How to end a draught

If you really want it to rain, for at least a week, give your bicycle a good scrubbing. Take the wheels off, clean them. Remove the chain, soak it in degreaser. Degunk the drivetrain, polish the frame, lubricate all important spots on the bike. Then, once the bike is beautiful and fresh and clean, and it's time to ride to work, stand back and admire the great rain that doesn't end.

On Sunday, I gave the fleet a good scrubbing and it's been raining ever since. The bike, which was totally degunked, is now regunked. But that is the nature of the experience. We remove the gunk of the past month to replace it with the gunk of the new month. It could be possible to never degunk the bicycle at all, and instead ride down the rode on a heap of rust.

But if you never maintain the bike, surely, it will one day fail you. So you clean the bike, and stand back to admire the rain.