Wet weather open thread

Very wet ride from downtown to Tabor, but not cold at all!

I just reported this puddle to 823-SAFE: http://bit.ly/fzbgXB It continually blocks the bike lane on N Williams at Weidler, forcing bicyclists out into the car lane. I’ve reported it before but seen nothing change. Yesterday it definitely was filling up the entire bike lane, I’m glad I don’t have to go through it today and see how bad it is!

Cleverly stayed home all day…….

Today is a great day to ride Tri-Met! Even when my rain gear was new, it couldn’t deal with this level of rain.

Its not cold, so I don’t mind the rain. Just wish the car drivers are more mindful about not splashing the cyclists.

For reasons unrelated to weather, I drove today. I had forgotten how bloody tough it is to see out of a cage in the rain and dark. Be safe out there, even conscientious drivers may have a tough time seeing you.

There was at least a foot and a half of water on Hawthorn in the inner SE.

OMSI to Concordia 4:30ish pm- esplanade very wet and puddle/lakey with lots of water coming off the freeway overpasses. Williams was a giant parking lane river with the occasional corner lake, sketchy going. the lake at fremont(? second light after Broadway) was really huge, careful there.Going however was sooth sailing all the way home.
my gloves became waterbags alas. I am very damp. but it was SUPER FUN.

I love riding in the rain. Best day ever!

Went from PSU to East Burn around 2pm. Good lord it was wet! Fun but wet. Bike lanes were good steady streams all the way down Madison.

Also, did see a pretty big puddle over at Powell/26th covering part of the bike lane.. Pretty big splashes.

I encountered a VERY big puddle past the Rose Quarter heading North on Interstate, right underneath the Broadway bridge. It seemed to be flooded to about a foot deep but it could have just been the wake from passing cars. This was at around 5:15pm, but I’d assume it’s just as flooded currently. I enjoy a good water/bike adventure, but I would seriously recommend avoiding this section of Interstate on your bike if at all possible.

SE 43rd & Brooklyn is a lake.

Yes, it’s dreadfully wet out there. This time of year there are many wet leaf piles on the roadside and they bank some impressive miniature lakes… watch out for those! Take it slow. And eat hot soup.

Not too bad for me. When I hit the road. Rain let up and stopped. Some streets as well as Springwater path bit flooded. I got home mostly dry. Just my shoes got soaked.

Riding tall and carrying a big stick. To clear sewer drain of course.

just my hands were soaked… I need new gloves…

I was born wearing spats and a dickie… be prepared!

Rode from Canby to Lake Oswego via the ferry, Mountain road, and Stafford. Lost of water on the road. Got soaked to the bone and loved every minute of it!

Great ride up Terwilliger to OHSU this afternoon in the thick of the rain. As my shoes filled with water, I remembered my brand new Rivendell splats sitting warm & dry in a closet at home. D’oh!

I was driving today in mcminnville…flooding over 99w caused water to be drawn into into the engine of cars with low intakes and stranded drivers tonight…the water was about a foot high but didn’t go pass the door sills of my lowered sports car

I gotta say, I love my new TriMet pass, it makes getting around (dry) a whole lot easier. OTOH, I’m limited in my speed and range by them. I need better wet weather gear…

Dropped my front wheel into “Lake Hawthorne” at the corner of Hawthorne and 12th and it went up to my hub. But all and all a very fun ride home.

I biked in early and missed the rain. I biked home really late and missed the rain. No problems here.

Great pics! They also serve to illuminate (‘scuse me) the front bike light thread.

ahhhhhh! what a mess! i commuted between 3 jobs today, and somehow only got soaked at 2pm. But as I rode home down the Ankeny hill past Laurelhurst, there is a GIANT puddle (or lake) that I coasted halfway into with my feet lifted, and then realized it was pedal or fall over time. Thank goodness for my neoprene booties! Shoes are still dry, ankles up to knees soaked. Lake Ankeny 🙂

coming from beaverton to NE through the zoo I found a number of spots that were, by all means, flooded. At one point on Park St. in beavertron i looked down to see the tops of my feet disappear with each pedal stroke. wth? Yea lots of water. The rivers coming down from the top of the zoo.. both sides… was unlike i’ve ever seen it. 1/2 – 2/3rds of the road not only covered, but covered with running water… white caps & the like. Tonight was a wet one.

I would be more afraid of the cars than the puddles/ rivers.
I noticed people at bus stops holding umbrellas sideways so cars don’t splash them.
If you have a chance- clean the storm drain on your corner tomorrow

Flood *inside* the metrofiets as I had it in cafe mode vs the waterproof cargo mode. Spent an hour emptying and drying contents. Total mayhem. Noticed a two foot completely flooded street at NE 16th & Beech. Rode through it (on a different bike) for entertainment. Not a brilliant idea to submerge bearings but … stupidity can be fun sometimes.

I’m not sure what everyone was talking about. During my bike in at 7:45 I didn’t even get a drop and my ride home at 6:10 was completely dry. Even a trip to the store at 10 was bone dry. But for some reason the streets have been soaked and flooded all day. Must be a broken pipe.

