Commuting weather diary

Iwannahurl · 14-03-2014 11:36am

Usual school run, with SI on own bike. No rain.

gordongekko · 14-03-2014 4:34pm

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Usual school run, with SI on own bike. No rain.

walked to and from work myself the last few mornings. It was the first few mornings in a long time that I was confident that I would be fairly dry and not blown out of it.

Iwannahurl · 14-03-2014 5:05pm

You get used to it, but the truth is that there have been very few really lousy mornings.

Iwannahurl · 18-03-2014 12:03pm

Usual morning school run, with SI on own bike. No rain during trip. 71 school days since start of this diary.

Iwannahurl · 19-03-2014 8:55pm

Usual school run. No precipitation of any consequence. Very light mist for a few minutes, but not enough to show up on IRUSE rainfall stats or ME radar. Left home late. Traffic heavy for no discernible reason.

Iwannahurl · 20-03-2014 4:50pm

Usual school run, by bike. SI looked out the window and said "there's no way I'm cycling in that weather." Very wet, and quite gusty. 4 mm of rain 08:00-09:00 according to IRUSE.

kodute · 20-03-2014 8:59pm

Slightly damp today, had to turn the wipers onto highest setting, those 12 steps from the car door to work felt very refreshing though.

Iwannahurl · 21-03-2014 11:26am

Trip: 3+4 km school-work commute. Senior Infant on own bike.
Mode: cycle.
Weather: gusty and showery morning. Temperature 7-8 degrees, with a fair bit of wind chill.
Comment: good example of a rain-free 7 km commute on a rainy day. Heavy shower just before departure, but no rainfall during either 3 km cycle to school or 4 km cycle from school to work. Rain lashing the windows as I type.

inisboffin · 21-03-2014 4:04pm

25 min walk today - had baggage
Soaked is not the word for it. From 2 mins in until the end. Early lunchtime.
Not sure if I would have gotten more or less wet on my bike though

Mostly heavy rain, windy.

Mr_A · 21-03-2014 4:32pm

Got wet through my coat yesterday for the first time in a long time. Was fine until I turned into the wind and then the wind seemed to drive the rain through, especially around the arms for some reason. Time to get a better coat I guess.

Iwannahurl · 24-03-2014 11:46am

Trip: school run. Senior Infant on own bike.
Mode: cycle.
Weather: windy, with light rain.
Comment: an example of where the commuting experience is not described in the data. Light rain on departure. Some grumbling among the rank and file when setting out, but mood changed to good humour and sense of achievement after brisk 3 km cycle. Enough rain to dampen clothing, started to get more unpleasant on return leg. IRUSE data show no rain, whereas the radar image suggests otherwise. The reality was that the cycle was a bit damp, but the level of rainfall was nothing to write home about (whatever about posting on Boards).

Mr_A · 24-03-2014 9:31pm

Today was fantastic. Strong tailwind going to and coming from work. Bit wet, but I can forgive a lot of rain when the wind plays ball like that!

Iwannahurl · 25-03-2014 5:12pm

Usual school run by bike. Beautiful day. Temperature is reportedly around 11 degrees, but it feels warmer. Ice cream on the beach after lunch.

inisboffin · 25-03-2014 5:26pm

Thanks to time mismanagement it's a cab and a lift day! Beautiful weather though, and traffic not heavy either.

Iwannahurl · 25-03-2014 5:28pm

Forgot to mention that traffic was very light.

Micilin Muc · 25-03-2014 6:55pm

Mr_A wrote: »

Today was fantastic. Strong tailwind going to and coming from work. Bit wet, but I can forgive a lot of rain when the wind plays ball like that!

Spare a thought for me who had a strong headwind going to and coming from work.

sonandheir · 25-03-2014 8:57pm

Trip: work commute 22km round trip today.
Mode: cycle.
Weather: lovely day today, bit of a headwind both ways
Comment: Been off work and moving house so haven't updated in a few weeks. Drove a fair bit over last few weeks did about 8 days cycle commute with 2 showery commutes. updating my stats accordingly:
Wet: 3/28= 11%
Nice: 25/28= 89%
Deadly: 0/28= 0%

Iwannahurl · 26-03-2014 12:17pm

Trip: 3+4 km school-work commute.
Mode: cycle.
Weather: sunny.

