18 degrees today for my 20 mile commute. It was pretty dang nippy. Tried out my new shoes, it was better but still I got darn cold toward the end :-(
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18 degrees today for my 20 mile commute. It was pretty dang nippy. Tried out my new shoes, it was better but still I got darn cold toward the end :-(
Awesome that you rode this morning, I wondered if you would. Did you try chemical warmers with the new shoes?Quote:
Originally Posted by WindingRoad
I've been biking this winter and so far so good. I have an old mountain bike, converted to a single speed, with a studded tire in front and a regular mountain bike tire in back. I've been biking from my house to Minneapolis, about 3.5 miles, then putting my bike on the bus and busing to St. Paul. It has been working pretty well.
But now it has rained and it is warm, so I'm going to look silly with my studded tire and balaclava tomorrow. I wish it would just snow and stick.
For the second time in 2 commutes, I've had a cyclist/commuter come up behind me, pass me, and remark about how visible I was as we rode in the dark.
I think I take lighting to a ridiculous degree. I have a road worker's day-glow reflective vest on over my winter jacket. I have a headlight, a flashing light on the back - and front - of my helmet, a light on my rack, and a light hanging from my pannier. That's 3 tail lights and 2 headlights. I have reflective trim or tape on the pannier itself, on the rack, on the rear fender, and on various spots on the frame and wheels.
So a guy came up and passed me on the MUT tonight and said "Wow. No one can ever say they didn't see you!"
"Good," I replied. "Then I know it's working, cuz that's my intent."
I also know it's working when car after car crosses the double line to give me w-i-d-e berth when passing me on the road.
And if you were to get hit in spite of your excellent lights, the insurance company would be much more likely to cough up without a fight. If they did put up a fight, your lights would be a major point in your favor.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
Sadly that is something we have to think about. That's another reason I stop at every single stop sign and light: to establish a pattern of behavior that can't be questioned. And signaling. Etc.
It was so warm today! It was in the 50's I think. There was a thunderstorm in the middle of the night. It was raining when I left. My overshoes, which never worked that well anyway, won't go over my new shoes. I tried grocery sacks. It worked fine on my left foot. The one on the right foot got caught in the gears.
I'll have to ask my husband to save a bread sack (I eat my own homemade bread, he sometimes eats store bought bread), to use on my right foot. That might work better.
7rider - I think that is awesome you have such good lighting! I actually think most drivers appreciate a degree of overkill to be honest because they just aren't expecting to see cyclists and we are easy to miss when it comes right down to it. I have a tail light on my rack, one clips on my bag and another is on the back of my helmet. I just finished the 'detailing' the other day with reflective tape strategically placed for better side visibility. I also have a 600 lumen head light, in fact sometimes I have TWO of those. Since it is the Christmas Season I added some battery powered LED lights for good measure. Driver's reactions to a bike covered in Christmas lights is absolutely priceless :D:D:D
Last night I discovered yet another perk of having lots of lights. I've been riding without my downlow glow for a while because I need to replace the battery. Last night my headlamp quit working. Two lights down...and I still have monkey lights, front reelight, back reelight, and back blinkie.
The headlamp was an easy fix, I just had to fiddle with the part that plugs in. Sometimes it gets finicky in the rain. But I do need to get the downlow glow taken care of! And my back blinkie is not much of a blinkie, the bit that covers the light bulb fell off so I think it's less effective. Having a surplus of lights only works if you keep them all in good repair, so when one or two do go out you still have lots left.
The bright yellow raincoat with reflective piping sure doesn't hurt anything either.
(not that this applies to you...but it made me think of this)Quote:
Originally Posted by Melalvai
Good:
Saw a guy the other day riding while wearing a bright yellow jacket with reflective piping.
Bad:
But he had a black backpack on his back, which blocked most of the jacket.
Good:
The pack had a little reflective triangle on it and he had a flashing helmet light.
Bad:
He was on a road bike so hunched over so the triangle pointed straight up into the air. Not exactly visible. And the backpack obscured the tiny red flasher he had on the back of his helmet.
Lesson:
Go for a ride in your neighborhood after dark with a friend or spouse and a car. Have friend or other drive behind you and make sure your doo-dads actually do what you intend them to do (i.e., make you visible).
