Commuting - I love being smug.

When I left home for work today at around 3:30pm it was already snowing. Thr ground was frozen and we had minimal accumulation on the roadways as the cars passing by would either blow the powdery snow off or cause it to melt, which would then start to freeze forming a very light layer of ice.
After 30 minutes or so though the snow started really coming down, I had about 75 yards visibility so I stopped and turned on my rear blinkie just for the extra piece of mind since I had now left the MUP and was riding on the roadway (shoulder). Approaching a stoplight I started to slow down and noticed two people in different vehicles getting out of their cars, while stopped at the redlight. When I got closer I saw that one of them had slid into the other, hehe. Since I knew they weren't going anywhere I rode on around them and took my place in the front. 15 seconds later, BOOM! Another car approaching from behind the two stopped cars slid into the rear one, sending it forward a bit but not enough to push the lead car into me. Scared the hell out of me. After shaking off the freight I just looked back, smiled, and shook my head. The light turned green and I took off.
I must have seen 3 or 4 other incidents on my way to work. Well, I didn't see but one more happen but you know what is going on when two cars are pulled over to the side of the road and their drivers are out talking.
I get to work, chnage clothes, and go about my way.
At 7:00 we had out first break. I was hanging out with some of the guys and they started talking about their "problems" getting to work today. Talking about sliding around, near misses, and even a few of them had fender benders. Then one of them looked at me and said "I bet you had a hell of a time in all this **** didn't you?" I replied "not at all, the studded tires held up fine and I was able to take off from a stop quicker than the cars next to me. come to think of it, I didn't lose tracting once, maybe I should drive tomorrow just so I don't feel left out." I laughed and as I was walking back into my area one of them said "yeah, get out of here you smug *******." jokingly of course.
it's just one of those moments...

Smug is good, Crickt. I feel smugger than cherry pie when I get out of work after it's been snowing all shift. I ride happily past my co-workers, who are hard at work scraping off their windshields and shoveling snow from around their tires. I always yell something smug like "Boy I sure would hate to be driving on a night like this!"

When I left home for work today at around 3:30pm it was already snowing. ...
It sounds like you work second shift? Me too. I love the hours--All day for riding!!!!!

yeah, I work a hard core 13 hours second shift, from 5:00pm until 6:00am
I love it!!

:roflmao: That's not being smug, that's just telling it like it is!

I always yell something smug like "Boy I sure would hate to be driving on a night like this!"

which reminds me somehow. what happened in the end with that woman from last winter who said she hated people who bike all winter and wanted to run them down with her car?

Yeah, I can't help feeling a little bit smug while filtering through a long traffic jam. I did just that yesterday on my way home from work. I figure I would have been in there for a half hour if I was in my car. But for the most part I prefer keeping it too myself.

I saw a guy carting around a bike trailer at the market this weekend, an he had writen on it (with pretty flowers too) "I don't polute when I shop" (translated from :je ne pollue pas pour faire mes courses"). I found it a bit obnoxious, holier than thou sort of smugness. And probably an excuse for not having enough money for a car.

I am all for bike commuting everyday, and even encouraging it, but the smugness can tick some people off.

It's nice to feel smug, but beware of Mr. Murphy - he has a habit of wiping that smugness right off our faces when we get a bit too smug at being smug. Be careful out there folks...them drivers can slide into you just as easy as they slide into each other. ;)

Yah, and if, per chance, you do fall over, you become damn near invisible to traffic.

How do you not freeze your ears and nose off in this weather? It's 22 outside today.

which reminds me somehow. what happened in the end with that woman from last winter who said she hated people who bike all winter and wanted to run them down with her car?

I passed a long line of cars in traffic on my way home a few years ago. An irrate commuter disgusted with me for passing him to the front of the traffic stop yelled and screamed while flipping me off "Why don't you ride on the trail?" Knowing better than continuing an altercation with a furious truck driver, I waved and sped onward.

