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When Do You Not Commute By Bike

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When Do You Not Commute By Bike

Old 04-20-18, 08:12 PM
  #51  
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I ride in everything, though there are icy conditions where that may not be the smartest thing to do. Unless you have health issues, 100+ heat won't hurt you -- just drink plenty of water. Rain definitely won't hurt you however heavy -- it's not like taking a shower in the morning is traumatizing.

Real lightning would get me to reconsider, but that's very rare where I live. I've never been in hail on a bike as large as Harhir's -- that would get me off. Once it's even decent marble sized, that stuff can hurt.
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Old 04-21-18, 07:06 PM
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I ride 95% of the time.

I will take public transit or my car if I need to wear a suit (and no time to change into one).

Otherwise, in all the weather the west coast can deliver, you will find me biking away in it. I don't understand commuters not enjoying the rain, its cooling, there are always less noob riders around (esp those renting bixies or other bike share programs)
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Old 04-23-18, 10:02 AM
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..After Retirement.. then I ride to the Pub..
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Old 04-23-18, 02:52 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Goriot
I don't understand commuters not enjoying the rain, its cooling, there are always less noob riders around (esp those renting bixies or other bike share programs)
It was 45F this morning; throwing rain into that is beyond cooling and into hypothermia.

That said, I'm curious; how does rain affect bikes? My husband is convinced a light sprinkle causes them to rust into a solid blob.
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Old 04-23-18, 04:39 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by Korina
It was 45F this morning; throwing rain into that is beyond cooling and into hypothermia.

That said, I'm curious; how does rain affect bikes? My husband is convinced a light sprinkle causes them to rust into a solid blob.
I have studied this exact question for well over 100,000 miles in the PNW which you may recognize as a rainy environment. My experience is that rain causes bikes to get wet. It doesn't hurt them.

BTW, 45°F and rainy is quite comfortable if you have right gear
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Old 04-23-18, 07:37 PM
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When the wind chill is below 20f, ice or snow sticking to the pavement, hard rain. I've got the layering down to where I'm comfortable to 20f and light rain/snow. I can't see adding another layer.
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Old 04-24-18, 09:46 AM
  #57  
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It really depends but I typically don't during the winter and not when its forecast to be over 110 degrees. I haven't commuted yet this year, I don't have the fitness to commute 25 miles a day on
top of my other bike rides and that first one after winter is the toughest!
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Old 04-24-18, 10:30 AM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by banerjek
I have studied this exact question for well over 100,000 miles in the PNW which you may recognize as a rainy environment. My experience is that rain causes bikes to get wet. It doesn't hurt them.

BTW, 45°F and rainy is quite comfortable if you have right gear
The issue is finding the right gear. I'm an overweight woman, so the women's gear doesn't fit me, and neither does the men's. That said, I have this rain shell from Costco, which works surprisingly well. Just wish they offered hi-viz colors.
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Old 04-24-18, 10:54 AM
  #59  
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There is a certain amount of snow that will stop me if the plows haven't yet run. Somewhere in the 6"-8" range is when I begin to have trouble.

The problem is at these depths you can't get enough forward momentum to let the bike balance so you can lift your feet onto the pedals. You give yourself a push, but as soon as your feet leave the ground the bike is at a dead stop. I you do manage to keep the bike upright and try and start pedaling, the rear wheel breaks loose and you have to put a foot down.

If you do manage to get the bike moving, your chain picks up snow and packs it into the rear cassette. It's not long until the cassette is so full of frozen snow that the chain starts skipping, which renders that gear useless. And in that amount of snow only 2-3 gears were useable to begin with, so within a mile or two you are no longer able to pedal the bike without chain skip and you're stranded.

But generally, that's the only thing that stops me anymore.
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Old 04-24-18, 11:07 AM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Tundra_Man
There is a certain amount of snow that will stop me if the plows haven't yet run. Somewhere in the 6"-8" range is when I begin to have trouble.

The problem is at these depths you can't get enough forward momentum to let the bike balance so you can lift your feet onto the pedals. You give yourself a push, but as soon as your feet leave the ground the bike is at a dead stop. I you do manage to keep the bike upright and try and start pedaling, the rear wheel breaks loose and you have to put a foot down.

If you do manage to get the bike moving, your chain picks up snow and packs it into the rear cassette. It's not long until the cassette is so full of frozen snow that the chain starts skipping, which renders that gear useless. And in that amount of snow only 2-3 gears were useable to begin with, so within a mile or two you are no longer able to pedal the bike without chain skip and you're stranded.

