CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Raindays

(85 posts)

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  1. Dave
    Member

    At least we got 10 days into May before adding the first rainfall, but then compensated by two absolute soakings (with more of the same forecast tomorrow...)

    To make this more interesting, I've decided to record an extra piece of data. As well as qualifying a commute as 'rainy' (condition: if at any point a driver would have used intermittent wiper blades), I'm also going to record the subset that were genuinely wet (qualification: cyclist would have to change clothes before starting work).

    October: 5
    November: 3
    December: 9
    Jan: 4
    Feb: 1 (5 days leave)
    March: 1
    April: 10
    May: 2 / 2

    (raindays / change of clothes days)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. Instography
    Member

    Who is this cyclist? I always change clothes before starting work. Think science: attach a jar to the handlebars and measure the rainfall as you ride.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. Dave
    Member

    The original idea I had was to see whether it really does "rain all the time" and hence should put people off riding to work.

    99.9% of the nation's employees are not in the habit of maintaining two sets of clothes each day, after all - and that's got to be a significant barrier (hence the second measurement).

    In practice, if I want to race in I also change, although it's fairly routine just to wear the same clothes, it's only five miles.

    May 3/3

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Arellcat
    Moderator

    It does appear to be somewhat precipitous today:

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. crowriver
    Member

    I had 'fun' doing errands on the Ute in the howling wind and driving rain this afternoon. Lulled into a sense of false security by the light drizzle early in the afternoon, I neglected to take my waterproof trwes and got a good old fashioned soaking on my legs for my trouble.

    Zipping around the city centre and west end, I was glad of the disc brakes given the conditions. Despite the large panniers presumably acting as sails, never felt as though I was going to be blown over, except occasionally when stationary at crossroads, where a stray gust caused momentary alarm while drenching the backs of the legs...

    There's a certain "to hell with it all" exhilaration about cycling when there's lots of weather. Precious few fellow cyclists in evidence, so must be a minority taste.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. Dave
    Member

    May: 5 / 4

    And I took the WASHING MACHINE to the skip today. F*** you very much, readers of the Evening News.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Dave
    Member

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. Uberuce
    Member

    Krom!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. minus six
    Member

    now that's what i call load shiftin'

    spin cycle

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. Min
    Member

    Orsum. Like to see the EEN readers getting one of those in the boot of their car.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. crowriver
    Member

    < Like >

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Dave
    Member

    Urgh, 7 / 6 - what a sustained period of moisture!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. Uberuce
    Member

    Amir and I had the pleasure of being on the high road on Arthur's Seat just as the epic opening crescendo fell on us. I think that is the worst weather I've ever been outside for, and certainly the worst I've been in wearing shorts and a panda T-shirt.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    What miserable weather it was today. Hope for better tomorrow.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. Dave
    Member

    Looking out of the window suggests that we're about to hit 4/3 for June. I should've made a mid-month post though, as I only remember the total, not the individual days' weather.

    Ah well. Lovely in a T-shirt these days, rain or no.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. Dave
    Member

    7/3. But the flood was actually sunny and nice :)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Today.

    Water of Leith about an inch below the level of the bank at Saughton above the weir. Flowing very fast.

    Clouds broke and sun came out just as I got to work. Clouded over again now.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. Min
    Member

    It sure was dingin' doon on the way home last night and on the way in this morning.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Aye. I missed the worst going home cos I was in a different office, and got to leave slightly earlier than normal.

    This morning was a different matter - seemed to leave at just the wrong time. Still, at least I know all my lights still work, and the Contour Roam camera should survive the inclemency.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I set off for home yesterday in the knowledge that once you're out there, the rain is never quite as bad as you think it is. I didn't have my waterproof with me, only my windproof fleece, but I was quite impressed with its warmth nonetheless.

    Goretex this morning.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. fimm
    Member

    Got very damp on the way home yesterday evening, but went to the doctor this morning and as a result escaped the rain!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. AKen
    Member

    I'm not sure how many people will be familiar with Donkey Lane between Currie and Baberton. Coming down the unsurfaced bit this morning was the worst I've ever seen it. It was completely dry yesterday morning but now has a healthy burn running down the middle of it - which goes into the woods and re-emerges further downhill to flood a 10m stretch of roadway.

    Rains earlier this year cut a deep trench right down the middle of the path that would be a nasty surprise if you came on it unexpectedly at speed. The last 24hrs rain will just be carving it deeper.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. Arellcat
    Moderator

    AKen, I know that path well. For a while I was a frequent user when cycling to and from HWU, but we didn't have Kevlar tyres back then and I had so many Faerie attacks that it became ridiculous and I took to using the roads the whole way. I've never used it since!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    Donkey Lane -

    Apparently it's privately owned!

    So can't 'blame the Council'.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. AKen
    Member

    The path has deteriorated very much in the past year or so - a lower section where the water runs of the fields has been badly eroded. At some time, there must have been some serious effort put in to stopping this happening as there are plastic pipes buried deep in the path - obviously to take the run-off water under the path rather than taking off the surface. The erosion is now so bad that the pipes have been exposesd. These must have become blocked at the top end and stopped working well - hence the transformation of the path to a burn on rainy days. I wish I'd known they were there as I could have dug the debris out to let them function again. Bit late now.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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