Riding to work like usual and snap, the crank snaps. I can see rust on the inside so it must have had hair-line cracks for awhile.

Do not go to work and say that your bike rusted and broke. The proper spin is that you're laying down too much power for these average bikes. Time to move up .

Something like that .

Hope you made it to work ok.

You never expect something like that!

sounds like you didn't crash or get hurt

which bike was that on?

Does Chicago still salt the streets like it's theater popcorn?

Take notes, everyone.

This is EXPERT level boasting right here.

This is how it's done!!

i was prepared for good stuff in this thread.... speaking of which, it amazes me how crappy i feel when i dont ride to work. its only a 2.5 mile ride where i live now but that little wakeup ride is a miracle worker.

p.s. hope you got the bike running!

Or the Spanish Inquisition!

The bike for commuting in the Chicago winter is a garage-sale Huffy cruiser that I got last year. It seems a little more reliable then using my 'nicer' spring/summer/fall bike in the winter. This winter bike has 3,500 miles on it but has not been trouble free. So far, new handle bars, front wheel (wanted a front brake for safety), rear hub, a few spokes, and a few consumables. Have the new crank on order, in a week it should be back in action. So stuck ridding the 'backup' winter bike. Chicago salt can be brutal on a bike, that's for sure.

The crank snapped about 1 mi from work, not bad. The ride home on the other hand, the left leg was a bit sore doing the one foot petal trick for 6 1/2 mi. from work to home. The cold, snow and crank was not going to get the better of me. The commuter motto.

You da man! When I broke my crank (sounds much better than "my crank broke," right?), I did one-legged pedaling for 1/4-1/2 mile and drove the car home with the bike on the back.


How do you manage one-legged pedaling with platform pedals, though?

It's amazing that, even after so many years and having such a esoteric following even in the 70s, that Monty Python continues to thrive. A couple of years ago, my then 22yo son asked for the complete works of Monty Python (movies, not shows) for his birthday.

When you leave for work covered in puppy diarrhea. Thankfully, my Gore-Tex provided protection and the rain helped though it wasn't strong enough to wash it all away.

Who am I kidding? Any commute that you arrive on two wheels is a good commute.

C'mon. Did that really happen?

Duct Tape is the solution everything

As your foot hits the 6 o'clock position, you rotate the pedal vertically and give it a little push, trying to make it go far enough that you can push again.

After 1/4 of a mile, you try putting your foot under the pedal when it keeps getting stuck at the 9 o'clock position.

After another 1/4 of a mile, you stand on the pedal in the 6 o'clock position, and use the other leg to kick off, reinventing the kick bike.

All the while, you're hoping no one notices, except perhaps a fellow bike commuter, since they will be sympathetic. They'll still laugh, but not in the condescending way a "true cyclist" would.

The day before yesterday.

I'm fostering a pup until he's big and healthy enough to be adopted out. He's recovering from explosive diarrhea.

I didn't know I had the stuff all over me until I was on my way out the door because I was juggling lots of stuff. I was already late so I didn't have time to deal with it. My GF thought I should clean up, but agreed that if I went to work as I was, at the very least it was a sign that the guy she is with is neither excessively vain nor interested in attracting other women....

When you dig up your old mountain bike to start commuting in the new year and tell yourself it's not worth putting money into because you're going to build a commute oriented bike if you decide to stick to it, but the entire winter it's been raining on four out of seven days and is still wet on the remaining days and you don't have fenders, and you get up today and can hear the rain already.

I'd trade these 5 celcius and wet for -10 celcius and dry or crisp snow in a heartbeat. Anyone else feel this way?

I'm with you 100%. Nothing worse than seeing dark green to red on the radar incoming...

I do like blizzard rides. hope we get a cpl more this season. but rain means I don't have to rake the roof, so ...

You really do like them, don't you!

You will be late and will be fired, as a result.

I think I miss SCUBA diving blizzard rides are the closest I come to completely suiting up for outdoor adventure

When your left eyelid freezes shut in the first 200 yds of a 17 mile ride. My low cut off is right at 20 F or so. I leave my car at work, pedal home. The only way to get back to work in the AM is to pedal. When that Frikin' weather guy says 21 for the low and its 7F? Just get a big cup of HTFU.



When on your first late winter ride without studded tires you do full on, pavement body slam. 2 years ago, rain, and literally , only one snow bank in the shade with some frozen melt flow under the water. Hit so fast and hard, left side and the arm stayed tucked in , knocked the wind out of me. Bad. 10 miles in, 7 more to go. Dented the side of my helmet, seemed to work well. ( thank goodness) Was at this park/ natural area where I chat with these 3 older women most days, walking 5 yorkies, almost all the time with matching dog coats. They saw me crash, wanted to call 911, I tried to tell them not to. Convinced them, even though I really couldn't talk at that time. Got up hopping mad. Took 10 minutes to calm down and do a body check to make sure nothing was broken, good times.

Riding by under the tornado siren when it goes off. That was a real good clue of a not so good commute.

Worked for Dave in the Little 500