RIDING IN WEATHER

“There is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices.”

We’ve had remarkable luck in the years that I have been leading these rides. So far we have had spectacularly good weather. Some of our events have had to contend with quite warm weather during the day, and on one occasion the start of the ride was pretty chilly, but we have not been seriously challenged by the weather. One day that will change. The odds are bound to catch up with us.

I say that “we” have had very good weather luck. On the other hand I have logged many thousands of miles in rough weather. My best advice is to prepare for it. The strategy for this is a two pronged approach. First, study the problem and make reasonable equipment and clothing choices. Second, actively seek out adverse weather to ride in.

That second “prong” may take some explaining. Riders need to test their equipment and gain the experience and skills to handle rough weather. This is best done before it is actually needed. Think about it. A local ride, possibly confined to the neighborhood, will tell you weather a rain jacket leaks, how fast your shoes fill with water, and what how these event affect you… And you can bail out if the going gets too tough.

What can we reasonably expect? The ride goes in early October. That’s early fall in North Georgia. Likely, it will be a warm day, sunny, and dry. Rain is always a possibility. The historical average temperature range for that day is from 58 in the morning to a high of 68, with a 20% chance of about 0.1 inch rainfall. Of course the record for the day is 100 degrees in 1954, with a record low in the 30s in 1952, and a rainfall of 4.6 inches on 9 October 1966. That’s a pretty huge range to prepare for. The strategy is to start preparing for everything now, and narrow preparations to the most likely as we draw nearer to the event.

Unless one has access to a very large meat locker, It’s difficult to test cold weather preps in the summer. However, rain is something we tend to get a goodly amount of. Two, absolutely invaluable bits of gear for rainy weather are a packable rain jacket, and either a cycling or baseball cap. The jacket is kind of self explanatory. The cap is worn under your helmet. It keeps the rain from dashing into your eyes and slows and deflects the drainage from your helmet.

Sunscreen is essential too. And you have to bring more along on the ride. You will need to re-apply during the day. I don’t care what the advertising says, there is no sunscreen available that “lasts all day” or won’t wash or sweat off.

In early October, we still get a lot of high angle sun. That means burning sunlight. Unprotected skin can start to burn in less than 10 minutes. Worse, the moment the skin starts to burn, it looses a lot of its ability to keep you cool. This is due to the nature of skin. As the skin begins to burn, the sweat glands shut down. If the ability to sweat is limited, then the body looses a large part of it’s cooling. So find a sunscreen that works for you, and then either find it in a size that is easy to transport on the bike, or transfer an amount equivalent to two to three good applications to a smaller container.

I’ll cover more of these topics in the near future, but for now, get out there and get wet. Start learning how to ride in weather. Then it’s just a challenge, not an emergency.

Keep the shiny side up!