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how do you deal with snow plows
hi folks..curious how you deal with town/state snow plows and sanders on the road.?my commute i have two roads with minimal side walk availability.and both have some very narrow spots.the rest of commute roads are wider but there are still town/state plows and sanders out and about.this area also has sidewalks but they are usually covered in snow or blocked at end of driveways/roads.i do not usually commute in snow/snow covered roads due to these situations.
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If I see one coming behind me, I usually pull off at a side street or parking lot. If that's not possible, they usually stop their salt and give me plenty of room.
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I remember snow plows... from when I lived in the mountains up north.
Down here, our snow removal is accomplished by warming temperatures. Sometimes it takes a while -- why, only four years ago, we had snow visible on the ground for more than two weeks! Sadly, it took a whole week for the roads to clear. :) |
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Get the heck out of their way however I can. Mr. Snowplowdriverman doesn't give a hoot, likely isn't going to see me, and seems to be more than happy to sand the crap out of me.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=416439 (img from weurbanist) |
If I can, I get off the road I wait for them to pass.
i want the plow drivers to love bikes and I encourage them to plow curb to curb. I facilitate that by moving aside. |
This question was once asked on a thread ”How do you handle approaching snow plows.”, with the initial post dated July 23, 2009.
My urban commuter route through Boston is well tended by snowplows, enough to allow me to ride Marathon Winter studded tires, which are excellent on hardpack snow. On those snow days I ride major routes that are the first plowed, and are wide enough to allow us both to manuever. I always wear a rearview mirror to keep an eye out for them (also important for possibly skidding cars behind me). A fellow Bostonian posted this amusing description of encounters with snowplows:
Originally Posted by buzzman
(Post 8128373)
…I have been riding a bike for transportation purposes in New England winters for almost 40 years now. A few things I've observed during that time…
#4) In really bad conditions the only motorized vehicles on the road will be snowplows, emergency vehicles and people in cars who are too stupid to stay home. That means that the bicyclist must be prepared to take evasive maneuvers and ride with extreme caution when in the proximity of any motorized vehicle during the winter. #5) Snowplow drivers are super dangerous. Don't mess with them. They have often been driving the plow in horrible conditions without sleep for 24-48 hours and are soused in coffee and possibly worse and they may not be able to discern whether your reflectorized vest and blinkie is an alien spacecraft landing or the beginning of a migraine headache but the last thing they'll expect it to be is a bicyclist… #10) Winter cyclists are definitely marching to the beat of a different drummer.;) |
The best solution i found for dealing with the Boston snow plows was to move to Florida. Believe it or not, i haven't seen one single snow plow in 4 years down here.
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My city bought a sand truck about 10 years ago and got to use it last year for the first time. In anticipation of freezing rain, they sanded all the bridges overnight. The trucks were therefore no problem, but you couldn't use the shoulders on the bridges for a week.
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I don't take chances with snow plows, I just go on the sidewalk.
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Originally Posted by Bat56
(Post 17285706)
If I can, I get off the road I wait for them to pass.
i want the plow drivers to love bikes and I encourage them to plow curb to curb. I facilitate that by moving aside. |
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
(Post 17287887)
This question was once asked on a thread ”How do you handle approaching snow plows.”, with the initial post dated July 23, 2009.
My urban commuter route through Boston is well tended by snowplows, enough to allow me to ride Marathon Winter studded tires, which are excellent on hardpack snow. On those snow days I ride major routes that are the first plowed, and are wide enough to allow us both to manuever. I always wear a rearview mirror to keep an eye out for them (also important for possibly skidding cars behind me). A fellow Bostonian posted this amusing description of encounters with snowplows: PS: I just noted that the OP is from Massachusetts. Whereabouts, if you are inclined to reply? |
Originally Posted by principia 650
(Post 17334779)
hi jim i live in sharon and work in canton
I have to leave now, but I'll try to post a ride report with pictures from this summer. |
here in MA they are killers. seriously. I never rode when the plows were out.
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