This mornings bike commute to work:

http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/29954

This afternoon will be the picture taking ride. Can't wait!

http://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/popcorn.gif

Hey guys: thanks for the kind words. My dad passed Wednesdays night. He went peacefully. He's better off but we miss him.

Hang in there Barry. I'm glad the ride is postponed as I could not make it this Sunday. You'll go when the time is right

Bob: looks like a good time to go to Fla. This winter has been a hard commuting one, though I haven't been on a bike since last Friday.

Isaias: Todays ride home should be a blast, tomorrows impossible but am sure you'll try.

Harry: I saw your post on the touring forum. Do post here if you go to Vermont this spring

:( Charlie, I'm so sorry, you and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

You, sir, are a mental case! :)

Just kidding! Be extra careful going home today.

+1000000000


Ok. It's about 2:15pm. The snow is coming down a little bit harder than an hour ago, but it's still not sticking--at least not outside of the windows that I can look out of, here, at work. I just may make it to 3:30pm with not much to worry about. Hopefully, MVOs are cowering in their warm homes, especially soccer-mom MVO and pimple-boy MVO.

:notamused:http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/29972

Charlie,
My condolences, I'm happy that he went peacefully.

I will keep you posted on the Vermont tour. I tend to bail on these long distance trips, not hard core enough, or I miss my kids, not sure what. I hope to eventually stitch together the entire Atlantic coast, from Canada to Key West. Am toying with the idea of doing that southern section in March. Again, sorry about your dad.

Snow plow stuck in front of my house!

http://twitpic.com/show/full/11pvzr.jpg

So I decided to go for a walk this morning. :)

Pics (if they show up; not sure I did it right) are from 11:30 a.m. The non-drifted snow was up to my mid-thigh (about 22"), and I wasn't standing on asphalt, so I'm guessing there is at least 25" of snow, probably more. Still coming down!

Great pix! Thanks for sharing.

The snow plow truck has finally escaped. They sent another truck to pull him backwards instead of forward out of the morass.

You know that I had to try - http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/29992


06 February, 2010 16:12

It just wouldn't be me to not try to ride in this snow. So, now, I can say that I did (sort of). I most certainly burned a bunch of calories trying to stay on the bike. I even tried to let some air out of the tires, but in the deeper stuff (what icebike.com calls road snow and chocolate mousse*) I just didn't have aggressive enough lugging to maintain traction.

Oh well. Tomorrow will be better.

* http://www.icebike.org/Articles/TechniquesDeepSnow.htm

[QUOTE=NoRacer;10370430]You know that I had to try - http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/29992


Yes, we did!! :lol:

Here's another few pics: this tree fell on the house while I was out shoveling. It scared the bejesus out of me! I heard a loud crack, but I couldn't tell which tree (the house backs up to a small wooded area, there's a ton of trees.) I had shoveled my way to near the cars, so without looking back I just dived between them, hoping the tree wasn't coming my way!

I think the house is fine. I live downstairs on the ground floor, so I'm definitely okay. My upstairs neighbor came out and said he didn't see anything busted upstairs; he checked the garage, too, that also seems okay. Some of the siding up top might be messed up. Not much that can be done about it right now!

Attachment 136329Attachment 136330

^^^^^^
Wow, Maxine! I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Scary stuff.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_1208.jpg

We finished out at just a hair over 31" here in Laurel.

Anyone hear whether we broke the all-time snowfall record yesterday?

I believe we need another 2.1 inches to break the season record. I think we'll have that by Wednesday.

I think this snowfall was still only #3 for snow from one snow event. I just saw the official count from Savage (which is only a couple miles up the road from my house) got 33".

Tried to ride in today, but there's too much snow on the road to do it safely in car traffic. I turned around, defeated.

I can't get the car out of the driveway, either. Too much ice under the tires. The rear end starts to drift sideways.

I'm stuck for now. I'll try again later, but I just might take the week off, since we're expecting another storm Wednesday.

This is just crazy, isn't it?? Work is closed today to non-essential/emergency personnel, and this storm that's going to start Tuesday afternoon looks like it could be another blowout. I think the NWS just doesn't want people to panic yet, but Foot's Forecast is calling for close to 12 inches along the I-95 corridor, with local amounts as high as 20 inches. (Foot's is put out by a bunch of high school kids who routinely trounce the professional weather forecasters in accuracy. They were calling this past snowstorm way in advance of the pros.)

http://www.footsforecast.org/

I may end up home all week as well. I was supposed to drive up to Pittsburgh Saturday for the long weekend, but now I don't know if that's such a good idea.

Yes, I heard about Mr. Foot's class on one of the news broadcasts. Interesting that they pretty much "nailed it".

I'm at work now, but not after having to wait until the pavement in my driveway warmed up enough to get some traction. Even then, I had to gun it to get out almost smacking my neighbors truck that is parked right across from my driveway ( :notamused: not amused at those butt-holes).

I suspect tomorrow will be a repeat, since everything will refreeze. I may take tomorrow off completely to prepare for the next round of snow.

