BBQ'd Portsy

Okay, so I'll apologize for doing two cycling posts, back to back, but this one begs to be told! 

Honest!

If you snuck a peek at the photo at the left, and you ride every now and again, then you'll likely recognize what the pic is about. What I'd like to share, is HOW it came to look like that! If that object was a Mac computer, the screen would be the spinning beachball of death, but it's a Garmin head unit (or bike computer) and that screen is what happens when the water seal fails and lets the rain in. 

Now, we're not talking about a sprinkle or simple shower here! 

First, the back story ... I didn't get a call for supply on this day to I decided, "Self, get your booty out on the two wheeled stallion, and get some km's in!" The weather at first glance was warm ... duh, heat wave ... and sunny so eastward I pointed, with the plan to get through first Springwater, and then Oro-Medonte, with Orillia the turnaround destination. Other than huffs, puffs, and thigh burn, there's nothing to report from WB to the Tim's on Memorial Drive, my goal being to jump on the SCRT (@cyclesimcoe) to get home.

A text message from my better half, warning of the downpour she drove through on the way to a hair appointment in Angus, brought only scrunched up features as I looked up into a cloudless sky while I enjoyed my iced cap and croissant. A shrug, a mumble, and shake of the head, and off I set on the Rail Trail.

If you know the trail around Orillia, you'll likely recall that it's heavily treed for a good bit as you meander eastward, at least until you pass the 15th line. As I was crossing, I was startled by a rolling clap of thunder, prompting a scan to my right, and what do I spy but the darkest, nastiest, OMG'est cloud I've seen in a while. Ever the optimist, I reasoned the the trail was going almost due East and the cloud with its accompanying rain was much further north, likely hammering the hamlet of Edgar right then.

I couldn't have been more wrong!

In the time it took to reach the 13th line, a slow sprinkle became a full-blown deluge, the ferocity of which would have prompted devout souls to start building an ark. Even under the shelter of some very mature maples, the downpour resulted in me being head-to-toe soaked. What can you do when faced with a situation like this other than hunker down and turn the cranks ... you can only get so wet. 

As it would turn out, my head unit wasn't as waterproof as advertised, likely the result of a degrading seal around the screen, and the amount of rain that was lambasting me was enough to get into the workings, it presence signalled by a frozen screen.

I turned north up the 13th, right into the teeth of the rain, and slogged my way up the hill to Ridge Road. As I turned left, a flash of lightning, and the slightly delayed boom of thunder, signalled that the storm was not far away. Nanoseconds later, the hairs on my water-logged forearms stood straight up, an alarming feeling when you consider how hard it was raining, then the entire forest lit up like New Year's Eve accompanied by an eardrum rocking sonic blast of thunder. It was all I could do to stay upright on the bike! 

Now, here's a question, where does one seek shelter when deep in the bush?

I could see that the sky was lighter further to the west so I hammered it as hard as I could to outpace the storm and another close encounter with Ma Nature. I hoped that the downpour would lighten up, and It did a little, but I had to contend with a steady stream until well past the NE of Barrie. Another issue arose that only regular riders will understand, when the resulting gushiness of my bibs was having an unwelcome effect on my tushy, the recognizable discomfort of adult diaper rash!

Yuck!

The ending of the tale is a happier one as the clouds parted, the sun shone brightly, I dried out, traversed the remaining km's back to the Beach, and made the return safely. My bestie could only shake her head in bewilderment, a state made more profound when I regaled my close encounter with becoming BBQ.

In the end, and despite the obvious danger, it was still another great day in the saddle!

Now all I have to do is purchase a new head unit ... Ah, the bike life!