No substitute for a car?

[subaqua]

all I can say is to those of you who still ride your bike in very wet weather is:
1. you are still young enough not to care. 40
2. you don't have far to go. 10miles each way
3. you are really really keen ( or foolish) its a no brainer- sweaty armpits in your face or fresh air
4. you don't realise the risks of riding in heavy rain from 4 wheeled vehicles. ( maybe goes with 1) please , my sides hurt from the laughter
5. you certainly are more devoted cyclists than me. quite possibly but we all start somewhere
6. you have no other choice. several options available, the bike is the one that fits best
feel free to add to this list if you think like me.

I think my responses in red sum things up nicely for me

 

[subaqua]

For me, I save 35 minute seach way over a colleague who drives in!

On a wet day the traffic increases and she takes up to an hour more than me.

Simples!

I regularly beat a colleague to Stratford from London Bridge. he uses pubic (sic) transport i use 2 wheels and the not so superhighway/canaltowpath.

its the ice on the path i am concerned about this year after seeing how much standing water there is. annoyingly the journey is 50/50 between towpath and tarmac. might have to look at another way.

 

[Drago]

Raining today. I awoke in plenty of time so I could select the appropriate kit and not have to rush.

It proved to be a comfortable and perfectly safe journey. Indeed, there's something to be said for being prepared and appropriately kitted, and my commute along unlit country roads in the rain was very pleasant.

 

[gavroche]

Right, went for a ride in cloudy conditions but no rain until......I was a few miles away from home! I can categorically assert that I do not like riding in the rain and will not do so again. ( if I can help it ).
Good luck to those of you who seem to relish it but it is not for me. Rant over.

 

[Drago]

That's a rant?

 

[subaqua]

That's a rant?

how to put this without sounding offensive.

I don't think he is Welsh . Us Welsh can proper rant - Rhod Gilbert being a prime example

 

[green1]

Rhod Gilbert is a bloody amauter. You should hear my mother, even her welsh accent which has dissappeared after living in various parts of the world in the last 35 years reappears.

 

[gavroche]

If I rant in French, you won't understand me so English is more subtle for me.

 

[subaqua]

If I rant in French, you won't understand me so English is more subtle for me.

aahhh the gallic shrug- beats a rant any day

 

[ufkacbln]

I gained some infamy a couple of years ago......

When we had the snow, Portsmouth stopped

At 08:00 the only one of the managers in was me..... lots of people weren't making it in due to the weather.

I had cycled in (recumbent trike with snow tyres) when 4x4s were failing!

The word went round, and to this day I have the reputation of being weatherproof!

 

[Drago]

Mate of mine got a mention on the tv local news. He's 73 and gets up at 5am every day to do a paper round to the local villages on his olde Ammaco MTB. It snowed, the trains stopped, no one could drive the 3 miles to work, but this cycling pensioner never failed to get a paper to its destination. He's a bit of a local legend because of it.

 

[subaqua]

Mate of mine got a mention on the tv local news. He's 73 and gets up at 5am every day to do a paper round to the local villages on his olde Ammaco MTB. It snowed, the trains stopped, no one could drive the 3 miles to work, but this cycling pensioner never failed to get a paper to its destination. He's a bit of a local legend because of it.

Feb 2009 when the heavy snow hit London on a sunday night a colleague of mine was on breakfast news on Waterloo bridge being interviewed about getting into work on the monday . HE WAS ON HIS BIKE. I walked the 6 miles took me 3 hours. then the tubes started again so i went home and made snow angels with the kids.
17th Dec 2010 when the snow hit badly again, I rode home in it - i fell off at the last corner as it looked a bit iffy alomng my road and thought i better get off. i fell off 2 seconds after deciding to get off.

 

[ufkacbln]

I always find flood stories amusing form this point of view..

Reporter stating how everyone is inconvenienced, roads are impassible, boats rescuing residents.

Then cue cyclist. There is always a cyclist cycling through the flood as if totally unaffected.

 

[subaqua]

I always find flood stories amusing form this point of view..

Reporter stating how everyone is inconvenienced, roads are impassible, boats rescuing residents.

Then cue cyclist. There is always a cyclist cycling through the flood as if totally unaffected.

washing loads of grit into that unsealed BB

 

[Norm]

washing loads of grit into that unsealed BB

Someone called 'subaqua' is not allowed to make that comment.