banerjek

Recently, I started a thread where I essentially said I should have wussed out but didn't. Well, today I had a chance to see if I learned anything from the experience. Conditions where I am this morning were a solid sheet of ice over the sidewalks and roads covered with a teeny bit of snow. I said screw it, I'm not riding or driving today. I saw too many cars in the ditch yesterday.

When I walked the dog on her normal 2 mile route, there were few footprints anywhere my route. Car traffic was next to nonexistent. However, I did see 2 cyclists and one set of tracks that looked like it corresponded to yet another rider.

These dudes did not have studded tires or gear that would make ice riding even vaguely practical. One (who I saw fall twice in one block) didn't have a helmet either. The funny thing is I don't think see that many cyclists on a decent day. These guys are nuts.

CliftonGK1

Conditions this morning: 31 - 32 degrees, wet and heavy snow about 5" deep. Packed tire tracks turned into solid ice, wet fluff off to the bike lane and shoulder. I was one of the crazies who rode in, but I also just put studded tires on last night.
My fiancee's commute was a walk across the living room to grab the network cable for her laptop.

After losing most of January's riding to illness and a cross-town apartment move, I was so happy to be back on my bike. Even having to slog through the snow was OK.

acroy

I bet their cars were stuck, frozen in their driveway, and they *had* to get somewhere! I was in that boat myself once.

vincentpaul

PDX area? I made the same decision. Bull Mountain between Beaverton and Tualatin was basically a giant tobaggon run....

littlewaywelt

I'll ride regardless. If it's icy I just go slow enough that a fall won't be a big deal and I'll ride on sidestreets where I won't get run over if I go down.

2manybikes

No mater when I go out, even late at night, to be the first in the fresh powder, there are already bike tracks there. **********?

M_S

It's finally warming up here. Luckily I don't commute in the morning so I don't have to deal with slush that's frozen overnight. Yesterday it was 44 degrees! We went skiing though, so it was about 30 where we were. Then it dropped in temp last night and snowed again, now it's all melting off as it's back in the 30s. What schizo weather.

unixpro

Up in Seattle here. I had snow and ice this morning, but I rode anyway. I didn't set any speed records, although it wasn't my longest time either. I did go down once on some ice I didn't see, but hey...

I saw one set of tracks from another rider up on the hill where I live. I didn't see any others until I was almost downtown. I think I saw a total of about 5 riders today, when then normal for this time of year is 20+ (80+ in the summer).

I ride a MTB-style commuter, but I've got narrow almost slick tires and no spikes. I just try to be careful and, like I said, realize that I'm not going to be setting any records.

mstrpete

I told my fun story here:https://www.bikeforums.net/pacific-northwest/383132-ok-i-m-peeved.html Typical Northwest day: if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes and it'll change! The thing to watch for is, the sunny parts melt, and the shady parts don't.