When it's not as much fun

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So it tipped down last night in Auckland. Nothing unusual there, but for cycle commuters, it's game on, in the shit hour.

When it's sunny, and the pavement is dry, biking home is great fun. You've got the sun on your back, and you're ripping in and out of the traffic like no-ones' business, youc an go faster than the cars, and you're happy they're jealous of you zipping through the rush hour traffic. Tires are singing, you can stop in a jiffy, the visibility is clear, it's all a bit of a game, really.

Then it rains and it's a totally different story. Everyone forgets how to drive, they can't see as well (especially those pesky cyclists), everyone's in a bad mood and it becomes vital to be FIRST to the light, and don't want to stop for the red ones. They're angry at everyone else in the road, and want to BE HOME NOW.

You've waited at work 'til half six to avoid the worst of it, but it's now that little bit darker. You forgot to bring your jacket and are sopping wet. Your glasses have rain all over them and your lack of mudgards means shit is flicking up in your eyes. Your brakes aren't quite as good in the wet (although modern V-brakes are a fuck of a lot better than the old 10-speed ones), and you're thinking 'is that little red light on the back going to be enough to stop someone ramming into the back of me'?

Now the game is to get home in one piece.