Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - portland snow...

how'd y'all feel about it? never happens here. yeah, the cars turned it into slush and ice by 2, but damn....before that, you could skid for blocks and be the only person on those blocks...

all in all, i have to say....today was a killer day.

It's only slush downtown, it's still packed and firm outside my house in NE.

hmmm, one of my two threads should get closed....'

anyway, what are you doing with the snow today? you getting a snow day?

yeah it's another snow day for me, though i think i may have work tonight.

My first two days of class have been cancelled which has been kind of cool. Put my cross tires back on my cross bike and have been ripping around on the snow (still packed snow on side streets in brooklyn). It's been a ton of freaking fun.

yeah, i was so wishing that i had a cross bike. or at least cross tires.

humancongereel (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=41856), all the snows melted on the main streets but if you can scout out some quiet residential streets there's plenty of good stuff left... I heard more snow tonight, or freezing rain. vbmenu_register("postmenu_3700043", true);

With my cross tires I've managed, by putting my crotch over the middle of the top tube and with my inside leg sort of brushing the ground, to have both wheels sliding across the snow, it is way fun. It's sort of a power slide (I guess).

Anyone else notice that the snow has started to get kind of rutty on the side streets so it sort of kicks you around a bit? My cross skills have become insanely handy these past two days.

I just came through there via Amtrak on Wednesday morning and it was very refreshing to see the snow. Unfortunately, reading your paper made me angry after finding out some thirty four year old tool stabbed a kid because he through a snowball at his truck, give me a freaking break. One good article in the paper though was about a local courier using zip ties evenly spaced around the rim and over the tires to mimic snow chains. Some one watched Macgyver growing up.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/6416/zipties2eg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Directions:

* Zip tie every other rim section between spokes (range: 1 per 3 spokes or 1 per 1; depending on ice) on only rear wheel
* Place and center and tighten zip ties so that tie clasp is facing towards hub (not too tight, just tight enough to keep from moving and not pinching tire) and between spokes
* Test with 1 tie and spin wheel to check for tolerances with fenders and frame
* Trim off extra cable on all ties
* Push clasp to center it on rim facing hub
* Spin wheel to recheck
* Work around tire as needed (add more later if needed)

Tools:

* 20+ zip ties (6+ inches in length) ~$3
* Large nail clippers
* Bike with hub or disk brakes on rear wheel

Technique:

* Pedal in low gear smoothly and take shallow turns use only rear brake when possible.

yeah, i know that kid. he's mentioned somewhere on bf here. i didn't know he was in the paper. he's not really the sort to mention **** like that.

:rolleyes:

One good article in the paper though was about a local courier using zip ties evenly spaced around the rim and over the tires to mimic snow chains. Some one watched Macgyver growing up.

I love it! I think I will try it on my snow MTB ride tomorrow. Now, to the Home Depot!

I love it! I think I will try it on my snow MTB ride tomorrow. Now, to the Home Depot!

i couldn't fit them around my mtb tires...i think i had 6", so you may want to buy longer ones.

The snow has turned from awesome to suck-tacular. In other news watch the heck out for black ice! I totally bit it this morning going up the graveyard, I was pedalling along fine sitting down, stood up to crank up the speed a little and wham! That flippin hurt, I whacked my arm right below my elbow pretty good and my shoulder is hurting a bit too. I'm not sure if I hit my head though, I've been fuzzy all day but that might have been cause I didn't have any coffee until a half hour ago slash went to a show last night and didn't get home till late.

It was fun until it turned to slush. I had to go ride to get some stuff at the store the day it snowed and it was fun because there were almost no cars out so I just took the right lane. I had to ride my mountain bike though so it was a little slower than I would have liked to go but I am glad I had the wide tires and handlebars when i hit the packed ice and had to make a right turn.
Had to ride to class yesterday and today and the black snow is grimy and sticks to your legs, I hate it. This event alone makes me want to shave my legs (that and the bad road rash I got a while back.)
Snow always seemed more fun when you were a kid and had no were to go.