Living Car Free - What are you doing for the holidays?

Me, I'm going on Tuesday to visit my dad and sister about 200 miles north in Traverse City, MI. I'll take interurban buses (Greyhound/Indian Trails). We'll do the traditional holiday stuff. I'll fix a big feast for family and friends. I couldn't buy many gifts because I'm on disability right now. I'll make it up after I get back to work.


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Found on the Web:


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I'm sorting through boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes of my stuff with the goal of getting rid of most of it.

As for Christmas itself, my family celebrates in a modified Norwegian-style ... on Christmas Eve. I'll be celebrating with my parents, and wishing Rowan could be with me, or me with him.

On Christmas Day I'd love to go for a long ride, but the way the weather has destroyed the roads, I don't know if that'll be possible.

Just lit the Hanukkah menorah; will be enjoying seasonal foods & time with family & friends.

Dec 24th, retrieving my bride from the nearest local airport she can get into. Dec 25th sleep in, then head about 30 miles up the road to some of the family's place for dinner. Dec 26th RIDE MY BIKE:D the 18 miles to my parents' house for a celebration and meet up with the rest of the family. After that, hang out at the home place and work on bikes and general projects until January 4th when I have to head back to work...somewhere out of state.:p

Aaron:)

The usual: Christmas Eve dinner at The Tobacco Company in Richmond (Patti's and my oldest tradition), Christmas morning her sister comes in for the holiday. I'm off at noon on Christmas eve, so I'm hoping for riding both days.

Of course, as I'm writing this is clear, sunny, and twenty degrees - I'm not going out today (day off, as usual) until late in the afternoon when I hope that it gets up to freezing.

It should reach a scorching 26F here on Thursday. There will be almost no cars on city streets. Chances are, I'll head out for a bike ride.

Other than that, a medley of eating, sleeping, reading and posting on BF.

Last year I flew around the country visiting all my kinfolks. It was good, kind of crazy and somehow I managed to avoid catching a cold.

I am unemployed this year. So I will remember last year. I will probably just buy some extra groceries get some DVDs and enjoy staying warm.

I was going to spend the holidays stranded in an airport somewhere, having missed my connecting flight, but the snow here in Seattle, and resulting plague of canceled flights and stranded hordes, has spared me that fate. I think I'll just disassemble my bike and reassemble it in my living room, all for the sake of preventative maintenance... I don't really want to ride it ride now; I've discovered that snow and fenders don't mix very well... I'm also considering buying a set of 700 x 37 tires, some heavy duty duct tape, and a whole bunch of sheet metal screws, and making my own set of studded snow tires; I may need them this winter.

Hanging out with family and girlfriend and my cat. Going to midnight mass on Christmas, the one time I will step foot in a church every year, as it seems to be the only time most people seem to remember what going to church was supposed to be about.


I've discovered that snow and fenders don't mix very well...

please explain this statement. Do you mean that it gets caught up inside the fender well? With me it seems like it is better to keep the fenders on, as the dry snow that doesn't get all sloppy blows right through anyhow. Its the wet, slushy stuff that I really need the fenders for, but even then I've never had much issue with it clogging up.

There are several ways to make fenders work with snow, we used to mount the rear of the fender as close to the tire as possible, sort of like a scraper effect. Also coat the inside of them with NuFinish Car Polish (http://nufinish.com/products_polish.html)...works great on snow shovels too:D Never had much luck with DIY studded tires but the DIY snow chains (http://www.mtnbikeriders.com/2007/02/13/diy-tire-chains/) work pretty well.

Aaron:)

I'll be spending Christmas eve and Christmas day with my partner's family, only about 10 miles from our place. We'll have vegetarian pizza for dinner and hang out, probably go for a walk if the weather is nice.

please explain this statement. Do you mean that it gets caught up inside the fender well? With me it seems like it is better to keep the fenders on, as the dry snow that doesn't get all sloppy blows right through anyhow. Its the wet, slushy stuff that I really need the fenders for, but even then I've never had much issue with it clogging up.

I've had snow clog in my fenders so badly that the bicycle has come to a screeching halt.

I've had snow clog in my fenders so badly that the bicycle has come to a screeching halt.

I have too, hence the solution in post #10 above, haven't had a problem since. Shortly after that I moved south, where IF it snows it usually melts within a few hours:D

Aaron:)

Hanging out with family and girlfriend and my cat. Going to midnight mass on Christmas, the one time I will step foot in a church every year, as it seems to be the only time most people seem to remember what going to church was supposed to be about.



please explain this statement. Do you mean that it gets caught up inside the fender well? With me it seems like it is better to keep the fenders on, as the dry snow that doesn't get all sloppy blows right through anyhow. Its the wet, slushy stuff that I really need the fenders for, but even then I've never had much issue with it clogging up.

Yes, the snow gets clogged in the space between the tire and fender. We have really wet, sticky snow here, and the sand the city throws down seems to act like a sort of glue. I'm not riding at all right now, because I just can't get any traction in addition to the fender problem, but when I finish making my studded snow tires, I can only imagine what all that sand is going to do to my drive train...

There are several ways to make fenders work with snow, we used to mount the rear of the fender as close to the tire as possible, sort of like a scraper effect. Also coat the inside of them with NuFinish Car Polish (http://nufinish.com/products_polish.html)...works great on snow shovels too:D Never had much luck with DIY studded tires but the DIY snow chains (http://www.mtnbikeriders.com/2007/02/13/diy-tire-chains/) work pretty well.

Aaron:)

I really love the chains idea, but: even if you remove the fenders, how do you get the chains, or even the zip ties, to clear the space between the rims and and brake pads? The only bike I have is a touring bike with plain old center-pull brakes, and there's not a whole lot of clearance there.

BTW: I wasn't looking forward to going back to KY for Christmas, but now that I can't make it because of air traffic snafus, I'm actually pretty bummed about it....

I can only imagine what all that sand is going to do to my drive train...

The grit will chew up your drive train, probably. But only in a bad winter (by midwestern standards). Last winter was bad here, and my drive train was demolished. So far this winter is even worse (or better!). But in the average winter, I just need the usual maintenance and repairs in early spring--and not a whole new dirve train.

Do you think your recent snowfall was an anomaly, and the rest of the winter it's just as likely to be back to your usual rain?

Hanging out with family and girlfriend and my cat. Going to midnight mass on Christmas, the one time I will step foot in a church every year, as it seems to be the only time most people seem to remember what going to church was supposed to be about.


Do you ride to church on your bikes, and enjoy the Christmas lights as you ride? We have done this, and enjoyed it a lot.

There's a fair amount happening for the next few days. I'll get off work by noon on Dec. 24. A little later that afternoon I'm off to Kelowna. I've got relatives in the city and I'll be spending Christmas Eve with them. It's only 60 to 70 kilometres each way and the roads are good.

On Christmas Day, I'll enjoy a quiet day, possibly riding or climbing the local mountain. In the evening I'm getting together with friends for Christmas dinner. I just got my winter bike fixed up this afternoon so I'll be able to ride instead of drive to that event.

Boxing Day is my own time. On Dec. 27 I'm working a few hours and then off to a friend's birthday celebration later on.

I really love the chains idea, but: even if you remove the fenders, how do you get the chains, or even the zip ties, to clear the space between the rims and and brake pads? The only bike I have is a touring bike with plain old center-pull brakes, and there's not a whole lot of clearance there.

BTW: I wasn't looking forward to going back to KY for Christmas, but now that I can't make it because of air traffic snafus, I'm actually pretty bummed about it....

Unfortunately the chains will only work if you have disc brakes, roller brakes or drum brakes...

Aaron:)