Commuting - I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

Last night -- as I pedaled home in near zero temps, light batteries fading front and back, climbing a long hill I call "the grind," sucking air through an iced-over mask, nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing, knobby tires resisting every stroke, road crap flying in my face despite my fenders, cars buzzing by as always, and knowing this is hardly the worst Mother Nature can dish out -- it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

I see lots of people in Chicago, but they keep the roads pretty clear.

Not a hoax. All of us do it when we get our DUI's :P

You may want to switch from lithium to abilify.

Well done. I found this post hilarious. If it is a hoax, I've fallen for it myself. Perhaps we can starts a movement (or whatever it was that Arlo sang about).

I am in Longmont/Boulder and yesterday and this morning have made me question my sanity as well.

Ride safe.

Paul

No, I'm doing it, too. And to add to your suspicion, I'll say "It's fun!!"

Keep in mind though - and I have been saying this often on this forum, because I think we tend to forget - that our circumstances might be very different. How well are the streets plowed, how much snow are you dealing with, how is the traffic, do you ride on paved roads or gravel, what's the traffic-pattern like (stop-and-go, or people racing by with 45mph+) etc.

So your winter cycling experience might be very different from mine or anybody else around here...

When my alarm went off at 4:55 this morning, I got out of bed, stretched, and looked out the window... and saw that it had snowed. The ground was white. I went back to bed. But the alarm went off again at 5:00 and I thought, oh, what the &*(). I was on my bike by 5:30. And for the first time in a year, I saw another bicyclist out there, riding in the dark. It was a nice ride.

Seriously, if you don't love it, you're not doing it right!

I'm doing it every day! It sounds like the OP might have suffered a bit from insufficient preparation.

Come on, we're **** sapiens! We were practically born to fight against Mother Nature, that old witch! Are you gonna let that old broad win?!

Last night -- as I pedaled home in near zero temps, light batteries fading front and back, climbing a long hill I call "the grind," sucking air through an iced-over mask, nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing, knobby tires resisting every stroke, road crap flying in my face despite my fenders, cars buzzing by as always, and knowing this is hardly the worst Mother Nature can dish out -- it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.
Hey, I was on the road last night in Denver too. You just probably don't ride in the same area as I do. I was freaking cold though. Didn't have anything covering my face. I was on the singlespeed mtb with studded tires.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I really am enjoying winter commuting a lot and plan to plow through to spring but there are dispiriting moments and I thought I'd have a little fun with this one.

But seriously, time to 'fess up. Who's pulling the strings here? ...

We are all solipsists. There are no other winter commuters.

Curious Asphalt Junkie, where is it in Denver you commute? Just what hill is the grind? I've climbed a couple rather large hills in some bad weather, so I know how you feel.

We are all solipsists. There are no other winter commuters.

Solipsists?? I like that.... ;-)

We are all solipsists. There are no other winter commuters.
Of course, solipsistically, a winter commuter wants to enjoy rides that are fun for him, as well as to get where he's going.

I'll admit that while riding this morning in -30 degrees with the windchill I thought to myself, "Seriously, what the **** am I doing? Am I stupid, insane, or both?" And then I got to see the sun rising beautifully over the tops of snow covered houses and realized exactly why I do what I do.

I'll admit that while riding this morning in -30 degrees with the windchill I thought to myself, "Seriously, what the **** am I doing? Am I stupid, insane, or both?" And then I got to see the sun rising beautifully over the tops of snow covered houses and realized exactly why I do what I do.

That's beautiful. I sometimes ask myself the same thing, and like you, come to the same conclusion. So what if it's crazy? It's a nice kind of crazy.

I'll admit that while riding this morning in -30 degrees with the windchill I thought to myself, "Seriously, what the **** am I doing? Am I stupid, insane, or both?" And then I got to see the sun rising beautifully over the tops of snow covered houses and realized exactly why I do what I do.

The snow covered houses are just as pretty when it's 25 F with no perceptible windchill. :p

I'm going to say it. Sometimes it's dark, cold, windy, the roads are bad, and it's not all that much fun. I do it anyway. I'll burn a few hundred calories so I can eat that d@mn candy bar.

When I'm driving sometimes the traffic sucks, the roads are slippery, the windshield wipers are frozen, and MPR is doing yet another fund drive.

Sometimes is just about getting to work. There's no law that says it must always be fun. My coworkers that drive don't always relish their commutes either.

Cold weather commuting: It's all fun and games till I start strangling on mucus.

