Last Saturday I had a sudden urge to hang up the winter bike in the rafters for the season. I resisted the urge and decided to wait a couple more weeks.

Good thing I did. 28F, 15 mph headwind and 3" of snow on the ground so far this morning and falling steady. The snow was wet and heavy, but the good news was it was mainly collecting in the grass and the pavement was mostly just loose slush. There were a few drifts here and there but for the most part it was pretty easy riding.

Came around one downhill corner and felt both wheels break free, but thankfully it was just for a split second and I was able to keep the bike upright. Pucker inducing but ultimately a non-event.

About a mile from work my rear cassette was starting to pack with ice causing the chain to occasionally skip. Once this starts to happen there's really nothing I've found I can do to solve the problem. In the past I've tried to dig the ice out with a stick or some other sharp object, but once it's frozen enough that the chain is skipping it's pretty well solidified. This morning I just dealt with the skipping until I got to the client's office. They have a vehicle loading/service area that's heated and they let me park my bike in a corner so it should thaw out before the ride home.

Only working a half day today, then I'll ride home back through the mess which by that time is predicted to be in the 6-8" range of snowfall. This afternoon I'm taking my teenage son to the DMV to get his driver's license. It's only a learner's permit which means just the written test, so thankfully he won't have to take the driving test in the middle of a snow storm.