jonwvara 

Just finished my monthly ride for January. Pretty pathetic compared to the century-a-month crew. I went maybe 5 miles on the Tour de France. Sunny, 20.6 degrees at the Marshfield fire station according to Weather Underground, and bright sun--blinding glare off the snow. Someday I will buy a pair of sunglasses. How is it that one can get to be 57 years old without ever owning a pair of sunglasses?
Glad I found time to do it, since my schedule is such that this was my last chance for the month, and I'd like to keep my 5-year streak alive (now five years and a month). January is always the hard one. If the weather works out, sometimes it's possible to take a long, pleasant ride, though that doesn't happen often. This is about the shortest ride I'd honestly call a "ride" at all.

nlerner

Well done, Jon! I've been bike commuting with studded tires all month, and if I did 25 miles on those, it would feel like 100!

Neal

ScottRyder 

Hey, five miles in twenty degree temperatures is pretty good .. every time I think the streets are bare enough for a ride it snows another foot.

Scott

nlerner

Ah, it's your fault then!

Neal

ScottRyder 

yea really .. my skier and snowboarding friends love me tho.

They're saying another big one next Wednesday too wow, what a winter so far.

Scott

jstewse

What a winter indeed. I've been meaning to mount my studded tires but I've been too busy skiing. Cross-country is a nice alternative to cycling in the winter months though. Recreationally of course, although it's getting to the point where "ski commuting" might be a practical alternative!

marley mission

we have had a pretty decent winter in jersey too
had 3 days in a row of single digit temps including one ride i did at 1 F (30 miler @4am omg)
now we have snow every other day it seems
honestly - i have to say i enjoy the cold weather rides
exhilirating - but - u need plenty of gear
w the right gear i am never really cold - uncomfortable yes - but not cold

ftwelder

I usually walk my dog around before dawn and at about 5:30 every day, I see a cyclist riding to work. I just can't bring myself to do it even though I work to work most days.

southpawboston

Yeah, this winter has been brutal! I tried to bike in to work all of January, but I ended up taking public transport about 1/4 of the time... it's not the cold that's a problem; I'm good down to single digits. It's all the freakin' snow! The streets are half as wide as they normally are, and it's just harder all around to be a cyclist in this crap.

4Rings6Stars

+1. Sums up my January pretty well.

bikamper

I rode to work during the previous five winters. Last year, we had more snow than usual and the roads either became too narrow for me to feel comfortable or maybe they weren't that narrow and there are still some issues for me to work through after getting clobbered from behind a few years ago. Either way, I said screw it this winter. I'm not minding the drive in but, boy, do I hate the drive back. Spring needs to get here fast.

nlerner

Here's a lcp (lousy cell-phone) pic from when I got home today. That's my front yard under that pile of snow. You might also see that my Brooks saddle is sagging a bit, a consequence of leaving it out in the rain a couple of weeks ago:



Neal

pastorbobnlnh 

lcp pic or not, I can still see all the grit, salt, and slush covering the bike!

More than anything else, it's the condition of the bike after the ride this time of year, that bothers me. I come home exhausted, and then how to adequately clean it, that I find the most challenging. I just can't take it to the driveway and hose it down at 10F!

Neal, you are the man!

nlerner

I'm not sure my bike agrees with that, Bob! I haven't bothered to clean it off each day. I just park it in my porch, where the snow melts, creating a black puddle on the tile floor. I figure I'll just wait until it's time for the studded tires to come off, and I'll do a thorough cleaning. It'll be interesting to see if the cheap-o Shimano cartridge BB makes it through the winter.

Neal

jonwvara 

A nice trick I learned from the guys at The Old Spokes Home--a great bike shop in Burlington--is to park a wet snowy bike on one of those red or orange or blue plastic kids' sleds so it serves as a tray to catch all the water as it drips off. They have a whole bunch of them in the shop because people bring in wet and grimy bikes for repairs. I haven't tried it myself, but it seems to work well for them.
The only advantage to riding when it's really cold is that everything is frozen and dry--your bike never gets wet.
Snow is wasted on Boston--we could use some of what you get. We'd take better care of it--wouldn't let it all melt.

southpawboston

I've got a whole bunch of it if you want... priced to sell!