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Extreme cold and blizzards and floods

Old 02-17-15, 11:09 AM
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It has been warm and sunny here, almost summertime weather, and trees and flowers are blooming. This is actually very bad, because it means the drought is becoming even more severe. And since 75% of the state's water goes to agriculture, and we supply a good portion of the nation's produce, everybody's going to feel the effects of that.
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Old 02-17-15, 06:09 PM
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I was overdressed on today's ride. I didn't burn enough calories to eat a stack of donuts.
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Old 02-18-15, 01:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Zedoo
I was overdressed on today's ride. I didn't burn enough calories to eat a stack of donuts.
Happy Paczki Day!!!
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Old 02-18-15, 02:16 AM
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Crappy winter here. Not much snow to speak of, we've barely been able to XC ski on maybe 5-6 occasions. Temps are alternating on both sides of 0C, mostly on the warm side though. Sea isn't properly frozen yet and likely will not freeze over during this winter. I miss the 4 real seasons!

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Old 02-18-15, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by ro-monster
It has been warm and sunny here, almost summertime weather, and trees and flowers are blooming. This is actually very bad, because it means the drought is becoming even more severe. And since 75% of the state's water goes to agriculture, and we supply a good portion of the nation's produce, everybody's going to feel the effects of that.
A big part of that crop is lettuce, which is a waste of water.
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Old 02-19-15, 01:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Juha
Crappy winter here. Not much snow to speak of, we've barely been able to XC ski on maybe 5-6 occasions. Temps are alternating on both sides of 0C, mostly on the warm side though. Sea isn't properly frozen yet and likely will not freeze over during this winter. I miss the 4 real seasons!

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The Great Lakes seem to be sucking down the Arctic airso northern Europe, Western North America, and Asia are staying warmer. The last two winters, it has often been colder here in southern Michigan than in Alaska or Siberia.
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Old 02-19-15, 07:13 AM
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We've got incoming cyclones ... two big ones. They should make landfall in a few hours.

Cyclones Marcia and Lam approach QLD and NT


We won't be directly impacted this far south, but depending on how big they are, we could catch the edge of one or both. In 2011, the big cyclone was Yasi ... it was so big, it didn't just make landfall, it made it almost to the middle of the country, and it's tail cut across Victoria giving us tropical conditions (high temps, high humidity, and huge tropical downpours) for a few days.
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Old 02-19-15, 11:51 AM
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In warmer weather I could hose the bikes outside, when they need less washing. Now I hang them on hooks and get a better view of salt and dirt, so I finally gave one a shower in the bathroom, then cleaned the bathroom.
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Old 02-19-15, 06:29 PM
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As I left work today, I didn't see many cyclist on the street. However, the one guy I did notice looked miserable. I can see why people would go out and buy a car if you didn't have access to transit. To be bicycle dependant in this weather would be very hard on the body.
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Old 02-20-15, 01:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Zedoo
In warmer weather I could hose the bikes outside, when they need less washing. Now I hang them on hooks and get a better view of salt and dirt, so I finally gave one a shower in the bathroom, then cleaned the bathroom.
That is a helluva messy job, especially with all of the sand and salt they put on the roads here in Michigan. One winter I didn't wash my bike at all, with about 2,000 miles of riding over the winter. In spring, I had to replace the bottom bracket and the chain. It cost me about $80, IIRC. But I figured it was worthwhile, considering all the time I saved by not washing the damn bike.
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Old 02-20-15, 10:32 AM
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Not as much snow here as in Boston, but we've had enough that streets are way more narrow than usual. Springfield has a relatively poor system for snow removal, so a lot of the streets I normally bike have been pretty bad. Drivers are incredibly frustrated, so therefore stupid driving abounds (more than our normal high level of stupid driving). As a result, I gave up biking about a month ago, where normally I would bike commute nearly every day. The bus has been really slow as well, so commuting is frustrating. I've been driving myself more during this period, as it turns out that it's so much faster than taking the bus.
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Old 02-20-15, 01:51 PM
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I guess you already know the report from my area since looks like we live in the same town. I got a nice layer of frost on my legs this morning. We had -25 school got canceled but I still had to go to work.
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Old 02-20-15, 02:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Dahon.Steve
As I left work today, I didn't see many cyclist on the street. However, the one guy I did notice looked miserable. I can see why people would go out and buy a car if you didn't have access to transit. To be bicycle dependent in this weather would be very hard on the body.
I recognize that every cyclists has a threshold... for example I don't normally ride under -4F. Or if there's more than about 1 inch of snow on the road surface...

