We have had an exceptionally rainy, HAILY spring here in ole St. Louis.
With more rain in the forecast, and for the 4th day in a row, I just looked at Mark and said, "Now, come on! Can't we have just a LITTLE more rain! After all, what we need is more rain! All the plants I put unto the ground this spring aren't beat to hell yet by the hail! Let' have one more go-round to see if we can't take them out, too!"
Three years ago, I was bicycling my weekly 100 mile Century ride between South St. Louis City and Grafton, IL, and I got caught in a severe downpour, with no shelter within miles. Not one building. Not a single tree. Actually, I was on the levee, which is elevated, and this levee is elevated for 10 miles - out in the middle of nowhere.
I will, however, bicycle in a rain storm (no lightning or hail, please!), before I bicycle in the wind. The rain can't stop me - the wind will stop me dead in my tracks, and fight every turn of my pedals.
My bicycle is a 2007 REI Novara Randonee with a BOB Trailer w/ yellow Yak Sack, Aerobars, a $500 iBike cyclometer, and front and back Ortleib Bags - a $6,000 bicycle rig. My stuff does not get wet in those bags - they're waterproof. I, on the other hand, had water pouring off me in such a stream that I had waves going down my rib cage. Honestly!
At one point during that ride, I jumped off my bicycle (while still on the trail, on top of the levee!), threw my hands in the air and said (to God):
"Is that all you've got? I mean - C'mon! Isn't there just a little more up there? C'mon, I know you can do it! Give it to me!"
I was pissed! I jumped my drenched ass back on that bicycle, and pedaled with a vengeance all the way home. When I was a block - ONE BLOCK out of 100 miles from home, it stopped raining! It was at that point that I had to cuss a little more.
- Michael
With more rain in the forecast, and for the 4th day in a row, I just looked at Mark and said, "Now, come on! Can't we have just a LITTLE more rain! After all, what we need is more rain! All the plants I put unto the ground this spring aren't beat to hell yet by the hail! Let' have one more go-round to see if we can't take them out, too!"
Three years ago, I was bicycling my weekly 100 mile Century ride between South St. Louis City and Grafton, IL, and I got caught in a severe downpour, with no shelter within miles. Not one building. Not a single tree. Actually, I was on the levee, which is elevated, and this levee is elevated for 10 miles - out in the middle of nowhere.
I will, however, bicycle in a rain storm (no lightning or hail, please!), before I bicycle in the wind. The rain can't stop me - the wind will stop me dead in my tracks, and fight every turn of my pedals.
My bicycle is a 2007 REI Novara Randonee with a BOB Trailer w/ yellow Yak Sack, Aerobars, a $500 iBike cyclometer, and front and back Ortleib Bags - a $6,000 bicycle rig. My stuff does not get wet in those bags - they're waterproof. I, on the other hand, had water pouring off me in such a stream that I had waves going down my rib cage. Honestly!
At one point during that ride, I jumped off my bicycle (while still on the trail, on top of the levee!), threw my hands in the air and said (to God):
"Is that all you've got? I mean - C'mon! Isn't there just a little more up there? C'mon, I know you can do it! Give it to me!"
I was pissed! I jumped my drenched ass back on that bicycle, and pedaled with a vengeance all the way home. When I was a block - ONE BLOCK out of 100 miles from home, it stopped raining! It was at that point that I had to cuss a little more.
- Michael
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