Misty when I left the house, spitting when I hit Midtown, and definitely raining as I pulled into work. Walked in the lobby with a coworker who asked me (without irony), "It's a nice day to ride to work, isn't it?"

I smiled and said, "It's never a bad day to ride!"

Holy Cow! If it would hit 40 degrees here I would probably strip down to only a pair of shorts. :D

Man was it windy this morning. It had stormed with buckets of rain and strong wind all day and night yesterday but today it was partially cloudy. Tons of water everywhere, the Sammamish River is as high as I have ever seen it and there is standing water in all the fields. This golf course I bike past had a number of additional water traps, but there were people out there playing. I fought bravely against the headwind and made it in about my normal winter time.

Rode home just after the storm last night, watching it clear up. Friday night seemed to bring out all the idiots, although the traffic was surprisingly low. Saw a couple of good lightning strikes out to sea, too.

I think I have to re-do my helmet light. I had 2 cars roll through intersections I was at. Maybe it was just because it was Friday, both of them were driving too fast. Glad I made the decision to put disc brakes on my winter bike, rim brakes wouldn't have worked quick enough in the brown snow.

Hi Jean. I've never really been a fan of helmet lights myself. I just perceive it as being too easy to turn your head away for a distraction at the crucial moment people need to see you. I think it's better on the handlebars - although Friday does tend to bring out a lot of morons for some reason. How much of a difference do disc brakes make?

Chris, the reason I like the helmet light is it lets me look around cornors on downhills, and also by looking right & left as I approach an intersection I can make the light move in a wider arc than my handlebar light, hopefully alerting traffic on the cross streets that I'm there. I use both bar lights and the helmet for that reason.

I find the disc brakes really very helpful in the winter. When you ride through brown snow that has been whipped by auto tires it sticks to your rims too much to trust your rim brakes to be working when you need them. I can feel a lot more confident on the downhills in 3 to 6 inches of snow. Previous years I rode with rim brakes all winter, but after the last 2 winters with discs on the rear, never again in snow. If you go through mud the same would apply.

Good point! When my finances recover from my recent jaunt, I might consider that option.

I was wondering what difference it would make if you were turning your head anyway, you wouldn't be looking where you were going so what's the impact? You might impact something, but if you weren't looking at it, it wouldn't make a difference if your light was on it, would it??? :D

I just wanted to be able to post on one of the 1,000 numbers! 4,000th post in this thread! Cool! So far this year I have around 400 miles, all on a trainer!
:( That sux!

Well, I got post #1,000 in this thread, but it looks like Gus has beaten me to 4,000. Anyway, I've been well and truly consoled by the beautiful downpour I got to ride through this evening. Almost Strathgordonesque at times (except this was warm rain), just gorgeous. More of the same tomorrow please!

OK, just to be sure we are all clear on the concept: when you are barrelling down a curving hill you turn by leaning not steering (except in ice & snow) so your handlebar light continues to light the area straight ahead, where your wheel isn't going to be in a nanosecond. It lags behind the turn. Your helmet light is aimed where you look, which is into the curve and beyond so that you can see where you will be going. The reason I run both lights is to give the constant straight ahead warning to traffic while still being able to check the side of the road and approaching intersections. It's like running both a constant taillight and a blinkie, motion may be more noticeable, but the constant light gives more info to the driver of your location. Pardon the long response, I'm still in the on-line course mode of answering essay questions.

Drizzling today with wet roads and big puddles from last nights rain. Otherwise pretty unevently, few other commuters were out but I did see a few joggers and dog walkers. Been working on picking up the pace a bit on the commute, just doesn't seem like winter is enough to justify the drop in speed from the summer. Did pretty well this morning, especially for a monday.

A rainy 32 F / 0 C here in the DC area this morning. I'd hoped for a proper snow, but fate was not kind. The government is opening two hours late because of freezing rain in some outlying areas, so traffic was very light.

Paul

I'm hoping that today's rain and warmer temps will melt the snow and ice-covered MV trail so I can start riding to work again. Metro was a nightmare last week and I'm getting out of shape. I'll ride with temps into the low 30's but the teens and single digit temps combined with the ice have me taking public transportation. I think we're supposed to get into the low 40's tomorrow-definate riding weather.

Rain from last night made the road clean!
Cool (34 deg) calm, beautful! It's really different when everything's had that "wiped-off" feel from rain, we don't get this often out here in SoCal...

