Exciting ride today!

[strandedinnz]

Weather made for fun ride in today!

[Damantis]

You either REALLY like riding, only have the bike for transport or you REALLY hate the bus! I don't mind a bit of wet, but wet with howling winds sucks.

[strandedinnz]

Only have the bike .. Luckily I love riding it :-)
Though squelching through the office was not so great .... 100% waterproof my arse!!

[f2dz]

Got blown around a bit myself also. An hour splitting through stopped traffic barely able to see = not that fun. Not looking forward to putting on partially wet gear for the ride home either.

[rustyblade]

You either REALLY like riding, only have the bike for transport or you REALLY hate the bus! I don't mind a bit of wet, but wet with howling winds sucks.

yup.. 26km/s into central auckland in pretty much zero visibility was pretty hairy.
I don't mind the rain, you're right - it's the wind, combined with buses and trucks it's pretty damn scary, found my Blade's front end squirreling a lot with the wind, when it wasn't in the air.
I do love my Dunlops, gripped like a pro on the back.
Snow, fine.
Ice, Fine....
gravel, urm...
WIND, urk.

How did people get on with naked bikes? I guess substantial fairing makes it less fun?


in other news, as my shoes got a tad soaked I actually bothered buying some boots, props to MotoMail in Ponsonby for my swanky new Alpinestars. :niceone:

[pretenda]

Was a interesting ride in. Naked bike (VTR250)

Wind through Manakau was a bit off putting but other then that wasn't the worst wind ive ridden in (So far only been riding 5 ish months).

The rain was pretty heavy tho. My Alpinestars Tech Touring gear let a bit of water through and the red zip pocket let my phone get wet :-S its sitting in rice to hopefully dry it out.

O well live and learn zip lock bags for real heave rain days.

Also found that i couldn't slide my foot on the pegs, i had to lift my foot to move it under the gear leaver.

[rustyblade]

ouch... my jeans are still wet as of 12:33.
everything else got soaked through: waterproof outer layer>quicksilver waterproof jacket>leather bike jacket>hoodie>t-shirt. that sucked.

gloves are a bit wet as well, currently cooking on that back of a mac pro with all cores running at 99% :D

[Blackbird]

Daughter had a large branch land on her car outside work in Grafton this morning. Looks like a write-off - insured though.

[sgtp]

check out that shed!

:nya::nya::nya:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9952521/Gales-rain-spread-south

last pics in the group....that shed didnt have a chance...poor bike

[swbarnett]

I started my commute on the bike this morning. After being blown to the side of the road for the third time in 10km with another 50 to go I turned around and got the car. On the way back home I had to stop twice to prevent myself being blown in to the path of an oncoming truck. The rain was coming across the road at only about 20deg off horizontal in places.

[swbarnett]

ouch... my jeans are still wet as of 12:33.
everything else got soaked through: waterproof outer layer>quicksilver waterproof jacket>leather bike jacket>hoodie>t-shirt. that sucked.

gloves are a bit wet as well, currently cooking on that back of a mac pro with all cores running at 99% :D
Kaiwaka clothing. Get youself some PVC. Best wets I've had since my Line7 gear in the '80s. Jacket and pants for under $100. Add to that rain-offs and boot covers. I've survived rain heavier than this morning for an hour and remained bone dry (not much wind though).

[Erelyes]

Kaiwaka clothing. Get youself some PVC. Best wets I've had since my Lne7 gear in the '80s. Jacket and pants for under $100. Add to that rain-offs and boot covers. I've survived rain heavier than this morning for an hour and remained bone dry (not much wind though).

Awesome, anything in particular? They have a big range on their website http://www.kaiwakaclothing.co.nz/

The Stormforce look pretty good. Bib overalls plus the jacket would mean next to 0 change of wet crotch syndrome

[swbarnett]

Awesome, anything in particular? They have a big range on their website http://www.kaiwakaclothing.co.nz/
I was looking for cheap and basic so went with the Windtec PVC and cut the hood off the jacket (leave a couple of inches above the seam to keep the back of the neck dry).

If you go to the factory in Kaiwaka they have a factory shop and you can try them on.


The Stormforce look pretty good. Bib overalls plus the jacket would mean next to 0 change of wet crotch syndrome
Indeed. All their gear looks bloody good and it's even Kiwi made!

I got a wet crotch once with the PVC because I split the bottom seam (about a 3mm hole). I had meant to take them to the factory and have them re-welded but forgot since the duct tape fix is doing such a sterling job - haven't let a drop in since.

[TheDemonLord]

top 3 most terrifying rides this morning - almost got in my cage - but it would have taken me twice as long and been twice as expensive - I have massive bald spots on my tyres (been needing new ones for about a month now) so after soiling myself multiple times, am getting new rubber today.

All in all, managed to stay upright and whole but there were some seriously heart stopping moments (fucking wind!) - apparently when I came into work I looked exhausted....

[unstuck]

Little bit of weather and all the latte drinking Aucklanders start crying.:bleh::laugh:

[Gremlin]

Little bit of weather and all the latte drinking Aucklanders start crying.:bleh::laugh:
Good pic doing the rounds... Cyclone Lusi - wet driveway. Rain expected this weekend - Tamaki Drive flooded :laugh:

[unstuck]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/10157336_805907946105601_4992028738101457249_n.jpg :cry:

[mashman]

T'was nearly a very interesting ride for the guy tailgating me today... maybe I shoulda hit the piks after all :shifty:

[Banditbandit]

Yeah .. the shit's hit here - rain going sideways in the high wind .. and in 15 minutes (5pm) I'm on my bike to ride home ..

