Winter Returns with a Vengeance!
 

Winter returns with a vengeance to Southwestern Ontario:

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It sure made for a fun ride home - the deep drifts and ruts from car tires created all sorts of handling issues. Plus, with the temperatures hovering just under the freezing point, passing motorists were spraying slush all over my lower legs and boots. At least they were passing me - I was well lit up with all my blinkies on. I'm sure glad I kept my snow tires on. This voice of experience says that the Schwalbe Marathon Winter is an excellent winter tire.

LIES you got that all from snow trucks! : P

If we'd gotten this "snow storm" somewhere in the winter of '07-'08 it would not have warranted a separate thread

Just sayin'.:)

This todays snow storm is nothing compared to what we had last winter or the year before.

Still at work , watching it turn to slush, bummer, MORE SNOW!!!!! Been dyin' for a good snow ride home.

Maybe so, but as this is my first winter commuting, I thought I'd share my day's experience. I'm sure compared to some of our posters (Alaskans, Scandinavians) this is nothing. Not to mention the recent dump in the DC area.

Confessional: I basically lane-split all the way home. I rode up Don Mills, which was totally gridlocked from the hills up by York Mills all the way down to Eglinton.

The only time on the whole ride that I wasn't riding between two lanes of stationary cars was when I climbed the hill over the 401... I was basically riding by myself since everyone with snowtires and/or 4WD was blocked by those without. The hills on Sheppard was more of the same.

Epic motoring fail.

I don't feel too bad about lane-splitting, given that they were ALL blocking the bike/bus lane illegally anyways.

@ 9pm the curb lane going E. on King was a weird 1/2 inch of ice with rivers of snow melt all over. Looks like the salter didn't get out at all before rush hour.
Next day, blegh. Man I still want a dump of snow.

^^^^Visually the road looked pretty much as you describe....they looked like shiny ice, and the cars were indeed sliding about (which doesn't mean much I guess).

But I was only running studs in the front, I just had a regular mountain bike tire in the back, and I couldn't break the back wheel loose even charging uphill. I think the ice was pretty soft.

Hah. I fell twice on frozen melt on the ride home today (im in toronto), its not so bad when you fall of because you slide more than anything. weeeeeeee. Though i think i may have bent my rear derailer........ DOH

Ya, but you get wet also! Here is a winter commute/ride video from Guelph. Enjoy and get ready for more snow ;)

My commute today, the biggest snowfall this Winter yet in NYC and it's still coming down.

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Adam

^^^ I'm watching the news right now and it looks like NY is in for more. You be careful out there, but have fun.

Thanks! I got home in one piece, no major problems, traffic was very light. But boy, was I tired :D

A.

You werent kidding about the 'more snow'

I got stuck in a storm like that last week. Weather forecast said 1-2 inches, we got over 5 and the snow plows seemed to be on strike.

I managed to find a road without a lot of traffic, and found a pretty wide truck tire track and rode it for about 2 miles. Then got a bus home the rest of the way.

You get a lot of odd stares from car drivers in this situation.