chephy

What I'd really like to know is WHO WAS THE FIRST ONE TO INVITE THE MOSQUITOES TO A DROP OF BLOOD!!!

KeystoneKid

It was 6F with a 10-15mph headwind on the way in to work this morning. I had frost between my balaclava and my helmet when I took it off. This is the coldest morning so far, and it looks like I have a couple of adjustments yet to make for weather like this. This is my first winter commuting and I am still trying to figure out how to keep my feet warmer when it's down below 15F and windy, and it looks like I'm going to have to add another layer of underwear. Had to stop and stuff an extra pair of wool socks in my pants about half way to work to keep from freezing with the windchill from the headwind. Once I get that figured out, I think I should be able to commute the whole winter, or at least down to 0F.

The ride home was quite a bit better, 12F with only a 5mph headwind. It switched from north to south during the day. Why is it that the wind rarely ever gives you a tailwind both ways, but seems to frequently give you a headwind? Maybe I just remember the headwinds more...

scottmorrison99

29 degrees going in, to tie last year's coldest commute. Undoubtably will set a new record low commute this year. No comparison to some other commuters, but it is cold to me. Felt like I was flying both ways today. Maybe I was, I passed more cars than usual.

buzzman

ain't nobody out there on the bike path but me. My wife rode in earlier today so I know someone else was out there but the little touch of winter we've had so far has scared all the fair weather bike commuters away. Where do they go? The bus? In their cars? It's kind of strange. It doesn't even feel like the weather's gotten that bad yet this year.

Snow due tomorrow, though.

rode home late. and rode real slow into a moderate headwind. I was tired.

tokolosh

not much to report. i got there and got back and ate some peanut butter sandwiches in between. seems like ever since the big snow i've been fighting some covert illness that won't go away, but can't break all the way through and make me officially sick either. result: i feel tired enough to lean on spare walls all the time, but can't figure out what my problem is since i don't feel 'sick'. i just put it down to the winter tires and wonder why i'm not used to them yet. i will be happy when it goes away.

two other bikes in the bike cage today. nice in a way, and in a way disappointing since it means i'm not all uber and special and hard-core anymore

vtjim

Awesome! Snow ride! First of the season. First tracks last night going home from work, then someone came through after me. Saw his/her tracks this morning. Little bit of ice here and there which concerned me because I don't have studded tires yet, but the knobby tires never flinched.

Last night it was snowing like mad, and dark. Winter riders will know how beautiful this is with a nice headlight in the woods. I felt like all was right with the world. No noise save for my tires on the ground and a whispering wind in the trees. (I feel poetic.)

2F (-17C) on the cyclocomputer this morning, with a tailwind.

Funnily enough, I was the first one in my area to show up, on time, and I'm riding a bicycle.

jyossarian

It's freaking freezing!
Good thing I'm working from home
Because it's Friday!

GTcommuter

19 degrees when I left the house this morning. I got psyched out by the weather man and threw on an extra layer -- then I was burning up by the time I got to work. I might switch to Power Grip pedals this time of year so that I can manage some bigger shoes.

idcruiserman

25F and slight headwind this morning. My knees and left hip have been bothering me, so I moved the seat back a bit and upped my cadence. Much better. Also getting better at picking the right clothes for the weather. Mid-weight liner and shell were perfect.

Relaxer

24 degrees in our nation's capital this morning, but nice and sunny so it was an enjoyable ride. Dressed perfectly, and I kept being pleased about that. Wind was heavy so I was putt-putting a bit, but that's okay.

Mazaev

First commute report (3rd day for this cycling n00b) :-)

Left to work last night with 22 degrees out and a 30mph headwind. Went past a local grocery store on Coney Island Ave that looked like it had just gotten robbed, with about 8 cop cars flying in from all directions.

Realized rather quickly that I overdressed and decided to pull over by prospect park to take off a layer. Got the most insane looks from people sitting in a car looking at me like I'm batshiat crazy. Rest of the ride was much better although I felt like I was wearing a parachute.

Ride home in the morning was awesome (23 degrees, sunny, windy); probably my favorite so far. Went past a bunch of really, really cold looking people with a big grin on my face and caught a tailwind over the Brooklyn bridge and almost all the way home to Midwood.

I'm already beginning to really despise pedestrians that walk out a quarter of the way into the road while waiting for a walk light. Cars on the other hand seemed quite courtious today, except for the lady that drove into the blocked off bike path on the Brooklyn side of the Brookyln bridge just as i was pulling into it.

I'm kind of wishing the weather would stay like this instead of climbing back into the 50's as it's supposed to within a day or two. I really need to get a proper jacket; Kenneth Cole just doesn't quite cut it.

Two Buck Chuck

I wish I could have ridden, but have a nasty head cold. I ended up taking Metro in today (crowded!) and timed it to compare with my bike commute. I hit every connection perfectly--walked from my house to an arriving train, made the transfer without waiting, didn't have to wait to cross the street.

Total Metro time: 35 minutes (normally 40+ minutes, sometimes up to an hour when there are problems)

Average bike commute time this week (my garage to parking parking garage): 41 minutes (14 ~ 15 mph pace)

Most days my bike commute is faster, not to mention infinitely more enjoyable than being jammed in a rail car with hundreds of my closest friends.

stockholm

Yeah, but dang I bet you look good.

jyossarian

Welcome to the Happy Healthy Commuting MuthaF*ckers (HHCMF) club Mazaev! Treat yourself to a slice at DiFara's and take comfort in the fact that you are now a superior specimen of human being and thus more sought after by the opposite sex simply because you are hardy and brave enough to ride your bike and in better shape than those who drive around like zombies.

