A pox on Mother Nature

[SadieKate]

I'm sitting in my living room and can see beautiful clear blue sky to the west while it is pouring rain on the roof. It's been this way all morning. Little chance the roads will dry out for a ride tonight.

Ack! Just when I was really getting my mileage back up for the coming century season.

[maillotpois]

OMG, SK, we had hail, thunder, lightning and pouring rain this morning. It was actually a little scary. I'm thinking, this better clear up by my long ride on Sunday. 120 miles in anything like that would simply not be an option.

I do spin classes T/Th at a gym where the bikes are outside on a covered patio. The hail was so lound I thought we woul dnot be able to hear the music.

It has to get better, right?

[Dogmama]

In AZ, it is beautiful, sunny, about 75 degrees. And I had neck surgery 2 months ago & cannot ride (OK, I did sneak out for 45 minutes last Sunday.) AND we desperately need rain.

Mother Nature must be perimenopausal.

[SadieKate]

The wind early last night was so strong I thought some trees were going to come down. I generally love big winter storms when I can snuggle down with a blanket and book, but last night was a bit scary.

Perimenopausal? More like plain old PMS. Really, really sharp mood swings.

[SadieKate]

Once again, blue sky starting to show out west. Rain in my west-facing backyard and hail on the south wall of the house.

Maybe I should check the north side for snow.:rolleyes:

[wabisabi]

Yeah, we also really got pummeled since Sunday by that storm, lots of wind, and it must have rained for 36 hours. Some of the mountain roads have boulders falling from places that just can't be reached. At least it was a pretty warm storm, and I, too, can see some blue out toward Humboldt Bay, may even get a ride in after work.

I am happy this week because my assistant got a new road bike (Specialized Dolce), and I get to let her in on all the good stuff (like this list). I like to think that I had a little to do with her getting it!

[Trekhawk]

Ok who ordered this weather???
I just checked the weather online and its saying rain for the next 9 days.:eek:

Lots of trees down in my area. Passed a house on the high side of the road on the way to drop the kids at school and half there yard has subsided and is now lying on the road.

Not looking good for riding here at the moment even if the rain stops with all this debris.

[CorsairMac]

Gosh ya'll I'm so sorry to hear about your weather! 71 here, and it just now clouded up which doesn't mean rain, it just means we got clouds! lol I actually got to ride the Trek this am (the bike withOut the pack) coz I wasn't going to be packing as many clothes home! Now I just need to motivate myself to start riding at lunch again!

[yellow]

Gray, windy, blaaaaaah.

This weather makes me want to sit on the couch and take up chain smoking. It gets me so down.

No (substantial) precip here yet. Unfortunately, it feels like when it does start, it will be rain. I much prefer the snow (no muddy paws)! I'm with ya, SK. Even moreso since I actually went for a ride OUTSIDE yesterday. :(

[yellow]

Oh and, BTW, DH is out of town again and since it's gray and rainy, I'm having beer for my afternoon snack. Any bets on whether I'll make it to the gym tonight or not?? :p

[crazycanuck]

Umm...i wouldn't mind some coolish weather...it's still too hot for me...35 to 39c this week..

Just as long as it's not 35 on sunday for the karri cup (100km ride off road) i'm happy.

c

[MomOnBike]

It's actually really nice around here. 73 F, Partly cloudy, and a slight breeze from the south. No wonder I took the long way home...

[im4smiley]

No riding for me today I like warmer weather. It was about 25 degrees I think today. (2-8 tonight) I did go to the bike shop today to look at my bike, they are putting new computer on it. If only it would warm up about 20 degrees I could ride my new bike!!

[wabisabi]

Gosh ya'll I'm so sorry to hear about your weather! 71 here, and it just now clouded up which doesn't mean rain, it just means we got clouds! lol I actually got to ride the Trek this am (the bike withOut the pack) coz I wasn't going to be packing as many clothes home! Now I just need to motivate myself to start riding at lunch again!

ON the other hand, we actually HAVE water here, :D unlike my poor (biological) sisters in the southwest (Phoenix and Mule Creek)!

[maillotpois]

How is it possible, in a ride that's essentially a big CIRCLE, to have a headwind the ENTIRE time???? :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Brandi]

Oh and, BTW, DH is out of town again and since it's gray and rainy, I'm having beer for my afternoon snack. Any bets on whether I'll make it to the gym tonight or not?? :p What about making your cookies? Cookies and beer go together right?

