After a week and a half of vacation - back to work today. Joy. At least I get 34 commuting miles in, to make up for the shock back into the real world.
Overcast and threat of rain when I left around 7:30 AM. Debated which bike to ride - carbon Ibis with no fenders or steel Ibis with fenders. Decisions, decisions. Even though I play up my old school roots, when it comes down to it - I'll take the newer carbon bike whenever possible. Sorry, it just rides too damn nice.
Made the 17 mile trip in without a drop of rain. Heh, heh - squeezed in a nice ride before work. Now just need to pull off another to get home. You know how that's gonna go....
Bailed out of work around 5:30 PM to pouring rain. I threw some Descente shoe covers in my messenger bag just in case - along with an ancient Performance jacket I carry for such occasions. On they go and into the slop I head. I usually don't mind riding in the rain, though after weeks of dry summer weather - bit of a wake up call. I'm completely soaked after 10 minutes. More joy. Even my feet are soaked in no time, the Descente shoe covers I bought last year to replace my 20+ year old Performance booties, are about as waterproof as a paper bag. The wasted old Performance booties would last about 30 minutes in a soaking rain. Sometimes newer isn't better.
I plow home on the Burke-Gilman Trail, never fully warming up and feeling my wet socks slosh around in bike shoes. Ancient Performance jacket now about as waterproof as the Descente booties. Yeah - I'm officially, downright soaked - like I jumped in a pool. Still, I'd rather do this then drive. Yeah - I'm bike loopy. It pours for the entire 17 mile ride.
I get home, peel everything off in the garage - then hit the shower to wash off the road grit. I paid the price for no fenders - road grit right through my shorts. You know we're talking rain commute when that happens. Sweet. Not. Another indicator is the slightly wet Timbuk2 messenger bag interior. That doesn't happen often.
Pre-stage for tomorrow's commute becomes a mini-project in itself. Helmet in kitchen to dry overnight, messenger bag propped for full air flow, and Sidi shoes carefully placed in dryer.
Yup, forecast for tomorrow calls for more rain. Steel fender clad Ibis will be called into action. Then I'll have two filthy bikes to clean over the weekend. I'm not complaining - it's all part of the scene.
And a good scene it is.