Today might qualify as the worst commuting day of the year....so far. I had to go to work an hour early at 3am. With the storm we had last night I had to leave about 20 mins earlier to anticipate some slow moving thru the snow. We were expecting a freezing rain/sleet/snow mix with 2-4”. Temp was about 25f. Starting out on the side streets, they were about 2” of wet heavy snow with ice underneath. With no tire tracks to ride down, it had the consistency of firm wet cement. There wasn’t a snowplow in sight once I got on the main road. They didn’t get out until much later in the morning. So I had to ride down the right tire track all the way to work, about 6 miles. When cars did come up behind I’d move into the shoulder. The whole road was like mashed potatoes. And by now it was snowing like crazy. Big wet flakes. I had overdressed and was overheating. I stopped to take the ear band off and opened up the vents on the jacket. I still sweated. But I cooled off some. I got to work on time, the extra 20 mins helped. I’ve ridden thru worse, but it being the first significant storm of the weird winter season that we’re having this year. I just wasn’t ready for something like that. But it got me in shape for the next one. Like all the other storms I’ve ridden in, I enjoyed the challenge. That’s what makes it fun.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6...96aa4c947c.jpg

Finally able to ride again today, I wasn't prepared for ice and snow on Seattle's hills with the drivers here, so I (gasp!) took the bus the past couple of days.

Bundled up pretty good this morning and promptly almost bit it on a patch of thawing snow that had frozen pieces in the middle and was hidden around the far side of one of the round-abouts that plague many of the intersections in the neighborhoods here. Realized I was still moving too fast for conditions and slowed it down. The side streets still had a lot of snow and icy patches and chunks hidden under melting snow.

On the busier streets I had to take a/the lane because in most places because although the streets were bare and wet, the bike lanes were filled with several inches of frozen snow. Crossing highway 99 (Aurora Avenue) as well 85th Street, I have to use the crosswalk button because the lights don't sense me. This was pretty tricky as the handi-ramps from the sidewalk were largely blocked by frozen snow. Nearly biffed it on one of these on the way home.

My commute takes me around Greenlake. Normally I have a pretty nice bike lane here. Today it was actually clear of snow, but completely filled with joggers who didn't want to brave slip-and-fall injuries on their icy trails! Again, I was forced into the road and the cars just had deal, and get around me when they could. Some of the joggers tried to be nice about it, but I'm afraid I felt about them being in the bike lane probably about how most cars probably feel about bikes being in the road. I could understand why they were there, and I was willing to grant it to them, but I didn't like it, and I grumbled to myself in my mind at first, and I didn't smile back, much less wave as some of them did.

All the above I took as a challenge and adventure and was cool with. The 21mph headwind and my ass hurting like a newbie this morning I wasn't so cool with! Wasn't saddlesore on the ride home, so don't know what was up with that. Thinking of chalking it up to not having enough time to sleep in-between 12 hour shifts.

As I left the parking garage it was raining, but I started out by only going two blocks to an ATM to get some cash. By the time I came out from the overhang at the cash machine it was only raining very lightly. By the time I made it to Dick's Burgers on Broadway maybe a mile away it wasn't raining at all, and that held for the rest of the commute home.

Not the healthiest meal, but I had been hungry for the last couple of hours of my shift in the ER, and if I waited until I rode 7-ish miles home and then fixed something I knew I was going to be grumpy. Dick's is not only very fast, but they have a stand-up counter to eat at, so I can put my kickstand down in a parking space right there and have a quick meal before I can get cold without going to the trouble of locking up and pulling my saddlebag and lights off. Seattle only has a few places where you can get a bite to eat late at night anyway...

What are we riding here.....Awesome Ride. Do you have a link or info about?

Thanks!

Froghunter

Thanks for the compliment. Your looking at a mid-90's Gary Fisher 'Utopia' that I bought off of a friend around 1998. Since 2009, I've overhauled everything and gave it a camoflauge DIY paint job inspired by beer. It's pushing 30k and it's got two blizzards and numerous ice storms and snowstorms under its belt. I ride it year round.
another pic at "commuter bike pics" pg 352 #8790
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...e-Pics/page352

I'm on Vacation! A staycation here in my hometown, museums and the zoo and some local tourist traps I don't often see - - therefore no commuting miles this coming week. However, there will be plenty of bicycling antics as I terrorize West Texas!