Iwannahurl · 27-03-2014 10:37am

Trip: 3+4 km school-work commute.
Mode: cycle.
Weather: sunny.

gordongekko · 27-03-2014 12:58pm

sonandheir wrote: »

Trip: work commute 22km round trip today.
Mode: cycle.
Weather: lovely day today, bit of a headwind both ways
Comment: Been off work and moving house so haven't updated in a few weeks. Drove a fair bit over last few weeks did about 8 days cycle commute with 2 showery commutes. updating my stats accordingly:
Wet: 3/28= 11%
Nice: 25/28= 89%
Deadly: 0/28= 0%

oh come on it's this type if rubbish that takes away from this thread.

So basically you cycled on fine days so no "deadly" days except for the days it was too bad to cycle so you drove instead but they don't count as you did not cycle.

inisboffin · 27-03-2014 4:02pm

Today, 15-20 mins each way (cycle)
Out early afternoon. Cloudy but dryish. Traffic medium
Back Afternoon Raining for whole cycle - not heavy but no waterproofs so got wet.
Stopped now but very overcast, and have to head out again (with rain jacket!)
**edit** the heavens JUST opened up. I'll wait a bit!

sonandheir · 27-03-2014 11:06pm

gordongekko wrote: »

oh come on it's this type if rubbish that takes away from this thread.

So basically you cycled on fine days so no "deadly" days except for the days it was too bad to cycle so you drove instead but they don't count as you did not cycle.

I cycle most days. As I mentioned in my post I was moving over last several weeks so wasn't commuting as much. If I drive it's not due to weather (unless it's dangerous weather), so I only count the days in saddle for commuting diary. I defined earlier that a 'deadly' day is a day when weather is too dangerous to cycle, there were a few storms this winter when winds were too high to safely cycle.

Iwannahurl · 28-03-2014 10:50am

Usual school run (SI on own bike unless stated otherwise). No rain. Left home quite late. Roads clear.

Iwannahurl · 31-03-2014 10:54am

Usual school run. No rain. Left home late, but there was still a 1.4 km tailback of near-stationary traffic, for no particular reason that I could see.

Sniipe · 31-03-2014 12:48pm

Love the thread Iwannahurl - it may promote me to cycle more. However I disagree with your first post. Inclement weather here forces me to drive more than cycle my 3km to work. Perhaps my water proof gear is not good enough... Besides I have a 2 and a half year old on the back of the bike to bring to creche.

inisboffin · 31-03-2014 2:41pm

Quick loop run this lunchtime on bike (10 mins each way)
Traffic not bad, weather crisp and sunny!

Iwannahurl · 31-03-2014 3:32pm

Sniipe wrote: »

Love the thread Iwannahurl - it may promote me to cycle more. However I disagree with your first post. Inclement weather here forces me to drive more than cycle my 3km to work. Perhaps my water proof gear is not good enough... Besides I have a 2 and a half year old on the back of the bike to bring to creche.

People's circumstances vary, as do their choices. All I can report is my own experience, and the fact that other people doing broadly the same commute on the same day at the same time in the same locality will experience the same weather conditions.

inisboffin · 31-03-2014 4:18pm

Iwannahurl wrote: »

People's circumstances vary, as do their choices. All I can report is my own experience, and the fact that other people doing broadly the same commute on the same day at the same time in the same locality will experience the same weather conditions.

We have to constantly keep in mind though the 'lashing for 15 mins in Knocknacarra/dry in Shantalla*' type scenario that is so prevalent in Galway. I think it causes many disagreements on here!

* these are just examples of places relatively close that often have different weather over a commute. Insert any names in either spot. Knocknacarra has just as many nice days

Iontach67 · 31-03-2014 4:54pm

Not so much a weather question as a traffic one. Just how bad is it in the mornings? Google maps tells me a drive from Westwide to Ballybrit would take 16 minutes in current traffic, if I check that in around an hour's time would it give me a similar estimation for 9am?

Iwannahurl · 31-03-2014 8:03pm

inisboffin wrote: »

We have to constantly keep in mind though the 'lashing for 15 mins in Knocknacarra/dry in Shantalla*' type scenario that is so prevalent in Galway. I think it causes many disagreements on here!

* these are just examples of places relatively close that often have different weather over a commute. Insert any names in either spot. Knocknacarra has just as many nice days

Exactly. Over time, for every "lashing for 15 mins in Knocknacarra/dry in Shantalla" there will be an equal number of "lashing for 15 mins in Shantalla/dry in Knocknacarra".

Unless there are microclimates in Galway City that I have never heard of, my contention is that anybody from anywhere in the city who keeps a daily weather diary for commutes <= 4km will find that the number of rained-on trips are in a minority.

As far as this thread goes, however, that's still a hypothesis.

Commuting weather diary

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