I grew up in Portland and either you rode in the rain or you didn't ride. Then I moved to California, eventually becoming the owner of a bike shop in San Francisco. Early one morning I was doing my before-work ride in Marin County and it was absolutely pouring. When it rains the only riders you see are "foreigners," either from the Pacific Northwest, or from the British Isles. This particular morning the water was squishing out of my shoes with every stroke of the pedals. Water streamed off my Gitane and down my chin. Suddenly a fast young guy pulled along side: "Portland or Seattle?" he yelled. "I'm from Portland!" I shouted back. "Well I'm from Seattle!" With that he blasted off down the road.