The Sunday Morning Reasonable Ride
I rousted Frank early. The Sunday morning group ride rolls out at 6:30 am from Twin Falls. As I put bikes in the truck I saw a sky full of stars, a good indicator for a beautiful morning ride. I have been crazed to show Frank our local Sunday morning group ride and now he was on Maui it was finally going to happen. It is a casually deliberate ride along the north shore of the Haleakala volcano – the windward side, which is also the wet side. Frank is from Seattle and actually prefers to ride in the rain, I knew a little rain would not scare him off. We start at dawn to avoid the mid-day heat. A brief rain storm is a welcome way to cool off and still be dry twenty minutes later.
Some light mist was hitting the windshield as we came around the volcano, the wipers went on. This grew into a healthy, steady rain. We passed one rider using a headlight and rear flasher. I couldn’t tell who he was but I knew he was heading where we were heading. No one would be out on a bike at this hour for any other mission. When we finally pulled into the gravel parking area it was a proper wind/rain event. I wanted to invoke Peter Van Petegem’s beautiful line about how this weather was good for us. If the sun was over the horizon, no light was penetrating the clouds. My wife pulled up in a second car just long enough to curse the weather gods, bid us a fond farewell and head to a drier, warmer part of the island for a more civilized ride. Most reasonable people would have done just that.
We are not reasonable people. A few more unreasonable guys showed up. A reasonable girlfriend/cyclists was overjoyed to hear my wife had departed, she did too, leaving her shivering man and his bike behind. Starting a long ride wet is never great but it is warm here and we would get some dry and sun eventually. This group of unreasonable cyclists rolled out in good spirits. This was the Sunday group ride.
Frank had his new ultra-light carbon climbing wheels and their braking in wet conditions needed to be understood. He likes his brake calipers set very open (which I don’t get) but it made the testing even more exciting. Even my aluminum rims were only partially effective on roads this wet, I felt like I was pulling on the levers half the ride. Frank said the carbon rims worked well in these conditions; he could feel warm water coming off the wheels in the corners.
We reached the half-way point where coffee and food are enjoyed at an outdoor but sheltered picnic table. This was by far the wettest of these rides I’ve ever done. I’m not sure the rain stopped for one minute. Frank was in his element; talking cycling and being wet. Even through the rain and mist he understood this was a special route.
From our coffee stop in Nahiku, the strong continue on to Hana and the not-as-strong start the long initial climb back, happy the climbing will eventually put some warmth under the soaked lycra. Frank went to Hana, I headed back.
A friend and I spent the return ride diagnosing an annoying click coming from his bike. The rain never let up. Every descent was done squinting into the wet, hoping the piss poor visibility was sufficient to avoid mayhem. A moment behind another rider meant a face full of water coming off his rear wheel.
By the time I returned to the truck I had eaten everything in my pockets and rifled the glove box in the vain hope of finding something else edible. Every part of my kit was soaked many times through. Frank returned a bit later, buoyant, not the least bit annoyed at the weather. This was not a Rule #9 ride; we were not bad-asses for going out in these conditions, but we are not normal people.
This was a great ride.
Are the brake calipers “opened” up to prevent any incident of hard braking?
What is this “mid-day heat” and “warm water” of which you speak in January? Do you mean temps in the mid 20s after an overnight low in the single digits? Warm water? Is that the same as the piss on your gloves because you’re sweating nothing out on a winter ride and need to pee?
Kudos on a great ride. Sounds like it was a swell day out for “normal” (cough) folks.
I would give Lance’s left testicle for wet conditions like that….warm….dry….what words are these that you speak of in the dead of winter?
Great ride though….you are blessed to live where you do!
I been in full hate mode Gianni! Its around -20C with windchill here and only thing getting me outside is that i dont have a trainer or rollers. That and embro on the nads feels oddly enjoyable
you fellas have a proper good time for the rest of us!
Yes, we’re enjoying temperatures between -15 and -20 plus windchill right now. So I am deeply envious of you guys. What I wouldn’t give for a ride in conditions like these right about now! Thanks for the great report Gianni.
Beautiful piece. I never thought twice about Hawaii until I went there last year. Now I think about it a little too frequently.