I live on the central coast of California, it has been clear all day. Got an awsome training ride in. I over did it, but I have two days to recover sence it suppsoed to rain. Wait someone said the next nine days:eek: that bites! i need to get a trainer (blah).
And the wind was so bad the other day but it made for a great ride home. I swear we were going over 40 with no effort. It was fun!!!!:D

[CorsairMac]

How is it possible, in a ride that's essentially a big CIRCLE, to have a headwind the ENTIRE time???? :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

ROFL - don't know about your state but it actually IS possible here.....we have mountains with canyons on one side of the city and volcanoes on the other so depending on the wind direction, it can hit one of those barriers and cause "canyon winds" and we can have headwinds from all 4 directions. Course, it makes for some Awesome hot air ballooning!

[DirtDiva]

How is it possible, in a ride that's essentially a big CIRCLE, to have a headwind the ENTIRE time???? :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
You should've gone the other way around the circle. :p ;) :D

[SadieKate]

Which corner of the house am I supposed to go to? And, yeah, this is how you get headwinds the entire time. I was going to do Spinverals but I think I need to delay a bit.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
512 PM PST THU MAR 2 2006

CAZ017-018-030215-
SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-
512 PM PST THU MAR 2 2006

AT AROUND 5 PM A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS BEING OBSERVED IN THE DIXON AND
VACAVILLE AREA SOUTHWEST OF SACRAMENTO. THIS FUNNEL CLOUD WAS
ASSOCIATED WITH A LINE OF DEVELOPING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY. THIS FUNNEL CLOUD WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING WELL OFF THE
GROUND AT THIS TIME. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE NORTH AT AROUND 20
MPH AND THIS WILL BE MOVING TOWARD AREAS NEAR AND NORTH OF DIXON
AND DAVIS INCLUDING INTERSTATE 80. ..INTERSTATE 580 AND THE WINTERS
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY
AND SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

[SadieKate]

They're predicting snow on Diablo again tomorrow.

[Tater]

So much for getting outside today :cool: ; it is gray, cloudy and threatening to rain. I am so getting tired of the trainer!!!

[uk elephant]

So much for getting outside today :cool: ; it is gray, cloudy and threatening to rain. I am so getting tired of the trainer!!!

Why would rain or clouds keep you from going out? Just wear some rain gear and head out. Real weather just makes you feel that much more alive in my opinion. Now if it was 80 degrees and sunny, then I might be more reluctant to go out.

[maillotpois]

AT AROUND 5 PM A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS BEING OBSERVED IN THE DIXON AND
VACAVILLE AREA SOUTHWEST OF SACRAMENTO. THIS FUNNEL CLOUD WAS
ASSOCIATED WITH A LINE OF DEVELOPING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY. THIS FUNNEL CLOUD WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING WELL OFF THE
GROUND AT THIS TIME. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE NORTH AT AROUND 20
MPH AND THIS WILL BE MOVING TOWARD AREAS NEAR AND NORTH OF DIXON
AND DAVIS INCLUDING INTERSTATE 80. ..INTERSTATE 580 AND THE WINTERS
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY
AND SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

Um. Scary!!!! Stay safe, SK.

DH is going to Sac this afternoon for a mediation. I will tell him to watch for tornadoes. (I hope he picks up Pietro's for dinner on the way home as ordered. I am fairly addicted to their Italian sausage.)

[yellow]

Why would rain or clouds keep you from going out? Just wear some rain gear and head out. Real weather just makes you feel that much more alive in my opinion. Now if it was 80 degrees and sunny, then I might be more reluctant to go out.
Oh, as I think SadieKate once said:

wet rims = :(

That's my excuse, anyway, and I'm sticking to it! (That and having to pull the bike all apart and clean it. Ugh.)

[SadieKate]

Wet rims, destroyed equipment or hours and hours to clean it each and every time and . . . visibility. The drivers are challenged enough seeing me in clear weather I don't need to be hidden by the rain.

Also, here in the American West rain comes in buckets this time of year. Thank goodness, because it doesn't come in other seasons. Not to mention funnel clouds and lightening. I've never seen funnel clouds up Idaho-way but I've seen plenty of lightening. Both of these should keep everyone off their bikes. I'd just as soon not have to be clicking the heels of my ruby Sidis in a vain attempt to safely make it home.

[uk elephant]

... wet rims = :( ...

You mean you spend tons of money buying a piece of outdoor equipment and then it can't handle being outside?! That just sounds wrong to me! I bought the bike for riding outside, not for redecorating my house. I intend to use it outside. And I do not wait for "perfect" weather. If I can tolerate rain, so should the bike. If I can tolerate snow, so should the bike. My old bike did just fine. Commuting to work in all kinds of weather year round (snow, sleet, hail, rain, sun, whatever inbetween) for 15 years before needing a service!

