Thanks, Max!

I hope you find some good stuff in Westminster.

Valentine's Day Ride:

http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/30163

...with more pretty pix.

Some glare and black ice and wind blown snow this morning, but no problems negotiating it with the studded tires.

kudos NR for all of those ice rides. Showering with a bike is a tad kinky, not judging just stating the obvious;-)
It's been 2 weeks since I have been to work. I'm off today for Presidents day. Haven't been on a bike since the last Friday in January, wow! Anyway this will all change tomorrow. Back in the saddle. I forgot about the bike show, any reports? I didn't read BF yesterday so was out of the loop. Did brew another batch though and a valentines day with the wife.
Harry: Netherlands, nice.
GB welcome back.

I knew you wouldn't be able to stand a second week off the bike NR! Yes, it was downright chilly this morning and with the detours made necessary by the snow it's taking about 1 1/2 hours to make the commute. More snow coming in this afternoon, but to me the brutal cold is the worse of the two.
Hey just to set the record straight, I really didn't intend to piss anybody off or come off as a trash talker. I was genuinely surprised that I was the only commuter early last week from this group of hard cores. So it was more of a "yea for me" than it was a put down of anybody else. I don't come close to running the annualy mileage of most of you guys. But I do seem to have a talent for pissing people off sometimes. Sorry 'bout that.
Andy

"Harry: Netherlands, nice."

Still in the planning stages, received my maps, all in Dutch, what a strange landscape but bike paths everywhere. I'll keep you posted as I firm up plans.

I'm still on the fence on this Fla. ride but will decide today.

No worries, mate! ;)

Thanks. I'm glad you're keeping an open mind. You saw that I took Ridley out for V-Day! :p

I ended up getting delayed and didn't make it out to the bike swap, so no "goodies report."

My hat is even more off to all you guys than usual, LOL! Even if I had snow/ice tires, I'd be nervous about riding -- at least in my neighborhood. The snow piles are so high at the intersections, I can't see a damn thing (I don't even like it in the car.) Although I guess the advantage on the bike is I would be able to hear a car on the other side of the mound!

So I'm trying to console myself with thoughts of springtime, and future ride plans. :) I've "officially" signed up for two things: another go at the 24 Hours of Booty (August 28-29), and a supported bike tour across northern Pennsylvania. http://www.pedalpa.com/our-tours/the...thern-crossing (I'm doing the camping option.)

I'll have to see how my vacation/work situation shakes out as the year progresses, but I think I'd like to do another long-weekend credit-card trip to Ocean City, and maybe another long-weekend loaded trip to Gifford Pinchot State Park in PA, or to some other park.

My credit card has already been used for a room reservation--arriving on Friday, July 2, 2010 and departing on Monday, July 5, 2010. I'll be doing the "ultra-light" credit card tour, again.

NR, that was beyond "ultra-light," LOL! There I was, feeling pretty good about my "rear-panniers-only" load, and up rolls NR with his entire weekend wardrobe -- the disposable $10 O.C. Sunsations t-shirt/shorts/hat combo! :D That was just too funny.

I'm going to have to pick a different weekend this year, though -- I'm going on a camping trip to Niagara Falls 1-5 July.

I managed to pull off a very enjoyable long ride today.
Rode frederick rd to Mt Airy and back. 75miles

Mostly, this was check-out ride for this sunday's rando ramble. My ride was originally going to be the "3-cities century" using over 20 miles of bike trails. That's just not gonna happen this weekend. So, I am changing the ride to "To Frederick. On Frederick" Balt City to Frederick on frederick rd. The route was reasonably safe. Wide lanes and about half of the shoulder available. Didn't make it all the way to Frederick, but everything out to Mt. Airy was fine.

I finally rode today. It was only 20 miles but felt good to be back in the saddle. Also went to the gym to do some climbing. I will agree w/ Max that you have to be careful at the intersections. Very poor site lines. I think my commute should be decent, at least the Balto end of it. I'll have see what PG county has done with their roads. Black ice will also be an issue as 1 bike does not run studs. The MARC (Camden line) did not run last week at all so I couldn't have biked if I wanted....... I did want to anyway.
GB Your link didn't work but the route is self explanatory.
NR: I was going to make a V-day comment but felt those personal moments should be between you and your SO;-) You treat her so well.

I rode today too, 1.5 hours on the stationary, wahooooo! The only thing that keeps me going these days are thoughts of spring. Too dangerous on the roads with limited space.

Check it!!!!

http://vimeo.com/9320780 (thanks Barry! via http://www.BaltimoreSpokes.org )

They look like they're having fun-kinda. It looks like nothing helps in the deep snow, except maybe those unbelievably fat tires they use in the Iditabike.


I need to get studs for next year as my drive back from the gym this a.m was slow, a long snarled backup. But as I sat there I wondered whether I would have done better on a bike, not sure I would have as the cars were right up against the snow, no room to maneuver though I probably could have taken some alternate routes through backyards and stuff.

Yeah, some of those endos looked a bit dubious as to how much fun they turned out to be.

