Racing in the Rain Tonight @ Grattan?

Having been laid up with the creeping-coughing-crud for two weeks I was planning on a glorious return to the racing ranks tonight at Grattan. Unfortunately, my new phone, which looks a lot like the the device featured here ...

This cutting edge communication device (because it's white) has a special app, in it, which I think is short for appetizer, that tells you when and if you should race. Unfortunately my "IS IT SAFE TO RACE GRATTAN?" appetizer is telling me that its probably not safe because I'm seeing something like this ...

What I was hoping for was, of course, not a torrential downpour, but something more appetizing, maybe something like this, which I believe is a real appetizer.

Looks tasty, doesn't it? But not very filling. Hey, I'm getting hungry, when's this post going to end, anyway?

Well lets hope that the rain, thunder and lightening icons that are flashing on my App right now go away and that my IS IT SAFE TO RACE AT GRATTAN alert turns to:

 YEAH, IT'S OKAY TO RACE AT GRATTAN YOU BIG DUMMY

Even if the rain lets up slightly, and there are no wicked bolts of Thor-like lighting hitting the ground, I still might chance it. My first thought, since it looks like we are living in Seattle, or somewhere much hipper, where it rains all the time (hey you can't have everything, now can you?) I researched some of  Seattle bike riding in the rain tips, but found them sadly lacking, but you can check them out if you have absolutely nothing to do - which you apparently don't since you're still reading this.

My next step was to read an in-depth book on racing in the rain, but it too just didn't seem to hit that "wet  spot" I was looking for. Though I have hit some wet spots, some of which have been left by a creature that looks a lot like the creature featured on the cover.

But it's not a bad novel, but I just can't see how a dog can ride a bike, much less race a bicycle in the rain.


So I thought I'd check out another place in the world where they ride bicycles in the rain all the time - the Netherlands.



I thought this looked a lot like the Grattan B Race, did you? I just can't imagine all those umbrellas in the sprint though. Maybe in a breakaway, but not a sprint.

So I kept looking ...

Again, more trouble with hoods, ponchos, and umbrellas. I think the guys In Seattle could learn a thing or two from this, though.


This video below was my favorite. Mainly because it wasn't raining, and it looked a little bit like the beginning of a cheesy porn flick. Not that I have ever seen a cheesy porn flick before, but if I had, I imagine it would look like this. I also like that it was in a language I didn't understand.

Well, if it clears I'll see you Bastards out there. If not, I'll be back in my oxygen/altitude tent cleaning out the lungs for a weekend of probably pretty disapointing racing.