I suspect that my attitude about rain is different from Frank’s. I have deep experience of PNW rain, and I don’t like it. My very limited experience of Hawaii rain suggests that it is different from PNW rain. But I’m saying more about me than about rain so I’ll shut the fuck up.
Nice piece, thanks.
Me and Mrs/Dr Eightzero got to ride the Big Island last february. A trip to the 50th state in mid-winter is really welcome, and it is a beautiful place. The BI is less touristy that I envisioned, although there is plenty of opportunity to find it.
@roger
Embro on the nads! sweet idea. I am envious of you fine gents, although I will be spending the next few weeks in the PNW. +5C! I will be bare legged!
Nice job, Gianni……I’m questioning my choice of living situation here in frigid New Hampshire….but still despite my jealousy, thanks for the piece.
@wiscot
Don’t think that we take this for granted out here. I used to live in the greatcold so riding in January and slathering on sunscreen is still a pleasure I don’t take lightly. Riding year round was one of the big incentives to leaving New England.
@roger We will get you and your Colnago out here soon enough. You can thrash Frank’s new best time up Haleakala.
@PeakInTwoYears This rain is the best. I’m almost always happy to get rained on…to a point. As I’m usually sweating like a freak, so some rain is most welcome.
@graham d.m.
Glad you enjoyed it. I’ve put my time in in NH. Brrrrrr. Mo bettah hea’.
@Dan_R
Your wheels are testing through the roof! Perfect for climbing, great in the rain, great on rough descents.
If Frank takes these on the Cogal and they survive, we will all need a pair.
@Gianni You are a New Englander originally, right?
That was a great ride. Incredible scenery, and for anyone who is paying any attention at all, they’ll see the beautiful landscape more clearly through the clouds and rain. The clouds give a dimension to the hillside that the sun could never hope to provide, and the rain washes away all the fools who are unwilling to weather it. Rule #9 leaves those who are ready to absorb the message.
And, as great as I felt on Sunday, this is how I felt but two days later.
@unversio
I ride my brakes very loose; for Shimano riders out there, I adjust my brakes so they are tight when cammed, then uncam them completely. On Campa, I will loosen the cable nut and hold the brake shut completely, then release it a bit before locking the bold down. Basically, I want to lock the wheel when I have the lever all the way up against the handlebar.
This does a few things, but mostly it lets me feather the brakes better; I hold the brake in my hand comfortably from the drops without having to keep my fingers extended and without having the pads touching the rims. Then I can flex my fingers to do as much braking as I need to.
This also keeps the brakes so wide that the rims don’t ever touch the brakes when I’m standing (I am big, heavy, fat, and “powerful” so when I climb out of the saddle or sprint, the rims easily touch the brake pads.)
@Deakus, @wiscot
This was most unique – warm water in the rain…strange. Very pleasant. I’ve been diving headlong into 40 minute hot showers after my rides back home.
@Dan_R
Regarding the warm water – I was in no mood to test the upper limits of the wheels or my gluing job, but under the circumstances, my confidence is buoyed. The major difference was that while with alu rims you hit the brakes, wait for the water to get rubbed off before any “slowing down” happens, and then use the brakes normally, carbon is somewhat different.
You hit the brakes, nothing happens – so you hit them harder, until hot water hits your face, presumably from the heating of the rim. At this point, the drying of the rim is accelerated and moments later, the pads will grab on the rim like it’s dry. If you are over braking because you don’t trust the rim, this could cause a face-plant. If you understand how the rims work, then they will brake normally. Basically, it means you just hold the pads to the rims for a bit before you need to use them. Helps to know the route, as it turns out.
The rain here in Abu Dhabi would be fairly similar in temperature I imagine but is far from welcome when cycling.
Because it rains so infrequently, plus there is so much heavy traffic on the roads where we ride, any rainfall mixes with months of accumulated oil, diesel, dirt, sand and everything else that drops off construction vehicles, trucks and buses to make a filthy paste.
It’s slippery, dirty and gets thrown up into your face and all over the bike. My V-jersey still has the stain marks of being caught in it before Christmas, despite several washes.
