PatrickGSR94

First commute since last Monday, and in fact my first bike ride since last Monday. And boy howdy it was WET this morning! Rain the entire 15 miles. And I can definitely say now without a doubt that my windbreaker shell is NOT waterproof or even water resistant, not in the least.

50voltphantom

You guys that keep on commuting in frigid temps are hardcore. You have all my respect and then some. My steed will be staying indoors until spring except for unseasonably warm days. Stay safe out there.

joeyduck

It was a nice and cool commute this morning.

Also lonely I think I only saw two others out there. I took it easy since I was worried about black ice. I am still trying to figure out if I want to get studded tires since ice is my fear. But then my other fear is our drivers, due to people thinking frozen roads are the same as dry summer roads. That is actually my bigger fear.

HydroG33r 

Beautiful day outside, but unfortunately wifey wouldn't let me ride (and she's probably right)... thin layer of snow on side roads and unpredictable black ice, especially on some of the steeper descent portions of my commute. Hopefully it warms up above 0°C again soon...

Hypno Toad

Roughly -5F this morning with strong winds (thankfully tailwind this morning). Worked up a good sweat on the 9 miles to the office. That was a harsh 'back-to-reality' ride for the body and mind... just got home yesterday from a week on Oahu.

Now, I'm hoping the winds will die down for the ride home 'cause the temp is not going up at all - at noon it's up to 0F.

Note to self, find a job in Hawaii!

spivonious

SD = San Diego? I'm curious, what defines "frigid" there, 60F?

In all seriousness, riding in the cold isn't bad at all. Some good gloves and wool socks make all the difference. I will say that when it gets below 15F or so, I hang up the bike too. It loses its fun factor pretty quickly when you can't feel the shifters.

50voltphantom

SD = South Dakota. 3F this morning. I love riding, but man, gotta draw the line somewhere.

spivonious

^ yeah, I totally understand that.

Hypno Toad

I draw that line somewhere around -20F (with a lot of help* from the wife)

* help = leave that effing bike at home or sleep with it in the garage.

mgw4jc

Upper 40s this morning but felt warmer (humidity?). Only supposed to warm up to low 50s. Rode in shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Enjoying December so far.
I left early enough to add a little distance on the MUP. The deer were not expecting me but made way as I approached.

I am also starting a running streak for the holidays, something encouraged by Runner's World. Minimum 1 mile every day between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. I actually started last Monday, so I'm now 9 days into it plus my minimum so far has been 3 miles. Last week was easy since I had 4 days off (including weekend). It's a little tougher to do before the bike commute though.

mtessmer

I've been bike commuting year around here in Minnesota for over 32 years (my forth winter on this). It's a hoot!!!

PatrickGSR94

yuck yuck yuck, yesterday evening's commute home was absolute misery. A cold 36°F, hefty north wind in my face, mist and drizzle for the entire 15.7 miles which made it VERY hard to see out of my glasses. My bike shorts wouldn't cooperate, with the chamois seam chaffing REALLY bad between the saddle and my right glute. Light was running low on power, even though I had charged it Sunday evening. Nose running like crazy, but nose and mouth also numb from the cold.

Sucked. I was so tired I drove this morning.

arsprod 

28F with freezing rain and sleet - that's what the news said it was, looked like snow to me though by the time I got to work my glasses had a layer of ice on them. Good thing I know the way

wphamilton

It was a frigid 45° here this morning I had to wear long sleeves.

spivonious

I'm not set up for ice, so the freezing rain in the forecast kept me in my car today. I feel so guilty

RidingMatthew

i tried to install my new cool stop pads and I am not sure if i am doing them right. brake levers seem to travel farther than they did with older pads plus they are squeaky as I rode around neighborhood late last night.

I sometimes wonder why I can not successfully work on my bike. Something I think should be simple so frustrates me.

spivonious

^ make sure you cleaned the rims and give the pads a bit of toe-in (so the front of the pad hits before the rear). That should stop the squeaking.

As far as travel distance, you may need to tighten up the brake cables.

dramiscram

Heavy headwind this morning, -14° celcius, -22 with the windchill factor. sunny sky.
The Wind should turn around so I'll probably have a heavy heawind on the way home as well...

joeyduck

No riding today for me, my first drive to work day since mid July. But my wife had an early meeting and would not have time to make the run to daycare then work. And she had a late meeting so really wouldn't be able to get him either. I also don't care for the idea of riding with potential slick spots and the kids seat without studs.

One forgets how idiotic people are to get to work. Swerving, tailgating, red light running, intersection blocking, honking when you don't block the intersection and turning into the wrong lane and giving me the finger when I am in front turn properly and signal a lane change.


I am dreading the five o'clock five hundred.

Edit: I did drive with the window open so I at least got fresh air. It still took the same time as biking and I was super early.

timvan_78

Took the wife/kids to UBC endowment lands (local forests) for some frozen off-road riding on the weekend as darkness set in. Very good grip on the frozen trails, but not on the streets surrounding! (Wife & Thing2 both went down separately on sheets of ice.)

Had the day off yesterday, biked with kids to/from schools. Thing1 thought he was hardcore biking with only one glove. (He forgot the other one at school.) Macho attitude already at age 6 ?




Commuted this AM. The City of Vancouver has done a fantastic job with brine (de-icing) on the main bike routes--Burnaby not so much. This afternoon I am expecting to hit 4,500kms commuting this year, which is less than last year but I hurt myself three times this year.

mgw4jc

Ha! Same here.

joeyduck

The deicing is interesting to hear about. I would quit riding by now when I lived in Burnaby for the fear of ice. More the wife's fear of ice, darkness and drivers hitting me.

I have been debating the merits of studded tires to placate my wife.

DiabloScott

Glad I wasn't commuting on the Golden Gate Bridge this morning.
Driver charged with DUI, but WTF?

MikeRides

Flipping cold this morning I think I was under-dressed, but the sun was shining, I had my bike on the back of the car still and I didn't feel like sitting in traffic for an hour to go 20 miles again. I kept crossing fresh deer prints on the snow-covered MUP and had hoped to see at least one but nothing. There's one crazy steep hill that I tried riding up but quickly lost speed and when I slowed down all my tires wanted to do is spin (studded 700x35s), I tried standing on the cranks but between the snow and ice under me I ended up calling accepting defeat and walked. Unfortunately that didn't save me from a crash this morning, I hopped back on the bike when I got to the top of the hill and got back up to speed and hit a blind curve a bit too fast (13mph but on ice it was like going 20+), coming towards me was a X-C skier. I hit the brakes (I know..worst thing you can do in slippery situations) and went flying off the bike as the bike slid into the skier (she was unharmed thankfully), I on the other hand hit a tree. Helmet cracked in half, but experienced no personal injuries(I am now a believer that helmets save lives!). There goes my long streak of no accidents all year. Got up, dusted myself and the bike off, apologized sincerely to the skier who had nothing to say except that I was crazy for riding a bike in the snow.

Arrived @work 10 minutes late, got chewed out by my supervisor (f**k him though, he's late almost everyday). I figure I'll make up that time tonight and take the roads back to where I parked my car even though there shouldn't be anyone out on the path after dusk.

mgw4jc

Damp. Foggy. Misty. Cool. But quite enjoyable all the same.

Headlight battery died on the way home last night. I managed but did have to come to a stop where oncoming cars commonly turn left across my lane. They could not see me and were not going to yield.