first hill ride

[letsride89]

wow! thanks for all the input! now i can't wait to get back to those umm...oklahoma mountains...lol

ill keep you all updated on how i do next time ok? you girls are great! i'm going to take all your advice to the road!

too bad oklahoma weather STINKS RIGHT NOW!

its not a good idea to ride when the road is wet, right?

[redrhodie]

its not a good idea to ride when the road is wet, right?

Oh, you're going to get all kinds of replies to that one! Some of us do, and some (like me) are made of sugar and will melt .

[letsride89]

hahah red, thts funny!

what about my bike though. its my baby. is the rain bad for it?

[SouthernBelle]

Have to admit, probably not the best thing for the components. But if you wipe it down, and relube maybe, when you get home, all should be well.

I actually like to ride through the occasional puddle.

[Eden]

hahah red, thts funny!

what about my bike though. its my baby. is the rain bad for it?

A little rain won't hurt your bike - but you do need to dry it well when you get home and relube the chain, otherwise any remaining water will make it rust.

The grit that is on the roads mixed with water can make a kind of nasty slurry that wears some components and your rims faster than if you always ride when its dry, but your likely to only notice that if you ride in the rain a lot. Out here in the rainly PNW those of us who ride through the winter often have a "rain bike" with cheaper, sturdier components on it just because of this. You can cut down on the wear and tear by being sure to rinse your bike (gentle running water - no power washing! you'll just drive water and grit into areas that it shouldn't go) and dry it thoroughly each time you ride in the rain. Check (and likely change) your brake pads often if you have been riding a lot in the rain too. Make sure there isn't any embedded grit in there to hurt your rims.

[mimitabby]

this is a great thread! I suggest you TRY riding in the rain, not a big ride just a little one. I bet you don't melt.

Even here in the wet pacific northwest, we tend to not want to ride when it rains, but we often do anyway and no one gets hurt. Many of us ride steel bikes and they have not rusted away yet!

[indigoiis]

All of the above, plus:

-Counting revolutions. (So you can then say, "WOW, that was a 100 rounder!")

-Reciting the ABCs as you go up.

-Singing that song, "You spin me right round baby right round..." by Dead or Alive until you get to the top. Problem with that song is, like "Who can it be now" by Men at Work, it gets stuck in your head for the rest of the ride.

[letsride89]

HAHAHAHA
i'm sorry but that was great!

..i'm sittin in my college class and i read your post "you spin me right around baby right around.."

..and i actually laughed out loud and got weird looks.

thanks for that.