It was to be expected, but I didn't expect that!
The weather forecast had predicted a terrible day for my arrival in Italy and the crossing of Piedmont (The north province of Italy)
I woke up to the ominous rumble of thunder and a sky that promised anything but a pleasant ride.
I geared up and hit the road under heavy rain and a furious thunderstorm.
Riding Through the Deluge
In the image below, you can easily spot my planned route by following the lightning path:
The first leg of my journey was a 60 km stretch to Aosta, and let me tell you, it felt like riding through a waterfall.
It took me two grueling hours to cover those 60 kilometers. No part of my gear was spared from the deluge; my jacket grew progressively heavier with each kilometer, soaking through despite its supposed rain resistance. My gloves and boots, both advertised as waterproof, caved under the relentless fury of the storm. My recently acquired Gore-Tex pant was the only gear that stood up to the elements. Shoutout to modern technology for that small mercy.
Changing Plans
Arriving in Aosta, drenched and facing the inevitable prospect of more rain, I made a strategic decision. Although I initially vowed to avoid toll roads for the genuine experience of the route, I realized that making it to Milan and further in one piece was a more pressing goal. I swallowed my pride and took the highway.
Once I hit the highway to Milan, I found myself staring blankly at the road, simply waiting for the day to pass. Riding in the storm remained a formidable challenge.
An unexpected turnaround
By the time I arrived in Milan, I pulled into the first service station I found to recuperate a bit. I was utterly soaked, every inch of me drenched and heavy from the water. I grabbed a warm drink and took a moment to dry off a bit.
Thankfully, the rain unexpectedly began to ease off. During the next kilometers, the speed and wind had helped dry out some of my gear, lifting my spirits slightly.
Back to the Original Plan
Feeling rejuvenated, I decided to leave the highway and return to my original promise of avoiding toll roads. The universe seemed to reward my perseverance; I ended the day riding under a rainbow, with sunshine breaking through the clouds. It was as if the gods were blessing me again with a breathtaking scenery as a reward for my day's trials.
Looking Ahead
Despite the tough conditions, today reinforced why I embarked on this adventure: to test my limits and experience the journey. Tomorrow I'll be heading towards Venice, then Trieste, hopeful for better weather and prepared for whatever comes my way.
Thank you for following along on this wet and wild ride. Your support keeps me going, and I can't wait to share more of my adventures with you all.
Ride on!
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A tip I learned back when I was despatching. When you can't handle any more, pull into a service station and hold your gloves under a hand dryer. Try to guide the air to the inside, not the outside. It won't totally dry them off, but they'll feel a bit dryer and (more importantly) they'll be warm for a while.
I can't see what type of bike you've got, but if you can get at the cylinder block (I used to ride BMW Boxers, so the cylinders were easily accessible) there's another trick you could try. I to get a tin of beans with chipolatas in, poke a couple of small holes in the top for expansion, wrap it thoroughly in tin foil and wire it with the holes upwards to the cylinder block. By lunchtime, you'll have a nice hot meal ready 😀
Good luck, and have a safe ride !
Man, that idea to use the hands dryer made my day because it have me anymore idea: to use my hotel room hair dryer to dry all my gears (gloves, boots, ...) including my socks! The last one wasn't a good idea because it now smell a bit in the room 😷 😂
Thank you for sharing such great trick.
I did my share of riding in the rain and you can find that nothing is really totally waterproof. I hope you dried off a bit. I'll see you in Split. I'm going by unicycle!
Yeah, I know nothing is absolutely waterproof. Had no plastic bag at hand to cover the gloves, Tho I had three pairs with me but the two others were summer ones. Useless under heavy rain.
Looking forward to meeting you again in Split! Safe travels on your unicycle journey. 😜
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I wont be there this time, you could fly like everyone else, no getting wet 😀
I already made some "road to hivefest" using a plane. Way less funny even if dryer.
PS: We will miss you 😢
Good travel!!!
Thank you @torrecoin90
I think that regardless of the bike you're riding, trying to cross like this on stormy and rainy days seems like risking your life for a few hours of adrenaline. I'm glad everything went well on your trip.
It was not a matter of adrenaline. My time is limited to reach Split and I didn't want to wait all day stuck in a hotel room. The main thing is to drive (very) carefully, hence the 2 hours to ride 60km, and not want to go fast at all costs.
It's always curious how much the weather can change plans. In Venice recently a thunderstorm saved the day as it was oppressively hot and humid. The storm cooled things down to a manageable level.
60km in 2 hours in driving rain is still pretty good going.
The rainbow was a nice touch. 👍🏼
Yep, the rainbow made it!
Ouch! Weather is crazy these days, let's hope that rainbow marks the beginning of a stress free ride. Fingers crossed!
That did it!
Awesome! 😁
You're a hearty soul, no doubt!
🍺
Thank you 😊
How exciting, apart from the drenching. I'm sure if we were in our 5 0 year old Landie she'd be leaking in those conditions too. Drive safe!
Hehe, let me challenge you. Why make the trip to next HiveFest with you Landie? 😁
Ah it's more complicated. The Landie was shipped to UK, travelled to Morocco and Portugal then had to go home as Dad is terminal. Home is Australia. Landie still in UK. If we coulda we woulda.
Thanks for sharing your adventure
You're welcome @patience2
Thats a wild ride.
Truly, brave and courageous should be your middle name.
I bet this experience would never be forgotten any time soon.
Unfortunately, names on Hive are limited to 16 characters 😜
Haha
Wow, what a challenge! Be careful, as I do look forward to meet you soon!
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See you soon
Geessszzzzzzzz that might have been an adventure...
Usually, it's a much better decision. If not in a rush... or low on fuel... 🤣
Although highways have their advantages, they are so boring.
Wow! Incredible ride in such dangerous condition. Really crazy weather for a crazy rider! I would have given up as the gears got soaked and became heavy.
Great skills and concentration to go through this ordeal.
It was indeed a challenging ride. Without the motivation to go to HiveFest, I think I would have stayed in a hotel room.
You got very strong motivation. Kudos to you. I doubt if I could be so strongly motivated and stubborn when the whole body was drenched and the visibility wasn’t good either. I would probably check in a hotel!
What a difference a day can make! I hope you have some better weather for the rest of your travels!
Late reply, but yes, I had way better weather the next few days. Thank you for your comment.
Your adventures are really exciting! Cruising motorcycle through many cities on the way to Hivefest is cool! Driving a car is of course easier, but if you take into account my driving experience of only one year, it was a challenge for me to go on a trip to Europe behind the wheel for the first time. Yesterday, by the way, we were in Trieste and arrived at night in the city of Senj, Croatia. We also drove during a thunderstorm :)
Oh northern Italy is lovely, pity you went chasing the storm, it's a bit scary to see the route on the weather map. You didn't get sick? What a crazy trip!
I survived the storm with soaked gear only, which demonstrates the importance of equipping yourself with good equipment and preparing your trip well.
Ohh wow you look much like ghost rider in here
Haha, thanks for the compliment, @fredaig! Riding through that storm did make me feel a bit like a superhero.
Lolzzzz i bet it did
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