{"id":203775,"date":"2025-10-09T13:07:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T13:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=203775"},"modified":"2025-10-09T13:07:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T13:07:37","slug":"the-psychology-of-the-first-rain-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/10\/09\/the-psychology-of-the-first-rain-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"The Psychology of the First Rain Ride"},"content":{"rendered":"

It starts with a cloud. You check the forecast. You check your phone. You check the sky. A 40% chance of rain. That\u2019s not really a thing<\/em>, is it? That\u2019s just\u2026 possibility. Probability. Schr\u00f6dinger\u2019s weather.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You tell yourself it won\u2019t rain.
\nYou\u2019re a cyclist. You\u2019re brave. You\u2019ve seen worse. You pack a gilet and a good attitude.<\/p>\n

And so begins your first proper autumn rain ride \u2014 a deeply emotional, physically moist experience that leaves you transformed, chafed, and questioning all your life choices.<\/p>\n

Stage one: \u201cIt\u2019s probably just mist\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You set off dry. Confident. The roads are a little damp, sure, but you tell yourself it’s dew. Optimistic dew<\/em>.<\/p>\n

You feel one raindrop. Then two.
\nYou look at the sky like it personally betrayed you.<\/p>\n

No big deal. Just a sprinkle. You say things like:
\n\u201cIt’s just spitting.\u201d
\n\u201cI think it\u2019ll pass.\u201d
\n\u201cMy tyres grip better wet anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

You say these things while squinting through water droplets and pretending your socks aren\u2019t already crying.<\/p>\n

\"Cyclist<\/a>
So begins your first proper autumn rain ride \u2014 a deeply emotional, physically moist experience that leaves you transformed, chafed, and questioning all your life choices. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stage two: \u201cI\u2019m already out here\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s raining now. Properly. Consistently. You\u2019ve been wet for 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

You start negotiating with the universe:
\nIf I make it to the caf\u00e9 without crashing, I\u2019ll finally replace that rear brake pad.
\nIf I don\u2019t get a puncture, I\u2019ll clean my drivetrain today<\/em>.
\nIf I survive this descent, I\u2019ll stop mocking indoor cyclists on Instagram.<\/p>\n

You consider turning back. But you’re too far in.
\nYou\u2019re not a quitter. You’re just… soggy and under-lubricated.<\/p>\n

So you keep riding, fuelled by stubbornness and the distant hope of a dry patch that never comes.<\/p>\n

Stage three: \u201cMy chamois is a sponge\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Everything is wet.
\nYour gloves. Your shoes. Your soul.<\/p>\n

Your once-high-performance bib shorts have transformed into a swamp.
\nYou shift gears and hear the sound of mud, chain, and despair.
\nYou attempt to drink from your bidon and realise it\u2019s filled with diluted regret.<\/p>\n

You start narrating your own obituary.
\nYou wonder what your non-cycling friends are doing. (Answer: warm, dry things.)
\nYou contemplate life without cycling. (Answer: sad, but less clammy.)<\/p>\n

Stage four: \u201cI think I love this – aka madness\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Something shifts.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s adrenaline. Maybe it\u2019s delirium. Maybe your frontal lobe just gave up.
\nBut suddenly \u2014 you feel alive.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re soaked, freezing, covered in road spray, and grinning like a maniac.
\nYou lean into corners like you\u2019re in a Belgian classic.
\nYou splash through puddles on purpose.
\nYou start yelling things like \u201cTHIS IS REAL CYCLING\u201d to no one in particular.<\/p>\n

You are disgusting. You are heroic. You are unstable.<\/p>\n

And it feels amazing.<\/p>\n

Stage five: \u201cI am never doing that again\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The ride ends.<\/p>\n

You get home and leave your bike outside like it\u2019s contagious.
\nYou peel off layers that could legally qualify as wetland.
\nYour bathroom smells like pond. Your floor is a slip hazard. Your socks will never emotionally recover.<\/p>\n

You make a hot drink and wrap yourself in every dry item of clothing you own.
\nYou look at your muddy reflection and think, never again<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Then you upload the ride to Strava<\/a> with a caption like:
\n\u201cCharacter-building spin \ud83d\udca6\ud83d\udcaa\u201d<\/p>\n

And you know, deep down\u2026
\nYou\u2019ll do it again next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It starts with a cloud. You check the forecast. You check your phone. You check the sky. A 40% chance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":203802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[329,334],"tags":[2356,2668,7543],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-203775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-road-cycling","category-socialising-and-culture","tag-autumn-cycling","tag-cycling-fun","tag-cycling-in-rain","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Psychology of the First Rain Ride - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It starts with a cloud. You check the forecast. You check your phone. You check the sky. A 40% chance of rain. That\u2019s not really a thing, is it? 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