That's a great point! After I got my downlow glow I tried to get my husband to drive around the block while I was riding around it and tell me how visible I was. He never got around to it, but some friends commented that they'd seen me biking at night and I was super visible.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
Today's commute: I got studded tires last Sunday, and all week it's been too warm for ice. Today is cold, lower 20's. It's dry, but there was a little ice at the edges of the road. If I swerved, I could manage to hit a patch of ice here and there. So I did. :D
But I can't wait for real snow & ice to try out the tires!
It was 28F when I rode in, and now it's 54F. I hate this time of year because I have to wear long underwear and thick gloves in the morning and then bring lighter gloves and tights for my ride home.
I am enjoying not using my studded tires yet though - it's been a warm, drier winter so far.
We've had a fairly mild fall as well, although the commute today was pretty cold. It was 7 degrees out when I left this morning, so definitely quite the shock! Although it's supposed to be like this here in Maine in December:p I will admit though that I'm enjoying not riding with my studded tires yet.:D
Happy holidays everyone!
http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com
It rained yesterday and I got wet 3 times during the day. It didn't bother me but today I decided to have a walk just because I realized that I am just like those people who do not want to separate from their car but it's a bike instead. So, 2 or 3 times per month, I take a walk: either to work (it's brisk walk though) or just around town.
On my way to work today I also realized that I have 10 minutes left so I decided to climb 1300 steps as a fasted cardio. There is a monument on a plateau near the town where I live and it is very convenient and lots of people climb the steps every morning for a workout. I think it's great.
So, no bike commuting today :)
I could easily walk when it's nasty out and I wouldn't even need my studded tires for the snow. But I'm so excited about the tires. It'll make it easier to have the option to walk or bike. Biking is so much faster, if I want to do a quick errand, or I have several stops around town on my way to work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Anelia
Walking is healthier exercise (weight-bearing), and even more details to observe along the way. Like the way the funny tree looks like the left branch ends in a fist and the other branch is pointing a finger straight up into the sky. The very old siamese cat. The three dogs who always bark, one of them jumps up on the doghouse to see me better.
Last bike commute of 2011 today. :(
And the county, in it's infinite wisdom [sic], decided to re-ramp all the intersections at the sidewalk for this one 1/3 mile section where I have to be on the sidewalk (6-lane road with no shoulder and motorists routinely exceeding the 45-mph speed limit by a good 10-15 mph). Now, they just did this exact thing about 3 years ago, so not sure what changed that they needed to go back and do it again. No one's budget allows for busy work, so I don't know what the deal is. Anyway, I always find it ironic - and frustrating - that in the midst of their construction project to make the sidewalks "more accesible" or more ADA compliant perhaps, they never seem to make accommodations for those groups during the work. I had to mtb with my commuter and dismount and walk my bike in traffic around their barriers twice. If I were in a wheelchair, or even on crutches, it would have been impossible for me to get around.
Oh well. I wonder if they will sweep up all the gravel that spilled on that stretch back in September. Doubt it.
I'll be back in January!
I've been pretty good about commuting 3+ times/week, but except for a day here and there, it doesn't feel like I've been "winter" commuting. Yeah, I have to make sure I've got all my lights, a hat and probably knee warmers, but it was 51 the other day when I left home (at 6am) and will be close to 60 this afternoon. I'm not complaining, but it's weird and the pessimist in me thinks we'll pay for this weather with months of snow/ice/wind/crap after the first of the year...
I like the christmas light idea, I had a couple battery-powered sets and I'll have to see if I can find them for the next couple days :)
I read something, I don't remember which state is doing this, they do make accommodations during construction. That is definitely something to push for in all 50 states. And other countries too.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
That would be worth asking for specifically. Sounds like this might be a state highway project, if they have a state DOT bike/ped coordinator talk to them, or maybe the project director if you can figure out who that is.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
This happened to me recently: they closed the whole street and I had to go around to another street where the ascent is over 15% (I'm not exaggerating) and it's cobbled. I ride mt bike so I switched to the lowest gears and I still panted at the top.
Today the sidewalk near my home was frozen and I was happy that I rode my husband's bike with 2,35 inches Maxxis Minion tires (they are for downhill): I didn't push the brakes and I didn't slip, I felt secure even on the ice. :cool:
My route to work is about 2 miles but on the way back I chose to ride some more so I went out of town, climed our plateau: about 10 miles. The downhill was cold and windy but I had to go back :)
You can watch me on the news: It's at the end, aout 1 minute of the vudeo. It was the last working day for me in December and the news is about the heavy winter road conditions :D
Nice, Anelia!!!!
