MNBikeCommuter

We got hit with winter a week ago in MN (up to 17" of that white stuff) and it's sure hit and miss as to what's cleared and how well. Saturday we got our biggest rain in four months, and yesterday a lot of the wet froze. Today was my first ride into work after six car commutes. All was well until 20 miles in when I hit the path on the three-quarter mile long I494 bridge across the MN River valley. It was clear last Fri when I drove home, but over the weekend MNDOT cleared the road shoulders and it all ended up on the bike path and froze. I ended up walking that stretch. I'll be taking a different route home.

fietsbob

Rode home last Night, into the incoming storm, rain and wind gusting between 40 and 60 knots.

glad for every stand of shrubbery, windward of me, along the way ..

and my hub dynamo for unfailing lighting, fore and aft.

wphamilton

I hear of some snowstorms in the PNW also, I'm not envying that or your ice! That would explain not hearing from the die-hard commuters.

It actually looks pretty pleasant elsewhere, not bad at all here.

Medic Zero

How as the commute today? Surprisingly good! Especially considering my phone "blew up" with the tone the Emergency Broadcast System uses over the TV to deliver a message to me that "my area" was going to be experiencing blizzard conditions. Amusingly, I live in metro Seattle and my daily journeys don't exceed 600 feet of elevation. I was highly skeptical that I'd be experiencing blizzard conditions, but did note a 11 MPH headwind predicted for my commute in to work tonight.

That is actually a pretty typical headwind for me traveling southbound into the city around 5PM. It was super gusty last night on my ride home around 0400, but luckily it was all just a little bit higher than me, whipping around the branches of the trees, but I only had to deal with it for two blocks of my journey as I traveled due west. Tonight it was much the same, I only really noticed the wind once or twice and it wasn't bad.

Thankfully after leaving work early last night I was actually well rested, and so I made good time and the hill climbs didn't feel too exhausting like they sometimes do when I am working multiple 12 hour shifts in a row. I lucked out again and was between squalls both last night and this afternoon, only getting a little very light rain on me at times last night.

Tonight I am scheduled to get off at 0330, by the time I walk all the way across campus from the ER to where the bicycle commuters locker room, change from scrubs to cold weather cycling gear and then make my way down the cage I won't be on the road until 0400. It's supposed to be right at freezing with a chance of snow, but I highly doubt there will be any accumulation before then, so hopefully I'll just get to cruise home in big fluffy flakes! I broke out my extra tights and extra thick base layer so I should be good!

Cheers!

cehowardGS

The last two mornings, very misty, almost a drizzle, foggy and dark. Temps about 40. Yesterday, I rode the Cannondale Black Lightning, today, I am on the Centurion Ironman Master..Each one of these bikes with blazing lights up front, zipped like hot butter through the fog and drizzle, and giving up a sweet ride while doing it!!

Life is dam sweet!!

dcb23

Last night: Nursed my broken spoke bike home to the local bike shop. $30 U.S. later and she's riding smooth as can be...even got my pesky fromnt brake to stop squeaking. I dunno, that's money i like to spend right there..straight to a small independent shop.

Riding home I am on a side street waiting in traffic to turn left...an SUV blast by and the guy actually says "why don't you get a car!"...lol...not "get outta my way" but just telling me to get a car....that was an odd one.

Ride in this a.m. was really nice, foggy, 50F/10C.

wphamilton

When I got in, someone asked me if I heard about the body they found off the Greenway. I had no idea - it's disconcerting to realize that I ride right by there every day, while back in the woods a body was decomposing. You think back, if you saw anything unusual a few days back, but ... nothing comes to mind.

arsprod 

Foggy, very wet from rain yesterday afternoon and last night. Still unseasonably warm, 36F coming in

Mr. Hairy Legs

My first snowy commute today! I survived and made pretty good time, but I've discovered that my rear brake jams up and stops working for some reason in these conditions. Nearly lost control a couple of times.

