Commuting - What the F'ity F'in F is with this WEATHER?

OH DAMN!

What a day to remember the brake on my rain bike isn't terribly useful. I even sent my self an email this morning after I got to work.

Subject: Dear fool

Install those Kool Stop pads already.

Yeah, too bad I didn't get that memo earlier. The pilothouse was calling all stop, but there was no answer from the helm. I think the crap built up in my fenders was more effective than that brake. No really. I was like a daggone Snoopy Snow Cone Machine, laying down six miles of the finest brown Boston slush. The one time the brake did work--don't ask how because the rest of the time I couldn't feel it doing anything--I ended up in a two wheel slide and I still took like 100 feet to stop.

Huntington Ave coming over I-90 was a treat too. It's amazing how much just a bit of elevation can make a huge diff. I was probably kicking out a 20 degree left-hand lean to keep from blowing over and could barely stay in my lane. Exciting!

Then as I come across Mass Ave I find a three foot piece of #9 wire wrapped around my drivetrain. Miraculously it didn't take me down. I credit all the ice for keeping all the bits slippery enough to keep spinning.

Yowza! Freaking awesome since it didn't kill me!

So my East Coasties, how's today treatin ya?

Vermont here. Sucks.

That's terrible, I think it's in the 70's here today in Los Angeles. Probably doesn't help at all does it. My wife's family is from New Hampshire so I've been through some of that crap before, I just can't believe you ride in it. Brakeless no less. You poor fool.

Well it's not supposed to be brakeless. It's just the pads I have on right now aren't particularly good in warm dry conditions. Take it down to freezing rain and all bets are off. I could honestly squeeze the lever as hard as it would go and feel no noticeable deceleration.

Still, since I made it, it was a pretty great ride. It may be some sort of Freudian death wish, but I really love the challenge of adverse weather. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Yeah, Thanks Tree, twist the knife some more! ;) Here it went from 56 deg at 430am to snow around 12p, it is New England weather in NYC. I went down on a corner where I would estimate the gusts to be over 45 mph. Like when you stick you hand out the window and your are going 45? Blowing like stink, and icy and still worth the ride!

Global warming...

I got to say- the front disc really proved it's worth in the horrible "wintery mix" we had today. I didn't even have to think about it- which was good, because i had a lot of other things to consider- like "am i going to have any skin left on the lower half of my face, or is it all stripped off already?:

fatbat.

I could only afford one disc brake when I built my winter bike, but it was the soundest part of my planning. Every time we get slush falling from the sky I am thankful that I got that part of my build right. This stuff can stop anytime now.

[QUOTE=Jean Beetham Smith]I could only afford one disc brake when I built my winter bike.

I agree. I've had to do nothing that front brake all winter- and it's never once not stopped me. Squeals sometimes, but i can deal with that.

and on the amusing side- I've got a disc brake rotor with two different sizes of holes drilled in it, and when you ride with a serious side wind, it whistles in two tones.

fatbat

Yeah, Thanks Tree, twist the knife some more! ;) Here it went from 56 deg at 430am to snow around 12p, it is New England weather in NYC. I went down on a corner where I would estimate the gusts to be over 45 mph. Like when you stick you hand out the window and your are going 45? Blowing like stink, and icy and still worth the ride!

Well, Southern California has been getting it's share of weather... unusual rainfall. I think LA has logged some 30 inches of rain, and San Diego some 21 inches of rain. Our annual norm is about 9 inches. Of course, all that rain brings another California weather phenom... mudslides. Gee, all we need now is an earthquake.

Of course, later in the year, all this rain, which helps things grow, will yield a huge fire season... sigh...

Santa Barbara's been rained upon endlessly as well. It finally stopped this weekend and what's the first thing that happens? The fog rolls in. I'm sure it'll be with us until November. Santa Barbara has the suckiest weather.

It may be some sort of Freudian death wish, but I really love the challenge of adverse weather. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Me too. The slight headwind I had today barely cooled me off enough!

But if you folks don't stop asking for the spring to come, it just may happen,
and that means summer and 115 weather ... So stop it, already! And may the
first person who says "But it's a dry heat." get slush in their shorts. ;-)

It is total global warming, no joke,
today in Seattle it was 67. Is this normal, NO! It should be (our famous) raining!!!
I can't wait 'til this summer when the state/FEDS shut down every mountain route because
of potential fire hazard. We (Western WA) are gonna pay and pay big. Yes, it's been amazing
for cycling, but it's not natural

Damn! Last night's ride home was some serious ish. I actually got blown over coming off the Longfellow Bridge into Cambridge, which may have been just as well, since I was riding with my eyes closed on account of the tiny shards of glass that seemed to be blowing through the air. This morning's ride in was fun in that it's-March-so-the-snowplows-are-already-in-storage kind of way - I was on some slip-and-slide business, especially in my narrow, unplowed Somerville streets. This was fun, but I think I'm ready for spring.

It was an interesting commute home last night in South Jersey, 35mph headwind, icy roads & driving snow. I didn't think to mount the studs & only had 35c cross tires on, but they worked just fine.

This morning temp was 15F with 25mph crosswind.

I'm ready for spring.

Sunday in Minnesota we had mid 50's, by Monday morning it was down to 10F...

I have to appologize to all the Minnesotans and anyone East of here, I believe the cold front started at my house. I ticked off the wife Sunday evening and trust me... it's colder inside my house than out!

It is total global warming, no joke....
Yes, it's been amazing for cycling, but it's not natural

My understanding is that we are nearing the end of weak El Nino conditions. Therefore, we should expect rain in the deserts (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/threats2/enso/elnino/USprank/jfm.gif) (CA/AZ/UT/NV) and warm temps in the NW (http://http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/threats2/enso/elnino/UStrank/jfm.gif).

