I'm swapping my bike...

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
...for a pedalo.

I've not seen rain like this in a while - enough even to make the cagers take it a little bit easier (joking aside, some fairly good, considerate driving today)[1]. Huge puddles extending right to where primary is on some roads, and deep too. Managed to stay warm, but I don't believe anyone could have stayed dry in tonight's weather (I certainly didn't). Feet were all over the place on my pedals, making me think that a clipless setup is going to be my Christmas present to myself this year.

Hope everyone caught in it got home ok!


[1] Got passed overly close at one point, caught the guy up and asked him not to do that again - he was very apologetic.
 

mikeitup

Veteran
Location
Walsall
re

Just coming home tonight fairly average rain, got to the last leg of my commute and it totally PISSED it down.

Ronhills wet, but rest of me nice and dry thanks to specialized skull cap, berghaus tungsten jacket and my excellent Pro Endure H20 overshoes.
My Aldi gloves were soaked through again. Have ordered some DHB waterproof gloves from wiggle.
Might get a wet suit too.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I had to go and pick up one of my daughters from an after school club and it was raining cats, dogs and elephants.... it was great (borrowed hubby's waterproof trousers), and then the teacher felt so sorry for her she gave her a lift home. (And I felt guilty cos hubby was at home with the car and could of come out to get her). It was nice rain, warmish + heavy, - back streets, no cars and totally waterproof for that shortish distance - yep fun:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:.
 

HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
Hey isn't rain fun :biggrin: all I need now is a better set of light to make sure that drivers can see me, trouble is most of them don't bother looking:angry:
 

yenrod

Guest
Rain isnt fun when its going DARK your going round a roundabout and just on the point of exiting some twat of a cardriver races off from the previous entrance to the r.about and passes in front of me :biggrin: = I had one flashing light on the bars and one on the helmet (which was pointed in his direction - as I was looking at him) + a yellow top and the dick STILL didnt see me :biggrin:
 
OP
OP
John the Monkey

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
yenrod said:
Rain isnt fun when its going DARK your going round a roundabout and just on the point of exiting some twat of a cardriver races off from the previous entrance to the r.about and passes in front of me :biggrin: = I had one flashing light on the bars and one on the helmet (which was pointed in his direction - as I was looking at him) + a yellow top and the dick STILL didnt see me :biggrin:

Sounds like the commute I had on Wednesday that...
 

bonj2

Guest
was absolutely twatting it down in derbyshire...

but i set myself a record! :biggrin: 1hr 25, usually takes me 1hr 40.
mainly due to pretty strong tailwind most of the way - 20mph south-south-westerlies.
 
Providing there aren't too many corners, riding in the wet should be faster than riding in the dry - reduced rolling resistance.
 

HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
yenrod said:
Rain isnt fun when its going DARK your going round a roundabout and just on the point of exiting some twat of a cardriver races off from the previous entrance to the r.about and passes in front of me :biggrin: = I had one flashing light on the bars and one on the helmet (which was pointed in his direction - as I was looking at him) + a yellow top and the dick STILL didnt see me :biggrin:

I usually have four lights on the bars (with at least two of them flashing) and still drivers don't see me, hence I want to get something much brighter...
 

bonj2

Guest
Jacomus-rides-Gen said:
Providing there aren't too many corners, riding in the wet should be faster than riding in the dry - reduced rolling resistance.

yes, i've noticed this. there are quite a few corners but not compared to the amount of straights :biggrin: only really have to slow down for corners from skegby to glapwell which is a bit annoying as that road seems to manage to be all climbing except for the corners so still have to slow down for them :biggrin: shite road surface aswell and pitch black...
 

Plax

Guru
Location
Wales
I was quite disappointed today as I had the day off so couldn't commute in. I love cycling in the rain providing there aren't gale force winds. Usually it rains whilst I'm at work or when I get in so I very rarely get to try out my waterproofs.
 

PrettyboyTim

New Member
Location
Brighton
Jacomus-rides-Gen said:
Providing there aren't too many corners, riding in the wet should be faster than riding in the dry - reduced rolling resistance.

Why would the wet reduce rolling resistance? Surely you'll still get the same flexing of the tyre, irrespective of how wet the road is.

Furthermore, when riding in the rain you'll also be pushing a greater weight, as you'll also be carrying the water that has soaked into (or is lying upon) your clothes. You will also be expending energy picking up and throwing about the water that comes off your tyres.
 

bonj2

Guest
PrettyboyTim said:
Why would the wet reduce rolling resistance? Surely you'll still get the same flexing of the tyre, irrespective of how wet the road is.

Furthermore, when riding in the rain you'll also be pushing a greater weight, as you'll also be carrying the water that has soaked into (or is lying upon) your clothes. You will also be expending energy picking up and throwing about the water that comes off your tyres.

yes, but i think the rolling resistance comes from the fact that, from the moment a point on the tyre is touching the road to the moment when that point on the tyre leaves the road, it isn't always touching the same bit of road. If that makes sense. In other words, the tyre 'slides' along the road somewhat. In other words, you are actually always constantly skidding by a miniscule amount. It probably also happens not just forwards to backwards, but the 'squishing of the side part of the tyre inwards' (to use a technical term :biggrin:) which is why it's good to use high pressure in the tube.
This phenomenon is the reason why car speedos overread more the faster the car is going, because cars' tyres exhibit this effect aswell - i.e. they can only measure how fast the wheel is going, not how fast the actual vehicle is progressing forward.
Like I say don't quote me on that, but I think that's what happens.
 

PrettyboyTim

New Member
Location
Brighton
Most of the stuff I've seen suggests that the rolling resistance is due to the flexing of the tyre, but I can see that what you suggest could be a factor as well. I'd still be very surprised if it outweighed the effect of flinging all that water about and carrying the extra weight of water with you.
 
Top Bottom