Very cool! Didn't understand a word of it but I like listening to different languages just for the sound. :)
Oh man Anelia that looks COLD.
Our 'cold snap' here in So California is when it dips into the upper 30s, F at night. A long sleeve cycling jersey, with a cycling jacket, winter gloves and a balaclava just about takes care of it. Once, last month, I also wore sweat pants over my pants, to keep my knees warm.
Last week and today, temperatures only dipped into the upper 40s at night and have been in the upper 70s to low 80s during the day (should be 84f today). Yea, winter can be really brutal here in Los Angeles county... :D
My big issue is the construction. I can't stand those metal plates that they put over the work holes in the street. They get wet and slippery, and those small rocks and paving pebbles are like marbles. Got so bad I treated myself to a new commuter that can take 35c tires and fenders. It feels so good not to have your teeth rattled loose.
Good thing I brought my spare battery today. My headlight blinked out 1/3 of the way home. I almost didn't realize it, as my new Vis-360 on my helmet is actually brighter than my Knog headlight. And allegedly the Knog has a higher lumen rating. Huh. But, I pulled off the road, swapped out the battery and was soon on my way with both lights blazing.
Such a GOOD feeling when preparations and backups save your butt! You had the spare battery AND additional lighting.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
Now get a new spare battery (or recharge the other one, whatever it is you do), before you forget.
Borne of experience, I'm afraid. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Melalvai
I once before had my headlight blink out on a ride home. No spare battery. No helmet light. Almost full dark. Was a freaky ride home.
I learned to be better about re-charging on a regular basis. Except this week. :o
Spare Li-ion battery now fully recharged and stashed back in my pannier. ;)
Snow is on its way!
But it's only supposed to last a day or so. I might have to go out of my way or bike at a strange time of day, to get my studded tires on actual ice.
Maybe I should pour buckets of water on the driveway when it gets below freezing...my family might not appreciate that. :D
I got to use my studded tires finally. For FIVE WEEKS after I bought them we didn't get a flake of snow! I was starting to think they worked by magically preventing snow...like my rain gear (for several months after I bought it, it was never raining when I was riding my bike).
This week we got snow and I got to use them. It was so much fun! The first day, I felt like all the motorists who saw me were looking at me with envy, thinking, "I wish I were on that bicycle"! To paraphrase Queen: "You want to ride my bicycle/ you want to ride my bike" :)
I had heard they aren't as good on packed snow as on ice or regular snow. I guess that's true but they are still really good on packed snow. They don't completely prevent all the slipping & sliding, but it's maybe 90% better. When I'd ride in this stuff on regular tires, I spent a lot of time with one foot off the pedals ready to touch ground.
And they are really great on hard ice and on snow that's not packed. On those surfaces I'm as stable as if on pavement.
Another thing that delighted me is that even starting on a slight incline I always had traction. I remember on regular tires having to try several times to get started because my rear wheel would just spin out.
Yeah, I could walk the 1.5 miles when it's like this, but it's SO much fun to bike with studded tires! Actually it was really nice to have my bike the last couple days, because they ended up being really long, busy days, and it was nice to get home in just a few minutes.
Yay! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Melalvai
I hate putting them on, but once I'm used to the slower pace I get such a kick out of the mobility.
Which ones did you get? I've tried ones with fewer studs, but ended up going back to Nokian Extremes.
Nokian extremes here as well. :) I have used others with fewer studs, but found that often times I wasn't making contact with the ground. Our roads here are slightly beveled to shed snow/water to the sides. Unfortunately, some roads seem to have more angle than others, so having more studs in the tire seems to work better for me.
Although my commute isn't very far,; it's funny to see the motorists looking in "shock.":eek:
http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com
Schwalbe marathon winters.
I watched the bike shop mechanic putting the tire on and decided right then that I'll pay someone to put them on and take them off at the beginning and end of every winter because I don't want to!
I rode today. It was 17 degrees when I left, wind chill around 10. I got too hot, tho, because I had on two wool sweaters, my wool coat and my ultra thick mittens and scarf. Had to undo the jacket halfway there. ;)
I only have a 2.5 mile commute. I sometimes wonder if drivers think I'm a homeless person (there are more of them riding bikes in my city than bike commuters).
