fundamental pleasure of riding remains the same, with the added bonus of the clothing we wear making us look like the hardmen from Belgium and the dripping of water from our cycling caps serving as a metronome as we tap out our lonely path towards Mount Velomis.
We don’t ride because we love tree-lined boulevards and sunny afternoons; we ride because we love testing ourselves against our minds and the elements. There is a simple pleasure to be found in enduring a challenge; to learn to face hardship with a welcoming smile is a gift that riding a bicycle uniquely helps us discover.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Cyclelex Your post is a clear exception. I wasn't even close. In all seriousness, sorry for your loss. That's hard to fathom.
@Optimiste Thanks. Didn't mean to counter anything. Just found it therapeutic to write about my friend and a great ride we had in the rain.
@tessar
Let me make sure I understand this correctly. First, you point out how warm the place is where you ride...
...And then you go on to explaining how cold weather gear is designed to work?
In my experience, the neoprene works fine for a few hours max, after which they are less than useless, especially on a cold rainy day.
And I'm not talking about when its raining and 30C; I'm talking raining at 1C.
@Chris It might be worth a try if you don't mind having your legs stained the same blue as Mel Gibsons Chops in Braveheart... :)
@frank
and dont forget that sharks love neoprene
@Giles & Rom - I'm up for a ride in Perth Hills on NY Day - early start as likely to be opposite end of Rule#9 spectrum - see Rides thread
Went for a ride yesterday here in Minneapolis. -6 Fahrenheit, lots of hard packed snow and ice. Stopped for coffee hallway through. Mistake. I was all sweaty, and my gloves were cold and wet when I put them back on. No feeling in fingers by the time I got home. Had to wait a few minutes before I could get my helmet off. Still, worth it.
I don't always skip local CX races, but when I do, I ride gravel. Stay offroad, my friends.
@G'rilla
Nice pic but I've been feeling vaguely ill, realizing that I've been choosing the mtb and She Who Will Be Worshipped has been privileging the road. Twilight Zone shit over here, like trying to shake water out of your ear while being probed by aliens.
@scotjonscot
Way too late responding to this, but, what exactly does one ride on "hard packed snow" (besides skis)? Fat bike thing? I had a "bike" as a kid that instead of having wheels, had skis. Wicked fun until I ran it into a culvert and needed a trip to the ER.