Mud And Water
I have been commuting to and from work on average twice per week since January, and am learning to cope with the different weather issues. There's a lot of mud around at the moment, and a lot of rain. As I don't have rainproof bottoms at the moment I've been trying to avoid days when heavy rain is forecast. A forummer from ACF helpfully suggested to me that I might want to buy a Crud Catcher and mount it underneath my rear rack as I'm getting covered in mud every day. Thank goodness there's a hose available at work for me to clean the bike off every morning or I'd constantly have dried mud all over my brakes and chain by the time it's hometime.
I've also been wearing a lot of mud - before I fitted the Crud Catcher I was kicking up so much mud that it was not only going all up my back, but would also make it to the top of my helmet and in my hair, and on several occasions has coated my forearms too. I was making a moving circle of mud.
Amusing to look back on, but a pain at the time as I also had to wash the bike and all the clothes that I had been wearing when I got home too. I have a large piece of polythene for the kitchen floor to park the freshly washed bike on, but by the time I've got home, washed the bike and panniers, unpacked and put the wash on, I'm knackered!
We've not had any flooding as such yet, but the River Way has burst it's banks this year. It was quite a sight to see the towpath under several feet of cold and fairly fast-flowing water:
The ducks didn't seem to mind it however, and the horses and cows grazing in the adjoining fields did not seem concerned.
The fields on one side of the river were flooded however, and Canada Geese were paddling happily around on their new lake.
The upshot of all this water being around is that I've treated myself to some waterproof socks, Seal Skinz Ultrathin. I can cope with a lot of things, but wet feet just about finish me off. Isn't it odd that one's entire body can be soaked and freezing cold and you can keep on going doggedly, but the first cold infiltration of water through a trainer and into a sock can have you considering a taxi or heading for the nearest pub to wait the weather out?
I've also been wearing a lot of mud - before I fitted the Crud Catcher I was kicking up so much mud that it was not only going all up my back, but would also make it to the top of my helmet and in my hair, and on several occasions has coated my forearms too. I was making a moving circle of mud.
Amusing to look back on, but a pain at the time as I also had to wash the bike and all the clothes that I had been wearing when I got home too. I have a large piece of polythene for the kitchen floor to park the freshly washed bike on, but by the time I've got home, washed the bike and panniers, unpacked and put the wash on, I'm knackered!
We've not had any flooding as such yet, but the River Way has burst it's banks this year. It was quite a sight to see the towpath under several feet of cold and fairly fast-flowing water:
The ducks didn't seem to mind it however, and the horses and cows grazing in the adjoining fields did not seem concerned.
The fields on one side of the river were flooded however, and Canada Geese were paddling happily around on their new lake.
The upshot of all this water being around is that I've treated myself to some waterproof socks, Seal Skinz Ultrathin. I can cope with a lot of things, but wet feet just about finish me off. Isn't it odd that one's entire body can be soaked and freezing cold and you can keep on going doggedly, but the first cold infiltration of water through a trainer and into a sock can have you considering a taxi or heading for the nearest pub to wait the weather out?
posted by Catherine at 20:20
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