[Tater]

Why would rain or clouds keep you from going out? Just wear some rain gear and head out. Real weather just makes you feel that much more alive in my opinion. Now if it was 80 degrees and sunny, then I might be more reluctant to go out.

I don't mind getting caught out in the rain at all, it is a part of the fun. And yes, I have the wet weather gear to do it. But, last year I had a spectacular wipeout on a rainy day with my road bike. Something about slick tires, a curve in the road, smooth pavement and down I went. A beautiful purple/red bruise on my hip and some road rash I earned. Now I am a bit more cautious about going out in the rain, at least on my road bike. The mountain bike is another story!

I agree with SadieKate as well, rain seems to pour from the skies this time of year and I am not visible enough to motorists in clear conditions, I don't want to push the envelope when limited visibility occurs.

And yes, wet rims = :( . Well said!!

[SadieKate]

Unless you're running disc brakes (which most road bikes don't have), your rims will not be happy when wet. Maybe the new ceramic ones are better but why should I buy a new set of wheels for an extra couple days of riding? Additionally, I like to have more than 2 square inches of rubber in contact with wet pavement, decaying leaves, mud, ripe olives, etc., etc.

My body will tolerate the rain just fine, but it won't tolerate the cars that hit it. Even a beater bike for rainy conditions won't change this.

So, you say, go mtbiking because you don't have these issues. I don't care to destroy someone' backbreaking trail building labor or start erosion problems.

As Tater said, getting caught in the rain is fine. Starting in the rain, no.

UK, check your bike's parts and specs. It is not completely sealed against the elements. Feel free to ride in the rain, but you will need to spend a lot of time over the years pulling parts, cleaning, lubing, checking the inside of the frame and replacing parts. If you're OK with this, have fun.

FYI, we had one 40 mile ride in the rain on our steel tandem. We found rust even in the eyelet holes for the bottle cages. It's fine but it brought home the fact that you have to strip the bike to the bare bones when you treat it this way. And, we don't even have salt on the roads like Idaho and Utah. Oy vey!

[yellow]

salt on the roads like Idaho and Utah. Oy vey!
That's my other excuse! :p

I think uk has a cyclocross bike so hers may be more suited for riding in wet conditions. Yes? My little road bike is not. And I have freely admitted many times on this forum that I am a fair weather rider. I'm a big wuss. I admit it. :D That being said, I have been "caught in the rain" and toughed it out just fine. But it's not enjoyable to me. If it's precipitating (is that a word?) of any sort, I'd rather be up in elev in the snow V2-ing up a gentle incline! :)

[Brandi]

No riding for us today!:mad: We just had hail and tons of rain. The sun keeps poking out then running away scared of the big dark clouds. I would love to see a funnel cloud! I got caught in a dust devil once in the street while I was walking. It was a neat sensation! my shirt almost flew over my head! You could walk with it too. Then it just disappered into the sky.

[uk elephant]

That's my other excuse! :p

I think uk has a cyclocross bike so hers may be more suited for riding in wet conditions. Yes?

I do have a cyclocross bike exactly for that reason. I refuse to be locked up indoors for 6 months a year (at least) just because it's raining/snowing/hailing/sleeting (or whatever else the skies may dump).

I am aware of salt being an issue, which is why my old bike finally gave up after 15 years. It had been fine up until year 14, then I brought it to Illinois. The first winter turned the bike to a big pile of rust. They must use more salt on the roads than in Norway.

[Brandi]

No riding for us today!:mad: We just had hail and tons of rain. The sun keeps poking out then running away scared of the big dark clouds. I would love to see a funnel cloud! I got caught in a dust devil once in the street while I was walking. It was a neat sensation! my shirt almost flew over my head! You could walk with it too. Then it just disappered into the sky.

[SadieKate]

Cyclocross bikes have the same issues. Depending on parts, the seals will be a bit better but you still have to do the same maintenance as you would a mtbike. Those cables will rust and jam up without it. The tire contact patch will be narrow-ish at best on pavement unless she is running road tires and then the contact patch will be small like a road bike. Cantilever breaks will be better in the rain but still not perfect. A cross bike will be a bit more weather durable but will still need lots of TLC. Think how much time we all put into cleaning our mtbikes? If you ride in the rain, invest in a ton of grease and use it liberally.

