Yesterday, I rode the NT from Richmond, VA to College Park, MD to watch the Miami Hurricanes play Maryland in an 8:00pm game. I knew the rain was coming. I saw the radar before I left... Yet I decided to ride anyway.
I left the house early, about 2pm for a nice relaxing ride to the Maryland campus. Overcast for the entire 150 miles, but no rain. Then about 2 hours before kickoff, the rains came and never stopped. So, I was completely soaked from the neck up and the waist down by the time I got back to my bike for the trip home. I didn't bother changing pants and putting on rain pants at this point. I just put my jacket and helmet on and started off.
The moderate rains turned heavy. Then the heavy rains turned ridiculously heavy. I stopped after about 90 miles into the return trip to fill up and put another shirt on under my jacket to try to warm up. There were several wrecks that I maneuvered around on I-95 through what I could see of the road.
Michelin PR3's = goooood wet weather performance!!!
Heated grips... don't know why I didn't install them sooner.
Timberland "waterproof" boots = still soaked. They stayed dry while sitting at the game, but soaked through and completely filled with water very quickly once on the road.
I made it home without issue at about 3:20 this morning. Just in time for a nap before work. I'm glad I rode the NT instead of the cage. Yes, I was soaked and it was very difficult to see through the constant downpours. But I not only tolerated it, I embraced it and truly enjoyed the ride.
Enjoy the ride... Every ride.
I left the house early, about 2pm for a nice relaxing ride to the Maryland campus. Overcast for the entire 150 miles, but no rain. Then about 2 hours before kickoff, the rains came and never stopped. So, I was completely soaked from the neck up and the waist down by the time I got back to my bike for the trip home. I didn't bother changing pants and putting on rain pants at this point. I just put my jacket and helmet on and started off.
The moderate rains turned heavy. Then the heavy rains turned ridiculously heavy. I stopped after about 90 miles into the return trip to fill up and put another shirt on under my jacket to try to warm up. There were several wrecks that I maneuvered around on I-95 through what I could see of the road.
Michelin PR3's = goooood wet weather performance!!!
Heated grips... don't know why I didn't install them sooner.
Timberland "waterproof" boots = still soaked. They stayed dry while sitting at the game, but soaked through and completely filled with water very quickly once on the road.
I made it home without issue at about 3:20 this morning. Just in time for a nap before work. I'm glad I rode the NT instead of the cage. Yes, I was soaked and it was very difficult to see through the constant downpours. But I not only tolerated it, I embraced it and truly enjoyed the ride.
Enjoy the ride... Every ride.
Watch out for hypothermia though, it can sneak up on you and really impair your decision making...