I rode studded this morning--only lost 1 mph. The wind was not much of a factor at that time, but it will be during my approach to Pulaski Hwy on the way home.

@Harry - were you drinking enough?

@charlie - sorry to hear about the shifters.

Barry posted on Facebook that he's got his bike back together since his move to NY and that he can't wait to ride.

Harry,
Your York county riding with Bennett inspired me to dig back into the On Again/Off Again route for some rethinking and tweaking. That ride is a tough one no matter how you rout it, but it's a great ride and I want to try to improve it. So, I did a lot of vertical foot analysis in small chunks, attempting to minimize the nasty climbs by substituting them with trail sections and also attempting to run the hard road parts in the easier direction. I shortened it a bit too. Hopefully, it's a little more fun to ride.

Charlie,
I, like you, have several different bikes and I'm amazed that sometimes I feel like don't have a workable bike for a given day. How is that possible??!! My issues weren't near as bad as yours seem, but I did have problems getting my new studded tires mounted (finally got some to fit the Kogswell- the bike I wanted them on in the first place). However, the tire beads fit my wheels loosely, and were initially popping off. I was exasperated not being able to get them working for this weekend's icy conditions. I was thinking about getting my clothes and bikes ready for winter way back in October, but at that time I couldn't even remember what winter biking was anymore.

Go figure.

Moving day did not go as planed but it's behind me now and done.

My Legislative Priorities:
Allow drivers to pass over double yellow when safe + Idaho Stop (legalize current safe practices and remove an excuse for close and unsafe passing by motorists.)

Anything we can attach Natasha Pettigrew name to. (Close the I thought I hit a deer loophole in hit-and-run)

Remove the highway too narrow to pass exception on our 3' law.

And of course the funding issue.
***********************************

On Funding, the thing people are missing is we have tons of unspent Federal money. Additionally, while the new CLEAN-TEA may not be as dreamy as American Bicyclists once hoped but I'm willing to bet by Maryland current standards it will still be a vast improvement.

Federal policy reads something like after decades of car centric planing we need to encourage Enhancement of the current road network for all users.

While MD's reads something like after decades of car centric planing we will allow a separate bicycling network if the localities want it bad enough so they are willing to pay half and if it is expensive enough to be a capital expenditure and if it is a stand alone project.

So far the localities that have made bike master plans have been disqualified for not being stand alone projects, not expensive enough for capital projects and unwilling to pay 50% for the small portion that is left.

The other hard thing is to get at is what SHA is doing and then in the same breath MDOT makes difficult for anyone else to do the same.

*****
NYC: Besides getting over a bad cold, it's good to be back here. I'm about a mile south of of Prospect Park so a nice location for me but damn I am going to miss you guys.

riding
 

@NR-yah I hydrate fine and I even stuck to heed and perpetuem plus snacks with salt etc. I have bad circulation in legs and that may be part of it but may just be muscle fatigue. I do so few 60+ mile rides and just so happens that my cramps start at 60. So need more long rides plus think I'll try some pottassium suplement.

I may have run short on nutrition because around New Freedom I felt a tad bonkish and then went down from there. So, more food, more salt, more fluids-maybe Guinness would help.

@GB-Yes Your route was the inspiration though we spent very little time on the trail. Missed a turn coming out of York so we stayed on the trail for maybe 8 miles-bore. I felt great on the hills at PBoy but there was one coming into York that I cramped on-Reynolds Mill I believe.

I'll look for your post on Jan Rando-I may be hiking in Shenandoah on Jan 8-9th.

Tonight's ride home was a little nippy:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59651108

Last night was brutal. Winds were right in my face or hitting from the side. Sucked either way. And really really cold.

Studs are essential today. Most roads are clear but intersections are all iced over. I drove today:o

I rode, again... left the studs on:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59682702

Ouch. Those cursed NW winds were getting into my psyche this morning. I was trying my best to think of them as just the same morning winds I always get, but they seemed a little more personal this morning.
The crossing guards I pass every morning looked miserable, hopping back and forth from frozen foot to frozen foot.

No rides on the studs yet for me.

Hey Barry how's it going? You were truly missed at the task force meet last week. They decided to wait for another year before tackling the 3 ft law. They offered some reason that make sense. Want to see how drivers react with the current ad campaign to the law.
Seems few folks are truly aware of the 80/20 vs 50/50. Schaeffer from MNPPC will be leading this. I might help. I told the group that I thought there was still unspent monies but no one really seemed to know.
For soem, of your legal chages they are getting a lawyer to come up with proper wording.
Later man, Report back on the NYC biking.

