Bicycle Fixation Weblog
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12/12/2009: "Cape-and-Fender Weather"
On and off rain here the last few days, often heavy, occasionally torrential--the new pattern we seem to have on the still-rare occasions when it actually rains. The air is sweet with it, the plants are burgeoning (winter is the growing season for native plants in Southern California), and the astoundingly oblivious citizens are once again walking about with umbrellas or even raincoats, and riding their bikes in nothing more than jeans and heavy jackets.Happens every year, and every year it still surprises me.
Every time I've gone out I've had the rain cape in the saddlebag or pannier, though so far I've only been sprinkled lightly upon. I've taken the Pseudobecane more often than the Bottecchia, as it has longer fenders and a generator, so no puddle-splash reaches my shoes and I don't have to worry about batteries. And it's easier to wipe down: no chrome to worry about rust-speckling. But damn, it's a slug compared to the Bot! Tomorrow it's the Bot's turn, rain or no rain. It's too sweet a bike to let languish.
I love this weather,and riding in the rain is delightful unless it's a real downpour, and even then it's not really too bad. Rain cape and fenders keep you pretty dry, except for nose, chin, and sometimes neck. Wool keeps you cozy, and the rain keeps you feeling fresh and alive.
I can hear it as I write, chuckling in the gutters....
