Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Rainy Commute

This morning as I pulled open the drapes while brushing my teeth, I noticed that it was indeed raining. The rain decided my wardrobe: Rev-It Cayenne Pro jacket and pants, Sidi Canyon boots, and my usual Held Phantom gloves. And I tried out my latest clothing purchase as well: a Rev-It Titan one-piece oversuit. Slipping on my C3 helmet completed the astronaut look: I was ready for take-off.

The bike handled excellently in the wet weather. And the windscreen kept most of the wind and rain off of me as I negotiated the 12 mile commute. I was definitely over-cautious in my riding; I kept my speed down and was particularly careful on turns. It was not cold enough to warrant turning on the heated grips, so that will have to wait for another day.

Riding in the rain was certainly an adventure. It became immediately obvious that the most important thing is to not be in a hurry. Everything -- from dressing to riding -- would just take a bit longer. Having appropriate riding gear made the difference between a wet and miserable ride and a warm and dry experience. One particular note: the wiper blade attached to the left forefinger of the Held gloves is a magnificent device!

I was passed at one point by a motorcycle cop. Seeing him out there 'in it' put my own excursion into perspective: it is his job to ride in this weather, whereas I would spend most of the day in a heated office building. They have certainly got my respect.

Every day is an adventure.

4 comments:

  1. As a side note -- the rainy commute really made me appreciate the auto clutch! Stop-and-go traffic would have worn out my hand in short order.

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  2. Mmmh...putting your resolve to the test early in the game. ;-)
    How did the auto clutch perform downshifting in the wet?

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  3. Auto clutch performed flawlessly in the wet -- up and down shifting were smooth as silk. I make a quick throttle adjustment (either up or down as appropriate) when shifting to help rev match, and had no issues.

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  4. Another side note -- the pinlock antifog insert in my Shuberth C3 was absolute magic. Zero fog. And no rain intruded into the helmet during the ride.

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