I kept looking at my bike thinking...I have time......no I don't! SO I decided to "steal" my sons commuter bike(old rigid mnt bike which he stored in my garage for winter) and slap on the studs until I remedy my mnt bike. Hope to wrench this Sunday, we'll see. My daughter graduates from college this Saturday(she finished in 3.5 years!!!) so this may dominate the entire weekend.

No studs!! This am while drove in, I saw a bunch of ice. Was just out at noon and saw none, where did it go? I'll be back on bike tomorrow. I always feel something is missing if I don't bike to work.

Phantom commute
 

@GB-What is your route up to Owings Mills? What time do you leave? I don't have a commute and finding it hard to get motivated to ride in a.m. Idea of spinning or trainer all winter makes me ill, rather freeze than die of boredom. Send me a private mssg.

I bailed on yesterday's ride home spending the night at work--didn't feel like battling the wind, again, even though I had better clothing choices this time, but by the time I addressed the tasks for the day, it was getting late.

I'm way ahead of schedule, so no worries:

http://twitpic.com/show/full/3g4avy.png

dag dude, sleeping at work.

So you missed this AMs commute, 18F at the start but no wind. It wasn't too bad, Mondays ride home was worse. I was dressed well. MARC train was 30 friggin' minutes late though. I was so cold for the second ride but did warm up eventually, around mile 4. I had more wool on me than a sheep. Gloves were really good, mountaineering gortex covers, thick poly inserts and my thin wool liners. I still have one more layer of warm clothing to go to if the temps go lower but it's only mid December:eek: We haven't even hit February. Gonna be a long winter.

I left the climbing gym last night and there was a commuter bike parked out front. It had those wind breaking mitts(pogies like kayakers use) attached to the drops. Looked very interesting. Since I use 2 bikes it won't work for me(hassle to remove, I think). You guys might be interested in them.
http://winter-cycling-gloves.com/expedition-pogies.php

Also, I tapped the Belgium Dubbel last night. This was made many, many months ago in anticipation of Christmas. Mighty fine I might say, Brewers Art look out!

I'll take some of that Dubbel. Slurp.

My hands didn't warm up this morning until after mile 15. I was actually enjoying the ride without yesterday's nasty winds. But slowly my thumbs and pinky fingers started screaming at me. All I could do was upshift and start pushing harder. The pain only began to subside around the time I was getting into Owings Mills. Everything else was fine. Gotta keep toying around with the glove system.

Did the pogies on that commuter bike look this?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_baler/5255565099/
Jon, who's ridden a couple of rambles just put them on his Surly recently. He gives them a good review.

BTW I can't imagine stopping to wait for a train for 30 minutes.

They were more like this one(middle).
http://www.trails-edge.com/onlinecatalog.htm

This company also makes a drop bar style. It is the 3rd pic on right. The drop bar one looks like it will break the wind but lots of open space on the sides.

Here's a review on some
(the blue collar pogies look like some cut off the sleeves of a jacket and taped them Think about a jacket that is too hot for biking. Cut off the sleeves, sew the ends so they are not fraying and velcro them to the bars.)
http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/01/18/pogies/

stop by for some Dubbbel, 7.5% alcohol but smooth as silk

There's no one at home to see... no pets to take care of, so why not? I had access to free decaf coffee and a snack machine, so no problema.

That was the bike and pogies. Looks different in the pix. I talked to Joe on MORE. He was at the gym last night.

No-sleepie-at-workie today. I felt pretty good on today's trip home:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59817510

Just bumped into the SPP mileage challenge page: http://sites.google.com/site/severna...eloton-mileage
NR will win this one handily. Kinda surprised that, if I were in the running, I would be second place.
Looks like a couple riders might hit the 10K mark for the year though.

snow
 

Maybe I'll start tallying mileage in 2011-might at least try for 1 century per month.

Got a bit of a snow ride in today. Headed out around 11:30 and got first sign of snow at Mays Chapel. Pretty heavy by the time I got to Falls Rd Running (pick up race #). Not concerned about slipping just the cars that might run over my skull if I do.

I withdrew so that someone else may win since I won last year (too), but I'm still sending in my monthly totals in hope of inspiring others.

Ditto! 24 snow miles, today, for me. I had a couple of squirrelly moments, but nothing to make me fall.