Hooray, it's stinky weather!

Excellent! Today is very wet and completely unsuitable for cycling altogether. Some people might cycle in such weather and think others 'lightweights' for not doing so. I, however, cycle purely for enjoyment and getting soaked is not part of that enjoyment.

Why am I so delighted about the weather being of the 'uncycleable' (did I just make that word up?) variety? The reason is twofold:

• Firstly, it's because I've got a stinking cold, am having bother trying to breathe and would have to take a rest anyway
  
  
• Secondly, it's because I'm a petty small-minded man and don't like missing days of prospective cycling. With the weather being so bad, I wasn't going to go cycling anyway and that means I'm not missing anything due to my stinky bunged up horrible cold
  

Whilst on the subject of the weather, does anyone else feel almost controlled by the weather when it comes to cycling? Obviously we are all controlled to the extent of certain weather being (and I'll use my made up word again) 'uncycleable' but it goes deeper than that for me. For example, I pretty much always (unless I have to do something in a specific location or I'm cycling with a group) select my routes to go into the wind on the way out and with the wind on the way home. In this way, the weather controls where I go. If you liked to romanticise it, you could say 'I cycle wherever the wind takes me'. The truth of the matter is I consult seven or eight weather forecasts, find out what direction the wind is coming from and plan my route accordingly. Not quite so romantic I'm afraid. Even asides from the windage issue, I find myself feeling guilty if it is good weather and I don't get out for a cycle. Well, it's not necessarily guilt par se but I feel I've wasted my day in some manner if it is pleasant outside and I don't get a run out on my bike. You would think I would be a stronger cyclist, given that attitude.

Twisted though it may sound, I'm half pleased to discover I'm bunged up and a bit ill. When I was out for a cycle yesterday my efforts were so pathetic, it pleases me to have an excuse for them. I was putting in more effort than usual (and doing quite a bit of sweating), not going particularly far and still came home with an average speed noticeably slower than normal. I'm not obsessive about average speeds and know I'm much slower than most cyclists but it's still a bit disconcerting to put in more work and get worse results for your effort. I guess my squirty poos should have tipped me off about my illness before I went out yesterday.

It'll do as an excuse for my being generally 'not able to get going' for the past few days' cycling. I thought it was just the muggy weather but it's probably more to do with me and my being a little run down (although thankfully not by a car). Although I don't want to, I should probably rest for the next few days and try to get healthy for the arrival of my new bike (I've been waiting over a month for it but it surely must be ready very soon). Additionally, it gives me a chance to get all the little bits and pieces together before the bike is ready ie. mudguards, pannier racks and all those 'old man' attachments. Here's hoping the framebuilder remembered to put front and rear braze-ons on my bike to be. I don't fancy waiting for the frame to be sent back, have the braze-ons brazed on (I guess) and sent to the local shop again. I hope I'm not that ill.

So, in summary, hooray for bad weather and a stuffy head cold! Now where's that Lemsip...