Trudging back through tonight's hail and high winds, cycling into work on Monday seems like a less that pleasant proposition.

The idea of riding through rain was one of the things that most put me off starting in the first place - I'm guessing it's the same for everyone.

The first few showers were actually not too bad to ride through.

But a downpour about a week ago taught me a valuable lesson.

That lesson was get some mudguards, you idiot.

My socks were so wet, and this is no exageration, I felt like I had stood in a paddling pool.

It was standing water on Liverpool Road in Penketh that did the damage.

My front room was draped in soaked and dirty clothes while I lay in bed shivering.

So it was down to the bike shop for some £25 plastic mudguards. They don't seem to have made the bike much heavier, though they haven't been properly tested yet.

But it is the wind, which I never even considered, that has been a bigger problem.

It forces you into much more effort if it's a headwind and makes it seem half as warm.

So it was off to the bike shop again - and a £30 windproof top (as seen in the picture) proved to be a superb buy.

It means I can leave off at least two proper layers.

What's more, it's safer. Crosswinds can be scary if big trucks are going past - try going past Fiddlers Ferry. The jacket seems to help.

Annoying as the rain maybe, for a new cyclist like myself, the potential danger of highwinds of icy and slippy roads is a much bigger worry.

So if its raining on Monday morning - I'll be back on the bike, but if it's sleet and high winds - it's back to the car.