GUS THE ORIGINATOR!!! Nice to hear from you - quite an accomplishment, the first post and the 4000th!!!
Those 400 miles don't count for much around here, unless you were thinking about commuting while you were putting them on!

Getting back on topic, Thiis morning's ride was quite nice - temp of 0C, wet snow and ice pellets in the air, slush and snow on the ground. It was rain and freezing rain when I got up, changed to snow by the time I left home. No slipping with the Innova studs and not much bare pavement to worry about wearing them out.
The snow was nice and winter wonderland-ish (even in the dark), but the ice pellets hurt the face a little.

Mostly overcast today but a bit of blue sky and the clouds were not powerful enough to fully thwart the sun. Seems to have fully clouded up now but the way I see it that will just help keep the heat in for the ride home in the dark. Seems to be a lot more birds around, winter is loosening its grip in these parts.

mid 20'sF today, it seemed balmy. I passed our UPS man while he was out for his morning run. He waved and yelled "Hi Jean" while I was still 50 feet behind him. Later, while he was making a delivery at work I got to ask him how he knew it was me, "You were going pretty fast and your studded tires make a lot of noise." I guess that explains why the deer are always looking at me so intently. Good commute, it was nice to not have the bike be so stiff feeling.

Mid 20s C this morning, almost felt "cold". Rode like a demon because I was running a little late. Still, traffic lights here in Queensland take so long to change that a decent run (like I had this morning) will save you a heap of time.

Yeah, that's what I've been doing...that's my story and I'm stickin to it! But 33 miles one way in the snow and ice ain't the Aegis's cup of tea. :D

36F & overcast this morning. By lunchtime it was 47F. The sun was shining, the sky was blue. I shed some layers & rode back to work on my Bianchi (sewups & no fenders, truly a sunshine ride) It felt great when I got up to speed but Lady B sure looked out of place with the "mud hens" we ride this time of year. In the afternoon, it clouded up & rained a bit but by 3:30 it was already drying out & I had a nice ride home. Felt like Springtime. Don

Slick as snot this morning -- plenty of black ice. Yesterday it rained on top of the snow we had last week. At nightfall, the temperature immediately droped below freezing and the water still running off driveways and in gutters froze into sheets accross neighborhood streets. There was one sloped street where I had to get off my bike and walk and still had a hard time staying upright.

That was at about 6:00 am this morning. By now (9:00) the temperature is solidly above freezing and heading for a balmy springish day. Yeeeehaaa.

got hit today...
 

Coming down Riverside Drive in New York. Roads are wet and narrow due to the snow banks pushing parked cars further into the street. Commuter comes squeezing by and whacks the back of my elbow with the mirror. Luckily I was moving quite fast and the mirror was spring loaded. I was more pissed off than hurt. People are so oblivious to the dimensions of their vehicles. No stop or "Are you alright?" But then - this is New York and I didn't expect it. I like the time a few weeks ago when this guy in his SUV was upset because I was actually going around a double parked truck, and he had to wait for me - now I was in front of him already and moving as quick if not faster than traffic was going. So he jumps in the next lane, speeds to pass me, cuts me off and gives me the finger.
Good Morning from New York.

I had a nice ride in this morning, a little crisp (-13F/-25C), they plowed the 12 inches of snow we got on Monday very nicely. Other then my feet almost falling off, the rest of me was very comfortable. It's suppose to warm up to above zero this afternoon and they are talking more snow. Beautiful sunrise, pinks, blues, etc., it's nice that the day light hours are getting longer.

mtessmer, I love that morning commute, just wish I had a job that was 9-5 so I could see it. My commute yesterday was very pleasant, except for the return and minus 4 degrees, cold stuff maynerd. Looking forward to the warm up tonight and the snow.

Very windy yesterday and today, plus this morning it was bucketing down with rain for most of the ride. Pretty unpleasent conditions, as it is hard to hold a consistent position on the road and there is debris everywhere.
I much prefer the cold frosty and sunny mornings.

Cheers,

Ed

My 9 mile commute this morning was -3F with scattered slippery spots, not bad enough to use the Nokians though. Last week I had my coldest ride of the year at -14F.

A foggy day in London, make that Sacramento, Town. Got a late start but made good time on a modified long way into work. I was thinking about another thread as I took the lane on a three-lane 35mph avenue to get out of the door zone. When I reached a stretch with no parked cars, I pulled right, sat up, turned around to catch the driver's eye, and waved him up.

Hey, check me out! I'm assertive and courteous!

Grey skies, mild headwind
A few drops at first, then rain
Flirting birds take flight.