Riding the storm out

Weatherfolks were saying thunder showers later in the afternoon, so I believed them and headed out early on the cycle cross bike for some country riding to beat the storms. It was misting most of the way, and at 25 miles out there somewhere huge raindrops starting falling. Then BOOOOMMMMM!!!! and more BOOOOOOOOOMS, and torrential downpour. It was warm enough that I was just going to get totally wet and no attempt to stay dry was going to happen.

I ended up in a tunnel under the highway, and thought I would wait this out. Then I heard sirens, from a nearby town. PANIC ATTACK!!! Does this mean a tornado has been spotted?? So I'm thinking I am going to get sucked out of this tunnel and up in a tornado. The town of Peosta was about 2 miles down the highway, at first I thought I was hustle into town and seek shelter. The next lighting boom changed my mind about riding on top of the highway. So I thought lets try to get closer to home and I would ride on trail in valleys in the pouring rain. I put the music back in my ears to hold the sound of thunder away.

I was wearing my SIDI's a great cycling boot, and they better be for 3 "Bens" and then some. However they would not let the water out, and my shoes would fill up with water and run out the tops. I started packing a extra pair of socks on country rides ever since my foot broke through the ice carrying my bike across a small creek a couple of years ago. I put my cell phone in a zip lock bag, and it still shorted out from moisture and would not work.

So I just kept riding the storm out. There are few country homes along this route that they always smile and wave when I go by. I thought if I had to, I would seek shelter with one of them if I needed to. There were trees down along the way back. The rain almost stopped as I was close to being back in town. I needed 10 more miles to get my metric century and rode some back roads to gain the additional mileage I wasn't going to get any wetter.

Sneaking to the basement, this is why they make bike fenders so this doesn't happen.

All in all, today was one of those epic rides for me. Riding in pounding thunder storms. If this would have been going on when I was leaving I would never would have left, I would have waffled on it. It's just how it works, a great ride makes all things good. I'm now drying my shoes by sticking a hair drier in them.

Ride on,
Dave