Whether it's a change in the gulf stream, global warming or whatever you care to blame it on, the current changeableness of our climate is, to say the least, extreme.
Like every cyclist we take note of the weather forecast before any ride and prepare accordingly but even this can't prepare you for the severity and ferociousness of the conditions we seem to be experiencing of late.
With rain predicted by late afternoon we seized the day and headed out for a coastal ride towards Bawdsey, Suffolk. Initially billed as a recovery ride after a very swift 50 miler the previous day, it turned into another 'swift' ride. Blame it on the sun or the heat or just the sheer joy of riding out in great weather.
After a leisurely drink and dare we say it, a cheeky Peters (Suffolk's finest) ice cream and having watched the ferry come in and take the day trippers across to Felixstowe - we headed back. The pace was very much club run not peloton by this stage.
The colour of the sky at this time of year is always rich and deep in tone but the edges, where sky meets land were very faded. It looked like we were heading straight into a massive downpour. Good job it wasn't forecast for 2-3 hours.
About 5 miles from home the sky turned dark mauve and the heavens opened on us. It's fair to say that enough rain fell in the course of 20 or so minutes to flood a main road and in places be deep enough to submerge a bottom bracket. Working on the philosophy that once you're wet, you're wet you just keep going but in the back of your mind you still wonder where that beautiful day went.
