If I've signed up for a ride, I'll do it unless, as happened last week, I'm too ill to come under starter's orders.
If it's wet, well, what the heck. My skin's waterproof and I'm not going to dissolve.
As I regularly take up TEC duties now I have an extra layer of motivation, that of not wanting to let the Ride down.
I'm definitely in the position of having taken more from the rides than I've given, and I intend to keep giving as long as I am able.
As ever, the hardest part of joining one of these rides is simply that of getting out of the front door. Once I'm outside I can't quite understand how getting to that point was so difficult. Roughly then, the equation is ten minutes of self-doubt, followed by many hours of gloriously sociable / lonesome / peaceful / beautiful cycling.
Every time I do it, and the equation outcome is reinforced, I can't quite work out why I still have those ten minutes of self-doubt the next time, but I do.
Back to the wet ride thing, I know I am happy doing the ride in permanently damp conditions, and I think that my presence will help others, who are possibly less certain, get through the night. I also know that for a ride leader, having as many experienced hands as possible along for the ride, especially on wet ones, counts for a lot, and most of all I want to make life as easy as possible for the ride leaders (so they keep on doing it).