Warm. Made pretty good time, and had nothing to complain about.

Another day of snow-biking foiled by school cancellation (home w/ the kids)

Snow ride yesterday was the perfect decision.
Even w/out studs, I made it home with no problems. Had to walk only two hills. Traffic was a nightmare. One co-worker left work at 3:20, about the same time as I did, and didn't get home until 7:30 pm (via bus), near where I live. Another one left at 5:30 pm and didn't get home until 1:30 am (!! carpool). My coworkers thought I was completely nuts as I insistently turned down their offers for a ride home. Betting anything I got home before all of them as I was only slowed by about 30 minutes including taking photos and chatting with the neighbor for a bit.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=179654
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=179655

No work today. It'll be mostly a foot commute around the 'hood.

^^^west seattle/harbor island bridge :)

do you have to ride up to admiral.. i imagine those are the hills you walked :D

heres an oops this morning (madison hill going into downtown)
http://distillery.s3.amazonaws.com/m...690f57f4_7.jpg

Not to say there aren't other opportunities

http://home.comcast.net/~adrian_spidle/snow_pug.jpg

I learned yesterday afternoon that even relatively slow descents need much more clothing than the rest of my ride. -5C/22F. Next time I'll try to take the gravel trail down, there's a bit more shelter from the wind and it's easier to control my speed. I used some self control and kept it under 50 kph but I was still chilled and my right leg was shivering. I'm also going to dig out some of my snowboarding gloves and face mask for a trial. Other than that, I was dressed perfectly and warm for the rest of the ride home. The home made studded tires worked great on the ice in front of my apartment building and any icy patches on the trip home. Only slid in a bit of the soft slushy snow I found while climbing, but I'm feeling a lot more confident about winter commuting now.

Im about to leave work for home and all i have to say is DO NOT WANT. Its 20f windy with 15-25mph winds, and snowing on and off. It was 55f last week booooooooo, at least its sunny on and off:)

Dang, that must be one serious hill.

School cancelled again today, but unlike yesterday I thought to check before I left. So it's snowing in Seattle, and raining from Anchorage to Barrow; weird weather this fall for sure. All morning I've listened to emergency services sirens responding to cars in distress, and with the roads looking like this:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/y...y/icedanch.jpg

...it's no wonder. Stopping or steering a +4000 pound vehicle that's traveling at +25 mph can be pretty challenging, when the surface that it's traveling on is rink-smooth ice covered in water. If only more people were willing to harden up and cycle, then ice events like this wouldn't be as traumatic. And I wouldn't be a full lecture behind in all of my classes. I mean, I made it to school just fine yesterday.

I was in Portland last Christmas and got to enjoy their annual snowstorm... rode from one side to the other and witnessed some first hand carnage, the trains shut down, buses shut down, and we went out for dinner after The Girl finished work... on our bikes.

I am just getting ready for my commute as I am going in to the co-op for the Tuesday night bike build... figure I better put on two pairs of socks tonight and put some merino under the wool.

The roads are fine but damn it's cold.

Sometimes it's so nasty out that only work, school, or an emergency should budge a sensible person from the house. No school, no work, so I thought I could just chill inside today, only to find that I was out of beer. So out I went for emergency rations.

Heavily traveled roads have softened to a mix of slush, ice, and huge puddles of water (many drainages are frozen shut, so there's nowhere for the water to go). Less traveled routes are a mix of standing water on ice, and what few pedestrians are out are walking everywhere with careful, cautious, baby steps.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/y...y/btsc_icy.jpg
This is the Bridge Troll's Shortcut, from the bottom. I'm pretty shocked that I made it to the top without sliding out.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/y...y/icy_path.jpg
This is the path at the top of Bridge Troll's, just before you cross the overpass in front of my apartment. I had to pull off into the snow on the side to both dismount and remount the bike.

I left out just after 10am to get to an 11am meeting. I was almost at work before I realized I had left my backpack at home. Inside were my pullover and knit cap for what I imagined to be cooler evening with shattered showers predicted. Tonight I was amazed and pleased that Washington, DC was clear and in the 60s. The ride was so pleasant that I took a detour on the way home to visit an old friend who recently had a baby :)

It was chillier this morning at 38 F ( 3 C). The traffic was lighter, although on the highways it looked normal or busier.

Love the picture of the iced road. Studded tires good! People look at you like you're insane, yet you're safer than if you were on foot, even.

I did not ride this morning. Hiked 2.5 miles to the bus. Wife is picking me up after work and we're going to my mommy's house. :o

I saw one cyclist though, pushing through what must have been an obnoxious northern headwind in the pre-sunrise light.

-1C/30F and sunny this morning, but annoying headwind.

Had one length of ice on a short stretch of bike path. It was a half-frozen puddle, I just broke through the ice and rode through. I don't know how much the studded tires helped.

A balmy 7f out side most everything was under thick ice all of yesterdays slush is now frozen solid and pretty much an obstacle course, very much glad i made a studded tire for the front last night, i might not have made it other wise. A lot of the car lanes were pretty clear but this morning everyone was driving like a race track for some reason and i was wayyyy tooo scared to even attempt take a lane. On my way home and while running errands after work i watched 8 car accidents happen every one of which could have been avoided had drivers just slowed down some. Despite the cold i stayed pretty warm finally dug out the thermal bottoms though.

today's ride in was pleasant, if a bit chilly -- high 30s or low 40s, I'd guess. I left late, so I took advantage of the lighter than usual traffic and drove a little further than usual, but that was merely to make up for my longer than usual ride home last night. Fewer cyclists this morning for sure, but that could just be the holiday.

