This morning wasn't too cold, about 25F but the roads were such a mess. Between the dirt/salt snow/slush combo I had to deal with, my bike was covered in slop by the time I got to work.

I was 5/5 this week, which I thought I had done before (I've been commuting since September) but after looking at my log I realized this is the first time. Boojah. :)

Also, 7/8 on the month so far. 7 to go.

January is my B1TCH!! I PWN U!

14 down, 7 to go.

-10c/14f no wind.

Forecast for monday/tuesday is 9c/10c. I've lived in northern ontario and southern/central alberta all my life, and this is the warmest winter I can recall in my 29 years.

Sign me up for the feb challenge, this has been a great motivator dogboy.

Agreed! I'm in as well.

Ug...downed by a major chest cold. No work on Wed or Thursday, but I drove today since I'm still pretty down and didn't want to worsen my condition.

I'm pretty bummed about driving today...I guess I'll get over it.

don't sweat it dogboy!!
better to miss 1 day and get better than take the chance, get more sick and miss more days!!

get well soon!!

jim

Like jim said, get better before you jump back in the saddle.

We don't have a lot of control over catching colds.

WTF!!!
man, i have lost so many messages on this forum.... i get distracted by another window, come back and all the text is gone!

so, now you'll get the reader'sD version...
-14c/-26c windchill...
had an extra layer on top today: poly/poly/cotton/vest/windbreaker
1 extra on the bottom: tights/LJ's/windpants

went for a bike last night too.... got home, cut my kid's hair, had a shower and was in bed by 9pm... this wknd was crazy... we had 4 hockey games, basketball tournament and 2 birthday parties this wknd.... and a coaches meeting (which was pizza and beers and wasn't too stressfull... winkwink)... so i was pooped... i was almost planning on calling in sick today... i need to vote and goto the university to get a textbook for a class tuesday night... busy busy busy... another hockey practice tonight too!!

anyways, be cool....
hope you're feeling better dogBoy!!
6 more days!! 12 more commutes (or 11 now, i guess)....

jimz

15 down, 6 to go

Wind from the west at 35km/hr gusting to 50km/hr

7C/45F

11/12 5 to go. Today was kind of hard as I'm still a bit stuffed up. I added another layer figuring I'd be slower, which I was, but the effort level was the same, so I overheated. Ug. 16F when I left. Its supposed to get up to 35F today, so the ride home should be warmer.

Good on you DogBoy!!!! I'm riding virtually everyday of the year back and forth to work. If you are sick best take it easy riding in the cold (cover your air intakes..mouth/nose)....the blast of cold air can push a cold right down into your chest and knock you flat for a week if you're not careful. You've had some pretty goo dweather I see.

This morning was a tad on the colder side at 1F. Made it in without much trouble, which is nice for a Monday morning. On Mondays I bring in all my clothes for the week (four days of dress clothes, one casual for Friday) along with clean towel and other misc. items, which makes for a slower, bulkier ride.

Can't wait for the ride home as it's supposed to be around 30F and I won't have all the stuff slowing me down.

We wife had to make an emergency trip out of town, so she picked me up at work so I could take the car home. But now I'm at work with my car and my bike. My plan is to bike home, and to work tomorrow. Then tomorrow at lunch I'll drive home with the bike in the back and bike back to work. Yeah, that should keep me in the challenge. Plus I'll get 1.5 commutes tomorrow. Bonus points anyone ?

yea take a bonus point for that one

Dog boy, Are you in Madison?

I Was there in the 60s and 70s- pre bike paths. Sunrise on a still January morning can be Beautiful. Old Schwinn Varsity took me anywhere. Scarfs and handkerchiefs had to due. Big boots for the toes. SPent some time in Oregon too ( SMall town near Madison), @ a 7 mile cummute as I recall.

ENjoy .

JBS class of 70( almost) and 75 (finally)

morning folks....
today is a balmy -1c/-7c windchill...
yesterday it went from -14c/-26cwindchil in the morning to a sloppy +3c by 4pm.... (do you believe in global warming now?) and it even rained last nigt a bit!! crazy.... nice crunchy snow this morning and good traction... good speed... windy though, 26kms..

have a great day folks!!!

jim

Wind! 12/13.

Nothing like heading west into a 15-20 mph westerly wind...I kept thinking of that scene in Finding Nemo when Dory was saying "Just keep swimming..." but replaced it with "Just keep spinning, Just keep spinning." Ride home should be fun.

(yes, Madison)

Just don't forget about Murphy's Law of Headwinds that states the nastier the headwind the more chance it will decide to chase back home itself by the end of the day. lol

I took the studs off this morning, as the chinook blasted all the snow off the roads.

Around -5C i think.

I was signalling left into my work parking lot, when a van (approaching from behind) tried to blow past me on my left. had I not had a mirror, I could have been smoked. Instead of making my intended corner, I squeezed him into the curb and he locked up his brakes. I was fuming so I stopped in the parking lot and waited, he just drove off. I was just going to ask him if he would have attempted to blow past a vehicle on the left side DIRECTLY thru his intended (and signalled) path.

I forget the numbers, but i'm at 100% for jan. My wife is out of town until the end of the month, so I have access to the car everyday, i gotta fight the urge (of driving in the car).

