Sheesh! It's been hovering at 32F for the past week, and this week it's supposed to break 40F!!!

I'm gonna die of friggin heat exhaustion here...

Tell me about it... 47F in NYC, today... insane

Quiet you! When I rode home this evening it was nearly 35F and it was wonderful! Bring on spring I say!

I was 32F here today. I didn't feel any obvious signs of heat stroke, but I was careful.

Agreed. My fenders are too small for this much water.

Quiet yourself! The skier in me says "Summer never, Winter forever!". And the cyclist in me used to be down with that, ever since he discovered the utility of studs on a bike. But the last several winters have been marked by repeated freeze/thaw cycles, and man oh man do I hate slush.

I swear that when I was a kid, we'd never see a drop of rain between October and May. I guess they really were "the good old days". Anchorage has had two Springs so far this winter, with more most likely on the way. I hate spring, or as we call it up here: breakup.

The NE is gonna have class V whitewater with all the runoff. Get your outriggers on your bikes.

It was -14C for my ride in this morning (6 F), and that's a few degrees above normal.
I'm not going to complain when spring arrives!

what i really hate is the temperature difference between morning and afternoon. yesterday it was -12 on the way in and +11 home -- that's a 23 degree (c) spread! how the heck are you supposed to dress for that? options are:

a) freeze on the way in
b) boil on the way home
c) lug extra clothing

makes me actually miss the -22/-18 splits of last month.

I actually enjoyed my no-matter-what Winter commute, but I can't wait for warmer days

d) all of the above, in varying proportions


I try to minimize what I wear in the morning, accomplishing a), so that c) isn't so bad in the afternoon, but usually between what I'm still wearing and the pack of clothes on my back, b) is pretty much unavoidable. Ahhh... signs of spring. Also got to love the persistant ice-ruts beneath the deepening slush puddles. It adds a sense of adventure and danger! Will I slip and take a swim? At least I have extra clothes!

Yeah, nothing says spring quite like biking with studded tires, swim fins, and a snorkel.

+1 am sad

300%+ of the energy you put into the pedals goes to generating body heat

oh, i hear that. the last week has been pushing studded tires over dry pavement and through puddles all for the sake of one shady hill that still has a patch of ice on it.

on the plus side, when i do put the slicks back on, i'm gonna fly!

I loathe this transitional period. Chilly, moist air is...ugh. The temperature swing makes dressing for the commute problematic.

I've seen Wisconsin themed t-shirts that say "It's A Dry Cold" which, although being for a lark, do make a point. Wet cold is miserable.

yep, I was writing about that a few weeks ago. personally I can't wait for warmer weather. I'm hoping my IT Band feels better when it warms up. I've backed off the commuting since I read it helps my conditions to stay off the hills.

the studs are coming off this weekend...high in the low 40's on Sat

Unless the storm rolling over today dumps more than 2-3" of snow, the studs are coming off for me this weekend as well.

The two shortcuts / trails that tend to be sheets of ice throughout the winter have all but cleared, both down to just two sharp corners that i'll need to step off for over the next week or two. That's the same criteria that gets used to justify mounting the studs going into Christmas.

I think mine are probably coming off this weekend as well. The roads and paths I'm using are pretty clear at this point, and it looks like highs are going to be in the mid-30s to 40s from now on.

my "icy hill" was actually clear on the way in this morning... so, this weekend is stud-removal for me too! maybe i'll even go shopping and see if anyone's got yellow-sidewall tires to match my bar tape. hm.

Tomorrow I'll be riding a hybrid bike with 700C wheels and only one studded tire on the front, since we're down to bare-ish pavement with just the threat of occasional ice... Whoo hoo! See you next year, winter bike forum.

Noooo! Wait! Don't leave me here all alone with my Nokians! They're looking at me kinda funny....with sort of an evil grin...


It's studs for me until April. But I will be switching to lighter duty studs.

Remember what I was saying about it being too warm?

Screw. That.

I rode today without booties on my feet and it was AMAZING! I forgot what it felt like to ride a bike without my feet trapped in cocoons of neoprene.

Death to winter I say!

p.s. I WISH I could take my studs off. There are a few parts of my commute on which water accumulates and freezes either early morning when I work days or evenings when I work nights. What I can't see might kill me. Ugh.

The studs are off....riding like Superman unimpaired by kryptonite.

Me too. Studs off, platforms off, dirt off, no shadow. Probably means 6 more weeks of winter.