Winter commuting - Create List of potential hazards
10-22-14, 04:55 PM
#76
contiuniously variable
I don't mean to offend any of the true Northern climates (temps well below freezing and months of snow cover), I just giggle when some people talk about winter and cold weather riding. I know that Minneapolis riding is nothing compared with winter biking in AK. Or, a friend that lived in Montana for a few years, he'd ride temps much colder than the -25F we occasionally see here. I also giggle at other MN riders with full balaclava and goggles on when it's 45F - I'm in knickers and a wool jersey with the sleeves pushed up (& sweating).
It should also be noted: I am a giant a $ $
It should also be noted: I am a giant a $ $
The ice storm happened one week before.....
https://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/I...o-outages.html
So we had the ice storm, then the big winter snowy storm. We got hammered with bitter cold and unusually high amounts of snowfall, but we also on one of the days went from 56 degrees to -2 in the same day, i think that was the week before the ice storm, or back in that january....... that was bizarre.
Edit: Ice storm gallery. https://www.philly.com/philly/gallery...ia_region.html
- Andy
Last edited by TransitBiker; 10-22-14 at 05:12 PM.
10-23-14, 11:18 AM
#77
meh
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We did have one day of real winter here this year so I get to chime in with my one trip experience. My big surprise hazard: chain frozen to the cogs and rear derailleur! I got overconfident and up-shifted, not realizing that the chain moving over the gears was the only thing keeping the ice off. Chain sliding over, then frozen solid when I stopped. You can't shift, you shouldn't stop, who knew?
56) Iced up drive train
Darn, Alan S beat me to it post number 22, so this should be 35) freezing drive train
56) Iced up drive train
Darn, Alan S beat me to it post number 22, so this should be 35) freezing drive train
The other issue: 57) Frozen freehub. At temps below 0F the pawls can freeze in the recessed (coast) position, then you start pedaling and there is nothing there. You can sometimes fix it by pedaling at the same speed as the wheel and get the pawls to re-engage (like shifting your car without using the clutch). This is why some winter riders go fixie, but I just get the freehub rebuilt/greased every fall and that keeps it happy.
10-23-14, 10:15 PM
#79
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Coffee shops. Next to bakeries who conspire to blast the twin aromas of fresh brewed coffee with just out of the oven cinnamon rolls to create a siren song that calls to you. Abandon that silliness, you DESERVE a nice cup and bun, honey. Put the bike on the rack on the bus..
10-23-14, 11:48 PM
#81
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Coffee shops. Next to bakeries who conspire to blast the twin aromas of fresh brewed coffee with just out of the oven cinnamon rolls to create a siren song that calls to you. Abandon that silliness, you DESERVE a nice cup and bun, honey. Put the bike on the rack on the bus..
That is a winter hazard far too horrible to contemplate!
10-24-14, 12:41 AM
#82
contiuniously variable
Oh, i forgot one: Utility wires throwing ice, not just dropping but with some speed to it from wind. Can happen from utility poles too.
- Andy
- Andy
11-07-14, 06:01 AM
#83
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Man, this is killing me. In the summer, I can easily crank two hours before having to relieve myself. When the weather is cold (less than 60 F, is cold for me), I can barely make it 30 minutes before being in pain...
Am I the only one with this problem?
Am I the only one with this problem?
I was gratified to read about this phenomenon a few years ago, called “cold diuresis.” A nice explanation is provided in Outside Magazine:
Prior to googling this, I had thought that the above-described vascular constriction model was the mechanism.
Here in Massachusetts, there are stories (? urban legends) about scofflaws diuresing in public being tagged as Level I sex offenders. So one has to be careful….
Originally Posted by Outside Magazine
What you’re experiencing is called cold diuresis, a phenomenon that occurs for reasons that are not entirely clear. One theory that remains popular—though it has been contested—explains how it works like this: When your temperature starts to drop, your body will attempt to reduce heat loss by constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the surface of the skin. When that happens, your blood pressure will rise, because the same volume of blood is flowing through less space in your body. In response, your kidneys will pull out excess fluid to reduce your blood pressure, making you have to pee. “A full bladder is a place for additional heat loss, so urinating will help conserve heat,” writes Rick Curtis, the director of Princeton University’s Outdoor Action Program.
There is no set temperature that will induce cold diuresis, as age, gender, body composition, diet, and even posture can influence whether or not it will occur. In an oft-cited study from more than 60 years ago, researchers found that exercising moderately while exposed to the cold can prevent cold diuresis...
There is no set temperature that will induce cold diuresis, as age, gender, body composition, diet, and even posture can influence whether or not it will occur. In an oft-cited study from more than 60 years ago, researchers found that exercising moderately while exposed to the cold can prevent cold diuresis...
Here in Massachusetts, there are stories (? urban legends) about scofflaws diuresing in public being tagged as Level I sex offenders. So one has to be careful….
11-08-14, 10:38 PM
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I don't think I can add to the list. I've seen plenty of entries that, I agree, are hazardous.
I'll reiterate though, for those who aren't familiar with winter riding and are considering it, the hazard posed by drivers who don't expect to see a bicycle out there. The other hazards on this list, so far, are manageable for me.
