Rose Pedals . . .: It Rained . . . and Then it Rained Some More

Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Day 25 - Hudsonville, Michigan to Coldwater, Michigan
118 miles
2,468 feet of climbing

The weatherman said it was going to rain today . . . and he was right! When we started our ride this morning, it was cloudy, but it wasn't raining - yet. I made it to mile 25 before it started to lightly rain. Thanks to Art's advice, I had started the day wearing my waterproof shoe covers, so my shoes did not get saturated. There's nothing worse than wet shoes on a long bike ride. But I had to stop and put on my rain jacket and helmet cover, which I was carrying in my jersey pocket (also, thanks to Art's advice). At that point, the rain really started to come down steadily - not a huge downpour, and not a thunderstorm, but a steady summer rain that just continued for virtually the entire duration of our ride. Although today's riding conditions were not optimal, it really wasn't that bad, in terms of rainy rides. First of all, it wasn't cold out, which makes a huge difference in your level of comfort when riding in the rain. I got a little chilly at the rest stops and after our lunch stop only because I was standing still. Once I got on my bike and was riding again, I warmed up quickly. Secondly, be it rain or shine, I am still on vacation, and I simply refuse to waste any of my vacation time being unhappy. Thirdly, I did not get a flat! I can't tell you how happy I am that I did not get a flat tire today, of all days. I was wrong when I said there's nothing worse than wet shoes on a long bike ride - having to change a flat tire in the rain is much worse. For the sake of full disclosure, here's a few things that I did not particularly enjoy about today's ride: riding in wet bike shorts; having to wear my rain gear, which, in my opinion, is not particularly flattering, especially my yellow helmet cover, which Tom justifiably made fun of; and lastly, I was not able to work on my souvenir bike tan. The very best thing about today? Our fellow rider, Cowboy Ed's family is in town, and he invited Art & I to meet his family and share a delicious homemade pasta dinner they brought with them at their hotel, next door to ours. It was wonderful to meet Ed's sister, Shelley, her husband, Ralph, Ed's brother Dave and Dave's wife, Jenny. It was a fantastic dinner, with salad, pasta, homemade bread made by Ralph, home-baked cookies made by Dave. What a treat! We had a great time meeting and chatting with them.

The weather forecast for tomorrow looks a little better than today. I'm hopeful the sun will make an appearance.

Elevation profile of today's ride