How was the commute today? Continued.
#7201
I have a day off today, so I "commuted" on my stationary bike instead, in the comfort of my basement, with My Chemical Romance pounding in my ears for motivation. I haven't hung up my bike for the winter yet, but in some ways, the stationary bike can be more fun than riding through snow in sub-freezing temperatures.
#7202
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,575
Likes: 223
From: Canada
Bikes: 2009 Trek 520
50km/h winds this morning so I decided to pass on the commute today since I would have been riding the mountain bike. I was out yesterday morning on the mountain bike for about 2 hours. The 26 x 2.35 tires I put on it handle the plowed but snow covered MUP very well. Even riding over not plowed, but foot trampled sections posed little challenge. I'll ride some more this afternoon to try out the clipless pedals I added to it last night.
Unfortunately with all the snow we've had recently, the parking lane on most roads have all but disappeared. To be on the road means being in the driving lane almost full time.
Unfortunately with all the snow we've had recently, the parking lane on most roads have all but disappeared. To be on the road means being in the driving lane almost full time.
#7203
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 485
Likes: 0
From: Monson, MA
Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike
Great commute this afternoon at 44F and sunny with winds from the SW @ 5mph. I know at some points during the ride I could really feel the tailwinds helping me out.
#7204
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
Likes: 3,115
From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
34F and sunny. Just about perfect in a sweater and corduroys.
#7205
It's true, man.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,726
Likes: 0
From: North Texas
Bikes: Cannondale T1000, Inbred SS 29er, Supercaliber 29er, Crescent Mark XX, Burley Rumba Tandem
71 degrees and sunny to go home, expecting low 30's tomorrow morning.
#7206
Chilly morning in DC! Had the balaclava going and I coulda used my ski gloves. Was fun to listen to an NPR story about bike commuting while I was getting ready. Ride home was dark but not so cold. Still amazed how many bikes don't have lights.
#7207
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Also warm in central Texas as well... Muggy and 68 on the way in and 73 and sunny on the way home. I was amazed that I did not see one other person out on their bike today. Expecting much colder weather tomorrow morning...
#7208
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 800
Likes: 2
From: Overland Park, KS
Bikes: 1999 Giant TCR 2T 2009 Giant Cypress DX 2015 Giant Anyroad 1
Horrible ride home into the teeth of 20 to 30 mph wind. If my commute was like this every day I might have to return to the cage.
I hate the wind.
I hate the wind.
#7209
sɹɐʇsɟoןןnɟsʇıbɟɯo
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,986
Likes: 0
From: seattle, too many links
Bikes: fixed gear recumbent trike
regular winter is back.. high 30s, low 40s.
really exhausted today for some reason.
also, dislike holiday shopping drivers downtown
really exhausted today for some reason.
also, dislike holiday shopping drivers downtown
#7210
Tawp Dawg
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,221
Likes: 0
From: Anchorage, AK
Bikes: '06 Surly Pugsley, '14 Surly Straggler, '88 Kuwahara Xtracycle, '10 Motobecane Outcast 29er, '?? Surly Cross Check (wife's), '00 Trek 4500 (wife's), '12 Windsor Oxford 3-speed (dogs')
25F/-4C at home, 18F/-8C on campus. Been snowing since Thanksgiving (the one day this month that I had to drive, and it had to be during a snowstorm), approximately 5"/13cm having fallen over the holiday weekend. Made for great XC skiing this weekend, but it also finally forced me off of the MUP today. Too much accumulated snow, and so I took the street route for the first time since last winter. Honked at twice, once coming and once going, and encountered steady 15-20 mph crosswinds all down Fireweed Blvd. Still better than riding the bus, though.
#7211
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 766
Likes: 0
From: Columbia, Maryland
Bikes: Trek 820 mtb, A no name red steel pipe bike, my commuter
Not bad today, 42 F ( 5 C). More cars about today, and saw one runner and one walker, always a welcome sight. The winds and rains are coming, and I hate getting slammed
by wind and rain, it just makes the ride so much longer.
by wind and rain, it just makes the ride so much longer.
#7212
Belt drive!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,614
Likes: 0
From: Burlington, Vermont
Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX
37F/3C this morning, riding into a moderate headwind that's supposed to become a nice blow at my back for the ride home. It's supposed to rain this afternoon so I wore rain gear. Got a bit hot & wound up unzipping my jacket.
#7213
Stealing Spokes since 82'
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,875
Likes: 0
From: Boy-z, Ideeeho
Bikes: The always reliable kuwie
19f Warmer than yesterday,not much wind everything is still frozen. Front studded tire went flat about 300ft from work, im think it might be a pinch not sure lost air pretty slowly. Supposed to get 2-4" of snow today so maybe the ride home will be nice and white.
#7214
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,575
Likes: 223
From: Canada
Bikes: 2009 Trek 520
The forecasts have been highly inaccurate here lately. Last night the forecast was -17C in the morning and a high of -15C. When I woke up it was -10C and the high had been changed to -9C.
I rode my mountain bike to class today, the brown sugar on the edge of the roads is difficult to get through without losing control. I need to phone the city to see if they will clear the last few sections of the MUP. Avoiding the one unplowed section means having to drive on the streets for an extra 3km. The clouds were just right this morning so the city lights illuminated the clouds, and the clouds illuminated the snow, allowing me to see clearly on the unlit MUP.
The cycling lane on the last stretch of my trip is pretty much non-existent. Car tire tracks intrude a quarter into it, so that's where everyone drives and the right half is filled with snow.
I rode my mountain bike to class today, the brown sugar on the edge of the roads is difficult to get through without losing control. I need to phone the city to see if they will clear the last few sections of the MUP. Avoiding the one unplowed section means having to drive on the streets for an extra 3km. The clouds were just right this morning so the city lights illuminated the clouds, and the clouds illuminated the snow, allowing me to see clearly on the unlit MUP.
The cycling lane on the last stretch of my trip is pretty much non-existent. Car tire tracks intrude a quarter into it, so that's where everyone drives and the right half is filled with snow.
#7215
Senior Member


Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, CA
Bikes: Lynskey R230 DA DI2 ENVE 3.4 SES, 6KU Fixie, Cheap Aluminum Slapstick Trainer only bike
Chilly here at 31F. First year of winter bicycle commuting in So. Cal and didn't realize temperature was going to get that low. Fortunately, the bicycle jersey + jacket + tights + beanie kept me warm on most of important part. My hand with thin liner glove from costco was a little cold, and so was my feet though.
Considering it would be in 70+F most likely when I start riding back I am not quite sure what I can do on socks. (I will just use open finger glove on the way back which I did carry in)
How do people in "desert" area handle the wild temperature swings in a same day? I have to account for about 30-40F difference in temperature a day for my ride wear.
Considering it would be in 70+F most likely when I start riding back I am not quite sure what I can do on socks. (I will just use open finger glove on the way back which I did carry in)
How do people in "desert" area handle the wild temperature swings in a same day? I have to account for about 30-40F difference in temperature a day for my ride wear.
#7216
GATC

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,839
Likes: 184
From: south Puget Sound
42F, windy, rainy. Praise showers pass!
#7217
sɹɐʇsɟoןןnɟsʇıbɟɯo
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,986
Likes: 0
From: seattle, too many links
Bikes: fixed gear recumbent trike
#7218
Senior Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: Burnaby BC, Canada
Bikes: Velosport Appalache 15
My ride home yesterday was pretty nasty. Rain, dark and a headwind. On top of that, halfway down the mountain, my front tire went flat which left me on the side of an unlit road changing a tire. Turns out my Mr Tuffy's are not wide enough for my studded tires. I'll have to swap those for some old tubes split down the middle before I ride again...
#7219
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, ON, Canada
The ride home was rainy and pretty windy, but I had remembered to bring rain pants (and I was wearing rain boots), so I didn't get wet or too uncomfortable. Quite warm at 6C/43F, so I didn't wear a hat, just my taped up helmet and no gloves but just the light windproof/waterproof shell for my mittens and managed to keep both my head and my hands dry.
#7220
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Strong winds today out of the NW in Austin, TX - gusting up to 30 at times... Fought a headwind on the way in...but caught a bit of a tailwind on parts of the way home. Sun was out. High in the low 60's - but it felt much cooler. No complaints.
#7221
Broken neck Ken


Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 5,221
Likes: 3,516
From: Portland, OR
Bikes: Trek Domane SL6 Gen 3, Soma Fog Cutter, Detroit Bikes Sparrow FG, Trek Mt Track XCNimbus MUni
Comfortable in the morning, cold and windy in the evening. Annoying but tolerable.
#7222
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 766
Likes: 0
From: Columbia, Maryland
Bikes: Trek 820 mtb, A no name red steel pipe bike, my commuter
Gusty and rain, strong at times, but 54 F (12 C). It resembles a spring storm, but it is supposed to drop this afternoon. I wore shorts and a base layer in and will wear a jacket, leggins and gloves home. I was wearing so little that it will all be dried by the time I leave.
Last edited by fletchh; 12-01-10 at 05:51 AM. Reason: semantics
#7223
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 95
Likes: 1
From: West Philly
Bikes: Brompton S2L, Trek Belleville, Kona Ute, Raleigh Twenty (1971 folder, 1969 non-folder)
Fletchh, we commuted in the same miserable storm this morning. I only encountered 3 or 4 strong gusts; otherwise it was constant sideways rain and 64F. I wore rain gear, which I'm sure I'll regret this afternoon, though the temp is supposed to drop to around 40 by rush hour and it may still be raining on and off.
#7224
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 95
Likes: 1
From: West Philly
Bikes: Brompton S2L, Trek Belleville, Kona Ute, Raleigh Twenty (1971 folder, 1969 non-folder)
I forgot to mention that I saw one other cyclist out in the dark and rain this morning--wearing a dark poncho without any lights or reflective gear. So dangerous.
#7225
Fletchh, we commuted in the same miserable storm this morning. I only encountered 3 or 4 strong gusts; otherwise it was constant sideways rain and 64F. I wore rain gear, which I'm sure I'll regret this afternoon, though the temp is supposed to drop to around 40 by rush hour and it may still be raining on and off.