Mazaev

Thanks. Unfortunately, the "bridge and tunnel" crowd has effectively taken away my beloved Difara (even though I'm 2 short blocks away). Especially with the new TimeOutNY rating, it's pretty much inaccessible most of the time due to the wait times (though every once in a while he'll sneak one in to me ahead of the line). But I guess I can complain about that on chowhound.

On a more on-topic note, 3 days in and I don't find myself missing the half hour search for parking (and then re-parking due to street cleaning / meters) one bit. And the 10 mile ride home from work takes the same 45 minutes as it does in the car (although the Prospect Parkway detour is partly to blame for that). Also feel much better and actually have more time in the day as I'm not spending two hours riding around aimlessly after driving home and getting a bit of rest. Lessee how long I can keep it up.

JohnBrooking

Same here! (Probably same storm, although it didn't start here until overnight.) I just had to log in and say how much evil fun it is listening to all my co-workers complain about how long their commute was this morning. (I don't want to admit it around them!) Mine was only a little longer than normal and included some nice intentional skidding in the empty and snow-drifted mall parking lot just before my office. My only delay was that I rode a little slower than normal, for safety, and since I was in the right tire track to avoid the the unplowed shoulder, I was nice and pulled over a few times to let cars pass. For their part, the cars were all very nice too; I had no discernable instances of impatience or close passing.

jeff-o

A hundred times better than yesterday, now that I've cleaned out my brake and derailleur lines, and filled them with WD-40. They work better than ever!

JohnnyOTS

High 40s for this morning's ride. Swapped out the fleece jacket for the windbreaker around the 10 mile-mark because things warmed up considerably once I left the farm fields behind and got into the city. It's nice commuting into a city that doesn't get snow, but I'm wondering what it's going to be like trying to bike home when it's 116 out this summer. Made it almost 7 miles into the commute before my body said, "Hey, what are you doing? This is _work_!" so that's progress. Felt good after completing the ride, too. Definitey progress. I think I'll throw the Brooks B-17 back on my bike this weekend now that the hinter regions seem to be getting used to this whole bicycling thing and see if I can't start breaking that sucker in rather than having it break me.

Itsjustb

Cooooold! Yeah, only 21F and that's nothing for you folks up north, but cold for me! Fingertips were numb when I arrived and hurt like hades in the shower. I also learned (the hard way, natch) that the tights aren't quite enough below 25F (I probably knew that last year and forgot).

Trouble breathing through the balaclava. Once the fabric in front of my mouth gets wet it's difficult to get air through it. Anyone else have this problem? Got a solution?

pinkrobe

+6C on the ride in today - a little sweaty, but still better than -30C! My legs are getting bigger from sprinting with the snow bike in traffic. I put on some jeans yesterday that I haven't worn in a while, and they actually bunched up above my quads, seemingly defying gravity. My wife thought it was neat. It thought it was weird.

EuroJosh

Grow a beard (assuming you can). "Feels like" 7f here in Atlanta this morning, my fingers were killing me but my face was toasty.

arcticbiker

Excellent ride this morning in 30 degree F weather. It's warmed up 30 degrees in the last week or so! Hard packed snowy trails made for a wonderful 15 mile trip this morning. For some reason even the lone driver honked softly at me as I was working my way over to the trail system from my house. I still need a shower at the office though! Spit baths are the pits.

Relaxer

I've always wanted to compare the two, but since I shower at work, it involves comparing too many factors (since I eat breakfast at home if I don't commute, but at work if I do). But I live on the Hill and work downtown, so driving to work takes 2x-3x as long, and it costs me $15 to park. Even the metro isn't convenient because I'd still have to walk a mile to get to Union Station, and then 6 blocks from Farragut North. It's quite fortuitous how biking to work is the best possible option.

I've been lucky so far re: illness. I had a bad cold last week, and called in sick, but ended up biking to the office anyway to pick up my laptop. It was good. I went slow, and the cold air kinda cleaned me out (thanks to many, many farmer blows). But it wasn't nearly as cold last week as this week, so not sure what I would've done in your position. Glad to hear the stars aligned on your way to work!

Saw three other bikers out doing Haines Point last night from 10-12. As I passed one of them, I cheerfully yelled out, You So Kwazy! He yelled back, Look Who's Talkin'!

Good times.

caloso

Had a classic cager moment this morning. An older woman in a white Taurus POS was apparently quite incensed that I would have the temerity to ride a bicycle on a public street. The street in question is one-way with three, count'em, three traffic lanes. I was in the center of the right lane, out of the doorzone and traveling approx. 22mph, or 88% of the posted speed limit. But apparently that was not quite fast enough for Mrs. Taurus, so she gunned it around me, not taking the clear middle lane, but just straddling the line and then snapping back right in front of me. And as she went by she was looking at me crossly and saying something which I couldn't hear through her closed window. I don't think it was "Good morning!"

But the light at 11th had turned red and she had to hit the brakes hard to avoid rear-ending the car ahead of her. I had my schadenfreude sensors dialed up to 400W, but she just narrowly avoided the bumper. I sailed by, gave her a big smile and thumbs up, and turned into my parking garage.

God bless her. It must hard to go through life so stupid.

Itsjustb

Similar experience to caloso's this morning. I'm in the center of the left-turn lane coasting to a red light and signalling my left turn. Car guns it to pass me on the right and then cuts in front of me into the LTL. I wave (all 5 fingers) to let him know I didn't appreciate it.

Eventually the light changes and he pulls slowly forward (I'm one of those cyclists who doesn't usually filter to the front at lights) to delay me. "Frack that" I said to myself, passed him on the right, and left him at the light (I snuck through just as it turned red).

If he had two neurons to rub together I'd say, "Maybe NEXT time he'll realize that cyclists get through lights just as quickly as cars; it isn't necessary to cut them off." But as caloso said, It must hard to go through life so stupid.