Weather

I have had a series of very indoors jobs for the last decade. I rarely find myself outside these days during work hours, so the weather for me has not been that important for a long time. About the only thing that I used to concentrate on during the weather report was the surf conditions, but frankly I can't work out the difference between "seas" and "swell" - I just go to the beach and hope for some waves to bodysurf on. I don't care whether it is hot or cold, fine or raining when I go swimming - after all, you're going to get wet, so what does it matter?

Cycling has changed all of that. Now I study the weather with the same intensity of farmers and ice cream marketing departments. Do I need to pack my spray jacket this morning? Is it a day for gloves with or without fingers? Should I take the clear lenses for my sunglasses? Will I have a headwind going in, and if so, how strong? Depending on the wind, which route should I take? Will I get hit by lightning? Should I pack spare socks (in case it buckets down and my socks get wet - putting on wet socks at the end of the day is not a good start to the ride home).

These are all considerations for the cyclist. Looking out the window helps, but I am now a student of the longer range forecast, because it also determines what time I get out of bed. If it is going to be stinking hot, I get up soon after dawn and ride in before the road starts to melt. If it is going to be freezing, I go in late after the sun has been up for a few hours and the mist has lifted.

It's all part of the subtle differences between motorists and cyclists. Motorists don't need to give a bugger about what is going on outside - you just set the climate control to 20 degrees and go wherever you are going.