Buzzatronic

Me too, both yesterday and today.

Only way I could get feeling back was to shake my arms violently at my side for 60 seconds on each side and wait 5 minutes or so for the blood to make it to my finger tips.

It sucked.

spare_wheel

Hilarious.

jyl

Any good stories today, PNW folks? Some of you must have been commuting in snow and all of us were riding in genuine cold today.

I went in at 5 am, it was about 20-25F, had upgraded to ski gloves and a scarf, which kept me comfortable. Roads were clear. Watched snow fall in downtown Portland during the morning. Got called home mid morning with a family matter (wife had flatted the battery on her car) so I rode a mix of slick streets and snowy bike lanes, but even with 25mm tires at 100 psi it was okay. My legs seemed kind of sluggish in the cold but there was an unusual (for us) headwind so I'm telling myself that's what it was.

How was your day?

Andy_K 

I left the house about 9. It was snowing and about 25 degrees. The snow wasn't accumulating on the main roads but a little bit stuck in the bike lanes. That didn't give me any trouble. I think there was just one tiny patch of ice, about the size of a deck of cards, on my 10-mile route but I found it. Even that was no real trouble -- my front tire slid across it and then grabbed on the pavement.

The big revelation for me today was a switch in glove-wear. Yesterday I rode in with Swix Cross ski gloves. They were great on Wednesday at 35 degrees. Yesterday at 20, as previously mentioned, my fingers went completely numb. Today I opted for a new strategy -- Seirus Xtreme gloves with big, fleece Thinsulate-lined gloves over them. I had almost no manual dexterity, but it was enough to work the shifter and brakes and this setup kept my hands nice and warm.

jyl

Fun! If we had this sort of weather more often, I'd go for Hippo Hands or Bar Mitts or similar mounted to the drop bars. But it's only a few days a year, at most. Sadly.

Solid_Spoke

Saw a couple of car spin outs. Great riding today. Not too cold at all with the proper gear.

spare_wheel

I saw a spin out and a minor fender bender on SE 12th.
As for my commute -- I completely over-prepared and did not even really need the cross wheelset.

Feh...I don't know how people who commute on tires larger than 25c can stand it. I felt like was riding an effing moon buggy and they were only 32c.

jyl

I wonder if a fairing would make for a warmer ride. Some company - Zzzipper? - makes a bikini fairing for road bikes. I've never seen one in the flesh.

B. Carfree

We had the usual snow day down in Eugene. They had to close the top of Chambers St. (small hill on the southwest edge) after a dozen cars blockaded it. They also had to close the Ferry St. Bridge when the uphill on ramps became clogged with wreckage. My wife and I nearly got hit by a car that spun out onto the sidewalk we were strolling along and we watched a few other spin out and wrecks. In an unusual display of caution, the bars in my neighborhood were only half full this evening, so I expect to only hear half as many sirens tonight.

HardyWeinberg

I was slightly worried about my 12 yr old riding home from middle school yesterday, thought the morning's dusting of snow could melt and freeze to ice, but instead it just ... sublimated or something so he had the same dry roads going home that he had the whole week up to that point.

Mr. Hairy Legs

I guess we lucked out up here - it's been dry as a bone. It's supposed to warm up before precipitation arrives mid-week.

HardyWeinberg

What does it mean when there's no frost or ice? Is the air completely bone dry, or does it just mean there haven't been enough temp fluctuations (to above freezing and then back down)?

fietsbob

Snow has began to fall , again.


I have a Zzipper thriller (boxed up somewhere) they are still made , https://www.zzipper.com/Products/prod_upright.php

I had mine set up on a Touring sort of bike with an odd bit of kit..

Aerobars, old profile a single tube bent for the whole thing .. + the elbow rests


having the Bubble in front the setup was High and near, rather than Low and forward.

Yes Having the wind directed around you means its not trying to go through your clothing.

jyl

No snow for us in Portland, but it has been cold, low of 12 F Saturday night and about 18 F on my ride in this morning. For Portland that is cold. But it is supposed to warm up. Supposedly a small chance of snow or freezing rain tonight.

GeoKrpan

I don't live in the Pac NW but I did roll through a puddle today which turned out to be frozen. That never used to happen in Southern California. Chalk it up to climate change.

jyl

If you ever install that, I'd sure be interested to see it on the bike.

fietsbob

It's a very light dusting on the Coast , KMUN reported Rosberg across the river in WA got their sample
earlier than this side..

Im not too likely to refit it,** any time soon , since My Commute is not Junction City To Eugene,
Now.

kookaburra1701

I'm in Eugene, OR - and I sold my car a few weeks ago. Lots of my coworkers were telling me that I must be really sorry that I sold my car just now. Of course, they were the ones who called in to work because their cars were stuck. I just went slower and rolled right on through it. I'm also much more confident now - on Sunday night I pedaled home in -22C weather, and I was completely comfortable the entire time, so I know my gear is up to the challenge.

The one thing odd thing I've noticed is that my inner thighs look and feel like they've been mildly scalded - could that be from brushing against the metal top tube of my bike at sub-zero temps? My legs are the least insulated part of my body, since I only use rainpants + polar fleece long johns, and rely on my muscles working to keep them warm.

ETA: This was my water bottle after my -22C commute.

fietsbob

Maybe some friction from , those layers of clothing.

I have no issues with Polar fleece in the same situation.

jyl

Roads on my commute were a little slick this morning. I could feel my feet sliding when I put them down when stopping. Rear tire would lose traction if I tried to accelerate briskly or brake sharply. Bike slid off when I tried to ride on the painted thermoplastic lines. A little foggy too, visibility wasn't so great. I was cautious, so were drivers. Got to work and I see the weather report says "freezing fog" and "potentially icy roads".

fietsbob

Snow melted last night, NOAA says its 31/-1C now, right at Dew point, + due to be warmer yet, tomorrow.

then Rain again Thursday.

jyl

Portland schools closed due to "freezing fog", I think it is a bit of an overreaction but my collegaues who drove in were all saying it was slick for cars too, so better safe than sorry I guess.

spare_wheel

I got tired of riding the cx wheelset so switched back to 25c (~90 psi). And...I biffed when my front wheel hit a patch of "frozen fog" during a turn. Only going 15 or so - so just a few bruises and minor scrapes.

Fun ride!

jyl

If you were in a turn at 15 mph you were braver than me. I basically tiptoed around every curve and rode in a straight line as much as possible. I've enjoyed the riding lately. It is different that the same-old-stuff.

Andy_K 

Last night when I came out of the office my bike was covered in a sheet of ice. I had to chip the ice off my rack to get my MTX trunk bag mounted. This freaked me out for the ride home to put it mildly. I rode a couple of miles down to the nearest MAX station and let the rails take me into Beaverton. I stuck to the bike paths as much as possible from Beaverton Creek to my house with the reasoning that even though they were more likely to have ice I wouldn't be immediately run over if I fell. I didn't have any problems, but I officially don't like riding on or near ice.