I can do so many other things with my time if I don't triple my bike cleaning time for the sake of a couple rides a year.

[SadieKate]

Hail? No way. I've been out fishing in it and thought the bones on the backs of my hands had been broken. I'm not going to add the speed of a bike to the force of hail.

[uk elephant]

I can do so many other things with my time if I don't triple my bike cleaning time for the sake of a couple rides a year.

Unless you live in a part of the world (like northern Europe) where it rains more than a couple of times a year....I would like to actually ride my bike more than a couple of times a year...

But because you all keep naging about bike cleaning, I will learn how to do it properly.

[Brandi]

I am with you on tat one! Did a sculpture in hail storm. Well it started to hail while we were carving. It really hurts! And if you are cold it hurts even more! We need a crying smiley face!

[SadieKate]

Yeah, even the big brawny Idaho boys I was with went scuttling for cover in the hail. There we all were trying to hunker down under an 18" bank cut behind some scrawny sage brush. Bubba does not fold up into an 18" bundle very well.

[Brandi]

That is a funny vision!
People think my dh and I are strange! Cause everytime a thunder storme happens we want to watch it. And think it's really cool. When we travel for work we end up in summer storme area's. We don't get big thunder on the coast of California like other places. So it is exciting for us!:rolleyes:

[Aint Doody]

I lived most of my life in the Deep South (been in OR for 14 years) and really do miss those big thunderstorms. Not the tornados and hurricanes. I love to visit my mama in the spring in Memphis and have those loud thunderstorms that shake you out of the bed at night. We just don't have that in Eastern OR. We have terrible dust storms--they're no fun. But I wouldn't think about riding in either!

[SadieKate]

Looks like yellow and I will be doing a little winery "research" instead.

...AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AND UNSETTLED PERIOD AHEAD FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA...

VERY COLD AIR WILL PLUNGE SOUTHWARD FROM ALASKA AND WESTERN CANADA OVER THE WEEKEND AND WILL BRING UNSEASONABLY COOL WEATHER TO THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY. VARIOUS IMPULSES ROTATING THROUGH A STRONG UPPER LOW WILL THREATEN THE AREA WITH SHOWERS AND VERY LOW SNOW LEVELS.

DUE TO THE SHOWERY NATURE OF THE PRECIPITATION WITH THIS SYSTEM...IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND EXACT TIMING OF RAINFALL. IT DOES APPEAR THAT THE MOST WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIEST SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL OCCUR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. OVERALL RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN . 50 AND 1.00 INCH ACROSS COASTAL AND VALLEY LOCATIONS...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO 2.00 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. DUE TO THE COLD AND UNSTABLE NATURE OF THIS AIRMASS...THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE THUNDERSTORMS WITH BRIEF HEAVY SHOWERS...SMALL HAIL...ICE PELLETS... AND WATERSPOUTS. GUSTY ONSHORE WINDS WILL ALSO PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND ANTELOPE VALLEY

. . . A WINTER STORM WATCH WILL LIKELY BE POSTED FOR THE MOUNTAINS...WHILE SOME OF THE LOWER ELEVATION AREAS MAY REQUIRE SNOW ADVISORIES. THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD TEMPERATURES...SNOW...AND GUSTY WINDS COULD BE DEADLY FOR UNPREPARED HIKERS OR CAMPERS IN REMOTE AREAS. TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL LIKELY BECOME EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AS WELL.

WHILE THE EXACT TIMING AND INTENSITY OF THE PRECIPITATION IS STILL UNCERTAIN...RESIDENTS AND MOTORISTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR VERY COOL WEATHER WITH SNOW AT UNUSUALLY LOW ELEVATIONS FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ANYONE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY THOSE HEADING TO THE MOUNTAINS...

[Brandi]

I want some wine! I live here in cali too. I am supposed to go to my sister's down south for my nieces first birthday sat. TTey are calling for snow! they are at 2000 feet. Which is where the party is supposed to be. I am debating on if it is a good idea to go at all. Driving through LA in the rain is not my idea of fun!

[Trekhawk]

Hey just when all the snow is nearly melted from last weekend here comes some more. I love snow but I also love the idea of being FIT ENOUGH for LRRH. I see the days on the calendar passing by and its getting a little scary. Im also very sick of riding my MTB on the road (I thought I was slow on my road bike):eek: .

So weather god listen up, please, please, please send this rider some dry weather doesnt have to be warm just dry.

Trekhawk off to count the days to LRRH again on the calendar.

[Nanci]

You guys need to post a winery report if you do that instead!!

Nanci