Coasting into spring
 

I'm sure many will disagree but in spite of all the snow we've had this year, it's been relatively nice for commuting. No long stretches of bitter cold (so far), and aside from a few days after the 1.5 ft snow storm, the roads/trails have been pretty good.

Many of our major snows came on the weekends so that's helped. Also the city quickly banned parking on the even side of most residential streets which has meant better plowing and more room.

With the nastiest winter month (at least here) pretty much behind us and the gradual lengthening of days, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Usually I keep the studs on until April 1st but March snows don't linger on the roads very long. With all the snow to melt though there will be a lot of ice and mud this spring.

Indeed, I was thinking along the same lines. We've had a little more snow than normal so far, but they usually came in one big dump and the city is pretty good about clearing the street. So far we had only one day of sub-zero daytime temps. And the best thing of all is the days are getting noticeably longer.
Last year February brought a lot of snow, but at least the really cold days are most likely behind us.

February always brings a ray of hope here. The temps get a little warmer. The days a little longer. My chain gets a little rustier.

February is the worst winter month here, but based on December and January, I'm hopeful.

March nor'easters tend to be the biggest snowstorms we have, as far as single-event accumulation goes. They generally track more inland in March. So far this year they've all tracked too far east to have an effect here.

Still, spring came early last March. I took the studs off in the first week of the month and never needed them afterwards. The salt washed away early enough that I was riding the steel bike by mid-month. It would be nice to have another March like that.

so, as a first year winter bike commuter, I'm feeling pretty good finishing up my first January. I bike commuted 15 out of a possible 20 work days, so batting .750 for my first seaon in the big leagues ain't too bad. I've learned a TON and it's been a lot of fun. Even though it can still be craptacular in Feb., it's cool to know I'm over the hump and on the downward side of the hill.

I LOVE bikes! With the monumental exception of the bears losing to the evil ones in last week's NFC championship, this might just have been the best January of my life.

Riding this winter hasn't been too bad so far. I've noticed that this year our city has been doing a much better job with plowing and salting. Even some of our mups are getting limited winter maintenance. We've had some bitterly cold temps, cold enough to freeze all the icy slush and salt puddles into solid ice. The amount of salt and sand on our roads and sidewalks is just phenomenal, I am gald to be riding singlespeed with disc brakes.Also had some good riding times on snowy/frozen singletrack trails...but Yes I am looking forward to the spring.

Well, I was contemplating switching out the studs for a while mid week, then the forecast for the weekend hove into view. i shoveled off the fist 8 inches this morning, and there will probably be another 2 or so by morning.:(

We've had a little worse than usual, as far as I can tell, though this is my first winter commuting by bike. It seems like there have been at least flurries at least a couple of times a week, and somehow I picked a city that doesn't salt side streets and a landlord that doesn't keep the driveway clear. And got a cold. And missed 2 days of commuting this past week. And REALLY miss going for rides. I'm planning to bribe the groundhog for an early spring...

I don't even think about switching out the studs until at least the 3rd week of March. That's the earliest I've ever been able to keep them off. I was really tempted a few years back when it was in the 60s for a couple of days, but it snowed after that.

Don't I feel stupid now. February so far has been just awful. The average morning temps have been around 8 F (compared to 21 in January). And we have had so far almost twice as much snow in Feb as in all of January.

^ yep, february has started off with one hell of an angry, furious vengeance. i have yet to ride my bike to work this month, and next week morning temps are supposed to be sub-zero. not windchill temps, but raw actual temps. why does february hate us so much?

It was -12F yesterday morning out in the west burbs where I'm at. Roads were pretty clear out there, so the ride wasn't too bad. When I got off the train for the second part of my ride though, the roads were not in very good condition. They were somewhat better this morning.

I'm sure Boston is not as brutal as Minneapolis, but we have had a lot of extended cold days, which I define as freezing my water bottle solid, usually at 15 degrees for my 14 mile commute. My gear has been comfortable though.

Most of our snow emergencies have occured on weekdays, which I think can be a good thing because there is probably more plowing done urgently for the commuters than on a weekend. The plowing has made my Marathon Winters the tire of choice. Weekday snow emergencies also give me bragging rights at work, though I think the repeated snowfalls are making car drivers cranky and less amused by cycling commuters (and runners). Maybe because we're the only ones having fun out there. :innocent:

Nonetheless, the snow banks have effectively obliterated most shoulders for riding on my major thoroughfares. With the possibility of extended melting and early morning freezes, I'll keep my studs on until mid-April, as I usually do anyways given the unpredictability of Spring here.