Ride in the Rain!

Yesterday was the Kitsap Color Classic. Chunlin, my dad, and I rode the Hansville loop despite the threat of rain, rain, rain!

Apparently about half the registered riders didn't show up to ride. For shame! But there were still a few hundred.

Not many on the 10:10 ferry, though. About ten or twelve.


The Hansville loop went from Kingston to the northerly tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, home of the hamlet of Hansville and the Point No Point lighthouse.


It didn't rain on the ride north. In fact, we had a tailwind so it was rather warm.

Rain was nearby though, as evidenced by the rainbow over Whidbey Island.


On the way back, though, the rain kicked in. And with the headwind, it was wet.

I got mud splattered on my back, just like everyone else, but I also got mud splattered on the front of my shirt. I think it was because my tires have more tread than average road bikes. The front-wheel tread caught the water and threw it forward. Then, thanks to my airspeed, the mud droplets turned around and hit me.

Chunlin brought a change of clothes for after. I didn't.


We had one really steep hill and one really long hill. I managed to ride to the top of both, in my "granny" gear. One woman on the long hill yelled that I was cheating (as I passed her), but that's what the low gear is for!

Here's the top of the steep hill:


Speaking of gears, my chain fell off the front sprockets four times. The first two times, it fell off the inside when shifting from the middle sprocket to the small sprocket. I adjusted the shifter thingy. Then it fell off the outside when shifting from the middle sprocket to the large one. I adjusted it again. The chain then fell off the inside when shifting from the small sprocket to the middle sprocket. How did that happen? I didn't make any further adjustments, and yet it didn't fall off again.

Despite the inclement conditions, we all had a good time. Next year, the STP!