Sawtooth

I know a lot of you commute year round already, but this is my first year. Any other first year commuters out there who can join me in a pact to ride through the winter no matter what? I guess sometimes you just have to take a car, but for the most part, I am committing here and now. Anyone else willing to take the vow?

lala

Me! Me! Me!

I am collecting parts for my winter bike as we speak.

bubbajoe72

I'll do it ... but since I live in Texas, I suspect my winter commute won't be as bad as yours .

SaskCyclist

I am in there like a dirty shirt......last winter I did it as a trial run. This past spring I sold my car. On the realy cold days (my limit is -30C) or if there is too much loose snow on the roads I take the bus (last year I took the bus/drove about a dozen times). But I have to warn you, people think you are a freak (which does have some advantages). Overall, I would say riding in the winter probably isn't any more risky than riding in the summer. Around here, the cagers move slower in the winter; you have more padding for those inevitable crashes and of course you join the elite "seriously hard core".

lala

-30C?!? I think mine may be -18C/0F.

If I'm lucky!

TCNJCyclist

I'm in! I can't wait to ride in the snow.

oboeguy

I'm totally with you. I did it for my first job out of college in "upstate" NY, where it's cooold compared to NYC, so I expect it to be a piece of cake (also seeing as I actually rode the road bike this past winter and know it's not that bad).

Sawtooth

Great going everyone! Lets check in to see how it is going this winter.

Elvish Legion

I'm in, 'nother texan though, and I doubt I'll have snow and ice to compete with as school USALLY closes on those days.

Elvish

halfbiked

Is 'no matter what' an every-day no-matter-what deal? my girlfriend had a bet with her boss at her last job that she could make it through the winter biking at least once a week. Of course, to win the bet, he laid her off in January. Kidding. But she did get laid off. Anyway, around here we sometimes get a monthlong stretch where the temp doesn't get above 0, thats zero farenheight. Y'all get that nasty stuff in Boise?

Anyway, I'm getting my act together to start commuting to work. I'll be in for the 'at least once a week' through winter.

Marylandnewbie

I'm definitely in.

I started commuting this year at the end of Feb/early March, but skipped snowy and rainy days becasue I didn't have the gear. I am assembling the clothing and other gear now in the off season. Even though it was the end of winter when I started it was very mild, so I haven't really decided what my minimum temp will be. I'm guessing, given our weather, it will be some combination of cold, wind chill and precipitation that will make me take the bus/train rather than ride..

Sawtooth

Wow, we don't really get that cold. Anything below 10F is pretty cold here. Boise is usually 10 or so degrees warmer than the rest of the state. It is pretty rare for snow to stick around more than a couple of days. We really have it pretty easy in Boise compared to surrounding areas. Good luck in the cold.

Sawtooth

I started about the same time and also sat out the rainy season. I now have a pair of sks race blades, which are not full coverage fenders but will work. Bring on the bad weather!

fallstorm

I'm in... Central Washington where we get some snow but mostly ice and relative cold. When I get my Hardrock I'm going to order some Nokians to take care of the ice... I don't think I'll need much more than that to conquer the winter. I'm so looking forward to having the entire town to myself on winter days when nobody wants to get out!

kb0tnv

Count me in! 2005 is the year I have been working towards becoming a "365" commuter!

Keep Cycling,

mtbkanata

Since I have a car... and I work year 'round, I'll be in!

markhr

me - but I have a London smog advantage (no snow - at least not for longer than a day)

mtbkanata

Oops, I meant since I DO NOT have a car! I clicked on Edit, but then it asked me if I wanted to delete my note.. oops

wheezl

I am curious to know what the protocol is when the road is covered in ice and or generally unplowed with a foot of snow on it. The last neighborhood I lived in in Brooklyn wouldn't get plowed for over a week after the snow. Is there some awesome how to bike on a sheeet of ice wen site I can hit? Wet steeel plates are bad enough! Cold never stops me... low friction though... ugh. I already dropped once this year on a huge oil slick

TCNJCyclist

Check out the "Winter Cycling" part of the forums, or icebike.com. I'd think that knobby or studded tires would be in order for that situation.

natelutkjohn

I'm with you, sold the car 2 weeks ago (to some poor sap), on my fifth week without driving, no car for many years ahead, especialy the coming winter!

lilHinault

Yeah buddy!! I'm car-free and plan to rent a car, bus, cab, when wanted/needed, but 1st choice is always the bike. No snow here but we do get rain for a week at a time in the winter and I have seen some beautiful frost all over everything in early winter mornings.

Becca

Count me in, too! -30C is -22F. I've handled that easily as a wind chill factor. I think I can handle it as the regular temperature, too!

Joe Dog

It would be pretty brutal some days, but I am planning to commute as many days as I can into winter. I need to study up on lighting more than cold, though. Cold I can handle - I just don't want to get RUN OVER!

ort

Oh, man, I hear you Joe. Anchorage drivers seem to hate people on bikes, even during the summer when then can stop and stuff. That being said I'm gonna try to ride all year long too.