It was a decent ride, although a little bit slow with salt sitting on top of ice. The temp is above freezing at 33f (1C), so that helps. The municipalities have a flush snow removal fund, so they plastered the roadways with salt. Then there are the private snow removal folks who blow through intersections in the dark, and push all their snow onto the roadways, usually in the curb lane. Expecting freezing rain later, and hopefully it turns to just plain rain before I leave.

I do tend to get mixed up on my directions but it sure felt like it came out of the South :)

No major issues coming in this morning despite predicted ice storm. I only regret not wearing my rain gear, the mist was thicker than I had anticipated.

We had thundershowers this morning, low 40's. I was tempted to drive but the weekend was wasted on wrenching the car - no cycling - and I didn't want to break my 2012 streak on this bit of weather. The irony of biking to work because you fixed the car seems a little strange, but it makes a sort of sense, doesn't it?

I was tempted to drive this morning because a cold front is moving through the state today and rain is expected. But then I read an article in the morning newspaper about an 86-year-old guy who rides 10 miles every day, and felt guilty about being so wimpy. So I biked to work after all and had a great ride with a tailwind most of the way and relatively mild temps in the mid-30s. I might end up cursing that old fart if I have to ride home in pouring rain, however.

Almost backed out. Was up late, felt "flat", but I wound up riding in after all - and I at least feel better than if I had not.

Perfect temperature - about 50 - and a tailwind led to a PR on the way in today. And when I got there a couple folks at work who had not known I ride to work saw me walking the bike to my office, and were really complimentary - not that I ride for the compliments, obviously, but they're nice icing on the cake. Who cares if I'll have a headwind on the way home?

WARM and sloppy. the 45 degree temp this morning was doing a number on the 6" of snow we got on friday. slushy puddles galore.

it's supposed to drop 20 degrees throughout the day today and start snowing again this evening. the weather rollercoaster is always a wild ride!

No kidding, and Maine seems to be doing the reverse today. 25 on the way in but it's nearly 40 right now and is set to stay the same throughout the night. And it's just when I thought we were finally getting into 'real' winter, too...

Was surprised yesterday when I saw that there was supposed to be freezing precipitation overnight with possibly icy roads Anne a two hour delay for work, but welcomed the news, especially the delay. Got a little extra sleep and when I woke up mounted the new studded tires I got fire Christmas.

At least on my route I feel the winter weather aspect was a little overstated, but I did come across some slushy ice on a couple overpasses on the MUP, so I feel that my tire swap was justified... Besides I figured I could pro badly make the trip with my regular tires. I think I was mostly just looking for an excuse to ride on my new Nokian tires. :-) It was nice to have the peace of mind of the studded tires on patches I couldn't tell from a distance if they were just wet pavement it maybe black ice. Those tires do make some noise though. I'll be taking them off after tonight's commute probably, since temps are supposed to be in the 40s and 50s The rest of the week.

Uneventful ride in otherwise except for navigating through an obnoxious school group getting off buses and taking up the entire pathway for quite a distance near the Washington Monument.

Seattle just got out of a snowstorm. Most of the snow has melted away, but ice persists.

On the MUP today, the path was wet and some parts had a thin sheet of ice. Then I hit a 50 foot stretch of 2 inches of solid ice. I had to walk it, as well as 4 other cyclists. They were all debating whether to take the bus to work.

My coworker might have broken her finger from a fall this morning

Another coworker saw a man go down on a turn. He was so pissed that he picked up his bike and threw it 5 feet.

Seattleites beware. It is a sunny day, however.

Raining when I got up but the sun came out 5 minutes after I started riding in. Went from about 46F to above 50 pretty quickly. Bit of headwind slowed me down but trong SW winds are predicted for the ride home (tailwind for me).

Thwarted! After 3 days off from snow/ice storm, and then a 2 hr delay today (kids' late school start), I found that 35mm studded tires were not going to budge me over 5 miles of gnarly icepack. So today, I telecommute. At least we have power, finally, so I don't have to worry about my computer battery dying.

Last night and this morning were cold and rainy. It looks like the moisture is still on the ground but it looks like the precipitation is over.

First commute of the year for me...First commute in almost a year for me...And let me tell you...It was wonderful!

