Must be something about today, I got up early for a washroom break at 7:15, checked/reset my alarm clock specifically, then woke at 9:24 realising my alarm hadn't gone off :(

Oh well, a rushed morning, but a good ride in - used a regular t-shirt and two fleece tops today, worked nicely. Warmer though, only -5C (mid 20sF).

Few hairy moments on the roadie again, deciding to wait behind one car that was blocking a clear route without me going over an ice sheet, waiting, waiting - then a messenger goes by on a fixie over the ice sheet... so I'm thinking "hmm, let's do that then" - went out, caught some black ice at ~4mph and decided to edge CAREFULLY over - I only needed to cross about 4 feet of the stuff but it was very slick in places and I veered over too far initially, heh. All safe, no fall and had fun! :) Speedometer is working again, had some strange issues yesterday and MEC is golden, allowing me to get an exchange just on the computer component, and with no receipt handy too (Thank you MEC!).

Finally back on the bike after a long vacation burning copious amounts of petrol all over Kentucky, Indiana and everywhere in between. It felt so good. Didn't even mind the 31 F temps. Warmed up to 38 by the time I got to the office 90 minutes later and I was pulling at gloves and unzipping like crazy.

Nice ride. Either drivers are more polite, or my reflective lime jersey is working. Light rain made a few spots interesting. I did have to share the bike lane with a van at one point. No idea what that driver was thinking. I still need proper foot coverage and fenders for the wet weather, but I really like riding in the rain.

You are the man! I have chickened out the past few days. Argh.. looks like tomorrow is going to be out too. Rain and snow showers!

coldest this year so far

left 10 minutes earlier than normal, 18 degrees f, light wind, just got done snowing 3 inches, main roads good, road in street entire way in, little traffic, sweating my ass off by the time I got there, 2 pairs gloves, wool socks and goggles i was ok. fully charges diy headlight, i saw the patches of ice way before i got to them.

ride home, 25 degrees, one no look idiot in a dodge pulled out in front of me, didn't even look (need air horn), had to walk across slushy bridge (slicks no good in slush) due to heavy traffic and no shoulder.

got home, brakes making noise, chain skipping, realy need to clean and lube bike tommorow,

first time in colder weather and it was pretty nice!

All this snow! Goodness!

Very warm and sticky here. Got beeped at by an idiot in an SUV who overtook me 40 metres before a roundabout (I was taking the lane / staying out of the door zone, and going 30km/h in a 40 limit). Needless to say I caught up with him at the junction.

It's actually the first time that's happened to me for months and months.

The local neighborhood streets in Arlington, VA were a bit technical, but everything else was very easy. Piece of cake. I allowed some extra time for the trip in, so I arrived quite early. I was surprised to learn it was 23 F / -5 C, because it felt pretty warm. Good start to the winter cycling season.

Paul

What a great day, 42 this morning 64 this afternoon. Wind was high 16 steady with gust of 24, but overall it was nice.

It was cold, did I mention it was cold! The studs work great, but as it gets colder it almost seems like I am sticking to the frozen ground, might just be the fact my body works better when the air temperature is in the plus range rather than minus. Riding to work this morning, it was snowing at minus 17 C, the flakes seem to stick to my eyelids, but it was still a great way to start the day.

Took a fall on the way home. Just one of those stupid slow speed ones, maneuvering along close to a driveway with one of those metal lips - too close as it turned out. Jammed my tire up against that lip, jammed coming out of the cleats on that side.. down. :( Nothing too serious, just stupid.

a little chilly this a.m.

pounding around on the studs. still getting used to them but glad they're there every time I roll over the solid ice.

I am acclimating to the cold.

Another fallen here! This morning was a nice, sunny day. I put on my new Forte City Slicks I just got in the mail yesterday and had a blast testing them on my way to work. However, on the way home it started raining. Didn't think it was that bad until I got just a couple turns away. This turn was at the bottom of a hill drop and I made a sharp turn on thin tires in a wet environment. I slide out pretty fast! My thigh is almost as sore as my pride :(

27F again. Decided to wear a jacket this time :-). Left the house and couldn't clip in, noticed I was missing a cleat screw. Wondered when that happened, but no time to wonder, really, as I was running 15 minutes late. Turned out to be one of the more annoying commutes so far, mainly because of a familiar noise coming from the front wheel which got worse and as the ride went on.

Popped a spoke in the front wheel again and the nipple is bouncing around the rim making the wheel equivalent of a nails against chalkboard sound. NOte of advice to anyone getting a new bike: If it has Shimano r500 wheels on it, get new wheels. 4000 miles or so on them and I'm popping a spoke or going completely out of true once a week.

