Commuting - Worst weather you have commuted in?

Whats the worst weather you have commuted in? Im interested in hearing some stories so I dont feel like im nuts this winter when Im the only one riding to school.:beer:

El Nino, then La Nina, in two back-to-back years. The bad weather of California winters can more than make up for the otherwise wonderful climate. It rained and rained and rained. Nasty winds. Lots of storms. Eucalyptus bark everywhere. But I perservered.

The past two winters have been relatively mild.

In any case, it never gets really cold out here, so I can't really complain.

When I was in high school, I commuted about 6mi/10km across the city on my old 10-speed. I recall doing that commute after a heavy snowfall, struggling through about 4 inches of rutted snow on an arterial at about 8AM. The bike was slithering all over. I've also ridden on glare ice that had the cars sliding up to stop signs... takes a fine touch on the brakes, that (no, I didn't have studs). All things considered, I would consider this strong circumstantial evidence for the existence of guardian angels :)

i've never really had to ride in bad weather... ok, i'm playin. i hit a slick spot in the rain on a ride home from school. i'm happy to say i kept it up on the rubber. almost got doored on time in the rain. a parallel parker almost took me out, again in the rain... wait... i'm seeing a pattern here!

E...

Icy snow ruts on hills, the worst. If you get sucked into a deep one you know you are going down, it's slow and ugly. The worst thing is it really hurst when you land. Sorry Spokanites, you have the most miserable winter riding i've ever experienced.

I try to commute during the winter in Canada and some days are pretty ugly.....-20C temps with a wind-chill....you can't feel your hands or feet for the whole ride......even with a balaclava it feels like your nose is going to fall off....so much snow that it is hard to change gears.....cars sliding across the roads......having to push bike thru 2 foot snow drifts......and the weird thing I actually enjoy this sometimes. Everyone thinks I am crazy but you would be surprised at how many people actually commute during extreme weather. Safety is my biggest concern because those car drivers are generally going too fast for the conditions and don't know how to drive when cyclists are near-by. That's how I got into my only car-bike accident. Anyway, good luck.

We don't get horrible weather here, but I've gone out on my road bike on the rare occasion when there is snow on the ground, as long as the streets are bare. Even with that, folks seem to stare.

I got caught in a April hailstorm once that was kinda different, but nothing compared to what they get in other parts of the country.

My current commute includes a stretch of highway, so I don't ride on days with fresh snow. However, when I used to work downtown, I looked forward to the adventures a deep powdery snow would bring. Recently, the worst condition I encountered was riding home in a sleet storm. The weather was well above freezing, so I was not prepared for such a ride.

highway? what is the law about that? i've heard that it is illegal to bike on the highway...

E...

My worst conditions are freezing rain. The water is at freezing point and can turn to ice on the road. I was wearing a pvc waterproof jacket(no chance of overheating) and nylon overpants, hiking boots, and woolen gloves, so I wasnt too uncomfortable.

I really like riding in snow, but the drivers just dont know how to control their cars. Black ice can be pretty bad, but we only get that on lovely crisp winter days, usually in the shadow of a tree.

barefoot, in 10' feet of snow, uphill 20 miles...both ways...

Oh yeah, in -50 degree weather with no jacket...

Ha! beat that!

Hurricane Fran. Anyone remember that one? Screwed this city up. It was as bad as you could imagine. It sucked in many, many ways.

Phatman,
i refuse to think that you are an idiot, i just REFUSE. so please tell me the perfectly good reason you were riding in that little clothing. or do i really want to know...

E...

I don't know about you all but I really enjoy riding in the worst conditions (of a particular season). This makes it so you appreciate the rides you did "back then" when you're confronted with the opposite conditions.

For instance, I distinctly remember the coldest ride last winter. Just as I distinctly recall the times I was caught in an absolute deluge.

This winter I'll definitely recall this summer's 105 degree heat while doing a hill climb home on a commute. I'll recall the torrids of sweat!!!

On a side note: I left work early during last summer's eclipse just to be able to look back on that event.

It's these times that define bike-commuting.

I love them !!!

The worst I have gotten caught in so far was a bad thunderstorm but it wasn't cold. The rain was coming down really hard and there was an insanely strong headwind coming at me. The rain was literally sideways and I had no glasses on. Luckily, there was a train station right near me when it hit so I pulled in there and took the train down one stop. The storm had let up by then.