Rode in around 5am to 6:15am, temps in the low 40s. Rode home around 4:45pm to 6:15pm, temps in the high 50s. Traffic was aggressive during the ride home, but it always will be.

So glad to have ridden today...It was perfect!

Until Thursday or Friday. It seems like it's never-ending in these parts.

Warmer this morning at 44f (7C). Most of the snow and ice are gone, so the problems of coming in yesterday belong to yesterday.

Rain, rain and more rain in the forecast for today with thunderstorms during the evening when I start off for home. In other words I wimped out and took mass transit since severe rain usually means flooded roads masking dangerous potholes. I can ride in drizzle or light rain, but road conditions get too dangerous if things get worse.

Two events on the way in this warm-ish morning: I almost took out a pedestrian as I was making a right on red...first person I have ever seen at that particular corner so early.

Second, a college student, jogging, with headphones, crossing against a light, has no idea a dump truck is heading straight for her...so I motion to "get your a$$ in gear!" and she gets the idea.

40F/4C, :eek: very light headwind, and wet, but not raining. First ride in about 2 weeks. I've been walking to work a lot. It's only 1.8 miles so I get more exercise on foot. Roads have been salty, slushy, grimy, icy, and generally icky until yesterday's rain, and I've just been too lazy to swap the studded-tired rat bike out of the basement.

As it is, I'm going to have to clean the Soho when I get home. It got a lot of brown muck on it from me riding to work.

Warm but slow commute due to wet roads, fog, headwind and red lights. The temperature was 51 F but didn't feel that warm due to the extreme humidity and wind. Had to clean the fog off my glasses at one point and fix my taillight, which had become unhooked from the battery pack. Put my largest seatbag on my bike so I could carry some extra food and gear to work, which made for a heavier than usual load.

-12C made for a nice ride in. It took a while to get going this morning as I grabbed two left side panniers. It was easier to go grab my right side Arkel than to get a hex tool and adjust my racktime bag to work on the right.

First ride in over a week now that the cold snap of -30C and below is over. Last week I drove my car to class for the first (and second) time since the summer of 2010. Last year I took the bus when I didn't ride, but waiting for the bus in -30 is even less enjoyable than riding in those temperatures.

I'm trying to decide on what to do as a project for my hardware class at school. I'm thinking of building something that reads the data from my Ant+ wireless sensors. Another idea is a wheel truing robot, though that poses its own challenges.

I passed a segway on my way home last nite. He was doing 14-15mph in the lane.

A couple great commutes so far this week. For those of you commuting up north...it was 63 degrees this morning at 7:05 as I left the house in a long sleeve jersey and wind shell jacket, and SHORTS! Yeah, that's right, I wore just shorts, no tights for the ride in today!!! Man, I love living in south Florida... Also, after two weeks of riding to and from work at least 4 days a week, the trip has become common-place. I know what to expect, I know the route, people along the route and beginning to recognize me as I pass. I have one "pinch point" just a half mile from work, where the four lane with a bike lane becomes two lane, and has a curb and no sidewalk for about 150 feet, and then transitions to a paved shoulder. Today, as I reached that pinch point, and was riding on the white line next to the curb, a fellow came up in a big 'over the road' rig with a 50 foot box trailer. He saw me enter the narrow lane, and rather than try to squeeze by, grabbed a handful of brakes and down shifted, and let me get to the paved shoulder before he eased by on his way north. Darn nice of him!!!! I LOVE OKEECHOBEE!!! Nice folks who watch out for others on the road, even on a busy highway.

Nice ride home last night in a fine mist... the kind that doesn't get anything really wet but is enough to make looking through your glasses a PITA. Cool and comfortable otherwise. Followed that up with the hop, skip, and jump off a commute to my evening class in Old Town (3 miles round trip).

Didn't have a chance to remove my studded ties last night out this morning, so even though they're not needed today they're still on, which made for a noisy commute in. Besides the constant bubble wrap-piping sound of my tires on the pavement, it was a great ride in. Winds calm, sun shining through a hazy fog along the river, and warmer. Good morning to be on a bike!

Sounds nice, but ideally I want 63 in the afternoon, not in the morning. Plus when it's 63 I'm wearing shirts and a short sleeve shirt, nothing more. I'd sweat my balls off with long sleeves and a jacket on at 63. :twitchy: :D