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Pic attach fail.

Edit: pic attach win!

Enough is enough. I'm making studded tires this weekend. Screw this dumbass winter and it snowing every second day obscuring the death ice buried below it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nice N' Easy (Post 8140383)

I need boobi.....booties. Can anyone recommend the most waterproof booties known to man?

I like the MEC ones so far. Sloppy road goo resistant, and as an added bonus they block the wind and help keep my toes warmer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavernmech (Post 8141063)

Sorels.

i'm with keith on this one - for the first winter ever i am riding in winter boots and much happier for it. although my feet were a bit damp today but i think that was water getting in the tops.

actually i would love to see real winter boots with spd drillings on the sole.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremywhitehorn (Post 8142890)

actually i would love to see real winter boots with spd drillings on the sole.

It's been done, Damian W. from the CS/AJ team was showing me his, and they are awesome. I'd tell y'all how he did it but to be honest I can't remember. I was very impressed though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pyze-guy (Post 8142260)

I like the MEC ones so far. Sloppy road goo resistant, and as an added bonus they block the wind and help keep my toes warmer.

and you get to come heckle dan and me for not working!

Oh FYI

Gt snow racer + 2 jump + 45* 15m run up = bad call

Broke the steering wheel, have a 1cm wide gash that's about 20cm long down one leg( it's hiding a huge bump that's the same length and bigenough to see through snowpants) and a bump the size of an egg on the other knee.

Don't worry I landed it and got like 3 ft of air and traveled like 4 ft.

... but did you tweak it when in the air?
Heal up fast, there's more snow coming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuz (Post 8137983)

Oh boy... Jerk cut me off and splashed me soaked. And he was speeding too. Arghhh...

d'oh! sounds rather purposeful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremywhitehorn (Post 8142886)

i'm with keith on this one - for the first winter ever i am riding in winter boots and much happier for it. although my feet were a bit damp today but i think that was water getting in the tops.

hmm... i've resorted to winter boots the last couple years, but i've found that i don't like a hiking boot style because the back of my ankle and bottom of my rain pants don't overlap enough... leaving a nice "trough" for the water to run right down. now i wear kodiaks (similar to sorels, but a fabric upper) and i love how light, flexible, and grippy on pedals they are. and also awesome for walking though deep snow in general. there is still about an inch of fabric that isn't waterproof. days like yesterday i might get a bit wet, but the insulation inside the boots absorbs a lot of it, and at least provides some insulation. i still have my lakes (+ booties), but the neoprene is now starting to disintegrate. also, in regards to the spd cleats, i find that once the snow flies if i have to put my foot down a lot/walk at all ice covers the metal really quickly, making it difficult - if not impossible - to clip back in. in squirrely conditions, i like to be able to put either foot down as quickly as i need to. my $.02!

fyi:

Quote:

Helmets for 2009

We have posted our review of helmets being sold in 2009. It covers trends, new developments and individual models.

http://www.helmets.org/helmet09.htm

In brief, there is no radical safety improvement this year that would compel you to replace your current helmet. Almost all of the helmets we describe meet standards and offer good if not excellent protection.

There are new helmets in 2009 that are worth a look if you need a new one. There are more new models appearing with the rounder, smoother profile that we think is best when you crash. The legally required CPSC standard ensures good protection in the US market. Without comparative
test data we usually do not know if a model exceeds the requirements of the standard and offers superior protection. We hope for a new article from Consumer Reports during 2009 with some test data on the current crop of helmets.

The rounder, smoother "compact," "city," "urban" or "commuter" models that we recommend are still growing in number, and most manufacturers have at least one in their lineup now. The higher priced helmets have big vents, but no verifiable advantage in impact performance.

There are no new radical impact materials in bicycle helmets this year. Strap adjustment fittings--buckles and side pieces--badly need improvement. Most of them slip too easily. Ring fit systems, the "one size fits all" solution, have taken over for most of the less expensive and mid-range models.

We still recommend looking for a helmet that:

1. Meets the CPSC bicycle helmet standard.
2. Fits you well.
3. Has a rounded, smooth exterior with no major snag points.
4. Has no more vents than you need. More vents = less foam.

