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I did 30 hours in January. So far in Feb, with a combination of work travel, illness, the weather and trying to fix my Salsa, I've done 5hrs. I've been on leave this last week and done no riding at all.
Being ill the whole time just adds to the fun.
I fancy going to Bowland tomorrow, can handle the showers but 25mph winds ... and showers.
Good Lord....
You're the kind of people who watch Polar exploration from the comfort of your sofa and cheer them on, you'll watch epic mountaineering and struggles through -30 climbs and cheer them on.
It's winter.
It's a bit rainy.
It's a bit cold.
I'm sorry you can't ride your 2K (...and the rest...) bike, but you live in the UK.
Either Man Up or stop whimpering.
Nope. This is grim, 3weeks of this is doing my ****ing head in.
@crikey You can piss right off to the "stoically riding through the deluge" thread
Blouses.
Big
Girls
Blouses
It’s winter.
It’s a bit rainy.
It’s a bit cold.
A bit rainy. Quote of the year.
September 30th 2019
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February 20th 2020
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And cold? The max daytime temps have been below 10 degrees for only 11 of the 21 days of February so far here, with 4 days at 13 degrees and the lowest at 7 degrees. It's sodding February! I leave for work at 6:30 and I've had to de-ice the car probably less than 8 times this whole winter.
I don't mind a bit of riding in the mud, but 5 months of it? No, it needs to go away.
Yeah, it's been a really shit winter. Just want some proper cold dry weather. This is just never-ending rain.
I was going to run on the treadmill today but it was such a lovely day I decided to do an hour in the local park. Could you send some rain our way, we could do with it?
Sent with love from Madrid.
Bllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeessssssssssss.
Get on with it or give over.
You've got the best weather protection since we started wearing animal skins.
You've got the best bicycles since the Bicycle Age.
You've got central heating.
You've got washing machines.
You've got no excuse apart from being soft.
Every run/ride has ended up with soggy wet shoes. If it wasn’t for this device my shoes would be in bits. Don’t think it will be long before I have trench foot
Look up trench foot.
Blouse.
Managed to do all 5 days commuting this week, totting up just over 100 miles. I'm shot now but it's good not to be beaten by the weather.
But year, enough is enough with the wind, felt like I was being shoved sideways by someone this morning..
And you haven't died.
Because you're not a big girls blouse.
A lesson for us all, I think...
Only 3 days for me, but 170km on the bike and 15 running. That’ll be 35km+ Running by Sunday. I’m keeping going, but it’s not pleasant. The headwind this morning was 35kph.
Only 3 days for me, but 170km on the bike and 15 running. That’ll be 35km+ by Sunday. I’m keeping going, but it’s not pleasant.
See!
Learn to live with it or get fat. At our latitude, if we didn't have the jetstream, we'd be whingeing about the freezing cold all the time. Yes, Atlantic fronts are a bunch of see-you-know-whats, but there is no conspiracy behind our weather. IT IS WOT IT IS!
We could do xc skiing then, which would be cool. Axle deep puddles on nsl rural a roads, in gale force crosswinds is not cool.
I have to say, my local trails are almost impassable at the moment, even on the Singlespeed. The trails have been churned to almost a mud butter which clags to everything. I took the fat bike out the other day (mistake) and the wheel and drivetrain were locked solid - I had to carry the thing back and hose it off to free it as the sticks I was using trailside were just snapping off. I’ve had to do far more at Ashton court recently, but even Leigh woods is a bit sketchy at the moment.
My garage has now sprung several leaks, found out my back door lets in water when subject to driving rain, flooded porch, and my car boot now leaks and under the mouldy stinky carpet I had a spare wheel well full of water.
Pissing me off too.
Luckily I’ve only dropped 3 watts on my ftp over winter due to keeping some riding going on the turbo
Not just me struggling for mojo then. Only been averaging one shortish ride per week recently (Cotic demo booked on sunday) Still enjoying it when I'm out though TBH
On the plus side its given me chance to crack on with some DIY, hung and painted new doors upstairs over the last few Sundays
Pretty nice where I am at the moment. Back to the rain tomorrow 🙁
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Nevermind, posting images has gone to shit on here.
Not for riding a bicycle, no.
First dry day this week where an outdoor ride was distinctly possible and I have another bad night's sleep last night and end up back in bed for over four hours from mid morning.
As is often the case for me, I felt just as groggy when I surfaced and barely managed to get myself on Zwift before dinner.
Looks like unless I find energy to head out after work tomorrow afternoon, it's pissing down each day until at least Weds.... FFS!
