singin' in the rain

Yesterday I rode in the rain on the superslab for the first time. It really wasn't a problem. I had the handy little squeegie thing on the thumb of my left glove and I used it without a hitch. Several other riders pulled over to put on their raingear, but having none I soldiered on. I only had about 20 miles to go to get home, and I figured if I got really wet, I could always warm up in a bath and dry off. The only part of me that got wet beside my face shield was the lower legs of my pants. So today, when the weather was iffy at best, I put my winter gators on, you know the things that keep snow out of your boots, and went on my way. The gators worked even without the rain. I found they kept the wind from blowing my pant legs around and kept the air from getting to my ankles - not to mention the little stones that seem bent on hitting just above my boot top.

I am so happy about this riding thing. I am saving money and having a great time while doing it. I do have to say I nearly got run off the road by an inattentive driver today. I ended up on the little black strip just beyond the rumble strip as he moved into my lane while I was literally right next to his driver door. He even had his window open. How he missed seeing me is a mystery to me, but I kept my head, speeded up - as braking would have put me in even more danger, and shook my head while I passed him and changed into the right lane. I don't even know why he was changing lanes. There was no car in front of him for him to have to pass. Oh well, I made it through without freaking out or losing control, so I feel confident that next time something similar happens, I will be more prepared than I was today.

I also found out a little more about my comfort level on my bike. I had been having a tough time with lower back pain and hip pain after riding for about an hour. So, today I tried a weight belt, like the folks at home depot use. It worked great. I was not as tired when I got home and I was virtually pain free. This totally answers the nightmarishly expensive question of buying a new seat. I just don't have to do it. Yeah! A new seat for my bike would have been over 400 dollars: about 398 dollars more than I have to spend.

I ordered a different pair of pants now that I found out the ones I wanted are no longer being made. They should arrive in the next week. I am checking into getting a good set of rain gear, but want to see if the new pants are waterproof at all, and if so, I will just get a good rain jacket. I also need to think about getting a pair of glasses that are more appropriate for riding. The ones I have are very modern and great to look really smart at a library, but not so good for trying to see my instruments going down the highway at 65 mph. More on important purchases for riding later.