Didnt start well, a storm stopped me halfway from london to portsmouth, the first day here I dedicated as a rest day as I get problems with my knee when I overdo it. It was a beatiful day which made me optimistic for the week, but there were storms eveyday. I did my planned rides anyway. My running shoes got sodden wet but I had fun regardless. Got a dry day today, so did the main north-south trail, started in my flip flops stopped at blacks to get a dry pair of waterproof hiking shoes on clearance. Got to a closed path, asked a cyclist coming the other way if id make it through, he said yes just keep your feet up. I did, my bike stopped in the middle, had to peddle out with these shoes I had only worn for an hour under the water. Wet weather touring is … a challenge, but still enjoyable. Going home tomorrow, if it is raining I am getting the train back from portsmouth, ive had enough water for this week.
Your shoe story reminds me of when I was cycling in Portugal in heavy rain. There was a muddy puddle in a gravel road, impossible to judge how deep it was. Decided it would be fine, it was not. My front weel was stopped suddenly by an underwater rock. For some reason (found out later that one of my cleats was crooked) I couldnt click out of my pedals. Then, that slow-motion thing happened and I fell into the puddle, my left side was completely covered in mud and the mood wasn’t great afterwards.
I think it’s great you still went. Cycling in the rain is definitely type 2 (sometimes even 3) fun, but you get to a point where it doesn’t matter anymore ant then it’s great.
Oh man that must have sucked. Ive gone down in a deep puddle before, it was the third day of a 6 day ride around the coastline. I ended up with a knee injury that day too, unrelated to the fall. I had to give myself two nights in a hotel to let me knee and my spirit recover before I could continue. Yeah cycling in the rain is its own experience, as long as you can get yourself the required aftercare (for me a hot shower is vital)
I gave myself the ol’ hotel pass as well, spend something like 45 minutes washing the mud out of my cycling clothes. Then put on some warm dry clothes (thank you Ortlieb) and went for a greasy burger and a beer. Things somehow taste better after adventure, don’t they?
They absolutely do taste better. I was hoping I could avoid paying out for ortliebs, but this last trip I found out my altura dryline panniers arent completely stormproof - I mean they have been great, but the rain I got was a bit ridiculous,. So a set of ortlieb may be on the books soon
I was also disappointed in my apidura framebag (NB: I got a new one from them that I have yet to test), I have brooks bags (that were produced by ortlieb) and an ortlieb bag on the front. They are excellent.
I’ve heard from people who owned both that in terms of quality there is no big difference between the ‘normal’ and the more expensive variants.