It’s only water

Yesterday was one of those days where it could be easy to drive rather than ride. I had to go to visit my client in Walker (just over 8 miles each way), and when I got up, there was a steady drizzle falling. Not the kind of weather where you look at it and the decision to drive gets taken in an instant . . . but not the kind of weather that looks too appealing for cycling either.

What to do?

Didn’t really take much deciding in the end - I hung around at home for as long as possible, hoping that the rain would ease off, but when it didn’t, I was forced to make a simple choice:

  • Stay dry, and drive? There are two down-sides to this. Firstly, I’m trying to develop an eco-conscience thing (actually, any kind of conscience, sense of ethics, or understanding of the concept of morality would be a start), and using the car for such a short journey runs dead against that. Secondly, I’d now left it late enough that in driving, I’d get snarled up in school run traffic. My journey might take me 25 minutes, or 45. Who can tell?
  • Get wet and ride? Apart from the getting wet bit, I really couldn’t see any downsides at all to this option, with a guaranteed journey time of 32-35 minutes. I keep a change of clothes at my client’s offices anyway, so even if I did get a complete soaking, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Decision made then. I did go somewhat Lycra though (Marc, I’m so sorry to have let you down on this . . .). I have a Nike Sphere running top / base layer thing. Long sleeves, breathable, warm when it’s cold (the sleeves are even extra long, and end in fold-back mittens), cool when it’s hot, and the most amazing day-glo yellow you’ve ever seen. I was wearing a waterproof coat over the top, but I wanted to ride fairly hard to minimise my time in the rain, and this was the perfect garment for the job. All the same, I did get a bit wet - both riding in and back home in the evening.

So, did I take the right decision?

Well, as that foxy Governor from Alaska would say, “You betcha!”

Workout:

  • Type: Cycle
  • Date: 11/06/2008
  • Total Time: 1:10:00.00
  • Distance: 18 miles
  • Average Speed: 15.43 mph

Filed under: Bike Culture, Bike to Work, Cycle, Newcastle, Weather, Whitley Bay

2 Responses to “ It’s only water ”

  1. Carlton Reid on November 7, 2008 at 11:10 am

    Do it on a Dutch roadster, with full mudguards etc. That will please Marc.

    Hmm, I wonder how long the trip would take then?

  2. David Hembrow on November 7, 2008 at 12:24 pm

    Carlton: Probably about 5 minutes longer. If that. They’re not really all that slow you know.

    You did the right thing to cycle, of course.