Beutifull day for riding to work this morning, till about noon when the rains came. Even with all the new technology they still haven't figured out how to make a road down here that doesn't flood with every rain storm. I was a little nervous about riding home but that went away after a little while on the roads. By the time I got Home I has the same grin on my face I do everytime I ride. I wouldn't choose to ride in the rain but I'm not afraid to either.
Rain riding is a little scary at first. As you get more comfortable with it, it isn't so bad. On my ride Sunday June 25th, we ran into rain, hail, sleet & snow. When you're riding inside the clouds at 12,000 ft. you're liable to run into any kind of weather!
Glad you figured out it isn't too bad to be out on wet, slick roads.
H2O
I make it a point to intentionally ride in the rain occasionally, it's better to get some practice in under 'controled' conditions so that you know what to expect when you get caught in it..
I've been wanting to get more rain riding in over the last couple years. Problem here is that we just haven't had any & I really mean none! Last measurable moisture in Ft. Collins (other than the .05 inches last week) was sometime in March & that was just a dusting of snow. It's really dry here. Grasses in the hills should be emerald green right now. They haven't even come out of dormancy. Looks more like October or November other than the green trees.
At least Sunday's ride got me onto some wet, sleety & snowy roads. The sleet & snow were all above 10 or 11,000 ft. but we were riding in the rain all the way up the east side of Trail Ridge Road (Rocky Mountain National Park). Glad I decided to get a rain suit before the trip.
Too bad all you folks back east can't send some of that precipitation out here. The wheat & corn crops are drying up & blowing away. The entire state is under a fire ban, too. Dryest I've ever seen in Ft. Collins and rivals the 2002 dry year in the rest of the state.
H2O
Good job Hilary! I was a weenie all weekend and didn't take her out 'cause of the rain. But I'm going to go out after work this evening, assuming it doesn't rain, and do my Micco/Sebastian loop. Come on down if you are interested! I can show you my (cough, cough) twisties!!! :D
H20: Wow! Trail Ridge Road must be *amazing* on a bike! Dave and I drove through their last summer. Words can't describe how gorgeous that place is.
Quote from: Serendipity on June 27, 2006, 09:21:05 AM
Come on down if you are interested! I can show you my (cough, cough) twisties!!! :D
I was going to say this board is 'PG13", but i then i was thinking, none of us are 13... so nevermind, lol
Quote from: Lucky on June 27, 2006, 10:03:39 AM
Quote from: Serendipity on June 27, 2006, 09:21:05 AM
Come on down if you are interested! I can show you my (cough, cough) twisties!!! :D
I was going to say this board is 'PG13", but i then i was thinking, none of us are 13... so nevermind, lol
hahahahahaha
Quote from: Serendipity on June 27, 2006, 09:21:05 AM
Good job Hilary! I was a weenie all weekend and didn't take her out 'cause of the rain. But I'm going to go out after work this evening, assuming it doesn't rain, and do my Micco/Sebastian loop. Come on down if you are interested! I can show you my (cough, cough) twisties!!! :D
H20: Wow! Trail Ridge Road must be *amazing* on a bike! Dave and I drove through their last summer. Words can't describe how gorgeous that place is.
Trail Ridge is an *amazing* ride. You just need to go prepared for any weather condition known to man (well maybe not hurricanes ::) ). It can be 90 (F) & sunny here in Ft. Collins & 45 (F) with sleet & snow on top of that road. The warmest I've seen it up there is the lower 70s (F) & that was in late July. The wind never stops at that elevation, either. That road is on top of the list for likely rides at next Summer's 25 year shindig.
H
2O
h20 - I am one of those poor saps that live in the northeast and if it weren't for my rain gear my bike wouldn't leave the drive way. We have had maybe 10 days all spring and summer combined that it hasn't rained at all during the day. >:(
Most days for the past month or two have had at least a few passing showers on and off during the day. I have had more rain riding time then dry riding time.
I haven't put a single mile on my bike this season where I haven't had my rain gear with me because of the constant threat of showers. If I could figure out a way to get it to you I would gladly send the rain your way! ;D
Lucky: God you guys are bad!!! 'Course that's why I love you! I only put in that (cough, cough) because I think it's funny to refer to any curves in our part of Florida as "twisties".
Geesh....this will probably make Mutt's next avatar quote. ;)
H20: Ok, as if I wasn't already sold on our impending rally...I'm definitely going to be there now!!! That will be awesome! Just gotta watch for those elk! :D
Elk are but one of the potential wildlife hazards here. The photo below was taken at the Moose Visitor Center in North Park, about 25 miles East of Walden, Colorado. The statue is constructed entirely of short pieces of barbed wire. Along with my Vision, the black bike is a brand new Honda Interceptor & the tourer is a '93 Venture.
The rain in Rocky Mountain National Park turned into a beautiful, sunny late afternoon. We still had about 80 miles of mountain & canyon roads before reaching home.
H2O
I noticed the summer storms in CO are similar to here...wait an hour and the weather changes. :)
Incidentally, I had MY first ride in the rain this morning. I went off on a little early morning scenic ride/bagel run and ran into a few miles of DOWNPOUR on the way back. I was a little nervous at first but the little voice in my head said, "Trust the bike! It's aggressive braking/speed that get you in trouble in wet weather. Just slow down and you'll be fine." I could have done without the lack of visibility, partially caused by my fogging visor, but mostly that it was just raining that darn hard......but I was ever so proud of myself....I've been avoiding the rain as much as possible, though I knew it was a matter of time of course. Like everything else (so far) about learning to ride, it's not nearly as hard/scary/whatever as I thought it would be. :D
Go me and my bad self!
You're right about CO storms. They normally don't last too long.
Congrats on getting some wet weather riding experience without any major incidents! That's great. Smooth, slower & steady are the main things to remember when conditions deteriorate. One of the worst things to encounter in the rain are cattle guards. They are steel & slippery even when dry. Come across one in the middle of a curve & in the rain, & you really need to figure out how to cross them as straight & perpendicular as possible. First one I crossed in those conditions was very thrilling to say the least. Fairly significant "pucker factor" involved there. Didn't go down, but have been overly cautious about them ever since. Highway marker paint can also be extra slick in the rain.
H2O