We have a long list of rounder, smoother helmets for 2009, and sections on Value Helmets, Extra Large Helmets, Extra Small Helmets, Helmets for Rounder Heads, Helmets for Narrow Heads, "Women-Specific" Designs, Made in USA Helmets, Models available outside the US, Cooling
performance, Prices and a very long section describing almost all of the helmets you will see on the 2009 market.

As always, we appreciate feedback!

_______________________________________________

The Helmet Update - Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Randy Swart, Editor - randy@helmets.org
4611 Seventh Street South, Arlington, VA 22204-1419 USA
(703) 486-0100 info@helmets.org http://www.helmets.org
Previous issues: http://www.helmets.org/newslett.htm

(yeah, i'm going for the triple)

also, apparently today is the last call for the toronto bike winter photo contest:

http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikewinter/art-show.htm

Quote:

Originally Posted by shapelike (Post 8141225)

Important update: we can make sandwiches.

http://hypem.com/track/703504/Detroi...tra+Piklz+Redo)

the song is good but the video is priceless

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremywhitehorn (Post 8142886)

i'm with keith on this one - for the first winter ever i am riding in winter boots and much happier for it. although my feet were a bit damp today but i think that was water getting in the tops.

I bought the exhauster cool weather boots from MEC. Was out in -25 with the wind in Ottawa and my feet were warm and dry.

That being said I put in winter insoles, wear thin wool socks under neopren socks, I cut out felt insoles the shape of the tongue and glued them on and wear the MEC waterproof booties. My feet were sweating today after 50 minute ride to work.

I just put wool socks and use my soccer shoes and pray for the best. Sometimes my toes are frozen on arrival but they warm up in no time so it's no biggie. If it's wet though it's a sure thing. Might get me one of those booties.

I've only got a 20 minute commute so I just wear some old leather boots or sometimes, my old Pumas. When it is really wet out, I have some el cheapo nylon rain pants. Fenders are a necessity, I cannot imagine a winter in Toronto without them (or a summer, as evidenced by the very wet 2008 "summer").

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer (Post 8143366)

... but did you tweak it when in the air?
Heal up fast, there's more snow coming.

What do you take me for? Hell yea I tweaked it

Went back today and used the gps for speed. Apparently we maxed out at 27 km/h

hahahahaha atta boy!!!

Spoke with a bud last night and it looks like Mtl's Ice Race may be on Valentine's Day.

Overhead on the CBC: "... like the Christie Pits race riot of 1933." Umm, what?

Quote:

On August 16, 1933, Christie Pits was the scene of a six-hour riot, mostly between the Anglo-Canadian Pit Gang (also called the Swastika-Club) and the predominantly Jewish Spadina Avenue Gang which also included many Italian members

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christie_Pits

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer (Post 8149756)

hahahahaha atta boy!!!

Spoke with a bud last night and it looks like Mtl's Ice Race may be on Valentine's Day.

For those who might want to make a trip up North. CS/AJ Racing is putting on an Ice Race as part of the festivities during the Kearney Dog Sled Race weekend Feb 7/8. Accommodations will be available if anyone wants to join in the fun. PM me for more details.
I just made a couple of calls and the MTL race will indeed be on Valentines Day weekend and the Annual T.O. race will be the following weekend...the 21st.

Growing up in Toronto, there was a pretty tough gang that was based in Christie Pits. They called themselves the Christie Pits Boys (original, I know) but yeah, they were actually quite a bunch of bad-asses, lots of stabbings and they famously jacked Bloor Cycle by swarming the whole place and running out with almost all the bikes on the floor. Bloor Cycle used to be across the street from Sweet Pete's up on Bloor but they closed down in the '90s. There were 4 or 5 bike shops up there at one time...

I use the MEC booties, too. They seem to work out for the most part, walking through snow tends to gather **** under the toe after a while, but otherwise they've been great. I use some regular MTB shoes underneath (Cannondale Roams).

+1 to Fenders are essential.

Happy Friday, weee!

what do you get when you cross fixed gear with canadian winters?