I started swimming in the sea this winter. The cold water shock helps ease the pain in my joints. It’s good for our mental well-being too or so I’m told. I have to admit to wearing a thin sleeveless “shorty” otherwise I just wouldn’t cope – but I’m told there are plenty of hardy women in the club who dip daily in just their swimsuits! 💪🏊🏻♀️🏊🏻♀️🏊🏻♀️
I’ve started distance swimming too and have bought a swim wetsuit. The experience couldn’t be more different. With neoprene socks, gloves and hat I’m toasty warm and can stay in long enough to enjoy a decent swim.
But this is supposed to be a bike report and you might be wondering where exactly is this is going?
Well, in the autumn I bought a lightweight waterproof ( they said) goretex jacket. I was itching to test it out so the forecast for torrential rain couldn’t have been better! Dave and Jenny were the only other mad souls at HQ so we decided on a short potter through the lanes and the driving rain. Very enjoyable it was too and the jacket was as good as they’d said. Not a drop. This was helped by having the hood go over the helmet keeping things warm, airy and completely dry. 😀
Things would have been better still if my shoes and gloves had performed as well.😱
All in all it was very much like the experience of swimming in the sea in winter. With a wet suit on it is enjoyable.
Which reinforces something that is often said that “there’s no such thing as poor weather just poor kit”.😱💦💨🏊🏻♀️🚴🏼♂️
Thank you Dave and Jenny for your company and for the interesting conversation over coffee back at ours.
PS. Maps say Halvosso signs so Halvasso so let’s now call the whole thing off!