Biking in the wind and rain

This May has been quite the surprise...According to my count, we went 15 straight days without a drop of rain.  Even better, we went 12 days, this month, with some amount of sun.  If you are not aware, neither of those statistics is normal.  With all that said, Sunday through today has been RAINY.  Funny thing though...While I love riding in the sun, I really enjoyed my rides in the rain today!

My Bianchi, the rain bike, has front and rear fenders, plus a buddy flap.  If you do not know, a buddy flap is exactly as it sounds and does nothing for you.  What it does, is prevent water from flying up into your "buddy's" face.  Even with the fenders, I was secretly excited to see how much road muck would end up on me.

While biking, in the rain today, I kept thinking of the George Hincapie picture from Paris-Roubaix.  If you have no clue as to what I am talking about, keep reading and check out the picture.  While I harbored hopes of being as muddy, I knew it would not happen.

This is not a MTB race, nor is it a CX race...The joy of Paris-Roubaix!

Once I arrived at work I proceeded to change out of my wet gear and into clothes suitable for work.  After removing my socks and knee warmers, it looked like I had quite the tan lines.  I was actually surprised at how much road grit and mud stuck to my legs and face.  Had I taken a picture, you would have thought it was the end of summer, not the end of spring.

On the way home, I wondered if I could actually get more crud on me.  I kept thinking there was a pretty good chance due to the amount of wind, that I was riding through, and the logging trucks that kept passing me.  Like this morning, I was not thinking and did not take a picture...However, I did think to plug the shower drain.  Once finishing my shower, I was pretty impressed with how dirty the water was.

You are probably thinking, "Wow, some 36 year old man-child this guy is!".  Guess what???  You are exactly right, but sometimes you just need to unleash the child from within.  I keep thinking that I would not have enjoyed the ride if I were serious and not thinking silly childish thoughts.

My first big boy bike...Hey dad, nice pants

My message to all...Unleash the child, on occasion, and enjoy the small things while out there riding.  Remember the joy of riding when you did not drive.  Remember the silly things you would do on a bike.  Remember the fun you had riding through deep puddles, while watching the spray go everywhere.

photo from Ciao Bambino.  Look at the joy on their faces

Sometimes it is just nice to ride with no plan, and to take pleasure in the small things.  Tomorrow I can get back on track and be the serious adult I so rarely am!