Coldest commute for me to date - 19F when I left the house this AM. The roads are clear in the DC/N. Va area; just had to deal with a few icy patches and snow on the MUP over a couple of bridges. First time I've had my water bottle freeze up.

I know not much of an accomplishment for you in the northern latitudes but it is another milestone in winter commuting for me. I managed to stay warm enough everywhere EXCEPT my feet - I'm probably going to buy some of the Lake MTB Winter shoes to fix this.

I'm starting to think I can do this bicycle commuting thing through the whole winter!

Totally screwed up morning in Raleigh, NC. I was checking the weather as I was eating breakfast, and the TV weather report said some sleet and freezing rain was moving through our area. Our forecasters must be the worst in the country because they have been totally missing everything all year long -- rain, high temps, low temps, you name it. There was no mention of rain, sleet or freezing rain in the forecast last night at 11 p.m.

Anyway, I go out to get the newspaper off the driveway, and my truck already had sleet/freezing rain on the windshield. Then the TV news started having reports of traffic accidents all over the area from the slick roads, so I bagged my bike commute for the day. Not worth the risk. So, I had a nice leisurely breakfast and drove to work. Of course, the roads seemed fine on the route I drive. But I still think I made the right decision because my bike commute is on different roads with some hills where my speeds top 30 mph and I wouldn't want to have a crash.

Nice ride in this morning, slightly warmer than yesterday and far less snow. The main and side roads as well as the paved parts of the MUP were completely free of ice/snow, however the bridges were still covered with hardpacked snow and ice. I had to slow quite a bit on the bridges but didn't go down or even dab a foot once (although I did unclip a couple of times and use a leg as an outrigger). I was able to speed up and make up time once I was back on pavement. I guess they're calling for a "wintry mix" of snow/sleet/rain sometime today--yet another reason to take the bike and not the car.

I started playing a new game this morning. Everytime I had to pass a city bus that was perpetually stopped in the right hand lane, I would "slap" it like my buddies down in Brooklyn do. I just run my gloved hand down the side leaving a stripe in the grime and tap the mirror as I pass. I know it's juvenile and dangerous but it was entertaining me this morning. Gotta get your kicks somehow.

~20F. First real snow ride of the season and the MUP is a long ribbon of doo-doo. I get so mad because the city won't plow, and the peds just post-hole the frak out of it, so it's impossible to ride over 6 or 7 MPH. Took me an hour to go 6.4 miles, including walking one section that was so bad, it was unrideable. I do thank the Burlington High School ski team for flattening a single track for me. ;)

I'll be taking more roads for the ride home but I still have to use the MUP for a little while.

10°F this morning - might be the coldest ride I've taken. Side streets still an icy/snowy mess, so stuck to my alternate route.

40F, supposed to frost tonight for the first time in a week, don't know if it can keep it up (down) through the weekend for Monday's commute.

The ride itself was fine.

Like many of you (I assume), I'm required by my wife to call in as soon as I arrive at work so she doesn't worry. This morning I was running about 5 minutes later than usual and the weather was somewhat questionable--31 degrees and some kind of precipitation overnight meant the roads were potentially dicey. My wife called me several times on my cell to see where I was and to tell me to be careful, but the phone was in my trunk bag and on vibrate. Needless to say, the first thing she said when I checked in was, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

In her defense, it was in conditions almost exactly like these 2 years ago that I had my fall that ended in the ER with 11 stitches and head x-rays.

Today's PM ride home is forecast to be 30mph wind with gusts to 40mph and thunderstorms. Fortunately the wind is forecast to be a direct tailwind! Of course with heavy rain, wet roads, etc. I won't be able to take full advantage of it.

Al

The side streets, driveway and work parking lot (which is most of my ride to work) were mostly hardpack and ice. I avoid the main roads because I can and I enjoy the side streets. I put the studs an the Marin wednesday but was unable to ride to work that night because I ended up having a surprise surgery on my neck wednesday. Rode in last night and had a blast. We got a dusting of new snow that was supposed to be 1-2 inches. ended up being about 1/4. after I got home I drove to the Dr. to let her look at the incision and see what else needed to be done. got home and did my errands on the bike. (pick up paycheck, perscriptions, groceries.

Glad I'm back to feeling better

Temp was mid-teens this morning, but thankfully there were only negligible winds, so that was a defininte plus (not to mention a bit of a change from how things have been for the past couple of weeks).

Much to my chagrin, the bike lane (one of the few in the city) is strewn with gravel after some recent construction in the area. Between dodging that and residual slushy ice from a storm earlier in the week, it was a most watchful commute.

Woke up late and rode my old POS mtb to work. There's something wonderfully liberating about a beater...