On the other hand I do know the pleasant feeling of warm and welcome rain from my days living in Darwin, in the tropical north of Australia. You would have several months of ‘the build-up’ between the end of the dry season and waiting for the wet season.
They called it Mango Madness time, because it was when the ubiquitous mango trees would ripen and drop fruit everywhere, so there was a pervasive smell of rotting fruit. It fellt like you were going crazy waiting for the rain – it was humid and sticky like in the wet season but without the benefit of the daily downpour. And it was the time of year when there were more cases of domestic abuse and other violent crime. Then the rains would come, 3pm every day, and everyone was so relieved – you would happily stand in the torrential, but warm, rain with thunder and lightning all around.
My favourite story from the NT was a disgruntled insurance company customer who loaded a shopping trolley with gasoline and fireworks, went into the local brach and set fire to the lot. He was so inept the managed to set off the fireworks but not the gasoline; but the real kicker was no one thought it was unusual in the slightest.
I have fond memories of warm rain, first as a boy in Milton MA. and then on O’ahu in ’02. I just loved being out in it and not cold. Thanks Gianni.
I love that warm rain. It’s Monsoon season here and so I tend to get wet at least once a day with my “daily shower”. The thunderstorms can be so hard that you can feel the water flowing under your wheels as you ride up hill And in the low spots in the road water can be up to you chain.
Hey Gianni, is that an EPMS you’re sporting there on your steed?
@ChrisO I worked in a mining town called Weipa at the (nearly) top of Cape York. After the first big rain, all the blokes and some of the ladies used to get tanked up and run around the town completely naked at 2 a.m. There was definitely more violent disorder in that area in the summer. I abstained from both activities.
Sounds like an awesome Sunday morning! Phew, that’s early, and I don’t mind early rides either, but I do understand it’s to avoid the heat. So let me get this straight, Gianni: you own a truck, you have a wife that rides, and you live in Hawaii? Jeez…I want to grow up to be like you!
But hey, I can’t complain too much. I’m still far south of where I grew up and used to ride, my VMH does commute by bike sometimes and will ride around town with me too (and she let’s me ride & meet her at events & parties, which is very understanding), and I could sell a bike or two if I see the need for a truck. But, having a father who has always had a truck I do hope to have one as a tool someday. I’ve been wanting to get him a t-shirt made up that says, “Everybody loves a dude with a truck,” since people are always asking him to haul something or borrow it.
Frank – Ah! That makes a lot of sense about the brakes. I always set mine really tight & while not as big as you, I have always found it difficult to feather the brakes from the drops. Shallow drops & the newly designed Campa levers have been a big help, but opening them up would be as well. Learned something new today, nice!
For most of us the weather is awful. Outside rides are either risky or foolish. This will either soothe or annoy, but here’s a great clip from 1982 of Hinault in his pomp. Fantastic array of jersies on view too: Atala, Renault, Del Tongo. Sit back, enjoy and watch the V bing applied.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG6Q2nFF0mI
“I’ve been diving headlong into 40 minute hot showers after my rides back home.”
The only thing that got us through some college lacrosse practices in -6*C weather with howling wind was the promise of a really nice, long hot shower. We’d stay in there so long sometimes the dining hall would be closed.
sounds like a grands time.
Nice! Warm rain in the islands. I love that. Heading to Bali soon, hoping I can source a bike while I’m there as flying it with me is cost prohibitive.
As an aside, when the rain gets too cold (rather turns to snow), I’ve found that this is great cross training (and is endorsed by the Keepers):
@wiscot
Hush your mouth! That might be an EPMS on Rob’s bike. I had mine surgically removed.
@Gianni Apologies! I had no idea it wasn’t you. As a keeper I know you’d never break a rule or if you did, post a picture of you doing it!
He might be all smiles now, but once Dad gets a look at the road bike he brought onto the boards, Axel is going to be in for a whuppin’.
If that is Axel. Paging Oli! (where’s he been – New Year holiday?)
Also, The Prophet’s jersey is incredible. Sporty yet classy! And is he wearing Gazelles?
@frank I was 3:41:49–a whopping 5.9 secs too fast. I must have miscalculated the advantage of your new Café Roubaix wheels. Good enough for 2nd place?
