You can only get so wet

It doesn't often rain in San Diego, so most days are perfect for bike-commuting. When it does rain, there is usually enough of a stir in the local media that I catch wind of it, and start paying attention to weather forecasts. This week, for instance, I heard that the end of the week was going to be wet, and the rain might start at midnight tonight. I rolled the dice and biked in this morning, under perfectly sunny skies. What a tease!

By noon, the storm clouds were blowing in alongside gusty winds. Shortly after dark, while I was still at work, the storm began in earnest. Wind whistled through the office windows, and I dreaded my ride home. Maybe it would stop? No such luck. By 7:15, I gave in and prepared for the wet, 10-mile ride back.

Riding a bike in the rain after dark presents many challenges, especially in San Diego. Hydroplaning is always a concern, and standing water and rivers of runoff are quite common throughout the city. The glare is horrible from the cars, and you can't see potholes or road seams. And with no eye protection, it felt as though someone was throwing sand in my face for close to an hour.

I survived, though, despite biking against the 20 mph winds for most of the ride in a driving rain. I reached maximum soakage within five minutes of starting my ride, and wearing only bike shorts and a tshirt, minimized the amount of clothing I had to dry out. Since I was nervous about going too fast and hydroplaning, the ride was somewhat more relaxing, albeit about 3 minutes longer than usual. It was my first wet ride since I moved to San Diego, and thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bad as I was fearing!