Four Seasons in One Ride
Apologies to Frankie Valli and his Four Seasons and Neil Finn from Crowded House. Early summer in Melbourne can throw up some pretty variable weather as the climate changes more quickly than a newly elected politician's mind.
Having just been to one of my sons' school for an open morning where I was under firm instructions to not wear my riding gear. Yes it seems even 9 year old boys are lycra conscious these days and they're not even wearing it. Dressed in my work attire and ready to cruise on my mountain bike across town to the office, it began to rain. What's worse when it begins to rain is that you're poorly attired for riding in the clothes you're planning to wear for the rest of the day, no rain jacket, no shelter and feeling hung out to dry in the middle of one of Melbourne's busiest thoroughfares. The high and dry motorists could be forgiven for feeling smug about being warm and dry in the comfort of their cars while watching the cyclists stuck waiting for the lights.
Fortunately there are a few things which can prepare a rider for whatever nature's likely to serve up.
1. A set of mudguards on my commuter bike saved me from the spray. If you've ever ridden in rain you'll realise quickly how much water gets flicked up by tyres.
2. Secondly wearing a second layer such as a singlet or an undershirt provides an insulating layer to stop your wet clothes sticking to you and keeping your body warm.
3. A pair of glasses with lenses suitable for day and night saves you getting all misty eyed.
4. A spray jacket that folds up to nothing can always live in your bag or back pocket of a riding jersey.
5. A change of clothes at work just in case.
Well I had 4 out of 5 bases covered, so do as I say and not as I do.
But this is Melbourne, the home of four seasons in one day as evidenced by this souvenir T-shirt. The rain quickly passed as nothing more than a shower, although it didn't feel like that at the time. Then a cold wind blew as the clouds broke up and before too long the sun shone. Finally a warm wind blew and by the time I arrived in the office I was dry - crisis averted, although I'm sure I could have made good use of the hand dryer in the office bathroom had it been absolutely necessary. 10km, 25 minutes and 4 seasons. If you do have to bring a wet bike inside the house or office, make sure you place some newspaper underneath it on the floor to catch the greasy run off from the rain and wipe the bike down with a cloth to stop rain causing rust spots. As I once heard a former pro-cyclist say there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
1. A set of mudguards on my commuter bike saved me from the spray. If you've ever ridden in rain you'll realise quickly how much water gets flicked up by tyres.
2. Secondly wearing a second layer such as a singlet or an undershirt provides an insulating layer to stop your wet clothes sticking to you and keeping your body warm.
3. A pair of glasses with lenses suitable for day and night saves you getting all misty eyed.
4. A spray jacket that folds up to nothing can always live in your bag or back pocket of a riding jersey.
5. A change of clothes at work just in case.
Well I had 4 out of 5 bases covered, so do as I say and not as I do.
But this is Melbourne, the home of four seasons in one day as evidenced by this souvenir T-shirt. The rain quickly passed as nothing more than a shower, although it didn't feel like that at the time. Then a cold wind blew as the clouds broke up and before too long the sun shone. Finally a warm wind blew and by the time I arrived in the office I was dry - crisis averted, although I'm sure I could have made good use of the hand dryer in the office bathroom had it been absolutely necessary. 10km, 25 minutes and 4 seasons. If you do have to bring a wet bike inside the house or office, make sure you place some newspaper underneath it on the floor to catch the greasy run off from the rain and wipe the bike down with a cloth to stop rain causing rust spots. As I once heard a former pro-cyclist say there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
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