View Full Version : First ride outside of the year!!
I was FINALLY able to ride outside today!! WooHoo!!! I covered 51.7 kms! :D :D
I had to drive a ways out of town to start the ride because the roads in town, and immediately around town, are not in good condition ... heaps of very slushy snow and ice. However, once you get out of the city, the roads aren't too bad.
It was a beautiful day ... at +4C. There was some sun, a little bit of wind, and only one short snow squall.
.
PhattTyre
02-18-07, 07:45 PM
Congrats!! Riding outside is great. 2007 is starting better than any year I can remember. I've logged almost 700 miles and a little 55 hours so far. My cycling year started so well because it started in Phoenix. I took the mtn bike out 16 days in January!
You're off to a great start and it sounds like Spring is just around the corner.
Normally I'm out on January 1st ... usually the weather and roads aren't that bad during the winter. But this winter has been horrible ... blizzards followed by just enough melting to create a skating rink followed by another blizzard, and repeat. Add to that the fact that the city doesn't seem to have the first clue how to clear the roads ... and it has been scary to drive let alone ride my bicycle.
I've been cooped up inside for 59 days!!
Good to see you were able to get riding again.
yukon biker
02-18-07, 08:37 PM
Have you tried xc sking insted of cycling. I ski 3-5 times a week along with biking to work and Mt Mac, site of Canada 2007 winter games xcski events. 2007 Canada Winter Games start Feb.23 to March 10 Whitehorse Yukon
Have you tried xc sking insted of cycling. I ski 3-5 times a week along with biking to work and Mt Mac, site of Canada 2007 winter games xcski events. 2007 Canada Winter Games start Feb.23 to March 10 Whitehorse Yukon
I used to love skiing ... and do a lot of it. But I haven't skied since I moved back to Alberta.
I moved here at the end of December 2004, after 3 months in the heat of Australia, and didn't want to stick a toe outside till spring.
The next winter (last winter) was gorgeous ... hardly any snow ... so I cycled all winter.
This winter has been blizzard, melt, blizzard, melt ..... it has been Chinook Central here! Unfortunately what that means is that it is either too dangerous to go out during the blizzard, and then when everything calms down, the snow melts and there's nothing to ski on, but at the same time the roads are too icy to cycle on. :(
Oh, speaking of chinooks, PhattTyre, spring will still be a good 6 weeks or more away. I'm just in the midst of a chinook right now ... you can sort of see the arch in some of my photos. But it'll blow out by about Wednesday, and I'll be back to winter. I'm just thrilled that it chose a long weekend to blow in!! :D
I used to love skiing ... and do a lot of it. But I haven't skied since I moved back to Alberta.
I moved here at the end of December 2004, after 3 months in the heat of Australia, and didn't want to stick a toe outside till spring.
The next winter (last winter) was gorgeous ... hardly any snow ... so I cycled all winter.
This winter has been blizzard, melt, blizzard, melt ..... it has been Chinook Central here! Unfortunately what that means is that it is either too dangerous to go out during the blizzard, and then when everything calms down, the snow melts and there's nothing to ski on, but at the same time the roads are too icy to cycle on. :(
Oh, speaking of chinooks, PhattTyre, spring will still be a good 6 weeks or more away. I'm just in the midst of a chinook right now ... you can sort of see the arch in some of my photos. But it'll blow out by about Wednesday, and I'll be back to winter. I'm just thrilled that it chose a long weekend to blow in!! :D
Where are you riding? I've ridden at least fourty days in Calgary so far this year - I only bailed once due to weather (heavy snowfall coupled by sleeping in). With the right equipment - it's definitely do-able.
Caveat - I'm riding a relatively short distance (7.5km each way commute) so if I'm slower than usual it's no big deal.
We just hate to hear about you being cooped up :)
Glad to hear you are out again
Tequila Joe
02-19-07, 11:47 AM
Great pictures. Its nice to know that you're out on the road again and not spinning onthe hamster mill. I haven't ventured out onto the highways this year. By the looks of your pics, they look like they are clear enough to take the roadie out again.
I'm about 2 hours north of you. We've been hit by several blizzards and heavy snowfalls which I've noticed have missed Calgary ... we just came through one that dumped about a foot of snow on us last week. And I suspect that the Calgary road clearing crews have a little better idea what they are doing ... I think the plan here is to let the cars create ruts ... and then let it all melt eventually.
I suppose I could have gotten out a few times if I had studded tires, but I've never needed them till this year (Winnipeg road clearing crews were VERY good), and I can't afford them right now.
Great pictures. Its nice to know that you're out on the road again and not spinning onthe hamster mill. I haven't ventured out onto the highways this year. By the looks of your pics, they look like they are clear enough to take the roadie out again.
The highways are great!! I was actually quite pleasantly surprised. :) Now that I know that ... I'll be out a lot more even if it means I have to drive out of town to get there.
Hehehe!! I rode outside AGAIN! :D 50.6 kms!! WooHoo!!
That's two days in a row!! That's the first time I've cycled outside 2 days in a row in over 4 months!! I might even be able to make it three days if the weather holds out, and if I can squeeze a ride in after work tomorrow.
A couple views of rural Alberta:
.
I'm about 2 hours north of you. We've been hit by several blizzards and heavy snowfalls which I've noticed have missed Calgary ... we just came through one that dumped about a foot of snow on us last week. And I suspect that the Calgary road clearing crews have a little better idea what they are doing ... I think the plan here is to let the cars create ruts ... and then let it all melt eventually.
I suppose I could have gotten out a few times if I had studded tires, but I've never needed them till this year (Winnipeg road clearing crews were VERY good), and I can't afford them right now.
Calgary? Road Clearing Crews? Bwhahahahaha!!!! There's no such thing:mad:
The city of calgary has, apparently, 69 plows for a city of a million (approximately) - the city of Toronto has 600 for a population of two and a half million.
While they do plow the main roads (like the city highways), and have used the salters (I thought they weren't supposed to do that, but they do), and they plow the bike paths (really well), the side streets, which are often required to connect routes, are not plowed, and form a network of snow, icy ruts, small ice hills and bare pavement.
However, Calgary gets a fairly small amount of snow - this february was quite atypical.
Anyhow - I did a century this summer in rural alberta (Calgary to Sylvan Lake,more or less) - nice country, but a definite lack of amenities for a long ride if you don't know the country (which I don't).
Ride careful in the winter :)
vBulletin® v3.7.3, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.