Grumble grumble.... washed out the front end on some mud on a corner, and near fell off. One leg down hard and ive twisted my lower back again 🙁
When it's been wet, it's been sleet and snow. When it's not been wet, it's been cold enough for said sleet and snow to form ice, so even road riding is out. If we had decent snow, it would be OK, it's just been shit snow. We had wind speeds of 100mph on the mountain today. That' wasn't the gust speed, that was the minimum speed.
I'm normally pretty sanguine and stoical about the weather and will head out despite it all but it's really doing my nut in this winter for some reason.
me too scotroutes - not the whole winter but the last couple of weeks have been vile
When it’s not been wet, it’s been cold enough for said sleet and snow to form ice, so even road riding is out.
EDIT I was going to make a smug remark about spikes then I read about the wind...
At least my Salsa is back together. That's the bike I need for riding some distance whilst staying in the cover of trees and away from traffic.
EDIT I was going to make a smug remark about spikes then I read about the wind
Yeah - I have two bikes ready to go with spikes....
Nevermind, posting images has gone to shit on here.
It's actually pretty easy. We have the best computers we've ever had available to us, doncha know.... 😉
Noone is saying they can't, or won't go out in it, just that it isn't fun
I know that "riding a bike to have fun" is an alien concept to many cyclists, but some people have that attitude.
Says me getting up at half 5 cos my asshole friends are making us start riding a) miles from home and b) really early today.
3c, weather warnings and windy sleet forecast. How pleasant.
Bikes went away early November and haven't been out since. I was uplifting January last year it was so mild and dry.
It's been grim so far this year.
Biking is supposed to be fun. Slipping around in the rain and mud, getting cold and wet plus ruining your bike, isn't fun in my eyes.
Roll on march/April.
Where was that pic taken mate? Looks incredible
It's Gualdalest.
[quote≤] Roll on march/April.
March last year was a complete wash-out too!
Of the seventeen ‘rides’ I’ve done this month, 3 have been outside. Two of those were full day out in the FoD. Both of which were kind of type 2 fun but every week it seemed to be even wetter. The last one was a couple of weeks ago after trail maintenance. The trails were drying out nicely, then….
I’m going out today. It’ll be horrible. But I need to test my not-ridden much this winter FS as we’re off to Spain on Friday 🙂 Forecast for Malaga is cheering me up a bit.
It’s winter.
It’s a bit rainy.
With respect, **** you. For the last three weeks now me and my landlord have been trying to keep water out of my house, the mental strain is quite weirisome after a while. The folks at Hebden and all the way up and down the vally in Mytholmroyd and Todmorden have been trying (mostly successfully thank goodness) to keep their houses dry(ish) and their livelihoods going. Keep your uniformed, tatsteless, and offensive thoughts to yourself.
Lols at crikey , keep it up. 🙂
And for those posting pics of sunnier climes ....worm right off. 😉
My issue is , I always have a bastid head wind home , ffs. Great training aid , but massive fun sponge.
It’s winter.
It’s a bit rainy.
What a fanny.
I’m generally a “no such thing as bad weather” and “make the most of what you’ve got” type, but I think it’s the relentless nature of the weather these days that’s the problem. They used to say that, “if you don’t like the weather in Scotland just wait an hour and it will change” but now it seems that we get stuck in these weather patterns. Whether that is months of hot dry weather (2018) or this pattern of storms.
First week I just rode in the woods and it was fun. Second, the same but now I’m wanting to try something different. Still I dare say there is a Strava section nearby with a stonking tailwind. So, every cloud ...
I'm normally pretty mellow about the weather but this is really starting to get on my tits.
Every February I go to Scotland with a group of cyclists/walkers. Yes, we often get wet, cold etc. but it is largely v. enjoyable. This year was Skye and was definitely not enjoyable due to constant rain very strong winds and horrible ground conditions.
I left early and am feeling very unmotivated to even clean my bike. The good news is that it's not that dirty as the rain washed most of the mud off.
but now it seems that we get stuck in these weather patterns
aye, there's a polar front that extends down over Canada that forces the jet stream to be low (geographically) over mainland USA which then speeds it up and alters it's course which fires it straight over the Atlantic and brings warm and wet weather to us from the South West. It repeats every 7 days or so, which is why we are having (Atlantic) low (pressure) after low after low...there doesn't seem to be an end in sight to the pattern.
Getting seriously fed up with sandbags and mopping up though. It's not until you get a slight breather that you realised how stressful it is and why you have a constant headache and knotted shoulders, and then you just hunker down for the next one.
...which is why I'm poking fun at the softies who won't ride their bikes in the wet and cold and not at people suffering from serious problems...
Most of the stuff i do just now is picking the driest area with DH/jumps/etc and just going and practicing, not much cycling but trying to get the skills up and just doing miles through the commute, will need to get fitness back for the good weather, but the UK through winter does tend to be wet at the best of times.
