Riding your bike in wet weather can be so much fun (Mike White, Bicycle Universe)

I was woken up early on Sunday morning by a torrential downpour slamming into the bedroom roof but then it cleared up and I put my winter cycling clothing on. The forecast still looked pretty grim but I arrived at HQ 08 45 in the hope that other slightly mad Wheelers would join me. It was no surprise that Danny arrived a bit later closely followed by Phil and then Adrian. I was disappointed that Amanda did not join us as Danny, Amanda and I had an epic ride just before Christmas in similar conditions. That ride included fording a massive puddle on muddy lane that required a snorkel. This has become known as the Russian submarine incident as it would not have surprised any of us to see a couple of subs exercising in the puddle’s murky depths. After a short debate we left HQ heading for the boating lake via Gweek and Curry. There was no doubt that it was raining and in fact very windy from the South-West. Having taken guidance from what appears to be a pretty sketchy weather app, Adrian, who was dressed in summer shorts and a lightweight top, left us at Argyle Crossroads to head home for a shower. The three remaining stalwarts plugged on. We were rewarded by the most beautiful woodland views while cycling through the wood on Gweek Drive with bluebells and wet foliage in abundance. The clouds parted to greet our arrival at the Boating Lake so after some swift rearrangement of the outside seating onto the leeward side, we enjoyed a very welcome late morning break with some very good coffee in dry conditions. The strong wind made the cycle home easy. It was just a case of undoing one’s coat and sheeting it in like a spinnaker – the hills seemed very flat. All in all a very enjoyable Sunday morning. Damien

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