at first I was like



then i was like

(wait....is that you!?!?!)



but in all seriousness I am happy for you to be back in the saddle, indeed, it's a great feeling, isn't it?

From your earlier posts it sounds as though you are up for challenges. Riding in rough weather can actually be fun. Makes you appreciate things more. Also, lots of suggestions on here about winter riding.

Good job

Cool comeback, Don.

Keep us updated on your progress. Have fun on your commutes!

That guy's got the standard brown bald-guy beard. All the cool kids are wearing red ones.

Just do it! Love hearing of lives improved through the ridiculously simple act of pedaling a bike - when it's hot, when it's cold, when it's windy, when it's raining - it's always good. Keep riding and keep posting.

We'll see. Cold means sub-zero here, and the wind on that trail can be fierce. I haven't felt it in the winter yet, but there's a section where you're up above bare corn fields this time of year, and the wind has been sweeping along for miles before it hits you. I'll probably pack it in once the ice starts.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...d-tire-26-inch Started my cycle-commuting career in Chicago February 1987...Not sure if these were around back then, but I wouldn't have been able to afford them, anyway. I thought falling was just part of the drill.

There's also this: https://www.exmask.com/psolarhx.php Man, I would've loved to have had one of these back then. A pair of ski goggles from the thrift store would be a perfect compliment...and it would be a little scarey, too.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

https://www.icebike.com

i started bike commuting in November of last year and promised to push myself through the winter as much as i could bare. i stopped checking the temps when i started seeing the daily lows were going to be less than 20 degrees.

i just knew, IT'S COLD!

the temperatures didn't bother me as much as losing the shoulder to snowbanks. usually the ice doesn't stick around for that long in this city.

i found a neoprene ski mask was essential for the winds on the bridge.

last winter was unusually cold by new york standards, so i'm hoping i'm more than prepared for this year already.

Best wishes Don. Pedal On!

Patriot brings up a good point, and one i would like to ask all of you. -- I've been entertaining the thought of commuting for awhile but my building doesn't allow bikes in it so what does one do?? Everyone always talks about their bikes being lifted if they are outside all day everyday but if my building doesn't allow bikes then I don't see any other choice! Any ideas??

I don't know. I have a new job in a different city now, but it's still a school, and they'll let you store pretty much whatever you want in your classroom as long as it's not breaking any actual rules. We're an alternative school specializing in the students who've been removed from the other schools in the district, so I like keeping my bike where I can see it. I just lean it against the wall behind my desk.

I like the studded tire idea . . . how much control does that give me, though, realistically, on ice and snow? I've never used studded tires, even on a car, so I don't know. Right now I'm pushing myself pretty hard to get through the commute in 35-40 minutes, and some of that I can't improve because it's time spent crossing a couple of wide, busy avenues. If I had to slow down a lot to stay safe on ice and snow, it'd take even longer, and I do have time pressure to consider. It takes me half an hour to drive from the lot where I leave my car to the babysitter's house. I have to get my youngest by 5 p.m., and I try to leave school by 3:30. So if it takes 45 minutes to do the ride, 30 minutes to drive, I've left myself fifteen minutes of wiggle room, minus whatever it takes to get out of the parking lot, get off the bike and get it onto the car, etc. If I have to patch a flat or something, my sitter will understand, but I can't make a habit of being late.
Anybody know whether I can even fit 700x32 tires on my OCR2? I have 700x28 Armadillos on it right now, which have served me well, but I don't see any studded tires in 28.

I had an OCR2 and it had trouble with 700x26 and fenders. You will want fenders once the snow flies. You can try clip-on fenders.

Keep up the good work. If you really want this, you will find a way. I can commute right up until the snow and ice takes over the roads. At that point, it's less about traction and studs and clothing choices, and more about less room on the roadway and impatient drivers. Once it melts away enough to give me 6" of shoulder I'll get back on the road.