Originally posted by estone
highway? what is the law about that? i've heard that it is illegal to bike on the highway...

E...

Only limited access highways like most interstates.

Black ice (I came off). To be honest I'm becoming a fair weather commuter :o (although if I don't cycle all the way I do atleast cycle each end of the station).

Richard

I rode in an approaching Typhoon once (when I lived in Okinawa). Winds were up in the 40 to 50 mph range and you reallly had to fight hard not so swerve out into the road. I am seeing similar things here in Arizona with the summer Monsoon storms. If there is a dust storm on the other side of the rain storm when you ride out of it you turn into a mud man (i've only done that on my motorcycle as of yet though). I think the dust storms are more challenging on a bicycle though because the helmet does not have a face shield and the dirt stings when it hits you hard. I missed most of the really bad storms this summer. Once the bus ran out of gas right in the middle of a big storm so I jumped at the chance to finish the ride and soil my business clothes with tire spray (gotta get those fenders!). I t was a great ride home. I like bad weather because around here it is #1 much cooler usually, and #2 it is a bit of excitement that is normally not there.

Worst conditions ?

1. In a "Summer" bike tour, in early August 1977. I got snow (even some on the ground) for 10-20 minutes near Sturgeon Falls (Ontario). The entire 10-day tour was under frigid weather, and I definitely was not dressed for sub-zero temperatures.

2. Last Winter, I went teaching in East-end Montréal -- approx. 20 km from home. The morning ride was OK: -1°C, 10-15 cm snow, and a light westerly wind.
At 4 p.m. the wind turned around -- we litterally saw the flags turning around instantly -- and the weather started to cool. The ride home started in a rain deluge and ended in a snowstorm. About 19 km were under a 60-km/h headwind, so the long open stretches were done in low gear (25 gear-inches). The last km was with a crosswind, and at that time, it was cold enough to get ice on the road. So between buildings, the bike was sliding on ice. Interesting!


Most memorable conditions.
Those are bad conditions when I'm prepared for it.
Such as the time I wore down a set of tires on the side... because I travelled a very long distance with a crosswind from the left.
Or the time I almost fell down because my pedal touched the pavement... in a straight line (I was leaning a lot because of the wind).

I headed for home once under thunderclouds...when I was two miles from home the wind went crazy. I got another half mile, when the rain started coming down so hard it stung, and the bike's tires were skidding sideways on the road. I had to run for a neighbor's house and call my dad to come and get me for the last mile and a half. Turned out there was a tornado warning....

I have ridden in electical storms, floods, torrential rain and even hail, and have done it all quite happily. However, the worst conditions I have ever seen aren't strictly weather conditions. I point blank refuse to ride in thick bushfire smoke.

Big Hail.
Snow.
Ice.
Black Ice. Me fall down, go bumm (ouch)
Rain.
More Rain.
EVEN More rain.

Hail hurts.

I'd probably go with the hail as the nastiest...ice is probably the scariest.

have fun this winter...
tt

well, i don't ride in extreme cold very often (Germany, Mass, Oregon are all rarely EXTREME cold)...

but i hate wind!! (fotrunately most of these places have relatively infrequent strong winds)

i think my worst was riding one time just above or at freezing in driving feezing rain that really hurt with a super-strong head- and cross- wind!! i was pedalling so hard and only moving a few miles an hour!!! and i didn't really have all that warm clothing on but with the wet and the wind the effect was REALLY cold!!!

then i had a ride where i underestimated the cold (it was about 15F) and i only brought my light gloves and no shoe-covers and about 45 minutes into the ride, my feet and hands were screaming in pain from the cold... i rode most of the way back with my hands in my pockets (alternating one hand then the other and sometimes riding no-hands with both in my pockets)

the cold and the weather generally cause me little problem, but i must admit that less than about 0F (-15C) gives me real problems with the feet and hands!!! i'll be sweating up top and my hands and feet are still popsicles -- i think i just have bad luck with genetics here as i have friends who can make snowballs bare-handed while the thought makes my blood freeze!

I suppose I had better throw my two cents in since I started this thread. Here it is: four inches of fresh snow, at night, 10 degrees farenheight. I loved every minute of it.:thumbup:

"knobbymojo", that's where I make the difference between "worst" and most memorable.