Have been doing a lot of road riding recently to get the miles in but utterly fed up with that now so embraced the wildness of it all and did four hours on my singlespeed this morning in the wind and mud. Really enjoyed it. Variety is the spice of life.
…which is why I’m poking fun at the softies
I've been on the rollers and while I was on them I thought you'd come back with this sort of half arsed shit. If you want to poke fun, tell better jokes, if you want to be a edgelord, don't apologise afterwards, make you r mind up.
Idiot.
I think it's the ground conditions annoying me most - worried about damaging trails further if I'm off road.
Plus the bike cleaning - even road rides result in a bike and drivetrain in desperate need of a decent clean up. And 40mph gusts are my limit for safe riding, I'll be honest.
Hopefully colder and drier this coming week. Just stuck studded tyres on the spare wheels in case the towpaths turn icy, determined to get back on it this week
Idiot.
Bit harsh fella. He clearly wasn't having a dig at folks who have been flooded..
Tbf I don't mind road riding in the rain, the kit is so good nowadays. but it's the wind that destroys me. Last week I found myself doing 250 watts into the wind, flat road...9mph..
Still I dare say there is a Strava section nearby with a stonking tailwind.
Got a couple of PBs on the uphill track over Barden Moor this morning. The acceleration was like being little again and getting a massive shove from your dad.
There was a downside on the way back, mind you. 🙂
Met Office up to its recent tricks again...
From last Sunday, it reckoned it would be a showers day today.
Then suddenly yesterday it changed to being a dry day, so I got hopes up of a post work outdoor ride.
However, the original forecast was correct, I got wet on delivery and despite the mild temp, there's still plenty of standing water that I dont want over me; my clothes or my bike's drivetrain.
Looks like Weds after work might be the earliest possible dry outdoor ride. 🙁
Just taken a walk into town and it's almost t-shirt weather! 13 degrees, warm wind, I'm sweating away in a hoody and t-shirt whilst people are walking around in big coats, scarves, gloves and hats 😮 going out for a run in a bit, if the trails weren't under 1ft of mud it would be a lovely day for a ride...
In Scotland it's 40 mph winds with a bit of snow for good measure. This morning we even had a bit of thunder at same time..I didn't think snow and thunder at same time was possible!!
In Scotland it’s 40 mph winds
Maybe in Edinburgh, 60mph here gusting to 100.
Off on Monday for a couple of weeks wild camping™ in the Highlands, should be great fun.
Been pretty wet and windy down here SE coast, nowhere near as bad as elsewhere in the country, but enough to make the daily commutes a drag. Trying to fight off a (possible/undiagnosed/why bother see the doctor) chest infection, and rigid commute mtb out of action, so taken the burlier hardtail, lots of head/cross winds on way to work, it all just made the week harder work than I felt it should be! It was 5C earlier in the week, felt colder, and today, I'm outside cleaning the commuter ready for working on it with just a t-shirt on my top half. Might be shit riding by most standards, but at least the chalk in the area and openness of the tracks means they don't take too long to drain off, and the amount of rain has actually caused quite a bit of erosion making them more fun if I put the effort in.
I'd been considering it for a while, then at the start of the month a good deal came up so I went for it... I bought an E-bike.
I average 6000 miles a year, about half of which is commuting. 32 mile round trip, eastwards in the morning, then a chore of a ride home, usually into a headwind, but anything over 16 mph I generally sack it off. I aim for at least twice a week.
Since getting the E-bike I've rode nearly everyday, barely using the battery on the way in as the wind is so strong, then instead of shaking my fist at the sky I've been sticking two fingers up and powering through it on the way home with a smile on my face, often taking the hilly route as its now no slower and I get two cracking descents on the way. Its also the most inappropriate commuter, full suspension with 2.8 tyres, yet its no slower then my dedicated commuter and much more fun, as well as feeling safer.
I'm coming up to 500 miles for the month now, I'd have barely cracked 100 on my analogue bikes in this weather.
Well we went out. It was better than expected. We had very low expectations though 😉 Our favourite pub on the river was completely flooded out. No flood insurance (as in they can’t get any) so they’re working really hard to get it back open.
On the upside we still had a good time sliding about, and all that Turbo work appears to have done me some good.
Superb mdavids, that's a result. 👌🏻
Wouldn't mind an ebike myself for powering through the local slop.
Happy to mainly do gym/running instead though. Will be out on the MTB tomorrow though, expecting the worst in terms of trail conditions obvs.
Well, this morning was actually better than forecast - even saw the sun! Got a good ride in, before it started raining for the rest of the day...
Dunno if this will help or make matters worse, but it may be of interest for anyone missing dusty trails...
