Rainy-day bike rides are not for everyone. Those of us who love to ride tend to opt in-side during winter to get our saddle time fix but I prefer to be outside even in bad weather. I’m riding outside today in the rain after taking a serious shaming by my buddy Steve from Virginia. He called after completing his 25 mile ride yesterday to ask what I’d done with my day so far. I made an excuse that it was too cold and icy for me to get anything done today… which both he and I knew was no even close to the truth.. His goal was to motivate me which he did .. the shaming part was on me for offering such a poor ass excuse… So I’m out today to get something under my belt even though the conditions for most would be unthinkable…

To be honest I don’t really mind the rain. I came to appreciate it because my daughter Izzy has always loved rainy days and she shared her joy for the beauty of rainy days with me. There’s just something about being out in the rain that makes her happy. I have found that I relax more easily and am generally in a state of peace when it raining … I do most of my reading and writing on rainy days and somehow coffee seems to taste better too…

Rain lovers are called pluviophiles which means – someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days. So what’s to love about a rainy day? Well it is mostly an individual thing, but when I bike in the rain the streets are quieter and the bike lanes are often nearly empty. The air is fresh, clean, moist and heavy in your lungs. A deep inhale rainy air combined with a mist on your face feels like heaven on two wheels. Approaching the Range Station on Plum Island’s Parker River Reservation I could see the ranger smile as I streamed up to show my (senior) pass…


Ranger Lady: I’m surprised to see you riding in this rain… you must be soaked to the bone.
Me: Well ya….but to be honest with you, I’d rather be riding my bike than my couch today even with the rain…
Ranger Lady: I guess the secret to life is to keep moving…. right?
Me: True… I guess I’d be considered a Pluviophile.
Ranger Lady: A Pluviophile what in heaven’s name is that?
Me: A Pluviophile is a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.

You don’t need a fancy term to know that riding in the rain is fun. Honestly, It’s really about your attitude towards taking a risk… and sometimes a bit of friend shaming. It is easy to change our attitude about biking in the rain if one just tries to embrace the rough weather and accept that on some days it’s going to rain, be cold, icy or even snowy…Just leave the house and make your splash on the day. Feed your inner Pluviophile …. even if the word does sound a little creepy… What’s your comment on working out in the rain Coach Belichick?

In the end it may shift your attitude about the rain …steer your day in the right direction and brake your old bad habits of couch surfing on rainy days… see what I did there with the bike references?

Thanks Steve…