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good thread.
I've ridden in high winds (maybe not 50+ mph);
but this morning it was dark (at 6:30 am) and raining and the forecast called for dropping temps.
all of the above translate into not much adventure...I can handle the CTA once a month (like Ryan)
Like Gabe, I had the option to wait it out...so i did. However, I did have a moment by Montrose and Sheridan where I was frozen in time by the southern winds!
And, I'll make my own damn medal! :)
I agree with the philosophy of biking if it is not raining, but this did burn me, well I guess soak me, one day...
I was outside, saw lighting, counting 20 seconds before hearing the thunder and thought to myself, I can make it, it's only 3 miles to work. I bike off hard and get to maybe Halsted and Milwaukee and it starts raining. By the time I am at Lake it is pouring hard. When I arrive at Wabash and Monroe I am completely drenched.
I take my dripping jacket and soggy shirt off outside my building and put on the sweater I had strategically brought in case of complete wetness. I go inside to buy some horribly cheap (in quality not price), mass produced socks and underwear from the local CVS. I locate the undergarment section and examine the wears on the wall. The only size socks they have are womens 7" and the only underwear are mens XXL whitey tightys (so not my style).... hmmm what do I do at this point? Find the pantyhose that fit me, buy them and wear them dry and proudly all day long!
Riding a bike to work isn't a competitive sport. Taking a day on the bus much better than getting blown over by the wind and hydroplaning on wet pavement, or getting hit by debri. While I'm glad that people who did ride in made it safely, they don't get a medal for doing it.
I think that when I ride on days like this, it helps me to better cope with riding on days like this. There's a part of me that does the math on how far we are into fall/winter season (calendar wise) and if I would have not rode today it would make it easier to talk myself out of riding the next time we have adverse conditions.
While I dont think I would have felt that I failed by not riding today, I think I probably feel better that I did.
I love this response. Crystallizes one of the tenets of Bike Winter. The more you tackle crazy weather, the better you are at coping with it, the more likely that you will also be in the saddle when the clouds break and the winds calm. This is not to say that anyone should feel bad for sitting some days out. Not at all. But--as a general rule--if you want to get more skilled/rugged/adventurous with all season riding, when in doubt, roll on out.
That said, Michael for the first time took Miguel to school on the bus yesterday morning. Nice to know the option is there. But, on the way home later in the day, I know he was wishing they had biked. We use the trailer for raining/snowy/super cold days and the bike seat for clear, above freezing days.
Not Nathan Fillion (aka Paul) said:I think that when I ride on days like this, it helps me to better cope with riding on days like this. There's a part of me that does the math on how far we are into fall/winter season (calendar wise) and if I would have not rode today it would make it easier to talk myself out of riding the next time we have adverse conditions.
While I dont think I would have felt that I failed by not riding today, I think I probably feel better that I did.
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