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/photo-epic-days-3-and-4-andes-pacifico-2020.html
I love it so much that I have been out in it all day, everyday this week!...............Actually I'm fekin sick of it! Only been out cos as a postie I have to do it. When not at work, I am not leaving the house unless it's to go to the pub. I get in and out of my van over a hundred times a day and it's really tiring fighting with the van door every time. It's either trying to rip your arm off or trying to smack you in the face. Lost the best part of an hour today on diversions around flooded roads.
“was like being little again and getting a massive shove from your dad.”
👍
I went out for a ride , 20 very quick miles north and 20 slow,sweary miles back. bastid wind.
The current weather can sod right off. Wall to wall gales and rain. I usually love this time of year, bit of slop, bit of frosty crunch under wheels late at night, the odd dry sunny day to give a taste of spring round the corner. I'm not riding to prove a point about endurance or survival I'm trying to have a bit of fun between the more mundane bits of daily life.
The wind here has mellowed a little, but it’s up, so tomorrow’s commute is going to be hilarious again. It has meant that the rain has rolled through quite quickly though, so less of a problem for commuting.
But... It is, no shit, perfect skydiving sky right now and I am missing the skies a lot. Apart from the likely -20 C at altitude of course will a 200kph wind chill...
I've started driving to the shop.
It's only half an hours walk there and back but I've had enough.
Never thought that I'd be one of 'those' people.
Rain blew through. Thinking of a 15 mile road bimble on the lanes, but my route appears to involve amber flood alerts, which is fine - last week it was under a foot of water as the "brook" got ideas above it's station.
I knew the cafe that my cycle club were riding to, it's only a couple of miles from mine. I had considered riding to their meeting point 15 miles away, riding with them to the cafe then cutting off home but typically, it was rainy and windy this morning. So I ran to the cafe.
Nice couple of miles running along the off-road (more of a river) track, met them at the cafe. They were all soaked and cold so I was glad I'd missed the riding part of the day!
That's how bad the weather is - it's made me go running!
16 degrees on the cars outside temperature gauge just now.
16 degrees, dry, sunny, 40mph winds. 🤣
I'm going running instead of riding this arvo myself, even though the sun's peeping out here now.
Probably for the best as I'm training for a half-marathon anyway.
Second day in a row of single speeding for me this morning. The wind is definitely the worst bit. Made sure it was in my face on the way out so the return journey was a hoot. Sun even came out for about 1 minute which was a treat.
Properly tired now after grinding through thick mud for 8hrs in two days.
Bluebell leaves are up now. It needs to dry up soon. Night rides on tacky trails through the bluebell woods are one of my favourite things ever.
I've fully had enough of the wind. I've been working on a tower block for 6 months and I think the cranes been winded off at least once a day for the last 3 month, in the last 2 weeks its worked for a day and will probably be out till Friday this week
It's the relentlessly high winds that are such a downer. One weekend you can handle, but we've had three consecutively and next weekend is forecast for more of the same. There's no end in sight.
I've been doing a lot of running through the woods and along the riverbank where it's sheltered, but it's not enough. I need a solid 6/7hrs on the bike. I just know that the first doable weekend that comes along, I'm going to bite off more than I can chew just out of sheer desperation.
Sincere sympathies to those for whom the consequences are more than just the pursuit of leisure. Flooded homes awful.
Feel for you guys. In Queensland, as long as you can manage the heat and humidity (85% humidity +20c at 5.30am at the moment), there's really only a few weeks a year when it's just too damned wet.
Well, after getting out for a run in yesterday's relatively balmy climes we are now snowed in! 😂😂😂
I'm another in the 'generally stoical, but this is starting to get on my tits' camp.
And the attrition rate of clothes, shoes and componentry is something to behold.
Meh, weather is 'challenging' but i'm getting some commuting miles in where I can. plus the dogo's are getting a lot of walks/runs in. They have to go out so we make the most of it!
I'm drawing the line at local off-road riding though, jeez the trails I ride are a mess! I know spring is on her way and the plants and trees should start sucking some of the moisture up soon but I<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> dread to think how long it will take for the trails to dry out enough.</span>
Actually feeling moderately fulfilled on the weather front..... After much cogitation I stuck with the weekend plan for coniston.
Sat in the car for an hour extra waiting for rain to subside then did a 50km loop from Blawith over Parkamoor, through grizedale then round to coniston. Up walna scar road and then down some ridge back to the road. The bit up walna scar was epic. Huge winds roaring off the Old Man. Could barely push the bike at times. Got dark just at the summit and was all looking a little bit spicy. Thankfully it stayed just the right side of spicy.... But great to have a proper adventure again of the type you can't really take the kids/family on