Best, Worst Ride Ever!!!!!

[Shaula]

I just did a bike ride where the weather was cold and rainy. We had a choice whether to complete the ride or come back the next week when the weather was better. I decided to go ahead and take the challenge. Did 35 miles. Was soaked from head to toe. I was so cold, I couldn't feel my feet. Took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. I was miserable but was so proud of myself for completing it. That ride was, without a doubt, the best, worst ride ever. Do any of you have similar stories?

[CorsairMac]

Good on ya! There is nothing worse than facing that kind of weather and sticking it out! Now you know you can pretty much ride through Anything! I'm thinking a hot toddy for you tonight!

[nuthatch]

Never in the rain, but I did have a ride when I was a total novice to cold-weather riding that was awful.

My ride partner and I were trying to squeeze in one more ride in the fall and the day was suppose to be sunny and about 55 degrees. We set out on a long ride in the middle of nowhere about 4 hours before it got dark, assuming we would be riding as fast as we always do and could get the ride done well before it got dark.

Well, the sun disappeared behind clouds, the wind kicked up, the temp dropped to 40 and there we were with no gloves, just shorts on, no lights, not enough food, etc. about halfway through the ride. Then her rear brake locks up and neither of us knew how to disengage it using the quick release (didn't even know brakes HAD a quick release at that point). So we had to slow way down for that dragging brake and it started getting dark.

The only piece of luck was the plastic grocery bags I had in my trunk bag that we fashioned into gloves. This was on a limestone rails-to-trails path so there were no lights anywhere and it was pitch black by the time we got back to the parking lot.

I'm laughing at myself now as I write this - we were so stupid!! We stopped for a Starbucks to warm up on the way home and felt very macho about surviving that day!

[SJCzar]

I did a ride last summer that began in a slight drizzle and turned into a full out driving rain. I really hated that soggy feeling in my shoes. Lots of people turned around and quit but my riding partner and I decided to stick it out with the other toughies. Probably two-thirds of the ride was in the rain but the last third the sun came out and it was a beautiful afternoon. We were pretty much dried out by the time we got to the party at the end....great food...band... and well worth the extra effort that day.

[sydney_b]

Glad you stuck it out. There is something so satisfying about having 'done it' even if the doing of the thing is miserable.

[MomOnBike]

And then there was my tour last year that was nothing but rain and headwinds. All my pictures show an ugly flat grey sky. I think I saw the sun once. But, hey, I did it, it didn't kill me, and it only took six months to get funny. I'm ahead of the game.

We don't always enjoy the "bad" rides, but, man oh man, do we enjoy telling the stories afterward. It almost makes it worth the misery.

EDIT: Oops, I forgot to add the URL, but if you want to read all about my "fun," go to http://springfever2005.crazyguyonabike.com .

[CR400]

My first ever race was in weather like that, thankfully it was a crit. So it was only 50min plus a lap. Half way through it started to pour down rain and it was only about 50 degrees to start with. I was very cold and very wet at the end. Plus I had yet to learn how to draft properly in rain so I kept geting sprayed with other peoples rooster tails.

Had a 50 mile ride this past October, only ended up doing about 40 of it because it got canceled. It rained the whole time, wind was blowing, and it was only about 40 -45 degrees. Yeah that was really fun, yeah right. My feet were numb to after that ride. The full fingered gloves I wore could be rung out after the ride. So I can kind of understand what you went through.

Congrates you have reached yet another level of diehard cyclist. Now we both have to try commuting for a week in the snow at 10 degrees. I'm kidding don't try that.

[uk elephant]

... Now we both have to try commuting for a week in the snow at 10 degrees. I'm kidding don't try that.

What's wrong with commuting in the snow at 10 degrees? It was -4C (not sure what that translates to in F, but it's not warm) and snowing today when I was heading home from work.....on my bike....fantastic weather if you ask me!

[CR400]

I think -4 degrees C is like 26 degrees F. So it is still 16 degrees lower then your ride yesterday.

[uk elephant]

I think -4 degrees C is like 26 degrees F. So it is still 16 degrees lower then your ride yesterday.

I did cycle to campus every day through the winter when I was living in Illinois. Minus lots of degrees and windchills even lower with lots of ice and snow on the ground at times. The trick is to bundle up and have hot chocolate waiting in the office when you get there. Still better than scraping the ice off the car waiting for it to warm up then drive around looking for parking pay lots of money to park and have to walk from the car to the office.

[CR400]

Ok, I still think you are hard core then elephant. I hate the cold but I live in a place that has two or three months out of the year 0c is a warm high. And many times we start measuring snow at 6 inches.The only way you could even ride down main roads sometimes is very carefully on a moutain bike, and don't stop or your'll get bogged down.