[Motu]

I thought about the car, but knew it was going to clear up for the afternoon....and then I'd feel like a wimp on the way home. My tyres are very worn, so you just allow for that in the wet - but gale force winds in the wet is a different story! Those side gusts at 100kph were a bit worrying, a lot of countersteer and lean going on, plenty of side trust on my tyres. I did allow myself to be blown onto the wrong side of the road once, but it was a clear road so no problem.

[iYRe]

I was out between 11pm and 2am this morning for a callout in my people mover.. that was more scary than riding the bike.

Its not the worst weather I've ridden in... it was warmish... not that much rain... just a lot of wind.

Should be compulsory for people to ride in the rain.. I didnt see any other bikes, while coming in from Manurewa.

[Oakie]

Dry on the way to work ... bucketing down on the way home. Didn't notice any wind but I guess there was some. Didn't notice any other bikes either but I guess I wasn't the only two wheeled fool out there.

I arrived home with a soggy perineum. Google it to work out where my gear leaks...

[swbarnett]

Its not the worst weather I've ridden in... it was warmish... not that much rain... just a lot of wind.
You got lucky. When I left home this morning I failed to take the second corner. Thankfully managed to stop before hitting the curb. Then there was the zero visibility with the spray from oncoming trucks. Add to that gale force side gusts carrying a wall of water (looked like a swimming pool had been thrown across the road in front of me). After the third incursion on to the gravel verge I thought "fuck this" and went back for the car - first time ever in 20 years of commuting.

[DamianW]

Rode in torrential rain and wind gusts today on the way to work in Takapuna. Took the 250 instead of the Daytona since I guessed cagers held up along Esmonde road would be more agitated than usual -- I guessed right, heaps of mindless lane hopping without use of their turn signals :grrr:

Wore my RST wets with two piece leathers underneath; and remained dry.

[nerrrd]

Must have timed my commute just right - noticeably blown around, but no dramas. Rain-offs + overjacket + overpants + goretex boots = dry on the outside but sweaty on the inside.

[swbarnett]

Must have timed my commute just right
Indeed. Even in the car I was fighting the wind.

[george formby]

Little bit of weather and all the latte drinking Aucklanders start crying.:bleh::laugh:

Tee Hee. Howling gales & torrential rain I can handle. Howling gales & sheet ice tend to pucker my sphincter a tad. It's hard to lean on ice.

I thoroughly endorse that Kaiwaka gear. Bought meself bib & brace pants + jacket when I was long lining. Got the shit knocked out of us a couple times. Long line snagged, blowing 45 knts, quartering sea sending huge walls of water over the boat. Bone dry after hours on deck. Still water proof years on. Great gear!
Oh, the stuff I have is double layered. Waterproof inner & tough, woven outer. It gets wet but you don't.

Any hoo, thumbs up for the daily commuters with no choice but to ride. That's proper biking. And dare I say why we should wave... I share your pain & joy..
I'm a gentleman biker now but certainly did me time with no choice but the bike. Loved almost all of it. Frost bite & hypothermia are downers, though.

[Gremlin]

2hrs of rain from Sanson to Wellington on Wednesday night. First half hour with a tinted visor was ridiculous, but finally found Foxton, and blimey, a clear visor with a fresh spray of Plexus and I felt like royalty the water was parting, and I could see what I was doing.

This morning, light rain for a couple of min into the CBD, during the required work found out just how bad it was in Auckland with surface flooding etc, perhaps I was in the better city :rolleyes: Popped out at lunchtime, everyone rugged up except me in jeans and shirt... wasn't that cold. Only one other bike in the park just off Lambton Quay, and when I came out at 1630 to potter back to the hotel, the only bike...

Next 3 days I'll tour the countryside (somewhat cautiously due to slips, power outages etc) and make my way home via Gentle Annie, East Cape etc.

[unstuck]

Tee Hee. Howling gales & torrential rain I can handle. Howling gales & sheet ice tend to pucker my sphincter a tad. It's hard to lean on ice.

.

Welcome to the world of motorcycling in southland for most of the year.:msn-wink:

[Oakie]

Welcome to the world of motorcycling in southland for most of the year.:msn-wink:

"Sheet ice? Luxury! When I was a lad ..."

[george formby]

"Sheet ice? Luxury! When I was a lad ..."

That almost begs to start a "When I were a lad the weather was that bad......" thread. Or a "Cyclone? Don't know their born today..." thread.:laugh:

[Oakie]

That almost begs to start a "When I were a lad the weather was that bad......" thread. Or a "Cyclone? Don't know their born today..." thread.:laugh:

I'd play that game!

[george formby]

One of the few times bad weather has had me touching cloth was on my last trip up over.
A69 between Newcastle upon Tyne and Carlisle, I was commuting weekly over to Dumfries in South West Scotland. It rained every day for 6 weeks..
Situation normal, I'm riding west in the pishing rain when mother nature really let rip. Visibility went down to a couple of feet, if that & me to walking pace so I could follow the lights of the car ahead of me. One red blur was all I could see. Enough water was coming across the road it was pushing me & the bike sideways. I'm sure I saw Salmon leaping.
Next thing I hear an almighty parp! Turn around to see a dirty great big artic, lights on main beam, close enough to push me through the torrent. What a bloody fright I got. Couple of minutes later the rain eased so I could see 6ft ahead & all was good again. I reckon the truckie only saw me at the last moment.