But those drivers who actually panic, stomp on the brakes, and start sliding when they come around a curve or over a rise and see us frighten me more than anything else on this list.
And they're far more common than I'd have expected.
But don't let me dissuade anyone. Winter riding is still very rewarding. And it's not like those drivers come along every few seconds or anything like that.
Just be aware. And be even a bit more defensive than usual.
I'll reiterate though, for those who aren't familiar with winter riding and are considering it, the hazard posed by drivers who don't expect to see a bicycle out there. The other hazards on this list, so far, are manageable for me.
But those drivers who actually panic, stomp on the brakes, and start sliding when they come around a curve or over a rise and see us frighten me more than anything else on this list.
And they're far more common than I'd have expected.
But don't let me dissuade anyone. Winter riding is still very rewarding. And it's not like those drivers come along every few seconds or anything like that.
Just be aware. And be even a bit more defensive than usual.
11-09-14, 05:01 PM
#85
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I don't think I can add to the list. I've seen plenty of entries that, I agree, are hazardous.
I'll reiterate though, for those who aren't familiar with winter riding and are considering it, the hazard posed by drivers who don't expect to see a bicycle out there. The other hazards on this list, so far, are manageable for me.
But those drivers who actually panic, stomp on the brakes, and start sliding when they come around a curve or over a rise and see us frighten me more than anything else on this list.
And they're far more common than I'd have expected.
But don't let me dissuade anyone. Winter riding is still very rewarding. And it's not like those drivers come along every few seconds or anything like that.
Just be aware. And be even a bit more defensive than usual.
I'll reiterate though, for those who aren't familiar with winter riding and are considering it, the hazard posed by drivers who don't expect to see a bicycle out there. The other hazards on this list, so far, are manageable for me.
But those drivers who actually panic, stomp on the brakes, and start sliding when they come around a curve or over a rise and see us frighten me more than anything else on this list.
And they're far more common than I'd have expected.
But don't let me dissuade anyone. Winter riding is still very rewarding. And it's not like those drivers come along every few seconds or anything like that.
Just be aware. And be even a bit more defensive than usual.
When I arrived at work about 45 minutes late, instead of receiving tough guy kudos for the ride, I was scolded because the secretary was worried that I had not shown up since usually I am the first to arrive, even in bad weather.
11-10-14, 09:12 AM
#86
Senior Member
Frozen twig (a component of the "twig and giggle berries" collection). For really cold rides (-20C/-4F or colder, especially if there is a wind chill on top of that), I'll stuff a "sheet" of bubble wrap down the inside of my tights (over top of my undies or bike shorts, whatever I'm wearing) covering my groin area. You know the feeling when your fingers or toes get really, really cold and then you go into a warm room/house and the burning feeling that goes through them as they warm up, imagine that feeling through your twig, really painful (believe me, it's happened a couple of times before I figured this trick out). The problem is, whether there is a headwind or not, cold wind is directed down your coat, to your groin area and up off the top of your legs to your groin area and is trapped there. Even though I've worn a warm, snowboard-like coat which tend to be rather long (especially mine which is now too large since I've lost a bit of weight), the long coat is not sufficient: the bubble wrap is so good that I'll even get a bit sweaty in the groin area despite with cold thighs (tolerably cold, not severely cold).
11-10-14, 03:18 PM
#87
Senior Member
Number your hazzard to make it count!
1) Wet leaves
2) Wet Painted lines
3) Gravel
4) Ice
5) Snow
6) Frostbite
7) Fogging, if you are wearing eyewear, like you should
8) Cars and their drivers.
9) Weather: layers7) Yetis
10) Drivers who do not clear windows
11) Sewer, manhole, water main covers (wet metal)
12) Debris hidden under leaves
13) Thinking too much lists to focus on riding
14) Drivers with poor night vision
15) Windburn
16) Cars skidding on snow or ice
17) Drivers who think 4WD makes their car stop faster on ice
18) Deep rutted ice that is harder than diamonds and never melts
18) Pavement immediately before a stoplight where the exhaust from idling cars melts some of the ice, eventually forming a perfect slick - flat ice topped with a thin layer of liquid water.
19) Deep very wet snow
19) Salt and debris trapped in slush that can rapidly wear moving parts or chemically react with any exposed steel
20) chain rust
20) Less daylight
21) drivetrain upkeep
22) salt, salt, and more salt. (see #20 and #21 )
23) short days = riding frequently in darkness
24) crashing, not being able to move, then dying of exposure (maybe that's 2)
25) responding to the inevitable, "You didn't ride today did you?" queries posed by non riders.
26) having to roll with studded tires on dry pavement
27) deep cookie dough snow on top of ice in intersections
28) Other cyclists, ill prepared or inexperienced for winter conditions
29) impatient and distracted drivers who are driving home in the dark when, at other times, would be driving in the light. This frightened me in the suburbs more than nearly anything.
30) Holiday Shoppers!
30) drivers trying to see out of a postage stamp sized hole in their ice covered windshield while they drive.
