Exciting ride today!

**Gremlin** · 17th April 2014, 15:51

Originally Posted by unstuck

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

Good pic doing the rounds... Cyclone Lusi - wet driveway. Rain expected this weekend - Tamaki Drive flooded

**unstuck** · 17th April 2014, 16:00

**mashman** · 17th April 2014, 16:24

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

**Banditbandit** · 17th April 2014, 16:42

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** · 17th April 2014, 18:00

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** · 17th April 2014, 18:48

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** · 17th April 2014, 19:08

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** · 17th April 2014, 19:21

Originally Posted by iYRe

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** · 17th April 2014, 19:39

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** · 17th April 2014, 23:14

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** · 17th April 2014, 23:20

Originally Posted by nerrrd

Must have timed my commute just right

Indeed. Even in the car I was fighting the wind.

**george formby** · 17th April 2014, 23:36

Originally Posted by unstuck

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

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** · 17th April 2014, 23:56

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

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.