Winter.. the ultimate take-the-lane season.
 

We had like an inch of snow over the weekend and 2-4 more coming. No way in hell I'm staying to the side of the lane where the plowed snow is. Center of the lane all the way for me!

Wanna borrow the "Death Star" ? :)

That what sucks- the later in the season it gets, the further from the curb it gets... and cars don't even see you because what kind of lunatic is out biking in the winter. I hate it.

yeah some of my shoulders and bike lanes were hard / icy snowpack. would probably slice my tires!

the lane is perfectly dry and safe

Snow? Yea, I've heard of that stuff...

yeah, i went for a ride yesterday. luckly traffic wasn't bad on a sunday, but i pretty much had to take the lane. then, in prospect park, i was sliding all over the place and my brakes didn't work at all.

If there's no tire tracks there, or has been there long enough to be iced over, it's no longer part of the roadway anyway. When you take a lane, you demonstrate this.

'Cept as filtersweep says - you can't see what your brain doesn't comprehend as a possible reality, say, a person riding a bicycle in winter temperatures or conditions. if that's the case, you have to take a lane too, if those types will never see you anyway.

You riding that new road bike of yours?

You probably think its for visibility but it's actually to melt the snow as I go.

:lol:

I see cyclists all the time in snow. They're called, "delivery men". They ride bearing Chinese food & pizzas.

yeah, i was plowing through the snow in it. i'm shopping for some nice CX tires or road tires with a little traction on them for my other bike. then i'll switch over to that on these snowy\rainy days.

I went out for a ride today (not working these days) taking the lane as is generally wise to do and was passed on the right by two very agressive drivers... in a single lane road (well, one lane each way, double-yellow). Sometimes taking the lane doesn't work.

Today my wife drove me because I'm too afraid to take the lane in weather like this. I don't know what whackjob is fumbling his tim horton's coffee or driving with a frosted window. I rode on friday and rode the sidewalk, I felt guilty, more guilty than getting a lift to work actually.

We are supposed to be getting a chinook on wednesday so I'll probably remount the steed then.

Yeah, it's dicey out there. My wife decided that she wanted to ride in, but she won't use a headlight. I explained to her that nobody is looking for her on the road, but she's all "no, no, it'll be fine". I took the lane quite a bit today, especially on the downhills. The cars were actually pretty good about it, and kept their distance. As Wulfheir said, it's supposed to get warmer on Wednesday, but then comes the slop of salt-infused dirty snow. I'm going to need a front fender...

Yikes! If visibility might be an issue, what possible reason is there for not using a headlight? Can I at least assume that she uses a tail light?

Jalopy

I had second thoughts about going out until through the window I saw some kid plowing into snow and ice on a bike. I figured, yo, that's it. I'm definitely riding. My wife warned me a few times to avoid ice and whatnot. I said that you are putting a hex on me. Glad I rode. Lunchtime ride was excellent. Gotta get better gloves. My ski gloves made my hands sweat. Before that, they were frozen solid in a pair of Cannondales mountain bike full fingered gloves. Gotta find a happy medium.

Yes, I took the lane. Had to. The night before, I installed a mud flap to prevent crap from getting on my drive chain. After the first few gushers into the snow, it got old and I snapped out of it. Much safer where the snow is not. (Yoda says)

No worries, better to feel guilty than to feel 2000 lbs of cold steel ramming up your okole!

Let's be honest. Even peds take the lane when there's reasonably heavy snow.