Wet and Messy

 

Although I don't ride when it rains I sometimes will ride when there is a slight chance of rain as long as it doesn't look like there is a major rain storm coming. The weather this spring has been more rainy than normal and even when it doesn't rain we have had a lot of strong winds during the rides. I did manage to make it out the past few Saturdays but rain this past week prevented me from getting out for my normal Wednesday ride or even an after work ride. 

At the beginning of the week the forecast for Saturday looked like rain but the forecast improved during the week. By Friday night the rain looked like it would be gone by early Saturday morning and it was. I got a good portion of the posse to join me for a ride in the pinelands. It was cloudy during the start and getting a little darker. To be honest I expected a few miles of light rain based on the radar forecast but I didn't expect it to last for more then 10-15 minutes. 

Somewhere 6 or 7 miles into the ride there was a little light rain but it was a minor nuisance. Then somewhere towards Brownsmill the rain pick up a little. The rain itself was very light and not too bad as my glasses and garmin only had a few drops on them. The problem was the roads were really wet so the spray from the road and Pete's read tire was getting me wet and messy especially from the shorts down. As well as the line up the back. 

By the time we got around Mirror Lake the rain had stopped and after another 20 minutes there was sun and blue skies. So the rain was annoying but I'm glad I got out for the ride. 

Once the rain stopped the roads quickly dried and by the time we got to the rest stop in Vincentown there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We had a tail wind on the way home so even though it was a 55 mile ride I felt pretty good.

There was one more result of the rain morning rain. There was a large puddle on Warner Rd. I have ridden this road quite a few times and don't remember it ever being flooded and not sure why it did this time since it didn't really rain that much. I guess since we didn't hit a bridge out on this ride we had to ride through some water instead. It was probably close to a foot deep as it was almost up to my peddles. The only way through was forward so we all got a little wet again.

This is a picture Pete took as I rode through the puddle. 

This wasn't the wettest or dirtiest that I have been on a ride and I'm sure this won't be the last time I get rained on. I just wish we have a few picture perfect days ahead so I don't have to take as much time cleaning up after a ride.