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Popped my snow cherry!

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Popped my snow cherry!

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Old 12-24-09 | 10:32 PM
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From: Plano Texas
Popped my snow cherry!

Yes it snows it Texas. Rode into work in a sideways rain this morning, gave me a chance to try out my new Bellwether Aqua-no rain jacket. Awesome jacket btw.

Rain tuned into snow at around noon or so. Blowing, drifting snow!

By 7:30 p.m. I was out the door with some trepidation as the snow was sticking to the roadways and turning into slush. After turning down at least half a dozen offers to take me home from concerned co-workers and several of my patients family members, I was on my way.

I stopped to air down my tires, as the 700x25's were a little squirmy in the mushy stuff. Oops too much air out, I was riding on the back rim so I stopped again and gave the rear a shot of co2.

Cars were only moving at about 20-25 mph. I was working to keep my speed down, had a tail wind of 30-40 mph until I could get on the side streets. Once out of the wind the ride was, well it was magical!

I'm a little envious of you guys who get to do this on a regular basis. I had a blast, wouldn't have missed this for the world. What a great Christmas present!! Yesterday I was riding in 75 degree temps and today, SNOW!!

Merry Christmas guys and gals!
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Old 12-24-09 | 10:50 PM
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From: Syracuse, NY

Bikes: 1978 Raleigh Team Record, 1979 Motobecane Mirage, 1985 Gitane Professional

I'm totally with you on the awesome feeling you get biking through the snow, I did my first snow commute yesterday. The only way I think describes it quite right is that it's a bit like snow shoeing, you look goofy and it's a bit awkward at first, but once you get the hang of it it's hard to beat for a winter activity.
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Old 12-25-09 | 01:53 AM
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From: Southwestern Ontario

Bikes: Schwinn hybrid, Raleigh MTB

Come and visit us up in the Great White North sometime and I'll take you biking on some frozen ponds.
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Old 12-25-09 | 11:31 AM
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From: Suburbia, Ontario

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I wonder if you would have the same excitement if you had to do this daily for 5 months of the year.....You'd find how quickly your enthusiasm would vanish...lol
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Old 12-25-09 | 01:46 PM
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From: Plano Texas
Dunno 'bout that...I commute in 100+ degree temps for six to seven months out of the year and I still love it. But your point is taken. At least I don't have the post commute clean up to deal with.
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Old 12-26-09 | 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by cyclefreaksix
Dunno 'bout that...I commute in 100+ degree temps for six to seven months out of the year and I still love it. But your point is taken. At least I don't have the post commute clean up to deal with.
I think I'd trade you if I could, freaksix. My blood is too thin for the kind of cold we have here, and this is nothing compared to what irclean and the other good folks from Canada here have to deal with...
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Old 12-26-09 | 11:55 AM
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From: Michigan

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Wait until you have about 12 inches of snow, then it gets warm and slushes up. The shoulders don't get plowed so there's 3 inches of slush there. Then a few random cars drift in and out of the slush, making random ruts going in and out of the shoulder at random angles. Then it freezes hard overnight. The 2 lane road is totally clear and dry and traffic is moving 60 MPH, and you have to decide whether to take the lane in a 60 MPH environment, or ride on the shoulders where there are 3" rock hard ruts that at least will make riding tortuous, and at worst might blow a tire or grab your tire and throw you into traffic.
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Old 12-26-09 | 05:04 PM
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From: Des Moines

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Originally Posted by ItsJustMe
Wait until you have about 12 inches of snow, then it gets warm and slushes up. The shoulders don't get plowed so there's 3 inches of slush there. Then a few random cars drift in and out of the slush, making random ruts going in and out of the shoulder at random angles. Then it freezes hard overnight. The 2 lane road is totally clear and dry and traffic is moving 60 MPH, and you have to decide whether to take the lane in a 60 MPH environment, or ride on the shoulders where there are 3" rock hard ruts that at least will make riding tortuous, and at worst might blow a tire or grab your tire and throw you into traffic.
And those are the fun days! You should see what happens when it turns bad...
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