Pacific Northwest - So, whos riding today?

I rode to work today and around town since nobody else showed up....My lil Bianchi folder with super huge slicks was wonderful in the snow, slush and ice. Not a single slip or slide!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/3119511946_90e8942cd0.jpg

I stayed home today but put a knobby on the front of my *excellent* new fall commuter (an old Stumpjumper) and went for a ride...I haven't had time to drill the tires for studs yet but am thinking about putting a knobby on the rear and heading downtown tomorrow.

http://i41.tinypic.com/2mnkwif.jpg

got out to the store and a little pleasure riding, but woah, its slick! nokian kakke's have come in handy a couple days already, definetly today (although i didn't have to commute today)

for those puget sound commuters that have held off getting studded tires, sorry. maybe next year?

Pix from my commute are at "Permanent Clydesdale" (http://cliftongk1.livejournal.com/110693.html), my LJ page.

24 miles round trip. Redmond Ridge to Woodinville, most of the pix are from the ride home up Novelty Hill, since it was closed to cars and I had the entire packed ice/snow road to myself (and some parked cars and a few police officers.)

Clifton - great photos! What route do you take on your commute?

Clifton - great photos! What route do you take on your commute?

Depends on the weather and my energy.

The shortest route is W'ville/Duvall to 212th, through Lake of the Woods, and up 133rd to Novelty Hill.
The flattest is down 175th to the SRT, out to 90th St, wind through downtown Redmond to Avondale Rd and up Novelty Hill. That's how I went today, but I got off the SRT at RedHook because the path was icy postholed footprints, so I took 202 into Redmond from 124th.
I do a couple other variants on that route. W'ville/Duvall to Avondale to Novelty Hill. Back and forth over the hills from 202 to Avondale (124th, 116th, 104th).

What a beautiful day yesterday, people actually got out of thier cars an walked, it looked like a movie set, people laughing and playing in the snow.

Clifton - I was just wondering, since it seems like Redmond Ridge is quite a bit south of Woodinville-Duvall, and you would have to come north to Woodinville-Duvall, then back south again on the SRT into Redmond.

I'll keep an eye out for you, as my commute takes me down 156th, and I get on Wodinville-Duvall at the White Stallion, down 175th onto the SRT then up the 520 trail into Bellevue. So we cross paths at least for a little ways.

OK, just got to my office in downtown Seattle after riding in from the southern end of Mercer Island. I put 26*2" knobbies back on my Stumpjumper last night (both front and back), no studs. Bike did pretty well except for the very steep hill out of my neighborhood; I couldn't get enough traction.

Overall ride took me almost two hours, instead of usual 45 to 55 minutes. Problems:

- Had my first commuting flat *ever* (!). My chief mechanic must have screwed up mounting the tires last night.

- The I90 bike lane is *terrible.* Deep snow at both ends, with a number of icy ruts where a few bikes and pedestrians crossed the bridge terrible. Then, over the top of that, is anywhere from a half-inch to 4 inches of crap thrown up by the snowplows in I90....like riding through dog food.

- Also, the bike lane that goes through the parks west of the Mt. Baker tunnel were pretty rutted/icy/deep. It was one of the hardest parts of the road.

- Surface streets through International District to downtown are icy.

But, all in all, it was a great ride. My longest snowy ride ever. I'm glad I did it, would not want to do it again....I'll post some pics later.

I like snow, but.....

me going bananas... been almost a week off the bike! My commute is almost all on major hilly arterials from the plateau to Seattle, and haven't wanted to tangle with icy roads and people with uncertain driving skills for the 23 miles. Been running a lot, which helps, but miss riding sorely. Hitting the gym again this afternoon; it's better than nothing, but man! it's BORING! Guess it's time to do the studded tires thing, of course after I have them it won't snow for another 5 years <grin>

24 inches of snow with more on it's way. Had to dig out two cars on different sides of town. Took care of the snow in my drive way and helped out the nieghbors. I'm just a litttle wore out and to many loons on the road to safely ride. So no riding for a while except for the trainer.

I like snow, but.....

me going bananas... been almost a week off the bike! My commute is almost all on major hilly arterials from the plateau to Seattle, and haven't wanted to tangle with icy roads and people with uncertain driving skills for the 23 miles. Been running a lot, which helps, but miss riding sorely. Hitting the gym again this afternoon; it's better than nothing, but man! it's BORING! Guess it's time to do the studded tires thing, of course after I have them it won't snow for another 5 years <grin>

Funny you should mention the studde tires. I bought a set of 4 that are nearly new but are on Chevy rims so I though that shouldn't be a problem I can buy some standard steel rims for my FORD Ranger (DUH) well I haven't found the rims yet for the price I want to pay. I'm a cheapskate. So if I don't use them this year I can get the rims in the off season when they will be cheaper and use them next year. Anybody have some 15 inch ford rims for a 99 Ranger 4 wheel drive?

I posted photos of my commute into downtown saddle over in the 50+ forum. Here they are.

