I was once cought out in a summer thunderstorm .. actually once i was thoughrowly wet it was quite invigorating and yes in a strange way enjoyable....
The hard pack track turned into a river in minutes but only problem was that as a spectacle wearer my vision was severely compromised making it hard to see where I was going...
You wouldn't catch me dead riding in mud
and rain (rain on the hard sealed road is enough) but I will row in anything. My favorite row in the rain story is one Sunday morning in Spring I hurried to set off because I knew what was coming. I had done about 750 metres before the sky opened but as I was up to temperature I was fine. Couldn't see more than ten metres and had to stop to bail from time to time, when you have to bail a skiff it is serious rain...
When I got back after my 15 km row I was warm and as dry as a bone and I met the guys who had set of after me. They were just off the float when the rain started and did about a kilometre before packing it in chilled to the bone.
Moral of the story: If your body is at temperature and it rains you will be fine. If you set out cold in pouring rain you will suffer. I think that in England you must suffer more than in the south west of France...