I believe I saw Saturday had a chance also.

Wow, don't believe it that I commuted Mon and Tues and NR bailed out. (Didn't that could happen!) Rail trail still has 2 feet of snow on it so it was a choice of back roads or main roads. I picked the back road hilly way. Roads still 60 - 80% covered even today. Could not have done it without the Schwalbe Winter Marathons. These things are amazing! I only break traction when standing on the pedals on a lower gear climb even on packed ice. They weren't cheap but I was thinking today that I sure didn't waste my money on them.

Temps were the real challenge both yesterday and today. Leaving Glen Rock at 6:30 AM it was about 8 deg F, and contrary to normal trends the temps dropped heading north. I was reading 1 deg F in Seven Valleys. Thankfully as I climbed the hill up Cemetary Rd it warmed up to 4 deg F for the rest of the ride.

More snow rolling in this afternoon. I'll bail from work when it gets to be about 3 inches deep I'd guess Anybody have any advice on this? Should I leave before it gets that deep or will 3 - 4 inches of new fallen snow not be a problem? It's taking me about an 1 1/2 hours to cover the 18 mile ride home. (for a blazing average speed of 12!)

Andy

ooooh trash talking. You're all crazy, get a gym membership:)

I suppose I would have ridden to the gym today if I had some studded tires, a bit late now, guess I'll get them for next year, though, honestly the snowbike thing doesn't hold much appeal for me.

Hey all: Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. I don't think my Dad could have picked a nastier weather time to pass. Because of the funeral I (and a bunch of neighbors) dug out our street on Sunday. Within 10 minutes of clearing out our road the county snow plow came through. At least I got out for the funeral.
Max: cool looking picture of the fallen tree. I lost an awning and a gutter. We(feds) may not go in to work all week, not complaining though.
GB: did you ever make it back?? Being stuck in the Fla. Keys is an excellent option.
Harry: went by your street yesterday, your neighborhood is a mess. Did you guys ever get a plow?
NR: I think a wise choice to drive this week. With all of the huge snow piles I have found it difficult seeing cars let alone seeing bikes
Bandannaman: you're nuts. If you biked today you ain't going home. North of Balto is the center of the storm.
Me: Broke a snow shovel, lost a canvas awning, had to drive my daughter back to school last night(Salisbury) after my fathers wake. What a mess but I was able to get home before things got really nasty. On an positive note, I'm brewing up a batch of beer today. Just chilling for the first time in over a month. Later, Charlie

Enjoy that brew Charlie, you deserve it. I'm still trying to negotiate a short spring bike jaunt on the cheap.

I think the plow passed once early in the second storm, and we're right on the city line and you know Balmer city doesn't handle these things well, no money I guess. I've cleared me and my neighbors with the snowblower and we're getting some melt today. A good gradual melt would be best and local riding looks very distant. On the trainer today and to the gym tomorrow.

I made it home alive (sung to tune of the Billy Joel song)
 

Thanks for all the advice folks. It really wasn't that bad coming home on Tuesday evening. Only about two inches of snow on the roads by the time I got home. Traffic was sparse and slow, and drivers were actually showing some courtesy. (Yeah, leave the crazy guy alone, right?!)
Andy

There's a reason why they named that website crazyguyonabike.com. though I don't think it's crazy to be on a bike, it's the cars that are scary. I'm hoping to go to The Netherlands in July to see what a real bike culture is like. Plan is to take my 11 year old son who will be 12 in May. TDF starts July 3rd in Rotterdam, about 50km or so from Amsterdam. You can ride right from the airport, got my maps last night but can't make heads or tails, all in Dutch of course.

Today's ride in 2 parts:

http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/30139 Part 1

http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/30140 Part 2

It has pretty pictures, too.

Nice ride NR.
Oh yeah, BTW I'm back. Got back last monday. Today was my first commute into work.
Only one short stretch through a neighborhood that needed to be walked.

Anyone else want to ride up to the Westminster bike swap meet with NR and I tomorrow?

GB- now, with tan. :D

NR, those really are very pretty pictures! I had to laugh at your "bike in the shower" comment. I remember making a similar crack several years ago -- degreasing a cassette in the kitchen sink, and thinking, hmmm, it's no wonder I'm still single. :D

He's "tanned, rested, and ready!!" GB, I am going to the bike swap, but on four wheels, not two. :)

It's amazing what one nasty commute will do to change your attitude. I'm wimping out on NR and not riding up to Westminster.
My commute home was just too stressful. Too much ice. Too much walking and dodging traffic and dodging front loader operators on crank.

The morning commute seemed adventurous, but the ride home sucked. I'm not ready for more of that so soon.
The car is trapped in our back alley (no plows come down it). Will need to wait for more melt.

Yeah, the conditions, in general, sound bad--snow, ice, traffic, wind @ 17 mph in the direction we'd be traveling. Throw in heavy studded tires with higher rolling resistance and I'm right with you GB--wimping out. Maybe Andy can let us know how good the ride is to Westminster.