I am envious of your commute, I would trade French Hill for the bike path any day! I got a pair of knobbies after the crash, but I am a little nervous about using studs as I have heard they are hard to ride on when there is no snow.

Good luck with riding in this cold we have been dealing with lately! I am not envious of that!

The frostbite was a week or two after the crash (can't quite remember which ride). My feet were dry, just extremely cold. I think the temps were in the low teens, and it was somewhat windy (gusts that were strong, and then no wind as I rode through some areas with trees). I think I am going to try to find some kind of battery operated socks. Warm toes would put me back on the bike more often this winter I think. Definitely not going to try it without guaranteed warmth though!

I had forgotten about this trick, I remember reading about it in another thread earlier in the season, and will have to remember it if I decide to give it another try.

Umm...well...I don't really know what I was thinking.... Guess ignorance was bliss for a few short minutes prior to going down. At least I learned how slippery ice can be when on a bike, and what the penalty is without becoming a road pancake.

Kat

The only thing I've noticed with the extra-knobby studded tires is that they start getting a little squirrely around 15MPH. That is, the bike begins to feel "loose" in the steering department. (On dry pavement, which is bad for studs anyway so I try to go slow or avoid it if possible.)

I wouldn't characterize it as a dangerous feeling. I wouldn't want to bomb down a hill either, I don't think.

I'm done commuting until after the holidays. Hopefully this warm weather melts a lot of the trail snow so it smooths out.

Hi CommuterKat!
I feel your pain!!!
I got T-boned on Nov3.
I too was lucky enough to walk away!
The last thing I remember as I flew over the trunk of this car was "crap! where's my bike?!"

I'm glad your ok and yes I agree...NEVER LET YOUR RADAR DOWN....It's ugly out there!
Take care!!
bert

I've also found out the hard way that ice can be painful. I think I fell down at least 5 times. In Iceland usually you ride the bike on the side walk (strange) I decided to get off the side walk to pass a group of people blocking my way on the walk and as soon as I got onto the street, down I went. It was humiliating.

The other times there weren't any people around but were just as painful. I even fell down with my violin on my back. Certainly not a smart thing to do when it costs more than a car.

The main problem here is that it doesn't snow that much so I don't want to bother with Nokians however you never know when you'll come across ice because it's always invisible black ice.

Violineb, do you REALLY bike in snow with a violin on your back?! . . . What a fantastic site!
:-)

Isn't biking on sidewalk/pavement in snow/ice more risky than the road? Personally I stick to the road if ice/frost present.

Regards

I hope you and your violin are ok! I know that my bruise on my leg was definitely a source of pride for a while. My kneecap is chipped in two places though, and that hasn't even started to heal yet. I think it might be sore for the rest of the winter. Glad you are out there in the winter, and wish I could join you!

Kat