I beat my co-workers by at least an hour this morning :-)

jrickards

Cool -5C this morning, supposed to be -2C later this afternoon but tomorrow, woo hoo!, 10-15cm (4-6") snow and blizzard conditions, look out everyone, here I go!!! LOL

During the summer and fall, I noticed that when I came to post my "daily commute" comments, this thread was within the top 3 in this forum but over the last few weeks, it has dropped to about 10th. Indicative of the amount of winter commuting I guess.

Have a good one people!!

dcb23

Smooth ride in, moonless morning, almost collided with a jogger wearing all black. Temps dropped about 10 degrees overnight.

Mark Stone

That's true - a lot of people get off their bikes in the winter, but they're still cool. I prefer to think that this thread is winding down as the year is closing. On December 31, just before I hit the sack, I will do my annual BF task and start "2013 - How Was the Commute Today?"

MNBikeCommuter

Yup, roads and trails around here are pretty quiet bike-wise. I did see a couple of wheel tracks in a light dusting of snow or frost this morning, so it was reassuring to not be the only one out there. :-) This may be it for me for the year. Given the forecast for the next two days (NW winds 20-30 mph and temps in the 5F-20F range), I may just treat myself to a heated car. And next week I'm off, visiting the folks in North Dakota. Most sane people head south to get away this time of year; we head north. :-/

wphamilton

Cooling off here, about 30F this morning and dry. Days like this I can just relax, because I can put on a knit sweater and warm-up pants and I'm not going to push the speed wearing that. Just for a change of pace this week I adulterated my road bike with a seat post cargo rack. So it's an easy ride in, no cleanup or shower, just a pleasant ride.

droy45

Snow and freezing rain since Monday. Haven't commuted in but had to be out of town on assignment anyway. It worked out well but driving has been very tricky. Plan of going for a Saturday afternoon ride instead after being off the bike all week. Commuting regularly will resume for me after the weather clears up some and the roads get plowed better. No more bikers around here.

Bluish Green

I had a very similar, relaxed commute in similar weather. Very nice day, great commute.

arsprod 

Being new to the winter commuting and MUP user I can say one of things I love is the lack of others on the trail. 37F this morning, supposed to snow tomorrow. On the way home last night another rider stopped me on the trail to tell me my light was so bright he couldn't see anything else. I apologized and aimed it down a bit, but secretly I was probably a little too merry about my way cool light!

jrickards

I too am new to winter commuting although I've only been out 3x since Dec 1. It is nice and quiet but I am really tentative on the paved paths, especially today with the left over from freezing rain Monday. No falls yet, just one front wheel side-slide last week on fresh snow and too much speed (probably less than 10km/h) for the conditions.

dramiscram

Cool 1 celcius morning. The snow and ice finally cleared so I managed to get to work. First commute of the week.

i RIDE

Yay first commute in the snow and it was quite fun! I was one of the only few who wasn't late. On my way I saw; 6 cars stuck on a hill, 4 buses jammed up, 3 people wish me luck and make it safely, and a partridge in a pear treee...

caloso

Chilly (32F/0C) but calm and clear. Was cold when I left the house but quite comfy by the time I arrived.

Telly

Starting to get chilly (below 10C) so my commutes are becoming more comfortable (less sweat), unfortunately because of the holiday season, the drivers are becoming more absent minded, rushing around in mild panic and are constantly on their cellphones making my commutes so much more dangerous than they usually are.

A good example of ****** bag drivers below... a very small fender-bender and the idiots are exchanging information in the left lane (commonplace occurrence around here!).

jrickards

It was -8C this morning but no new snow yet, that's this afternoon with a forecast 5cm by the time I go home and another 10-20cm overnight.

Mark Stone

29F in El Paso, but the wind we had yesterday (35mph with 70+ gusts) has quieted so it's not an issue. A person doesn't need coffee to wake up when they slap their face with a 29 degree air stream at 5am!

locolobo13 

Wunderground said 35F this morning. Lite frost on some cars. Cool!