If you get studs, get ones with aggressive knobs. I'm sort of wishing I had a set of these, too (or instead):

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/imag...xtsideview.jpg 700c 622mm (29er) Extreme 294 version of pictured

or

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/imag...tires/w240.jpg
40-622 700c Hakkapeliitta W240 (29er-622mm)

Finally.
http://bikingbeerandtoast.blogspot.c...orture-us.html

I'm in the club.
I really wanted to put studded tires on my 650b Kogswell wheels, but no luck this year.
So, I bought 700c Nokian A10's and mounted them on the COHO for this evening's commute home.
They look out of place on that frame, but they ride smooth and easy over icy patches. Glad I got 'em.

ALSO, as I was headed down Park Heights ave I encountered Barry. :)
He was shooting pictures of me :rolleyes: while I was waiting for some of those hyper crazy front-loader operators to finish blocking traffic. I had a very short catch up with him and then we wandered off in different directions. No discussions of an alternate sendoff meetup.

Woohoo! Now, I won't be the only one sucking going uphill! LOL! I guess that I may see them on your next ride.

I won't forget your knitted cap, again, like I did for Janet's 100 mile ride.


Did he mention when he's leaving or if he got the semi-local job?

The 3-foot law passed:

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/articl...aryland--25054

I just get to work a little cold and tired of the icy patches and read your report. I didn't know if I should be happy for you or cry....I cried. PG county needs to learn how to clear off the roads better , not to mention down tree removal. Balto Co. is light years ahead of PG. I don't use nor need studded tires for my ride from home to train. I'm sure it varies throughout the county though. But there's no way I can bike from the train to work in PG
Nice report Bob. My wife has been bugging me to go there this winter.

Welcome to the club. That's a strange looking tire pattern. You're really breaking in the Coho. I was rethinking my studded tire purchase a few years back due to the snow-less winters but they have a proven essential this year. I might actually get a second pair for the Balto bike.

Really? I was thinking my Nokian Mount and Guard are too aggressive for the road. Kinda wish they had less knobs. My legs have been feeling the drag. Mine are 1.9's (I think, maybe 2.1) so that is also another rolling resistant issue. This morning in a tight fast area on Powder Mill road most of the tiny shoulder disappeared and I was forced onto an icy patch of the lane with cars on my left. The tires held tight w/ no slip, phew.

Car commuting reports from family and friends have me glad I'm on a bike. Commutes from downtown Balto to Catonsville(20 minutes normally) have been taking 1.25 hours!!! Ride a bike faster than that, even w/ ice.

Glad to see the 3 ft law pass, many people broke that law this morning.

Re-post from elsewhere:

Just to note that it still has not passed the House (at lest as of two days ago as that is the delay in posting to the legislature web site.)

http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/billfile/HB0461.htm

Enforcing any traffic law in this state is a huge problem, The general consensus is this bill will help after a crash.but I have my doubts as this years bill adds two exceptions to the 3' safe passing distance:

(I) THE BICYCLE, EPAMD, OR MOTOR SCOOTER RIDER FAILS TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE IN CONFORMANCE WITH § 21–1205(A) OF THIS SUBTITLE (“RIDING TO RIGHT SIDE OF ROADWAY”) OR § 21–1205.1(B) OF THIS SUBTITLE (“ROADWAY WITH BIKE LANE OR SHOULDER PAVED TO SMOOTH SURFACE”); OR
(II) A PASSING CLEARANCE OF LESS THAN 3 FEET IS CAUSED SOLELY BY THE BICYCLE, EPAMD, OR MOTOR SCOOTER RIDER 10 FAILING TO MAINTAIN A STEADY COURSE.

In other words "but the cyclist swerved" would be a codified legal excuse as would be "but the cyclists was not riding as far right as possible."

No word back from local job yet. I'll need at least two weeks of rideable roads (for me with my current ice phobia) before I can leave. Thanks for asking about me, it made my day.

Yeah, I didn't know if you were watching, here, or I'd posted the questions directly to you. I guess I could've also asked via BaltimoreSpokes.org, too.

Waddaya mean--we're always thinking about you or anyone else in our little clique. Like where in heck has Josh been?

I would want these for the kind of snow that the chevron pattern (shown below) on my Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires couldn't handle--the aggressive knobs for the loose road snow and the studs for any underlying ice.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/imag...swlwinter1.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs240...._4293136_n.jpg
Can you find GB in this picture? Hint vertical reflective stripe and a head that looks like a headlight. :p

And NR note that GB managed to slip past the traffic delay (from a conversation started elsewhere.)

Thaw is happening causing lots and lots of AM black ice. The most I have seen during this weeks commute. Be safe out there, studs are in order. Wish I had them on my balto side of the commute.

+100000 - Eastside and north to Towson is the same in spots.

Some of the neighborhood streets are really icy. Helps keep even more cars off of them.

In spite of the above...

This Sunday's BBC Rando Ramble is ON

Since the trails are not clear, we'll have to postpone the 3 cities Century till spring. As a simple and safe substitute, we will be riding Frederick rd out to Frederick and back. Start is still from the south corner of Carroll Park. Easy parking and bathrooms at McDonalds across the street. I rode Fred. rd to Mt. Airy last Mon. and the conditions were uneven, but good. However, we might encounter occasional frozen washouts if conditions are right. This is an out and back ride so, infinite turnarounds possible. Do come. READ THIS BEFORE RIDING- http://tinyurl.com/RandoRideNotes

Please PM me if you've got any concerns or questions.

7:50AM Meet. 8:10AM push off.
Carroll Park south corner. Baltimore. see here: http://tinyurl.com/ygfr7sn