The local buses and the fact that I'm on one of the best routes in my city make living without a car very do-able.
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Old 02-20-15, 02:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Artkansas
It was a balmy 23 degrees F when I rode to work this morning. 33 degrees riding home.

But I'm more concerned about tomorrow. Tonight we have rain, freezing rain and sleet on the menu, this should turn to snow after 1 pm on Monday. I'm now kicking myself for not buying studded tires a few weeks ago. But I thought that the worst of winter was past and I need to conserve my money. I guess I goofed.
Well.. just keep in mind that studded tires are really great on ice, but not much help if there's snow on the ice. I have studded tires, but the studs themselves aren't always beneficial. For the road surface you are describing a really knobby MTB tire with low air pressure is about as good as it gets. Go slow, get ready to dismount if hit a snow drift and don't attempt any fancy maneuvers like trackstands or standing on the peddles.

Or, as I say above, get the bus
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Old 02-20-15, 08:15 PM
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I bought a pesticide sprayer for hosing down the bike somewhat if it's covered in caked-on stuff that will just melt all over the bike room. Don't know why I never thought of it before!
@Dahon.Steve - I've got to disagree there. Winters in Boston always make me appreciate the fact that I don't own a car and don't have to rely on buses or trains. But I've never appreciated it more than I do right now. People are getting into fights over dug-out parking spaces. I have friends who have replaced *multiple* side mirrors that got broken off while their cars were parked, due to the streets being so narrow. I know people who drive 8 mi to work and this month it consistently takes 1.5-2 hours EACH WAY. The transit system has been brought to its knees; lots of people are standing around outside waiting for buses and trains every day for longer than the total time than it takes me to ride to work. Pretty much the only people I know who have been able to go about their normal routines with minimal disruption are the ones who bike to work.
It's not that many people, but they're out there. I'm sort of surprised that the current situation hasn't driven more of them to it out of plain desperation.
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Old 02-20-15, 09:10 PM
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Originally Posted by gerv
Well.. just keep in mind that studded tires are really great on ice, but not much help if there's snow on the ice. I have studded tires, but the studs themselves aren't always beneficial. For the road surface you are describing a really knobby MTB tire with low air pressure is about as good as it gets. Go slow, get ready to dismount if hit a snow drift and don't attempt any fancy maneuvers like trackstands or standing on the peddles.

Or, as I say above, get the bus
I've never gotten studded tires because here I might see 3 days of use per year, all when traffic is snarled anyway. So I usually hike or stay home. But my current employer is a stickler on showing up for work. This morning I didn't know what to do. It was supposed to be sleet, then snow then rain. I woke up at 3 to hedge my bets. But by 5, the time when I would have to leave if walking, the bus had declared that they were running a normal schedule. The sleet and snow didn't materialize and the rain was sporadic.
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Old 02-21-15, 02:04 AM
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Originally Posted by gerv
Well.. just keep in mind that studded tires are really great on ice, but not much help if there's snow on the ice. I have studded tires, but the studs themselves aren't always beneficial. For the road surface you are describing a really knobby MTB tire with low air pressure is about as good as it gets. Go slow, get ready to dismount if hit a snow drift and don't attempt any fancy maneuvers like trackstands or standing on the peddles.

Or, as I say above, get the bus
I've never tried it, but some people swear by skinny road bike tires for snow without ice. they say the tires cut through the snow and grip on the pavement underneath.

A couple times I've been out riding just after a moderate snowfall (5-6 inches) and I've followed the tracks of somebody around here who rides on skinny tires. the tracks were straight and steady so he or she was riding without skidding.
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Old 02-21-15, 08:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Roody
I've never tried it, but some people swear by skinny road bike tires for snow without ice. they say the tires cut through the snow and grip on the pavement underneath.

A couple times I've been out riding just after a moderate snowfall (5-6 inches) and I've followed the tracks of somebody around here who rides on skinny tires. the tracks were straight and steady so he or she was riding without skidding.
I prefer narrower tires. They cut through snow and are easier to ride. I use 30mm CX tires and 38mm studded tires for winter riding. I've ridden through some serious snowstorms and narrow tires always get me through...I use fatter tires only for off road trail riding.
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Old 02-21-15, 11:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Roody
I've never tried it, but some people swear by skinny road bike tires for snow without ice. they say the tires cut through the snow and grip on the pavement underneath.

A couple times I've been out riding just after a moderate snowfall (5-6 inches) and I've followed the tracks of somebody around here who rides on skinny tires. the tracks were straight and steady so he or she was riding without skidding.
Originally Posted by wolfchild
I prefer narrower tires. They cut through snow and are easier to ride. I use 30mm CX tires and 38mm studded tires for winter riding. I've ridden through some serious snowstorms and narrow tires always get me through...I use fatter tires only for off road trail riding.
I can see that you'd ride a little faster, but when you are riding in snow, it's sometimes impossible to know what's under it.