Saw a guy on a Dahon folder as I was driving to work this AM... made me feel like I should have ridden! Way to go random stranger!

The hoax is that it snows in some parts of the country. It is 72 degrees here.

The hoax is that it snows in some parts of the country. It is 72 degrees here.

This episode of Bikeforums has been brought to you by the letters "F" and "U".

;)

This episode of Bikeforums has been brought to you by the letters "F" and "U".

;)


Dammit! I snorted coffee on my keyboard.....

I'll admit to having called it a season about a month ago here in Chicago, and looking out the window at the snow while on the trainer isn't my idea of fun. I just didn't think you'd realize the hoax so soon.

But I can sure relate to how you feel after having people look at my like I was the crazy one for being out on 2 wheels in the rain and cold. Some of my friends even seem to understand when I tell them that "it feels better when I stop" on the bicycle than it did on the motorcycle.

Last night -- as I pedaled home in near zero temps, light batteries fading front and back, climbing a long hill I call "the grind," sucking air through an iced-over mask, nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing, knobby tires resisting every stroke, road crap flying in my face despite my fenders, cars buzzing by as always, and knowing this is hardly the worst Mother Nature can dish out -- it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

:lol:

...nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing...
Now I'm not a fan of cold toes, but the hoax is over when the latter start freezing. I think the key is to kit up with some warm knickers. Something more than what you've been sporting but not quite as hot as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's selection.

Last night -- as I pedaled home in near zero temps, light batteries fading front and back, climbing a long hill I call "the grind," sucking air through an iced-over mask, nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing, knobby tires resisting every stroke, road crap flying in my face despite my fenders, cars buzzing by as always, and knowing this is hardly the worst Mother Nature can dish out -- it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

I only occasionally enjoyed commuting over hills, alongside highways, up and down steep, narrow, curvy hills, in and out of ruts, tire tracks, hidden holes, etc. This went on for two full winters in Maine, 5-days a week. Many times seemed to be just me out there, with no choice but to finish what I started, even it it meant I had to surrender to the only available survival mindset: "This is ridiculous, comical."
Now that I'm commuting in Tucson, I can enjoy every one of those commutes.... in retrospect. It gives us some bragging rights, some exclusivity, but most important, it saves us from the ultimate regret-saying "I failed to live." There's a HUGE difference in the feeling you get from saying "I did it.", and thinking "I could have done it."

I'm a dedicated bike commuter and road cyclist myself, but I gotta say - whenever I read one of these subzero commute/ride stories, I think "WTF!!"

I live in Southern California, where it's 70F in the dead of winter and sunny (read: perfect cycling weather) and I don't even get out as much as some of you hardcore winter folks. Dang.

We are all solipsists. There are no other winter commuters.

Hey, you're a solipsist too? I'll have my universe contact your universe and maybe we can get together for a drink and decide that I'm the real one.


...it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

BTW, on this forum I post from San Diego; on the Winter Cycling Forum from Honolulu. :p :lol:

Jim from Boston

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I really am enjoying winter commuting a lot and plan to plow through to spring but there are dispiriting moments and I thought I'd have a little fun with this one.

But seriously, time to 'fess up. Who's pulling the strings here? ...
The good news is that last night (-10F at my house) should be the low point on this season's cold. From here on out you've got nothing to worry about but deep snow.

Have you seen the forecast? Denver is supposed to have lows of 33F at some point next week.

Good thread:) I love the original post. I just can't imagine not riding and being squeezed with people on the subway.

Adam

Yes it's a hoax.

I'm holding out for temps in the 40s.

Last night -- as I pedaled home in near zero temps, light batteries fading front and back, climbing a long hill I call "the grind," sucking air through an iced-over mask, nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing, knobby tires resisting every stroke, road crap flying in my face despite my fenders, cars buzzing by as always, and knowing this is hardly the worst Mother Nature can dish out -- it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

Well, I feel your pain. I have commuted/errands all week and have only seen one other person riding from work (that was earlier in the week when temps were mid to high 30's) Managed to get about 60 miles in this week. Temp this morning was a -15F including wind chill. Maybe Iam crazy, but in a weird, irrational, perilous, and ridiculousy stupid way I did enjoy myself:p as I know you did by your elegant thread/post.





Keep the faith

I see a lot of people riding downtown in the morning. Not sure exactly where they're coming from, as I've only encountered one or two per commute when I've ridden in from my neighborhood on cold days, but of course downtown is sort of a "catch basin" for a whole city's worth of bike commuters.