I90 bike trail is / was a mess.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=495552

I had a flat. Bummer.

http://i39.tinypic.com/20q11ja.jpg


:lol: You know you don't have to throw the whole thing away over a flat tire, right? :roflmao2:

I can't play at all...I have a head+chest cold. :notamused:

If you don't like the stumpjumper BengeBoy, I'll use it!!!

:lol: You know you don't have to throw the whole thing away over a flat tire, right? :roflmao2:

Very funny!

I used the trash cans to prop up my bike, never thinking how the photo would turn out. :lol:

Took out the mountain bike for a little snow riding. Feel once on the way to REI and slid for about 5 feet. That was sort of cool

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/3118682595_046156da24.jpg?v=0

I was out there running around on my WSD6700. I managed to deliver my BF lunch at work and was even able to "hop" off my bike to help some poor soul in a front wheel drive with no chains push his car around a corner. I was amazed at what good traction I had out there on the snow and ice with my bike! Still, once it REALLY started to dump, I wandered over to my mom's house for some hot food and realized that my skis and boots were still in storage in her attic. So my BF took my bike home in the car and I got to ski home! That was pretty awesome, I haven't gotten to do that in YEARS!

i got the studded tires in yesterday, but the timing wasn't very good, as everything was just turning to slush.. but i went for a ride anyway.

1.3 miles at 5-8 mph, that was fun.

people have been skiing and snowboarding down my street for the last few days, it's getting ridiculous!

abandoned cars on a hill - you can't really ride up those at all.. (flat was hard enough)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/3133946403_4c21f09c09.jpg?v=0


white xmas:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/3134764932_6f741acbda.jpg?v=1230233718



post-ride ice bike:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3225/3134767914_33b8845def.jpg?v=0

I lived in Seattle for 8 years and only once had snow that accumulated. The little snow we got in NYC melted today and I got a ride in on dry roads, on my Seattle built Davidson.

We're supposed to have warm temps through the weekend, but rain. Kinda like Seattle.

I rode Xmas day first time in a week. Just around my home with my two sons.:D

The snowplows have been pushing all the snow off in the bike lanes and on sidewalks. :bike2:As for the bike/walking paths they are never cleared here. So I’ll just have to be on the rollers in side until the weather clears up. I hope to be back commuting again soon.:recum:

O^o

Took the knobbies off, put the slicks back on my old Stumpjumper, and went for a 25-mile ride in the cold rain today. Streets mostly clear, some slush on some back streets.

Great ride, but I forgot how much dirt and grit there is on the road after the snow melts...my bike is a mess.

I took the Davidson out for a spin in the park on a warm but slightly wet day today and ended up with a flat. It was one of those days where it never actually rained, but the roads never dried off.

I had my wife pick me up since I wasn't carrying tools and then swapped bikes. I didn't want to spend the time fixing the flat because I just wanted to get out there again.

I kept my bike in the house during the real cold and snowy weather. Sunday 12/28 looked better, so I headed out for a gentle 30-mile loop. There was still quite a bit of snow at the edges of the shoulders, and lots of water running everywhere. Forty degrees, and it started raining about the time I left the house. I stuck with it, but definitely one of the less pleasant rides this year.

Today I wanted to hit my 2200 mile target for the year so I hit the road again for the same loop, but reversing direction. Still 40° but no rain and I had a tailwind more than a headwind. Much more pleasant, and I hit my goal. 2200 may not be much for some of you, but it's double what I rode in 2007 and I feel good about it.

Happy New Year!

Good job Mark, keep it up! :thumb:

So, I gotta say I'm officially tired of winter. Spokane folks have probably been there for a couple of weeks now. Not a chance to ride - the roads are just too nasty and I don't trust the cars on these back country roads that have been narrowed because of the snow. Guess I just value my life too much.

It was going to be another day on the trainer until I brought the "shop" tv to the house so the boys could watch two football games at a time. So, instead it was digging out the snow three times today and then going for a three mile run. I'll hit the trainer again tomorrow and am looking forward to the spinning class at the LBS on Thursday.

Yay! After 2 weeks of indoor exercise I can finally ride to work again. Feels good to be back out in the world. I missed those "you're crazy for riding in 34 degree weather" looks.

Well I took full advantage of this beautiful and sunny February day, I rode a century in the beautiful country around Eugene. The temps reached the mid-50's and we had no wind to speak of.

Anyone else get out to ride today????

I didn't get to ride today but got in 39 miles on Sunday and 18 yesterday at the end of the work day. It feels so good to get out there, even if the temps are hovering in the high 30's.

Relaxed club ride at 10am. Maybe go out to the Snohomish river flats and have lunch at Piccadilly Circus in Snohomish. Best Shepards Pie ever.

Despite yesterdays %*&^ weather, today was beautiful. I took the trek Portland out today, I love that bike; went for a short ride this morning down along Lk. Washington up toward the arboretum, I even think I MIGHT have seen some cherry blossom buds. Spring is coming which means that soon we'll have MUD instead of...well frozen mud.