As the traffic flow passed me by, the truck driver screamed again and then pulled over adjacent to a driveway nearly blocking my way. Then challenging me to pass him so he could run me off the road. With his passenger window down, his admonishments became louder. I stopped a a foot short of his truck knowing better than to try and pass him, all the while smiling and waiting for traffic to continue on. Sure enough the line in front of him had traveled on and the cars behind him were honking at him. This really enfuriated him to the point he lurched his truck at me.

By now, I'm really pissed, but managed to stay out of the way. I focused on the license plate number and memorized it on the remaining 15 miles home. I called the cops about the incident. The next day a police officer came to visit me at my office. She paid a visit to the driver and reminded him that I had a right to ride on the road. This lunatic could have easily hit me:mad: So be careful out there. Cars and trucks are a lot bigger than you and your bike.

Wait till the elevator breaks and they and you have to hoof it down and up the stairwell.

How do you not freeze your ears and nose off in this weather? It's 22 outside today.

A decent cap that covers your ears and a bacalava (spelling) to cover your face...though I usually only cover my chin, and leave my mouth and nose exposed....but hey, look at my nose! ;) Under 10 degrees or so I usually cover up more of my face.

22 isn't bad at all in Celsius - in fact, I think that is our temperature today. Very pleasant in fact - or were you meaning Farenheit? ;)

Fahrenheit. Maybe I'll attempt a commute tomorrow. It's dry weather, so ice isn't a problem. I'm just worried about my freezing extremities.

I guess I need studded tires!

I looked at Nashbar and it doesn't have the size I need--26 by 1.5." Any other places to buy these?

Now, I wouldn't be smug about our weather now would I...

I guess I need studded tires!

I looked at Nashbar and it doesn't have the size I need--26 by 1.5." Any other places to buy these?
mec.ca carry other studded tyres, but the 26x1.95 that Nashbar carry should fit if you've been using 1.5, knobbies are generally a little wider anyway - and most MTB hubs will support it AFAIK.

I'm just worried about my freezing extremities.

Don't forget the nether regions.
:eek:

mec.ca carry other studded tyres, but the 26x1.95 that Nashbar carry should fit if you've been using 1.5, knobbies are generally a little wider anyway - and most MTB hubs will support it AFAIK.

What do you do when it's not snowing? Just keep them on the bike 'till spring?

I guess I need studded tires!

I looked at Nashbar and it doesn't have the size I need--26 by 1.5." Any other places to buy these?

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

Get Nokians from Peter White. They have carbide studs. Nashbars are steel studs. The carbides don't cost much more and they will last you several winters; the steel ones probably only one.

Last year we had an ice storm one morning; I could barely walk on my driveway. At work, someone saw my bike in the stairwell and said "YOU RODE YOUR BIKE IN THIS????" I replied "Well, I sure wasn't going to drive my car, I'm not stupid." If I had to drive, I wouldn't have worked that day.

In reality with the Nokians, I can ride fine on surfaces that I can't walk on. The only real danger comes from cars who shouldn't be on the road, sliding in to you.

What do you do when it's not snowing? Just keep them on the bike 'till spring?

You can, just pump them up to a higher pressure when snow and ice isn't an issue, or, put them on and take them off as needed - it only takes 15-20 minutes to take off your wheels and swap tires. I leave em on for the winter...but I have other bikes I ride when snow/ice isn't an issue. Now if the new tires for the new winter bike would only get here before the snow really hits - so I don't have to put the Nokians back on my old winter bike, which is all nice and clean and shiny and ready to give to my little brother for Christmas!

Get Nokians from Peter White. They have carbide studs. Nashbars are steel studs. The carbides don't cost much more and they will last you several winters; the steel ones probably only one.

