big chainring 

I have yet to get out on the bike this year. Had the big meltdown last week in Chicago. Now its grey and damp cold, around freezing with lots of moisture in the air, and a good windchill off the lake.

And of course the roads are in their full potholed glory. The road in front of my house is turning to gravel in spots, theres just nothing left of the pavement but stone.

Last year was bad, this year is insane. Driving on the streets of Chicago is like driving through a mine field. My cars suspension is shot, and when I hit a pothole I wonder if my car is going to stay together. Should be some interesting bike riding when the weather turns. Luckily I live across the street from the North Branch bike path and that was repaved a couple years ago. Smooth sailing up to the Botanic Gardens and back.

wrk101

Having been raised in the Chicago area, I have one recommendation: relocate.

JohnDThompson 

Always tempting at this time of year...

RFC

+1 Road condtions here in the Scottsdale Hood are great.

gomango

In St. Paul we have plenty of road salt, crazy ice ruts on the side streets, and dark icy patches on the main roads. It was a great day to ride the single speed yesterday. I'll spend the better part of the morning cleaning it up. Oh, eight degrees right now!

Amani576

Not too bad out here in central NC. It doesn't help you that I live near major truck highways that remain fairly smooth. Even on back roads it's not to bad, some rough concrete here and there, but no big potholes. I don't know about the larger cities around here, but I imagine they're fairing pretty well. We've only had about 6in. of snow this winter.
-Gene-

nlerner

The Boston-area roads are brutal, and we haven't even hit the freeze/thaw cycles that truly generate potholes. On one of my primary commuting routes, the potholes have potholes. But I roll right over everything with wide tires.

Neal

divineAndbright

"the potholes have potholes" haha, thats too good..

Some roads around here I can't even ride on due to the amount of pot holes, id be swerving all over the place avoiding them which isn't good while riding in traffic. My usual commuting routes aren't too bad though, just the occasional hole to avoid.

scozim 

Mostly rural chip sealed roads. The main ones with the smaller shoulders have quite a bit of sand on them. The larger shoulders seem to be relatively clear. The biggest problem right now is the de-icer on the roads - I'm just not willing to get that crud all over my bike.

dit

The roads around here 30 miles south of Nashville are very good for cycling and quite hilly. The roads in Delaware co. Indiana are terrible. I am a firm believer that those roads are the main reason the 4 wheel drive market has been so lucritive in the last 20 years.

IceNine

We went into the freeze thaw cycle the past week which opened up a lot of potholes. Before that we had a month straight of below freezing weather. There's a ton of sand and salt on the roads. I was out three times since the New Year and it was crappy riding. Glare ice here and there so I never felt it was safe to open it up and go hard. But I did climb a few steep hills near my home so that felt good to hit the lungs with a hard work out.

cuda2k

Dry roads, light winds, lower 40's at the moment, headed for the upper 50s later this afternoon.

WNG

Roads in the Phoenix metro area are smooooooth and flat. Roads are excellent, but the drivers will run you over and not even care. Need to find some safe spots to ride with the kids.
Currently back in Boston, and the roads are destroyed. Haven't seen so many potholes in the city in many years. My suspension is taking a beating. It's been a brutal winter so far.

Kommisar89

The roads here are decent here in Colorado Springs and there is an extensive trail system that ranges from paved to packed dirt or gravel. You get the occasional pothole from the freeze/thaw cycle but it's not bad at all. Then again, I'm originally from New Orleans so my point of reference for what constitutes "bad" might be different than yours. There aren't any sink holes big enough to swallow a dump truck, no drug dealers on the corner hollering at me, and I'm not underwater so that's seems pretty good to me.

sailorbenjamin

We've been thawing for almost a week now, sometimes in the lower 50s. Windchill can be brutal. Big piles of plowed snow blocking my favorite offroad trail. Sidewalks are sometimes available, sometimes not. Shoulders are getting pretty wide and the traffic here is pretty light and considerate.
Had a shiny road bike out today (instead of the ugly mountain bike that I've ridden during the winter). Had to hose it off when I got back.

Sigurdd50

Madison Wisco is not too bad. the paths are smoooooooooth. Using an appropriately beefy bike, it's not too bad... but the chain and changer are going to die under the sand onslaught

YoKev

We've had a huge freeze/thaw cycle in the Catskills.

The roads I ride on look like swiss cheese. Additionally, the pavement has totally vanished in many places, leaving big mud holes with crazy ruts leading to and from.

Phrenetis

Weather here in Southeastern Va isn't so bad, roads could be better though. If you've been here, you know what I mean. Luckily I work night shift and have a crazy schedule. So midnight riding on streets that are super busy during the day (and desolate at night) is whatsup.

billew

Roads here in Newport are full of sand now mostly blown to the side but still treacherous on our concrete paved streets where you can't see it, I slid out on a dry road surface last week. Pot holes no more than usual but I ride bomb proof Raleigh rims I love steel, except when trying to stop quickly.

RobbieTunes

+1 for eastern NC
Pretty good riding area, road-wise. Little frost, much less ice and snow, and when we do get it, we don't do a lot of plowing to tear 'em up. We simply wait.

And I can basically ride to Amani576's place in about 45 minutes to an hour, on 2-lane roads using the 12" that seems to be paved outside the white line almost everywhere.

I grew up in Wisconsin, and the weather has got them using concrete, which is not a great biking road. On the other hand, they have so many paved bike trails, it's great riding with no traffic. Madison to the Dells is my favorite route.

RobbieTunes

Can you cross the New Hope bridge on a bike?

ozneddy

Our roads here are absolutly horrible, under no circumstances should any of you come here for a cycling holiday,there is No truth in the rumour that we have "Olympic" cycle training routes thru the lush green valleys and up in the hills, and our cycling paths by the beaches are always clogged with bikini clad girls who always get "in the way" whilst I,m riding (we suffer for our sports here in Australia)

muccapazza

Pics! You know the drill.

pass the peas

+1

wrk101

Come to western NC. The state was apparently less generous with road funds. Rarely is there any shoulder on the road, and many of the roads are less than standard width (or at least look that way). Something about building roads through the mountains got them to narrow it up.