But generally, that's the only thing that stops me anymore.
Christ...how long is your commute that you're riding through 6" of snow?
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Old 04-24-18, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Abe_Froman
Christ...how long is your commute that you're riding through 6" of snow?
Depends on the day. I'm a consultant and my client work location varies. Generally my round trip commute is somewhere between 8-30 miles.

I have a little flexibility and on those days when the weather is really bad I can often rearrange my schedule so that I can ride to a nearer client earlier, then ride to farther locations after the plows run. Thankfully with the winters we have here in South Dakota the city has gotten pretty adept at clearing the roads and MUP in a timely fashion.

Up to that 6"-8" point where I'm unable to ride, my speed drastically reduces in relation to how much snow is on the ground. I definitely have to plan for extra commute time on those days.
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Old 04-24-18, 01:06 PM
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tomorrow would be a good day to skip
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Old 04-24-18, 07:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Korina
It was 45F this morning; throwing rain into that is beyond cooling and into hypothermia.

That said, I'm curious; how does rain affect bikes? My husband is convinced a light sprinkle causes them to rust into a solid blob.
No hypothermia at all.
45deg is wonderful cycling weather, and rain doesn't affect that at all. An average winter ride could be in high 30s with plenty of rain, and I find it no problem at all to ride in that with shorts, one or two good layers and a cover. Key is to protect hands, neck, ears, and then just dial up your effort (go find an extra hill to climb) to build some heat. It took me a while to convince my wife to work harder in the saddle, and you find yourself unzipping layers pretty quick.

My favourite feeling on the bike is working so hard in inclement weather, and unzipping my chest and feeling that ice cold current bask my chest and back, and titrate it ever so perfectly with different body movements to completely cool down!

Originally Posted by banerjek
I have studied this exact question for well over 100,000 miles in the PNW which you may recognize as a rainy environment. My experience is that rain causes bikes to get wet. It doesn't hurt them.

BTW, 45°F and rainy is quite comfortable if you have right gear
Agree, rain doesn't affect the bike so long as regular care for the bike is maintained. Biggest difference for bike longevity and performance is indoor storage of the bike in my opinion.
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Old 04-24-18, 08:42 PM
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Usually, when the weather is cold and wet then I'll never commute but when it just suddenly comes in the middle of your ride then there's no choice but to bear with it.
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Old 04-25-18, 10:42 AM
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I'll ride in rain, I'll ride in temps down to freezing, and I'll ride in cold rain. I will not ride in snow, nor on snowy and/or icy roads.

Fortunately, my wife and I can manage with our one car on such days; unfortunately, we had many such days this past winter; I was basically off the bike from Thanksgiving through late March.
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Old 04-25-18, 03:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Korina
The issue is finding the right gear. I'm an overweight woman, so the women's gear doesn't fit me, and neither does the men's. That said, I have this rain shell from Costco, which works surprisingly well. Just wish they offered hi-viz colors.
Fit is an important part of performance and so are materials -- what works best depends on your specific needs.

One thing I would observe is that most people way overdress in cold weather. Nonintuitively, this is a great way to freeze. If you get wet with sweat, you'll lose tons of heat via conductive transfer -- it's warmer to wear less.
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Old 04-25-18, 04:17 PM
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Thanks, @Goriot and @banerjek. I should rephrase; I don't like commuting under 45F, and I particularly don't care for doing it in the rain. I'm a fair weather commuter, and having a bus that's practically door-to-door doesn't help.
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Old 04-25-18, 09:43 PM
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Omg
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Old 05-02-18, 12:56 PM
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Winds above 40 mph.
Ice or packed snow on the roads.
Wind chill below 5F.
Lightning, although I usually just wait this out because thunderstorms typically don't last long around here.
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Old 05-02-18, 04:37 PM
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Thunderstorms, wind chills in negative teens or worse, and when the streets haven't been plowed/salted.
Everything else is just flavor for the ride, and makes each ride unique.
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Old 05-07-18, 11:31 AM
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I don't commute in temps under about 40, nor in rain, sleet, snow, nor the gloom of night. Well maybe at night going home. But there are a lot of days I don't ride anyways and I just pick the best days to ride in. If there is even a hint of rain coming I'll just pass and take the subway. And if it turns out to be nicer than expected I'll take a Citibike partway home.
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Old 05-22-18, 09:54 AM
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Currently when its raining because I don't have fenders.
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Old 05-23-18, 09:04 PM
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The polling machine is going crazy on this thread. My limit is 10” of wet snow, everything else is game on. There is no such thing as a bad riding day, only bad gear.
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Old 05-26-18, 05:36 PM
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Only if it's legitimately dangerous or I really need a car after work. Happens every few weeks or so.

In the summer it gets mercilessly hot, but my ride is only 5 miles. It really can't get hot enough to be dangerous for 5mi if you're well prepared.
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