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Permalink Reply by natesos on February 26, 2009 at 4:10pm

Getting caught in this stuff on the way home is better than the way TO work. And as long as you pay extra attention to your brakes and making yourself visible, the rain was kind of nice. It's above 50! and my bike is certainly cleaner than it was this weekend.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on February 26, 2009 at 6:38pm

h3- Apparently February is now a "swing" month.

h3 said:

Back in my out-riding-50-100-miles-every-Saturday-and-Sunday days I learned not to believe the weather report. What I've come to believe is that it can be fairly solid in the middle of winter and in the middle of summer, but in "swing" seasons like spring and fall the accuracy drops off dramatically.
As they say in meteorological circles when they think nobody can hear, "the best predictor of tomorrow's weather is today's."

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Permalink Reply by koala on February 27, 2009 at 4:02am

When we're out sailing we call the weather radio the "box of lies."

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Permalink Reply by Anne on February 27, 2009 at 4:28am

My motto for riding and being prepared for weather this time of the year is "if you don't put it on, you can't take it off". Therefore everyone laughs at me that I'm "overdressed"

I left Evanston at about 6:15, just drizzling, then WHAM the firehose let loose.

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Permalink Reply by Jim "Niterider" on February 27, 2009 at 5:09am

Did the Harmony Hundred Century ride back in September 2000 in the rain. All day the weather was brutal! It never let up for 8 hours in the downpour. 100 miles of having no breakes, cold wind and no hot food. Everyone doing the ride commented on how nuts I was to be one of the few people that did not say screw it and give up and sag. Lots of crashes also. Did not pay to draft on anyone or you got a spray of water right in the puss. I was hypothermic for the last 15 miles back to Wilmot. Shaking so bad,along with no muscle coordination left and starting to hallcinate. That was the worst riding I can remember in along time. I traveled light and had my ass served to me with a side of misery and desspair for desert! Having since learned this I bring a lot of clothing and am well coverd head to toe!
Like Anne stated being overdressed may look funny, but is not that bad of an idea when everyone you are with are cold, wet, and miserable. Biking is supposed to be fun. Not so fun when you start hearing and seeing things that are not there, can not feel your hands and feet, and shake so much you can not hardly sit on the bike! Spring and Fall are the two worst seasons when it comes to extreme temperature shifts and rapid weather changes. When in doubt, take the item with you. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

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Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on February 27, 2009 at 5:15am

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with way too many layers on and a bag full of more :)

Anne said:

My motto for riding and being prepared for weather this time of the year is "if you don't put it on, you can't take it off". Therefore everyone laughs at me that I'm "overdressed"
I left Evanston at about 6:15, just drizzling, then WHAM the firehose let loose.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 27, 2009 at 8:12am

Reminds of a ride I did a few years ago. Was returning from Riverside to Evanston on my road bike. The sky started getting dark as I passed through Austin. I rode faster. The sky got darker. I was halfway home when the sky opened up and gave its all. By the time I got to the viaducts along Ravenswood, all the viaducts were flooded. Had to pick one of the less-deep ones to cross and continue east. In that area and a few others, I was pedaling through ankle-deep water at times. I rode in some serious downpour for over an hour. The miracle was that I'd taken the precaution of wrapping wallet, cell phone and a few other items in two plastic bags, just in case. At least that stuff was dry when I got home. I think it took two days for my shoes to dry out.

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on February 27, 2009 at 8:47am

LOL I like that!

koala said:

When we're out sailing we call the weather radio the "box of lies."

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Permalink Reply by justJason on February 27, 2009 at 8:59am

I had a brief window to escape the mean rain yesterday evening, but I opted to head to the Globe for drinks with all my recently-fired co workers instead. Of course by the time I wanted to leave, the sky was already crying and I was half in the bag (as the kids say). I was riding my old Raleigh that doesn't have the best braking in DRY conditions; I had to start braking about a block before I needed to stop. And there were quite a few stretches on Damen where the water was pretty deep. By the time I made it home, I was thoroughly drenched, but also had a pretty fabulous time!

I rode once after a flood in New Orleans. I was trudging through water that was up about 3/4 to the top of my wheels! THAT was wacky. I don't know if that was biking or "hydrocycling!"

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Permalink Reply by justJason on February 27, 2009 at 9:18am

I tried the same approach, but there are simply so few virgins left to sacrifice these days. ;-)

travesty said:

I made a deal with Mother Nature, dropped a fortune on offerings and sacrifices and then she totally iced me out. Blew me off. Rained on my parade. I thought I might die, when i couldn't catch my breath and was drowning in her stormy seas, her tears of fury.

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Permalink Reply by cutifly on February 27, 2009 at 9:39am

I gotta take a pass on the Mass ! Darn !

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Permalink Reply by S on February 27, 2009 at 9:44am

Julie Hochstadter said:

h3- Apparently February is now a "swing" month.

Julie, every month in Chicago is a swing month.

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