There is a phrase that I love to quote when talking about riding in the rain: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.”
It seems like just a saying, but it contains a great truth. Today, thanks to modern technical garments, there are no more excuses for not going out on your bike, not even in January under a downpour.
I have to admit, I've always enjoyed wet rides, even when the only protection available was a simple K-way. I remember my feet floating in my shoes and the cold penetrating to my bones. At the end of the ride it was hard to tell if I'd been mountain biking or swimming a few laps in the pool!
The other night, during a typical pizza chat, a friend was talking about how excited his daughter was to train soccer in the rain and how much he hoped to train in the snow. Those who are not used to playing sports outdoors see these things as crazy, but in reality he doesn't know what he's missing.
Cycling in the rain is almost a mystical experience: time seems suspended, the forest becomes muffled, the noise of the drops covers every other sound. I like to imagine that even the animals have found shelter and that nature itself is holding its breath waiting for it to stop.
The puddles, the mud, the feeling of total freedom: everything turns into a game between me and nature. We are used to seeing rain as an obstacle, a nuisance that complicates our routine. But on the bike, after the first moments of uncertainty, you realize that rain is not a limit, but part of the adventure.
