Icky weather to ride in tonight!

[PrincessBandit]

I decided, spontaneously, to head out to Waiuku to visit Tink this evening. Lovely ride from Manure-wa out to Waiuk, bit of light rain a few minutes out from her place; quite pleasant. Had a lovely visit and cuppa then left about quarter to 9 - it was dusk, but still reasonably light.

Within minutes the rain set in, and with it came the dark. Hmmmm. I forgot I was wearing my half tint visored helmet. Shit oh dear, between the rain and the dark I couldn't see a thing. So, being a stout hearted soul, I popped the visor up and decided to put up with the wind and rain blasting in my face. All was good until my glasses lenses got rain splattered and once again, I couldn't see.

Even more shit oh dear. I spent almost the entire ride to the Caltex station at the Waiuku/Paerata turn off looking between the narrow gap over the top of my glasses and between the bottom edge of my visor (which I had partly down to try to protect my face). The rain was driving into my eyes like fricken needles and I was lucky if I managed 70kph - just thankful there was no one being held up behind me! I'd have looked pretty strange, blinking every 2 seconds and shaking my head trying to get the rain and tears out of my eyes and still keep focussed on the tar seal.

I decided to aim for the Caltex, clean my specs, and phone hubby to see if he could bring out my other helmet (which has a clear visor). By the time I got there, travelling at snail pace in order to see the road ahead since I was effectively riding without my glasses on, it was totally pissing down and zero visibility. The wonderful chap (Alan) at the petrol station let me have a free hot drink while I was there chatting with him waiting for Balu to "rescue" me. Another customer who came in was also concerned for my welfare, being out on a bike in these conditions, asking if there was anything he could do for me. I was really humbled by the fact that there was so much concern for me!

Before too much longer Balu arrived with Ripper Roo92 in the car (he hadn't brought my other helmet with him) and number one son rode my bike home for me.

So my evening ended with 3 knights in shining armour coming to my rescue - the lovely Alan at the Caltex, and hubby and son.

Lesson learnt - keep my clear visor in pack or top box so I don't get caught out with either weather or time changes like this again.

[Gremlin]

Weather was OK, could have been worse. Other option for ya is to have a dual visor helmet, ie, clear, with another tint that slides down. I personally don't like them, but others do.

[\m/]

This is why I got my Caberg V2R. No fucking around with sunglasses or changing visors.

[superman]

This is why I got my Caberg V2R. No fucking around with sunglasses or changing visors.

Yep she's a good helmet. Just gota make sure I don't forget to put ear plugs in.

[PrincessBandit]

Weather was OK, could have been worse. Other option for ya is to have a dual visor helmet, ie, clear, with another tint that slides down. I personally don't like them, but others do.

Yeah, you are right. I have ridden in way worse, it was only the visor issue which made it such an unpleasant experience. Between the rain stinging my eyes (reminder to self, water makes mascara sting the eyes as well as the natural effect of rain drop hitting the eyeballs at speed...) and hence making them water, and the flaring of lights on my wet glasses lenses having to ride relying on my squinty (mild) myopic eyesight was a tad nerve wracking.

On the up side of the experience while in the petrol station I found and bought a book called "Instant! Maori". Had a quick flick through it thinking 'this could be helpful for expanding my te reo use in school'. I was reading through it last night and laughing out loud at some of the following:
At the Movies: Kati te whana i taku turu e hoa (quit kicking my seat).
In the Snooker Room: Me takorotia taua mo te...tekau...taara? (play you for...10...bucks) *note: best to get this one spot on otherwise you'll be playing for 10 vaginas; see Body Parts vagina = tara
Your Bum Dept.: Kei te nui te ahau o taku nono i roto i tenei? (does my bum look big in this?)
Exit Strategies when Surrounded by the Mongrel Mob: Pai ana, ma wai e timata? (okay, who's first?); He motoka pirihimana tera? (is that a cop car coming?)
The Wanker Family of Phrases: He ropu pokotiwha hoki ratou (what a bunch of wankers)
Dept. of Best Friends: Ko etahi o aku tino hoa he pakeha (some of my best friends are pakeha).

These are just a few of the hilarious ones, most of the phrases are actually quite sensible (proper greetings including pepeha, comments on the weather, at-the-beach phrases etc).

[I now await an onslaught of te reo speakers who will tell me the book is a load of bull].

[varminter]

Had something similar happen to me. Was daylight but pissing down, couldn't stop the visor from fogging up (pre pinlock days) then the glasses got it, I was almost blind. I don't know how you coped in the dark

[piston broke]

i can relate to your story.
as a young fella,some 25++ yrs ago,
when i was finally legal to ride on the road,
any fullface helmet was way beyond my apprentice wage.
do you remember when this wasn't a face palm,but a way to stop the rain tattoo'in your face?
the fricken face pain i had to deal with,it's a wonder i still love bikes

[PrincessBandit]

i can relate to your story.
as a young fella,some 25++ yrs ago,
when i was finally legal to ride on the road,
any fullface helmet was way beyond my apprentice wage.
do you remember when this wasn't a face palm,but a way to stop the rain tattoo'in your face?
the fricken face pain i had to deal with,it's a wonder i still love bikes

hahaha, there are times when I look at open face helmets and think how nice it must be on a hot day; but each time a stone flicks up into my visor or bugs land on it or it starts to rain I'm so thankful that I don't have one.

[Taz]

We nice people down this way.

You would have loved all the slippery flushing on the road to Waiuku. This road is shocking in the wet.