Two new milestones in a week -- snow and single digit temperatures (NOAA said I left home this morning at -0F -- which we all know is colder than +0F :)
So far I can put up with the cold, but I'm still trying to come to terms with the snow. I'm getting a bit more comfortable riding in the stuff, but I'll still probably work at home during the next storm -- one step at a time.
Tires -- the bike shop sold me Kenda Klondikes because they couldn't source Nokian or Schwalbe. Big, heavy beasts. I swapped out to Schwalbe Marathon Winters I ordered online. Much, much less rolling resistance and on the old snow that's one street, just as effective.
And, Melalvai...yes, mounting the Schwalbe was *tough*...but worth it.
Was 21 F (-6C) this morning for my ride in.
Had to break out the AmFibs for the ride. Fingers were a bit cold, but otherwise was fine. This has been a pretty mild winter so far, and I think this was my coldest ride in this season. Of course, if it gets up to the mid-40s (7) for the ride home, I'll be sweating buckets with those tights. :rolleyes: At least I can leave a top layer in the pannier.
Got mad props from the ladies in the gym and my coworkers, tho.
LOL, and with all the clothing you were wearing, drivers might think you were wearing all the clothing you owned. Not to knock what you were wearing, I'd need much more than that to keep my body warm. I don't tolerate cold well at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tri Girl
Beautiful snow and it was almost as warm as it could possibly be and still be snowing. The snow was coming down thick so it was this lovely blanket and even where cars had passed it was like mine were the first tracks there. My studded tires are wonderful. I really enjoyed biking this morning.
I haven't really been posting since it hardly feels like we've had winter (and I haven't had any excitement or anything out of the ordinary), but I had my annual love/hate realization that spring is coming this morning.....
Love: light jacket, light gloves, shorts+knee warmers for the ride in so I don't have to haul the heavy gloves/shoe covers/full tights in the pannier on the ride home because the temperature shifts. Not having the water bottle freeze. Spending less time getting ready to ride and more time riding. Having more commuters and people out for rides in the mornings, especially the faster ones to give me something to chase :)
Hate: headphone-wearers/clueless joggers/runners/dog walkers/stroller-pushers/rollerbladers/cyclists/etc that will populate my main route home until it gets chilly next fall (and on rainy days in the summer, I love those for chasing the fair-weather trail users away :).
All complicated by the closure of a piece of important connector trail for the next few months...I don't mind (and often use) the alternative road route, but pushing all the trail traffic onto streets without bike lanes/shoulders gets interesting...especially when I can tell they don't ride on the road much and weave in/out of parked cars, pass on the right of turning traffic (including a school bus...), etc. I can get from home to work with 2-3 miles of residential streets and 8 of trail, and there are a LOT of people who make a similar commute in the spring/summer/fall that are currently pushed into being road users for an extra 2 miles of major roads...
Hrm. That got long and kind of crotchety-sounding (get off my trail!!), not really the intent, just things I think about while I'm heading in and I guess I felt the need to get off my chest :)
Carlotta, I feel that way too. And another thing, I like winter for the lack of roadies; yeah, my own peeps. It's so nice not getting passed for weeks at a time. When you see one out in winter, it's like seeing a rare bird of your own flock. In spring, they're like seagulls.
MIIINE MIIIINE MIIIINE MIIINEQuote:
Originally Posted by redrhodie
(sorry, I couldn't resist - Nemo reference)
carlotta, I'm a little envious of your fair weather traffic congestion. We don't have enough bike/ped traffic around here to get congested even in fair weather. :( But I am working on changing that!
This afternoon I rode with my daughter to her clarinet lesson, just for the heck of it, because it was nice. I left her there and came back home. At the stop light, I saw a driver across the street edge forward more and more with her left turn light blinking and I thought "She's going to try to get her left turn made before I get very far into the intersection". The light turned green and, still watching her, I went, prepared to stop on a dime if she pulled out in front of me. She really wanted to, I could tell, but she saw that she would hit me (if I didn't stop which I would have) and she waited.
Right behind me was an SUV and she had to wait for him too. But he was impatient behind me, and couldn't pass me until we'd gotten past the line of cars going the opposite direction waiting to get through the intersection (waiting on the left turner who had had to wait on us). As soon as we were past he roared around me.
Seems like there were a lot of impatient people on the road today!
Since I was basically just riding to enjoy the weather, I felt very smug & superior to them. :D