One of my best rides was in December 2000. Just after a storm that dumped some 15 or 20 cm of snow, I went out with Ève (then 4.5), in the dark, to look at Christmas decorations.

I was handling the bike + trailercycle... and Ève had wide open eyes looking all around.

Regards,

Man how I'd love to ride in the snow ... just once. Exactly once. Then it's back to California !!!

Awhile back, I did a double century in the middle of a multiple tornado-spawning hurricane. That would've been alright if that 8.5 earthquake hadn't been going on. Did I mention this happened in the middle of January? Yeah, the huge winds blew my front wheel off and I had to ride about 150 of thee 200mi. on a wheelie. And then that damned volcano erupted right behind me...ahh, memories!

Originally posted by Andy Dreisch
Man how I'd love to ride in the snow ... just once. Exactly once. Then it's back to California !!!

I know you live in a fairly dry climate -- except in January, I think --, but I much prefer to ride in snow than to ride in rain.

Rain is wetter, and during the fall and sprint, rain is also cold
Snow, being much drier, doesn't make me cold.

Regards,

One day last summer I left work with the sun shining and fairly warm but not hot. As I rode along the sky started clouding up. About half way home the sky opened up and dumped on me bigtime.
I was riding on a 5 lane road and rain was coming down so hard it was standing a few inches deep on the roadway. Couldn't see potholes or cracks in the road. :mad:

Luckily cars were giving me lots of room as they passed. I guess they thought I was crazy. :confused:

The rain stopped when I was about 2 blocks from home. :crash:

there was some serious flooding here in London during the summer for only a day - really like stuff off the news. I got stuck riding home through basically a river that had formerly been a road. proper waves and everything. madness, but god fun.

It was great riding through about 6" of new snow. There were places where it had drifted to about 12". I had to get up some speed before I hit these spots or they would stop me dead. I rode on the sidewalk because the motor traffic had made ruts in the snow which made steering difficult. The best part was passing all the cars that were going nowhere.

I can't remember what the worst weather has been but the most recent was a turrential down pour this past summer on my way home from work. The rain was about an inch deep on the roads and my eyes were being pelted. It is my fastest recorded 30 mile ride home this year. I usually only average 17mph for 60 miles every other day but I rode the hilly ride home that evening in 22 mph. The Fife

Good thread here.

I think there are two times that qualify as bad conditions for story telling:

(1) ~25-30F, thick snowstorm, limited visibility, night riding. Snow all afternoon hadn't been plowed, so I had to make my way home in awful conditions in the right-hand tire tread of other traffic. Ice on the road. No incident, but some adventure climbing hills with traffic patiently waiting behind. Ice forming on the rear cog-- had to pick a gear I liked and stay with it.

(2) -15F real temperature, with some wind. A cold, cold day.

Cyclists will know, though, that the most miserable days are in freezing rain, temperatures slightly above freezing with some ice and snow on the ground. Very cold and awful.

Well for us in Atlanta it's not too bad.

My worst is about 8 miles in 6 degree F weather. Cold but not snowy or too windy.

Other times it's been just a few inches of snow. Not more than 8 inches. I do ride year round and the rain at 35-55 degrees F can be a real pain in the butt.

I rode on the sidewalk because the motor traffic had made ruts in the snow which made steering difficult. The best part was passing all the cars that were going nowhere.

I LOVE doing that! The drivers think i'm crazy for being out there but I'm usually much faster than them.

My worst commute? I'll pick one. When I use to live in Cheyenne, WY, I rode to work with a 25 -30 knot headwind, and snow. Gusts were well over 35 knots. I wore ski goggles. Believe anyone from Wyoming when they say it gets this windy. It's quite common. Yeah, I got the crazy looks. It sucks when you're going downhill, and you feel like you're going uphill.

What really sucks is when you're barely making any ground due to the headwind. You're about to give up when a strong gust of wind comes and nearly stops you in your tracks. Sometimes, I'm too stubborn for my own good.

I almost gave up. My knees were pretty sore after the ride. You can't spin in something like that, just gear mash in your easy gears. The uphills aren't that bad, since they block the wind a little. As far as snow, when it is this windy, you just run into the occasional snow drift. The way back was fun.

Dust storms are the worst. If I had to choose between riding through just one dust storm or riding through hail every day, I'd choose the hail without even thinking about it. I'd then go and thank whoever gave me the choice for their extreme generosity in allowing me to avoid a dust storm.