It started raining right after I got to work and stopped before I left for home, so I didn’t get soaked. My jacket and pants do well enough, so I always pack an extra pair of socks and gloves any day I think it might rain (which is most non-summer days). Saw some flooding on Fremont east of MLK on my way home but not much else as I ascended past Mt Tabor into Arleta.

Keep in mind that the ground was already pretty saturated from recent rain, so anything heavy and extended like this is going to cause flash flooding, especially in areas of lower elevation or natural drainage routes. These can be hard to distinguish at times in the urban landscape, but they are still very real forces of nature. As always, operate your vehicle with due regard to the conditions for everyone’s safety. If you’re riding a bike, be as well lit and visible as possible (I have two lights both front and back) as those lights may be practically all that can be seen through a dark, rain-spotted windshield.

Portland seems to view all weather as a crisis. It’s water, it’s not molten lava. Try living with weekly tornados in Kansas or monthly hurricanes in the Gulf, or even the three feet of snow north of the Great Lakes. Nothing here comes close. But maybe that’s the problem. Everything’s so safe and clean that the mildest event prompts people to rush to innernette to blog about their personal experience so that every will know how important it was.

Nearly every intersection in the Hollywood neighborhood was flooded around rush hour. Interestingly, the traffic light at 42nd and Hancock appeared to be malfunctioning as a result. It was stuck on red in all directions.

Not to say that I enjoy the suffering of others, but as I rode along splashing through puddles, I was delighted to be the only person not stuck in the traffic jam.

on a midnight ride home for work i did find my self asking, “is it better to be dry or self righteous?”

the puddles were terrible. Felt like I had to ride in the middle of the street to avoid drowning.

also, vision was really limited. today, I am staying in a watching the rain through my window. ride safely.

Decent raingear makes a rainy ride almost enjoyable.

Note: the photo above shows a bicyclist who is barely visible compared to the car headlights behind him. Don’t assume that a yellow rain jacket will help you be more visible. At night, all colors fade to gray or black. Add more reflective piping or a safety vest; use brighter lights, add reflective flashes to your ankles and wrists (the latter make signaling easier to see).

I rode to the gym (on Alberta) in a pouring rain last night, clad in rain jacket, pants and booties; and had few problems.

Conveniently, there’s a Lucky Lab along almost all major commute routes these days. Raining to much? Stop off for a pint and wait till it abates. That’s what I did last night.

I’m with Hart, the weather here is kind of laughable, as far as drama goes. It’s supposed to rain in Portland. And when it’s 45-50, what is the problem, besides a few puddles. I do find it odd though, that the city seems to be lacking proper drainage in some areas.

I rode through the flooding on N. Vancouver last night. I was in such a hurry I didn’t pay any attention to the cars turning around, OR the guy with the news camera, and before I knew it I was up to my hubs in water. Kind of fun actually (with all the rain gear).

I too am with Hart. It is just water. Wet is no problem if one stays warm, and that is just a matter of appropriate clothing.

riding takes more care and planning. Brakes become inefficient and traction iffy.

There will be maintenance on the machines to make sure things are greased and lubed, cables dry and sliding freely (compressed air pushing tri-flo through the housings – repeat). I intend to take off my wheels and remove the tires so that I can cross-hatch the rims with a wire brush. Then also remove the glaze from the brake pads. I really want my brakes back.

I actually enjoy riding in the rain, so no problem there. My only complaint is that- with all the raingear- sometimes it seems as if I spend more time getting ready to ride that I do riding. Once I’m out there though it’s actually pretty fun. I’m fortunate too- we have showers at my office and I have extra dry everything (socks, underwear, shirts, pants, shoes- practically a whole wardrobe) in a file-cabinet drawer at work. That’s come in handy more than once, sometimes because something got wet, sometimes because I forgot, and occasionally because I spilled coffee or dropped pad thai on myself.

Sometimes when I get to work after riding in the rain, I’ll e-mail my mom and say- “Hey Mom, remember all those times when I was little and you wouldn’t let me go ride my bike because it was raining? Well, guess what I just did!”

That was a fun commute home! My ride happened from about 4:15 to 5:15, and it poured the whole time. My rain gear kept me mostly dry, just a few wet spots where water came in through the front zipper, and because I haven’t washed my jacket for a few weeks.

I had a blast! There were a few deep puddles where my feet were actually submerged at the bottom of the peddle stroke. But my booties (Sugoi brand, purchased at REI) kept my shoes almost completely dry.

SW Moody, riding north from the OHSU tram was a lake. Hugging the slightly higher sidewalk was the only way through. Let’s hope that, when all the planned construction is finished, they’ll get that road right.

New dimensions in amphibious commuting!

Just about the wettest bike ride I have ever taken, rode from PCC Cascade to Bike N Hike then home in the Pearl District.

Found many Puddles and Rivers along my route which made for a crazy adventure, I think my favorite was the giant puddle at the Bridge across I-84 and Grand Avenue which force me out of the barely discernible bike lane all the way to the other side.

Bread bags under my shoe covers! Yeah! I don’t care how wet I get, just please lawd keep me feet dry!

This season reminds me how much I love commuting on tallbikes. I know my route well, and there were HUGE puddles that I knew were safe to ride thru. So much fun! One of them I swear I was in 2 feet of water (it was past my dropouts. Yet I stayed (relatively) dry.