You've got me interested though, so I'm going to give this a shot with my Fuji road bike and some 28mm summer tires.

Next time it snows... any day now
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Old 02-21-15, 11:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Artkansas
I've never gotten studded tires because here I might see 3 days of use per year, all when traffic is snarled anyway.
Yes exactly. Rather than having them lying around the house for the other 362 days, I would even consider a taxi if the bus wouldn't work.

If you do decide studded tires might be useful, remember that many just put them on the front...
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Old 02-21-15, 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by gerv
I can see that you'd ride a little faster, but when you are riding in snow, it's sometimes impossible to know what's under it.

You've got me interested though, so I'm going to give this a shot with my Fuji road bike and some 28mm summer tires.

Next time it snows... any day now
I would be one of those who "swear by it", the one day every two or three years that we have snow deep enough to matter. Roody's six inches of snow however, that's too much for me. Even without the frozen ruts under it, which is the only way we see it here, I can't slog through that stuff very well.
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Old 02-21-15, 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Artkansas
I've never gotten studded tires because here I might see 3 days of use per year, all when traffic is snarled anyway. So I usually hike or stay home...

Originally Posted by gerv
Yes exactly. Rather than having them lying around the house for the other 362 days, I would even consider a taxi if the bus wouldn't work.
If you do decide studded tires might be useful, remember that many just put them on the front...
When I first heard of studded tires, and was considering them not necessary because I infrequently would really need them, this post by tsl convinced me:

Originally Posted by tsl
I dunno, maybe it's my age showing. Here in Rochester, at least along my commute, there's always ice that miraculously didn't get salted away.

I figure gunk washes off quickly and easily. Broken bones would keep me off the bike for weeks while they mend.
Now, Rochester, NY is in the Lake Erie snowbelt, and they know how to handle snow and ice.

Just this morning I was riding on well-cleared and salted dry roads, and the only slick, hard-packed (unavoidable) snow I encountered was on a fast downhill run, two such patches across the road, both about 20 feet wide. I crossed them with no trepidation at all.

I leave both my Marathon Winters on all winter, from December through March and though almost always my tires are in contact with bare pavement, the carbide steel studs are still intact after about eight seasons. IMO for winter riding, studs are not to be skimped on.
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Old 02-21-15, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
When I first heard of studded tires, and was considering them not necessary because I infrequently would really need them, this post by tsl convinced me:
Icebike.org is what inspired me to buy studded tires and start winter riding ...When I started commuting in 2007 I didn't even know about bikeforums...
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Old 02-21-15, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Coluber42
I bought a pesticide sprayer for hosing down the bike somewhat if it's covered in caked-on stuff that will just melt all over the bike room. Don't know why I never thought of it before!
@<a href="https://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=1775" target="_blank">Dahon.Steve</a> - I've got to disagree there. Winters in Boston always make me appreciate the fact that I don't own a car and don't have to rely on buses or trains. But I've never appreciated it more than I do right now. People are getting into fights over dug-out parking spaces. I have friends who have replaced *multiple* side mirrors that got broken off while their cars were parked, due to the streets being so narrow. I know people who drive 8 mi to work and this month it consistently takes 1.5-2 hours EACH WAY. The transit system has been brought to its knees; lots of people are standing around outside waiting for buses and trains every day for longer than the total time than it takes me to ride to work. Pretty much the only people I know who have been able to go about their normal routines with minimal disruption are the ones who bike to work.
It's not that many people, but they're out there. I'm sort of surprised that the current situation hasn't driven more of them to it out of plain desperation.
You may have a point. This reminds me of the transit situation after Hurricane Sandy when it came to a stop! From what I understand, they expanded too fast and now they need more funds for cold weather storms.

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Old 02-21-15, 10:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Coluber42
I bought a pesticide sprayer for hosing down the bike somewhat if it's covered in caked-on stuff that will just melt all over the bike room. Don't know why I never thought of it before!
Thanks for the idea! I hate cleaning the bike in the winter, but you have to do it. I used to hook up the garden hose to the laundry tub and run the hose out through the garage so I could hose all the road gunk off my bike. I was considering just using a bucket of water, since hooking up the hose is such a PITA, but it is hard to get the water where you want it.

A sprayer sounds like the best of both worlds. And I literally have a sprayer sitting in front of my laundy tub, which I've been tripping over.


Thanks!!
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