I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax. I commute by bicycle ALL year round.

I don't remember seeing another commuter for weeks if not a month so far. It's okay, I'll hold it down until the spring time. So saddle up homies. (I think that's what they say in the hood)

Rats..
Another one figured it out.
I think I'll go spend some time in the "diving in the frozen lake" forum. I keep telling 'em it's good for the circulation.. heh...heh..

Curious Asphalt Junkie, where is it in Denver you commute? Just what hill is the grind? I've climbed a couple rather large hills in some bad weather, so I know how you feel.

It's on the west side, climbing 26th starting at about Garrison and continuing to just before Kipling. Nothing steep but it just keeps going. It's otherwise a nice stretch since there's a big cemetery and park on the right and a good shoulder.

There have been a lot of great posts here and I thank you. I would like to express my general happiness as a cycle commuter this winter. It has taken a lot of preparation and purchases of equipment, and I'm doing something I didn't think I could or would do just a few months ago. It gives me something other than the usual to focus on during the brooding winter months. And while the bitter cold does take a toll, the vast majority of rides are enjoyable. Thankfully, it's usually not this cold around here and apparently the weather will be warming up rather soon.

Not sure what you are talking about at all :)

nice and warm 60s this morning my commute was 50s. The winter is a great time to ride. No hoax here, just endless pedaling.

Lithium and abilify are often used together.

Also lithium is a mood stabilizer and only an antidepressant when combined with abilify. Abilify would almost never be prescribed
unless he was having invasive hallucinations.

cold weather commuting: It's all fun and games till i start strangling on mucus.

ahahaha +1

finally im not alone!!! Yes there are other mucus chokers!

ahahaha +1

finally im not alone!!! Yes there are other mucus chokers!

make that +2

my snot rockets have improved but I'm a lousy spitter



p.s.- this is a great thread

This is totally a hoax. ;) Welcome to Ohio.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c86/Glynis27/DSC01290.jpg

Pfft, even made me slow to 8mph to take the picture.

...the vast majority of rides are enjoyable.

that's the spirit! Headlamp issues, invest in a system with a rechargeable lithium battery like the Niterider Minewt series of lights. Price starts at a benjamin but well worth the cold weather performance.

The best treatment for cabin fever is to get outside and do something active. but hey, you can always drive in during a blizzard if you want. I rather like duking it out with mother nature most of the time.

I don't live in snow country anymore, but winter commuted by bike regularily starting in the 80's with mountain bikes in the UP. and here's a picture from last december in Seattle. I skiied to work a couple of days last year too, you could always try XC Ski commuting if your commute is under 10-15K.

Last night -- as I pedaled home in near zero temps, light batteries fading front and back, climbing a long hill I call "the grind," sucking air through an iced-over mask, nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing, knobby tires resisting every stroke, road crap flying in my face despite my fenders, cars buzzing by as always, and knowing this is hardly the worst Mother Nature can dish out -- it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

I bet you wish you had taken the blue pill.

last night -- as i pedaled home in near zero temps, light batteries fading front and back, climbing a long hill i call "the grind," sucking air through an iced-over mask, nose, toes, fingers and genitals freezing, knobby tires resisting every stroke, road crap flying in my face despite my fenders, cars buzzing by as always, and knowing this is hardly the worst mother nature can dish out -- it occurred to me in an epiphany that this forum is an elaborate hoax. There were no bikers on the road but me, and why should there be? Nobody really commutes by bike in winter except a few unsuspecting and gullible souls who have fallen for the sinister joke. It's designed by some twisted individual or group to lure me into doing something entirely irrational, perilous and ridiculously stupid. I'm onto you. Admit this is a hoax.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/fullmulletalchemist/nelson_ha_ha.jpg

:)

This is totally a hoax. ;) Welcome to Ohio.
+1 Oof! the snow's been nuts this past week, eh?

I commute by bicycle ALL year round.

Me too ... even when it gets down into the 60s F!

Yes, it's all a hoax. It was started by the manufacturers of studded bicycle tires to increase sales. I fell for it and bought a pair last winter. People at work look at me funny now.

I started out my commute this morning and after about 8 blocks I realized my face was feeling colder than I figured it would. Made it into work and asked a customer if he knew what the temp was and he said -15 F. It all became clear after that. I was expecting temps in the single digits below 0 not double digits. I guess I miscalculated when the warm-up was going to begin. By warm-up I mean 30 F by Weds. :)