How was the commute today?
Senior Member

Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,096
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From: Alexandria, VA
Bikes: IRO Model 19, Surly Crosscheck, 1989 Arnie Nashbar, Cannondale CAADX, Niner Air 9
Oh yeah, snow and ice in my beard. The snow biker cometh...
17*F, light wind, but it felt colder. I was comfortable but the cheeks got a little red from exposure which isn't usual at that temp normally. So I suspect the wind chill was more then they were saying.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,798
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From: Highland Park, NJ, USA
Bikes: "Hildy", a Novara Randonee touring bike; a 16-speed Bike Friday Tikit; and a Specialized Stumpjumper frame-based built-up MTB, now serving as the kid-carrier, grocery-getter.
Threw the bike in the carpool in the morning. I finally got through to the inclement weather closings hotline at work, about five miles out from the house - my work was closed, my wife's wasn't. She dropped me off at a side street and I made my way home in howling wind and 3" of snow. I forgot my clava!
My chain was slipping out of the rear hub about halfway home, and my 3-speed was a singlespeed. I pulled into a garage to get out of the wind and fix it. A mechanic made the obvious joke about not working on those, and offered me a cup of coffee when I explained what I was doing. We chatted for a bit and I continued on home on a 2-speed.
I think I'll relax and then maybe go to a matinee later. Must restore to a 3-speed. (That's a pliers and about a minute.)
My chain was slipping out of the rear hub about halfway home, and my 3-speed was a singlespeed. I pulled into a garage to get out of the wind and fix it. A mechanic made the obvious joke about not working on those, and offered me a cup of coffee when I explained what I was doing. We chatted for a bit and I continued on home on a 2-speed.
I think I'll relax and then maybe go to a matinee later. Must restore to a 3-speed. (That's a pliers and about a minute.)
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Tour Journals, Blog, ride pix
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- Uke On! - ukulele duo - Videos
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- Artistic Differences - 8-track EP Dreams of Bile and Blood.
L T X B O M P F A N S R
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Malden, MA
Bikes: Bianchi Volpe, Bianchi San Jose, Redline 925
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
Likes: 543
From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
So I was at Performance Bike Saturday and picked up some kinda gloves on sale for $14. They looked pretty enough so I figured what the heck? This morning was chilly so I got a chance to try them out earlier than I thought.
Mmmmmmmmm.... Toasty fingers.
Also, in trying to debug a bottom bracket click on my Marathon, I swapped out the cranks from my old Nishiki Olympic 12. Didn't fix the problem but the new cranks just felt.... better. I think they are a little longer than the old ones becuase it just felt like I had such a long, smooth powerful stroke.
It's times like this morning that I think maybe I really should look into getting a bike newer than 15 years old.... I'd probably fly like the wind!
Mmmmmmmmm.... Toasty fingers.
Also, in trying to debug a bottom bracket click on my Marathon, I swapped out the cranks from my old Nishiki Olympic 12. Didn't fix the problem but the new cranks just felt.... better. I think they are a little longer than the old ones becuase it just felt like I had such a long, smooth powerful stroke.
It's times like this morning that I think maybe I really should look into getting a bike newer than 15 years old.... I'd probably fly like the wind!
Fast ride in this morning. I took the major route (despite the mup option). 1/2 hour was a really really good mup time, i did the major route in 25 minutes despite hitting every single light.
I made the rarest of all sightings one can have during a commute (no not a courteous motorist) a fellow commuter. I haven't seen him before and the sighting was on a stretch that i always take regardless of the route i choose.
I made the rarest of all sightings one can have during a commute (no not a courteous motorist) a fellow commuter. I haven't seen him before and the sighting was on a stretch that i always take regardless of the route i choose.
Older than dirt
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,342
Likes: 2
From: Winchester, VA
Bikes: Too darn many.. latest count is 11
I wussed out this morning. Took the Jeep
Drops small screws


Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,608
Likes: 9
From: NYC Metro Area
Bikes: Soma Grand Randonneur, modified Xootr Swift, Trek 1000SL with broken brifter from running it into a hotel porte-cochère
Snow day. The office is closed. The kids are home. I'm considering Proofiding my iPhone holster.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 413
Likes: 1
From: Fairfield, CA
Bikes: '72 peugeot PX10
I listened to live sirius on my commute via my blackberry. Pretty awesome! I'm ready for some touring now. Its harder to pedal when your laughing at the stern show!
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 74
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From: Austin, TX
Bikes: Fuji RC supreme road bike and an old reworked Raleigh Super Record mixte made in Japan for commuting
I was going to say it was really cold riding in this morning, but after skimming through the above posts, I think you all might shoot me 
32 degrees is really cold for me, but obviously nothing for all of you who rode in through snow and wind this morning!

32 degrees is really cold for me, but obviously nothing for all of you who rode in through snow and wind this morning!
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,063
Likes: 1
From: Toronto
FAIL.
Got a drive in today. Minus 15C and a 40kph north wind (I head due north for 10 km north in the morning) combined with a nasty late-winter flu.... I finally cracked.
Must ride tomorrow... although similar conditions are expected.
Got a drive in today. Minus 15C and a 40kph north wind (I head due north for 10 km north in the morning) combined with a nasty late-winter flu.... I finally cracked.
Must ride tomorrow... although similar conditions are expected.
snow day for me!!
going to watch a movie.
I did get my new rear studded tire just in time- no snow day for UPS- so I'll be riding tomorrow on my new Marathon Winter tire rear, Nokian front.
Might take a ride later today just to check out the tires.
going to watch a movie.

