The Most Extreme Weather Week of Riding

Last evening, the forecast for our morning ride today was light freezing rain.  Checking the radar this morning at 4:45, it looked like the rain might hold off until about 8 am, so several of us communicated and decided to ride.  When I left the house at 5:30 the air was dry as were the streets.  By the time I got to the Rusty Bridge, there was a very light sprinkle starting.

Four of us pushed off from the Rusty Bridge and the rain intensity gradually increased.  Another of our group joined us on Jennings Road, but decided pretty quickly to head home, not being dressed for rain.

The light rain wasn’t unpleasant, and things seemed ok until Old County Road just past Jones Station Road.  Going downhill, my rear wheel started to fishtail and at first I thought I had a flat.  Soon the bike was completely out of control and I laid the bike down and slid about 30 feet until I slid off the road into the ditch.  The bike kept going.  The others weren’t convinced I had hit a sheet of rain turned to ice on the roadway until a minute or two later, when we all noticed that our bikes were icing over on the top tube. They had been riding more center of the road than I was.  There was more ice on the edges of the road.  Dan immediately decided to head home.  Scott, Mike, and I decided to go to Big Bean.  Scott and I walked our bikes up the icy hill before we could safely mount our bikes at the top of the hill.  We traveled Jones Station Road to the trail, walked across Hoyle and at Evergreen, Scott headed home.  Mike and I wound up at Big Bean where I found some ice in the parking lot but stayed up.  A friend came into the Big Bean and offered me a ride home in his truck.  I took him up on it.  Mike, with his studded tires, rode home.

The bike is ok.  A steel fixie is a pretty hardy beast.  I lost my rear fender either in the crash or in the truck ride home.

No injuries.  Helmet was not impacted.  I doubt I will even bruise.  No torn clothing (there was no friction on the road).  I was on my feet almost by the time the bike stopped moving.

How was your pre-dawn morning?

So this week saw 3 outdoor rides.  Rain and 42°F, 8°F, & freezing rain.  I do believe that is the week with the most extreme weather I’ve ridden in.  I remember 4 years ago determining that dry and above 50°F was the only window I was willing to ride in.

Unless I climb onto the trainer this morning, that will do it for this week.  I’m planning a 200K on Monday.  The weather has to be better than what I’ve recently experienced.