I lucked out nothing but a 1/2" of ice covering the roads early on 3/8. That was real fun even with the 296 Noikians mounted.

I had 30+MPH cross winds and head winds on the way home today. Oh boy.

OH DAMN!

What a day to remember the brake on my rain bike isn't terribly useful. I even sent my self an email this morning after I got to work.

Subject: Dear fool

Install those Kool Stop pads already.

Yeah, too bad I didn't get that memo earlier. The pilothouse was calling all stop, but there was no answer from the helm. I think the crap built up in my fenders was more effective than that brake. No really. I was like a daggone Snoopy Snow Cone Machine, laying down six miles of the finest brown Boston slush. The one time the brake did work--don't ask how because the rest of the time I couldn't feel it doing anything--I ended up in a two wheel slide and I still took like 100 feet to stop.

Huntington Ave coming over I-90 was a treat too. It's amazing how much just a bit of elevation can make a huge diff. I was probably kicking out a 20 degree left-hand lean to keep from blowing over and could barely stay in my lane. Exciting!

Then as I come across Mass Ave I find a three foot piece of #9 wire wrapped around my drivetrain. Miraculously it didn't take me down. I credit all the ice for keeping all the bits slippery enough to keep spinning.

Yowza! Freaking awesome since it didn't kill me!

So my East Coasties, how's today treatin ya?

Im going to kill myself! It was spring weather then it went to hell! First rain, then rain and snow then snow, then sleet and rain, then sleet and snow, then a TON of wind and snow TO TOP IT ALL OFF. :mad:

man! that ****ing wind! it always blows from the north! it was doing like 30 mph today! ****ing hurt my knee!

In flyover USA, otherwise known as Missouri, it was sunny but chilly this am and very windy, low 40's?

i know my wintry conditions cant match any new england stories but it was pretty wierd here yesterday. my commute in the mornin was mad in shrts and short sleves and on the way home the wind made it tough to stay in my lane, not to mention the ice hitting my bare arms. luckily the roads here were fine because riding slicks with wind on icy roads doesnt sound good to me

It's been a crazy last couple days out here in the Pioneer Valley (central part of Western MA, Amherst/Northampton area). Yesterday we had a storm roll in that started out as fairly gentle but steady rain, switched over to wet snow, and then to snow with near gale force winds. It is ALWAYS windy out here, but it was even worse than usual, and COLD. So that left about four or five inches of snow on the ground. Today I had to bike into work. I forgot my hat, so I nearly froze to death. I was coming up roughly parallel to the Connecticutt River, fighting a 20-30 mph headwind most of the way. Temp with wind chill? About -6. By the time I got to work, which is only a three mile ride from the bus stop, I couldn't feel my toes. Just to top things off, my rear brakes froze up. I could move them in, but the springs wouldn't push them out again. That's okay, since I just stick to my front brake most of the time, but every now and then I need my right hand free to shift or something while braking. My front brakes (which are a different brand and are wide-profile rather than low) worked fine, except that the pads barely worked. And of course there was the joyful build up of sludge in the fenders, which then froze, letting me hear a lovely *swish swish swish* noise all the way...

Well, at least the ride back was easy. :) 20 mph tailwinds are fun.

Well, Southern California has been getting it's share of weather... unusual rainfall. I think LA has logged some 30 inches of rain, and San Diego some 21 inches of rain. Our annual norm is about 9 inches. Of course, all that rain brings another California weather phenom... mudslides. Gee, all we need now is an earthquake.

Of course, later in the year, all this rain, which helps things grow, will yield a huge fire season... sigh...
And potholes. Those potholes...

florida....rain rain and rain, with a side of rain, and for the finish, more rain.

Yes, I had to work the entire shift yesterday with wet socks :(

Fort Lauderdale FL...

...came home yesterday afternoon and found the temperature...at 3:30PM...to be 59F!!!

Burrrr....

Tuesday morning...
7am - 54 degrees, rain.
9am - 44 degrees, rain.
11am - 34 degrees, snow.
1pm - 28 degrees, 2" of solid ice on the road.
4pm - 25 degrees.

Wednesday morning.
7am - 14 degrees.

The morning temperature dropped 40 degrees in a day...

Possible nor'easter coming in this weekend. If it tracks close to the coast I get hammered with snow and I go skiing. If it tracks just a little out to sea you get dumped on.

I hate winter come mid March.

Just looked out the window and its snowing heavily...and THE SUN IS ALSO SHINING!
stupid ******** weather..

AND THE DAMN FUN BEGINS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

AND THE DAMN FUN BEGINS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON SATURDAY...
...GALE FORCE NORTHEAST WINDS...
Happy happy Joy joy joy :rolleyes:
My favorite are the shards of glass in the eyes someone mentioned. I wear my sunglasses at night...

Hehe. I've been wearing my red-tinted ski goggles whenever it snows. It's damn near impossible to see if I forget them...

Philly here. I'm like most others and sick of the winter. And more than anything, more than anything at all, I'm sick of the GOSH DARN FREAKING WIND!

I guess I'm the only one here (and at my office) who isn't minding that we are just starting another snowstorm tonight. Maybe it's because I expressly don't ride when the roads get too bad, so I'm not as tired of it as those of you who ride no matter what. I had a fun change of pace today: left the office mid-afternoon to go downtown to give blood, and the snow had just started by the time I left to ride home. The roads were mostly just wet (except the d*mn loose slush on my neighborhood streets), and since I don't usually ride in the snow, I was actually enjoying it.

Your post, bostontrever, reminds me that I saw a kid (high school, looked like) riding down my street the other morning on a typical kids' bike, and apply his foot to his back tire to slow down.