Last night, I decided to try the Custis trail for my ride home, to avoid my leaf covered nemesis. I had forgotten just how hilly Custis is, though. The leaves were clearer, and nothing as steep as my nemesis hill, but lots of shorter, less intense, but still grinding climbs. And, it adds 4-5 miles to my usual commuting distance which, at my slow speed, means an extra 20-30 minutes. Of course, from what I heard of traffic last night, I was still probably well ahead of where I would have been if I drove to the office and back, but that wouldn't usually be the case. Custis trail also involves crossing the GW Parkway at grade (albeit the parkway traffic is all but stopped), and more riding on suburban streets at the end of my ride. I'll have to keep thinking about this, but I suspect the whole question will be moot once the leaves have fallen -- til next year, that is.

Oh, last night also stood out because I was cut off in traffic by an idiot who ran a stop sign. I saw it coming, so no actual threat to my safety, but it shouldn't really be my job to watch for idiots running stop signs, should it?

This morning's ride was beautiful--crisp, cold air (45F), just enough to make my eyes water a bit during the first mile. The sky was clear and there was a light breeze. This afternoon the wind is supposed to pick up with gusts up to 30mph.

First cycle-commute in a week. Can the BF commuters forgive me for wussing out the past few days? It's been cold, -28C/-18F with wind chills pushing the perceived temperature down to -35C.

I rode today, and when I left home, it was -27C/-17F. The reason I rode today and not the past couple of days is because the forecast is for temperatures to climb all day, up to about -14C/7F this afternoon, and keep climbing into the evening. I figured I would brave the arctic weather on the way in and enjoy the much balmier temperatures on the way home.

Anyway, -27C is fargin' cold. I was mostly warm enough except the digits. It's very painful when frozen fingers and toes start warming up! My 15km commute took about 55 minutes today, whereas in summer, I can make it in about 35. The bike worked well except that somehow, the front shift lever's friction adjuster was loose, and suddenly I found myself spinning in the granny ring. I had to pull over and tighten that up. I also had to trudge through a big snow bank because some construction workers parked their truck right on the access point to a trail. And I had to stop a few times to rub the ice off my cycling glasses. I guess I should have worn ski goggles.

This is by far the coldest weather I've ever ridden in. While I feel a sense of accomplishment, I can't say I enjoyed it. I've done it once now, and won't be in a hurry to do it again. I've seen other die-hards out there, and I don't know how they do it.

-27C is fargin' cold.

34F/1C. Chilly. My ears suffered (should have looked a little harder for my skull cap), but otherwise it wasn't too bad.

One word: miserable.

Temperature wasn't too bad (31-32f), but the wind was horrible. Gusts up to 25mph or so, and I was either riding directly into them, or they were blowing me sideways (front panniers make good sails). Didn't think I needed shoe covers, so my toes are frozen halfway through my 12-mile commute. I also didn't keep my core warm enough, as my fingers were painfully cold most of the way (they're still hurting two hours later).

Live and learn...

I for one dont blame ya, i ride year round in whatever the weather happens to be but thankfully boise only see's the negatives a few times during the winter, i think you canadians are crazy:) and there i went thinkin i had it bad this morning at 7f thats your high!!

And griddle cake im thinking it would be way fun to lace up some skate and ice skate to work, thats nuts:)

2nd work commute (12miles) since recovering from my 2nd broken clavicle in 3 years...lucky we only have 2 !
Cold in Ireland but nothing like some of the posts here...
and a real slog of a cycle compared to how easy it gets after a few weeks of commuting. Good to be back though!
Lorcán.

Maybe, if my route was totally flat. As it is, I don't think that I would find it much fun trying to skate downhill. ;)

Today was pretty cold. 0 C, -4 with wind chill. I overdressed a bit, I should have just worn the long sleeve Champion C9, the cotton on top was too much, had to take it off halfway through. Same story with the legs, tights and thin running pants over that. I had to roll the pants up once I turned and didn't have to fight the 30 kph wind...Lesson learned though, tights and single top layer for down to 0.

So i take it no crashed ice for you :)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...bout_Sport.jpg

No commute, Off all week. Did make like 5 trips on my Porteur to the LBS to buy parts for the new hot rod. She is a sweet rider! So is the Porteur.

I rode into work for a few hours this Thanksgiving AM on my 14 mile commute, leaving at about 6 AM at 31* F, with an approximate headwind of about 15 mph. The streets were dry and traffic-free and the bridgework on the Rte 128 overpass on Rte 1A is finally finished, as of today it seems, with two wide lanes in my direction and a fabulous road surface. The work has been ongoing for at least two years now.

The traffic was light of course because of the Holiday, but I had an even more Thanksgiving-specific experience this morning. I usually stop into a convenience strore at about mile 8 to buy the two daily Boston newspapers and carry them in my backpack. As usual in anticipation of "Black Friday," they were about five times more heavy and voluminous.

Oh is that bridge finally finished?.? It has been forever. I'll go try it today!