I did get my new rear studded tire just in time- no snow day for UPS- so I'll be riding tomorrow on my new Marathon Winter tire rear, Nokian front.
Might take a ride later today just to check out the tires.
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
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From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Did 28 miles before work this morning in a warmish drizzle. Really a lovely ride through the Yolo Co. farmland. Now, it's completely pouring so I was lucky to miss the heavy rain.
Can't Re Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 364
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From: Wooster OH
Bikes: 2009 Randonee, 2014 Bike Friday NWT
A first for me: I set off to work on my bicycle even though it was raining at the time. Well, drizzling. And 65*F. Baby steps, baby steps.
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Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,277
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OMG 73F!
I swapped my panniers for a rack trunk this morning and just flew in and back. Even with lightening up my load this morning my rack trunk was packed for the ride home.
My intervals are paying off!
I swapped my panniers for a rack trunk this morning and just flew in and back. Even with lightening up my load this morning my rack trunk was packed for the ride home.
My intervals are paying off!
Share the road.

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,256
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From: Marysville, CA
Bikes: 1992 Rocky Mountain Fusion, Yuba Mundo, Specialized Venge
SRAM OG1070made such a big difference. With my 11-28t I didn't feel like I was training on each hill.
Seeing things
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 518
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From: Maryland, USA
Bikes: '73 Bertin, '04 LeMond Poprad, Miyata 1000, and counting...
I hope some of that is headed this way, Data. Cold and icy this morning: 12F/-11C with thankfully light headwind. We ended up with 7-8" hereabouts (most of which seems to have fallen after my commute) yesterday. A cold but sunny afternoon left my ride home almost like normal (I guess it helped that the snowplow folks must've hit it like gangbusters given that they've been largely twiddling their thumbs all winter). That still left plenty of icy bits around though, and kept my studs on the bike (probably through tomorrow, too). Studs into the wind makes for a sloooowwwww ride.
And was it me just a week ago saying that it was probably time to put the winter tights away? Serves me right.
And was it me just a week ago saying that it was probably time to put the winter tights away? Serves me right.
Last edited by MIKEnDC; 03-03-09 at 05:43 AM.
The Drive Side is Within


Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,344
Likes: 47
From: New Haven, CT, USA
Bikes: Road, Cargo, Tandem, Etc.
It's 14F here this morning, and I have to pick my sons from daycare and wait for an hour bus ride on the way home in a windchill in the teens this afternoon.
So... I'm bailing on the commute.
I'll be driving my wagon with a doughnut tire on the back. Bummer.
So... I'm bailing on the commute.
I'll be driving my wagon with a doughnut tire on the back. Bummer.
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The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
Senior Member

Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,096
Likes: 0
From: Alexandria, VA
Bikes: IRO Model 19, Surly Crosscheck, 1989 Arnie Nashbar, Cannondale CAADX, Niner Air 9
Yesterday's ride home was a bit of a challenge on an un-plowed/un-treated MV Trail. The snow was crusted over with ice in many spots, pock-marked and rutted and, had drifts of powdery snow that were probably 12 to 18 inches. I was able to manage a steady 12 mph where there was still a few inches of powdery snow even where the drifts came up to my bottom bracket and clogged my pedals and cassette with ice/snow. I saw only two other riders (on mountain bikes) and managed to get home without dumping it. I slipped onto the grass a few times as I was riding as near the edges of trail as possible, that's where the best traction was. I made it home in about 50 minutes and proceded to shovel the front walk. I knew that the trail would be an icey mess this morning and, didn't even attempt it, will probably take the Metro the rest of the week as my rr. hub is loose and I have to get some cone wrenches to fix it.
Last night's ride was a b**ch! The wind and cold were just relentless.
This morning 8*F, no wind, nice bright sun...it turned out to be a nice ride.
I'm a firm believer it isn't the temp, it's isn't rain or snow or ice that is my nemesis...it's the freaking wind.
This morning 8*F, no wind, nice bright sun...it turned out to be a nice ride.
I'm a firm believer it isn't the temp, it's isn't rain or snow or ice that is my nemesis...it's the freaking wind.
Waiting to commute...
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
From: Basel, Switzerland
Bikes: Number of bikes changing ...
Rain, that's all I remember from this morning.
Gorgeous ride in, -11C no wind... oh and we didn't get the freezing rain followed by snow that was called for in the forecast, so the roads were great. Almost good enough for the road bike.
Saw my fellow commuter again, same time, same place. Talked briefly at the lights.
Saw my fellow commuter again, same time, same place. Talked briefly at the lights.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,225
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It's a beautiful morning here in Austin. Maybe mid 40s and sunny.
I rode the Cervelo today, as it's finally light enough in the morning that I don't need a headlight. I think I might take the bike out and cruise around a little during my lunch break.
I rode the Cervelo today, as it's finally light enough in the morning that I don't need a headlight. I think I might take the bike out and cruise around a little during my lunch break.
SERENITY NOW!!!

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 8,739
Likes: 2
From: In the 212
Bikes: Haro Vector, IRO Rob Roy, Bianchi Veloce
15F this morning so I wore a Patagonia beanie and a shemagh wrapped around my face and head. Too much! I was so sweaty and hot when I got to work, steam was coming off my head. Even though my gloves are falling apart, my hands were fine thanks to silk glove liners. Feet were toasty thanks to snow boots rated to -40F.
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HHCMF - Take pride in your ability to amaze lesser mortals! - MikeR

We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!
HHCMF - Take pride in your ability to amaze lesser mortals! - MikeR

We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!
GATC

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,838
Likes: 182
From: south Puget Sound
drove due to lingering illness. Yesterday I felt so much better I was wondering about the tradeoff... if I was too sick to bike would I also be too sick to really function if I sat down at my desk? But it turned out I only felt better than the previous couple days. Today I have a functioning brain so used the car to get it to the office w/o asking too much of the lungs.