@wiscot I’m with you, brother. I spent the holiday in West Bend. Never got above -3 or -4C, and there was 31cm of snow. Glad to be back in Colorado.
@graham d.m.
Yeah. Massachusetts boy. Not too far from Milton, snoov!
@wiscot
Stand by. Photo of my bike with lezyne mini-pump on down-tube will appear shortly. Not everything is going in my damn pockets, FFS, despite Frank’s admonitions.
Speaking of warm water, it was 40C plus today in Melbourne and the water in the pool is a bath like 33C degrees.
I read of you guys battling cold and crap weather in the North, down here it is so hot. But great dry heat, not humid.
@anotherdownunder
Reminds me of a beautiful poem about the Australian summer by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre;
‘An Aussie Summer ‘ a poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre
Fuck, It’s HOT !
@anotherdownunder
yeah it hit a lazy 46 here in Adelaide today…apparently it’ll cool down before I head out tomorrow morning.
After weeks of sub zero, the last few days have seen East Scotland in balmy double figures. 12 deg C today, global warming having a positive effect at last. 3 deg more and it’s shorts weather. Must shave the guns again though. I had been relying on that extra insulating layer under the roubaix lycra…
@Gianni I had the privilege to ride the West Maui loop in September. The VMH allowed me a day to get up at 6AM to get the loop in one morning. Could not beleive how many other cyclists were out there. I started in Lahaina then went over to the tropical side and on way back had the winds at my back and averaged 45 KPH on final 25 KM on my beaten down guns.
Too scared to Climb up Haleakala, maybe next time! Did not want to die on my VMH. Broke one of the rules and rode up for one of those sunrise tours and rode down though. I regret that decision mightily.
@bdias85
Good on ya. The east maui loop is a real beauty.
You are wise. it’s not a ride to be taken lightly. Those downhill tours are rubbish, sorry you got sucked into that. Better to ride up to the park entrance and descend down as fast as you want on a nice road bike.
@frank
You know what is music to my ears? Hearing someone that know how to break with carbon rims! I know some mechs who will never recommend carbon clinchers for the fear of an idiot riding them through a whole descent and exploding the rim from the heat. First, I say, well then teach ’em how to break downhill – not. And, maybe you need to lighten up Francis. But thanks for the description Frank. I like teaching people how to brake carbon rims, but some fuckers just like to ice skate uphill.
On that note, I am en route to Oregon, I should be there tomorrow. I brought a few wheels to test out, including a set of clinchers to hammer downhill. Should be fun.
@Gianni
Thanks Gianni! Ummm, the 24mm wheels on the pavé? Oh oh, I better get Frank to pay up before going to the Low Countries…hehe
@Dan_R
where u riding in oregon? Couple of us actually live here…
@gaswepass Has Joshua arrived yet? Did he bring bear repellent spray?
@G’rilla
Havent heard word nor seen the fallout of said bear spray…
@sthilzy
50C??? Holy shitballs. That’s just wrong.
@gianni – great write-up, sir! I took several opportunities during the storms we had in November to get a few rain rides in. Sadly, both times ended up being beautifully dry rides after the first hour.
@Xyverz “shitballs” I always love to hear that one!
@gaswepass As a part of my retirement from the Canadian Army, I was entitled to some vocational retraining. I already have a degree, so I convinced them to send me here to Ashland to do the pro mech and frame building courses at UBI! Shawing!
I am going to get a long ride in tomorrow as I did the 1800km in time to have a day ahead of start on Monday.
And yeah, I plan on trying to link up with a few V since I am in the neighbourhood.
@Dan_R
the weather is uh, yeah, right now. did a couple hours today in mostly dry 2C weather here in PDX. Have fun in Ashland land.
@Dan_R
Ashland is a great little town. If you ski, Mt. Ashland is super close to town, and has some steep stuff (I grew up skiing there, being from Yreka just over the hill in California). Great food and brews there too. I’m a bit jealous you’re going to UBI, I’ve always wanted to take their frame building classes. Cheers!
I love Ashland. Great theatre (during the season), great food, fabulous landscape.