13/15, on track for 15/17 for the month. Yesterday I had an interview and didn't have a way to keep the clothes nice so I carpooled. Today was a nice ride. It was a bit cold but no wind. That was a welcome change compared to Tuesday nights ride home. I didn't have a headwind, but the crosswind was REALLY bad for one section of the ride. I was literally blown sideways more than 4 feet and hit the curb. The radio said gusts were up to 40 mph and I believe it. I ended up ducking over a few blocks to get more houses to block the wind, and from there the ride was okay. I'm starting to craft my February challenge to myself, but I'll post them in how was your commute today rather than in a dedicated thread. I plan to keep track of my monthly & annual totals. It will be interesting to see how I do this year.

Here's what I've got so far:
A. Define number of Days Available to commute (ie total work days less days when I must drive due to commitments that make cycling impossible - 2 right now)
B. Designate 1 or 2 freebie days (I'm leaning towards 1) for when I feel quite bad.
Challenge = A - B Days.

That gives me 15 days of Commuting for A, so my challenge will be to commute 14/17 days of Working when not traveling. Am I being too easy on myself by giving me a freebie day? Perhaps I should keep the challenge as 15/17. What do you think?

In other news, tomorrow temps will be near 55 F so I will attempt my January Century (one of my other cycling goals for the year...century a month). Wish me luck!

18/18 so far. 3 days to go.

Freebie days are fine I think. If you're anything like me, you're guilty about skipping anyways. Just don't cycle 16 of the possible 17 days and then say, "Hey I didn't use my freebie this month, may as well take it tomorrow!" even though you are feeling fine and can do it.

Also, someone made a post about catching up on the mileage on a weekend ride. That's a fine idea too. You certainly don't want to define the challenge so strictly that it starts to feel like a chore.

As for your century a month goal, I have never done a century before. I would like to do one but don't really have a 100mile route. Also, I would like to keep it urban in case of emergency, or in case I just bonk and wanna call it quits. I was thinking of biking a route to my parents place that is 10 miles and just bounce between their place and my place all day, eating and drinking when I'm there. How do you do it?

In the summer I just head out and do a big 100 mile loop. For tomorrow I'm thinking of a 3 loop course. First loop is about 30 miles heading north, then returning to the house. I will then warm up, change clothes (if needed) and head out for loop 2: 30 miles south/east, again returning to my house for another break. I will then do the final 40 mile loop through town, around the capital and then back home. I think the grand total will be somewhere at 101-105.

morning folks....
i have a -1day for yesterday....
i was at home with my sick child the last 2 days... i biked wednesday night to make up for not commuting, but yesterday i never had a chance to make it up.... i did skate for 2.5 hours, but that doesn't convert into cycling mileage....

this wknd i'm trying out the local Icebike race (http://www.icebiking.com/)...
i've entered the 10km categorie and hope i can do it...
i can do 10km no problem on snow covered, rutted, slushy, icy streets.... but 10km of riverbank and trails is another challenge.... maybe i should've entered the 3km race?

anyways.... i'll let y'all know waht happened on monday!!

peaceout...

Jay-Jimmi

19/19, 2 to go. Then 11 (months) to go.
I had to plug my car's battery into a charger earlier this week, I had to run my son into town for something and it barely started from disuse.

19/19, 2 to go.

I'm biking downtown after work, I've never been downtown during rush hour before, I hope I manage to not make an ass of myself in traffic.

Just keep an ear out for the cars behind you. Rush hour on Friday seems to add an extra pint of stupid to the drivers. Watch the squeeze, lane changes from left to right, and the right hand turn. Rush hour traffic is a whole new experience, keep your head and you'll be fine.

Well I did my century yesterday. If you want to read about it check out the winter cycling forum.

the 5" of fresh snow I can see (maybe), but below 25 degrees F? That would be almost every day here (ok, maybe not this year...our average january temp this year is something like 28 degrees F, which is 15 degrees HIGHER than normal). 25 degrees is nothing, unless that is below zero!

morning folks!
-18c/-25c windchill today..... finally getting a little colder!!
well, last week i had to stay home with my son on wed and thurs... i made up for my wed bike by going for a ride after supper... thursday i wasn't able to ride...
so, on sunday, yesterday, i competed in our local icebike race..... it was 3 laps of 4.3km/lap = 12.9km total... it was along the riverbanks of 2 of our local rivers...
i did vwery well..... i finished in the top 10 and less than 5 minutes from 1st place..... there was a few times in the race where i was held up by other cyclists.... if i could've got by i could've madeup time and maybe finished top5... it was my first race ever and i did learn a lot!! so, next year i plan on finishing top5!!!

anyways, can i use my 12.9km race yesterday to replace last Thursday's missed day? that way i can be 100%?
is that allowable?

anyways, i also picked up some winter tights (Whirlwind) from MEC and i love them! they are super-comfortable and as 1 layer they are quite warm.... they're the only layer i had this morning... a little chilly..... the wind wasn't as brisk when i left, so the windchill wasn't bad on my ride today.... below -20c or -25cish i may add my other tights underneath for an extra layer....

well, thanks folks!!

jimz

14/16 Snow this morning, and wouldn't you know my hybrid with studs is at the shop. The brakes went out (needs new pads) and the chain is nearly rusted through (this is what a year of commuting, including winters will do to a chain) and I thought it would probably be a good idea to have them take a look at the hubs, headset and bottom bracket to make sure they are all in tip top shape. Anyway, I had no trouble on the snow with my cyclocross tires and arrived at work in record time! (for January).

I've decided that for Feb my goal will be 15/17 again, with at least 1 century ride (not commuting of course). That begins on Wednesday!

Thanks for participating everyone!

I had some sorts of same challenge one year, no matter what the weather Id get out there and run ( yes, im a biker too) and I made it but was miserable.. at times I swaer i came back home with one ear missing and not to mention that I think my lungs were getting freeze dry:)