I noticed that the tires on Nashbar say they have steel studs, yet the Kendas have carbide studs, and Nashbars are supposedly Kendas...I'm so confused! :eek:

I passed a long line of cars in traffic on my way home a few years ago. An irrate commuter disgusted with me for passing him to the front of the traffic stop yelled and screamed while flipping me off "Why don't you ride on the trail?" Knowing better than continuing an altercation with a furious truck driver, I waved and sped onward.

As the traffic flow passed me by, the truck driver screamed again and then pulled over adjacent to a driveway nearly blocking my way. Then challenging me to pass him so he could run me off the road. With his passenger window down, his admonishments became louder. I stopped a a foot short of his truck knowing better than to try and pass him, all the while smiling and waiting for traffic to continue on. Sure enough the line in front of him had traveled on and the cars behind him were honking at him. This really enfuriated him to the point he lurched his truck at me.

By now, I'm really pissed, but managed to stay out of the way. I focused on the license plate number and memorized it on the remaining 15 miles home. I called the cops about the incident. The next day a police officer came to visit me at my office. She paid a visit to the driver and reminded him that I had a right to ride on the road. This lunatic could have easily hit me:mad: So be careful out there. Cars and trucks are a lot bigger than you and your bike.

Unbelievable. I get hit, point out the car that hit me, and the cop offers to write a report. You get "yelled" at, and the cops pay you and him a visit.

I noticed that the tires on Nashbar say they have steel studs, yet the Kendas have carbide studs, and Nashbars are supposedly Kendas...I'm so confused! :eek:


We've been over this discussion a few times over the years in the Winter Cycling section. I have a set of the Kenda made Nashbars and the studs are carbide. I also have run a set of Nokians on another bike and have found the wear of the studs on both sets of tires to be virtually identical. The Nashbar tires are three years old though, so there's always the chance that they have switched manufacturers.

My best advice for people who want to commute year round in northern areas is to have two bikes on hand, or at least a second set of wheels. Set one up in the colder months with studded tires. Without studs a patch of ice on the roadway will put your butt down fast. They are well worth the price.

There's a lot of good info posted in the Winter Cycling area on equipment and clothing, much of which would be pretty valuable to the year round commuter.

Now, I wouldn't be smug about our weather now would I...

How is Costa Rica for cycling? A friend of mine is trying to convince me to retire down there.

The nashbar studded tires are carbide. I was concerned about this myself when I first got them and started reading on here all the threads about it. So I handed my tire to one of the metalurgists at work on lunch break, by our next break he had but one word for me, "carbide".
that's all i needed to know

A favorite memory of mine was a car in a ditch in front of the neighbor's house. He called for a tow truck which slid around the corner into his car in the ditch. They called the police whose car also slid into the ditch. They dispatched another tow truck who also slid into them all. Another police car joined them in the ditch before somebody finally closed off the road.

And then there was the long steep down hill I crept up to during an ice storm. A police car was next to me and we both barely crept to the edge of the hill and tried to stop --at which point we both started sliding very slowly down the long hill. We both slipped around more than 360 degree spins very slowly narrowly missing touching each other the whole way down the hill. We never exceeded a walking pace but were completely helpless just shaking our heads and nodding at each other.

Well, if you can endure a climate pretty much the same for 365 days a year - and if you live in the right places - just about perfect climate, it is pretty good.

It really depends. I love where we are, more bikes than cars for sure. Wonderful roads that are closer to single track, incredible hills and just a short distance to the plains where I can ride for days without a serious hill. People are kind and considerate.

In the tourist areas and the Central Valley - you couldn't pay me to live there, but a lot of people like it.

Costa Ricans are big into cycling - not everything is available here - but Cannondale is pretty popular in the higher end Bike Shops. Which is good for me since that is what I have. Some Trek dealers too and other bikes.

There are rides every weekend as a group, and of course some of the greatest scenery in the world.

genec, I have been in San Diego - Costa Rica is like San Diego but a lot more humid. Climate is usually mild, the sun is pretty intense at times.