31) snow and ice flying off minivans, SUVs and large trucks because their owners just couldn't be bothered to clear the roof.
33) the loss of the shoulder or bike lane as the case may be due to plowed snow.
34) Being forced into sketchy deep snow on the edge of the road in heavy traffic and fearing you'll go down and slide right under a car. (see # 33)
36: Deep breaths of cold air.
37: DOT trucks & their grit/sand/salt spreaders.
38: Any motorist.
39: Ice or snow or both falling from branches, wires, etc.
40: Mist obscuring visibility/icing your bike up.
41: Visions of hot cocoa distracting you.
42)Transients with fires, shopping carts, discarded trash and personal items on MUP's
43) Electrical failures on dark streets with abrupt edges
44) Sand drifts in the bike lane for months after the roads freeze and the city mostly grinds to a halt that one day in late January.
45) Black ice, often from frozen condensation on roadways when air temps are still above freezing and no precip has been recorded. Can be totally invisible, without even a sheen to warn the cyclist. Areas that are perpetually shady, such as north sides of buildings, are potential trouble spots.
46) Not having the correct change for the bus.
47). Deciding not to ride because there are too many hazards.
48) Beard Freeze
49) The snots
50) Sweaty back and frozen hands
51: walking inside a warm place before taking some layers off.
52) Snotcicles
53) SOP for bus drivers here, when the road is icy or covered in packed snow, is to stand on the gas and wait for the bus to move. Which makes for some highly polished and deep ruts.
54) Piles of brown sugar snow at intersections.
55) Slush at just the right (i.e., wrong) temperature caking and re-freezing in my bike's fenders.
56) Iced up drive train
57) Frozen freehub
58) Cold toes that suddenly feel warm again. (Hint: they are NOT warm!)
1) Wet leaves
2) Wet Painted lines
3) Gravel
4) Ice
5) Snow
6) Frostbite
7) Fogging, if you are wearing eyewear, like you should
8) Cars and their drivers.
9) Weather: layers7) Yetis
10) Drivers who do not clear windows
11) Sewer, manhole, water main covers (wet metal)
12) Debris hidden under leaves
13) Thinking too much lists to focus on riding
14) Drivers with poor night vision
15) Windburn
16) Cars skidding on snow or ice
17) Drivers who think 4WD makes their car stop faster on ice
18) Deep rutted ice that is harder than diamonds and never melts
18) Pavement immediately before a stoplight where the exhaust from idling cars melts some of the ice, eventually forming a perfect slick - flat ice topped with a thin layer of liquid water.
19) Deep very wet snow
19) Salt and debris trapped in slush that can rapidly wear moving parts or chemically react with any exposed steel
20) chain rust
20) Less daylight
21) drivetrain upkeep
22) salt, salt, and more salt. (see #20 and #21 )
23) short days = riding frequently in darkness
24) crashing, not being able to move, then dying of exposure (maybe that's 2)
25) responding to the inevitable, "You didn't ride today did you?" queries posed by non riders.
26) having to roll with studded tires on dry pavement
27) deep cookie dough snow on top of ice in intersections
28) Other cyclists, ill prepared or inexperienced for winter conditions
29) impatient and distracted drivers who are driving home in the dark when, at other times, would be driving in the light. This frightened me in the suburbs more than nearly anything.
30) Holiday Shoppers!
30) drivers trying to see out of a postage stamp sized hole in their ice covered windshield while they drive.
31) snow and ice flying off minivans, SUVs and large trucks because their owners just couldn't be bothered to clear the roof.
33) the loss of the shoulder or bike lane as the case may be due to plowed snow.
34) Being forced into sketchy deep snow on the edge of the road in heavy traffic and fearing you'll go down and slide right under a car. (see # 33)
36: Deep breaths of cold air.
37: DOT trucks & their grit/sand/salt spreaders.
38: Any motorist.
39: Ice or snow or both falling from branches, wires, etc.
40: Mist obscuring visibility/icing your bike up.
41: Visions of hot cocoa distracting you.
42)Transients with fires, shopping carts, discarded trash and personal items on MUP's
43) Electrical failures on dark streets with abrupt edges
44) Sand drifts in the bike lane for months after the roads freeze and the city mostly grinds to a halt that one day in late January.
45) Black ice, often from frozen condensation on roadways when air temps are still above freezing and no precip has been recorded. Can be totally invisible, without even a sheen to warn the cyclist. Areas that are perpetually shady, such as north sides of buildings, are potential trouble spots.
46) Not having the correct change for the bus.
47). Deciding not to ride because there are too many hazards.
48) Beard Freeze
49) The snots
50) Sweaty back and frozen hands
51: walking inside a warm place before taking some layers off.
52) Snotcicles
53) SOP for bus drivers here, when the road is icy or covered in packed snow, is to stand on the gas and wait for the bus to move. Which makes for some highly polished and deep ruts.
54) Piles of brown sugar snow at intersections.
55) Slush at just the right (i.e., wrong) temperature caking and re-freezing in my bike's fenders.
56) Iced up drive train
57) Frozen freehub
58) Cold toes that suddenly feel warm again. (Hint: they are NOT warm!)
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