Shooting for 7500

[sbctwin]

Wow, lph...great job on the commuting. I was determined to end the year commuting, but one fall on ice made me rethink the whole idea. I have parked my commuter for the year. As soon as I quit riding, I picked up a nasty cold that still has it's grip on me .

[Geonz]

I'm still impressed at cm, since that's about what I dealt with the first day of our mess and I was cowed Yesterday I got 19.5 (32 km) miles in and today I am going to shoot for 50 km or so... but it All Depends. It's also the night for the 'indoor traiing ride' at the bike shop. It's an even longer shot at making 10K but since I have the week off (and third-party "company" in the form of four children under the age of 10 at the house who whine a lot and their mother whines back so I honestly would just as soon be outta there for lots of hours when I don't have work )
A couple of things have come up over at bikejournal on the "ice bike" thread (which didn't exist last year so I think there's a genuine trend happening and mroe people are riding more in this kind of mess). One guy posted asking about when things get thick and the front wheel starts "hunting" (I love the term) ... is it better to put more weight on it or less? (My thinking is more.) And what about gears?
I kinda almost wish I'd gone for more aggressively studded tyres - I went for the "commuter" type expecting plowed roads, but thsi snowfall tested their (okay, my ) limits. ON the other hand, we could go the rest of the year without significant snowfall. I'm glad we had this string of nonsense to justify my big spending! -

[lph]

Sorry to hear it, sbctwin! A bad fall can be really demoralizing, winter clothes or no. Riding in sub-freezing, frosty/snowy weather is a lot easier than on slick ice around freezing.

Hope you make 10K, Geonz, that would be awesome Even getting close is pretty darn awesome.

"Hunting" front wheel: when I get caught in thicker than "just-crunch-through"-snow and have trouble keeping my balance or steering, I usually cope by sitting well back and keeping my hands light on the handlebars. That usually gives me a bit more oomph in my pedalling and a "stronger" back wheel, and makes it possible to correct my steering in front quickly without losing my balance forwards. In general I like to stand and pedal a lot, but in loose snow I try to sit down and back 'cos otherwise I do a face plant if my front wheel goes awry. Not too light gears, I need something to push against.

But I really try to avoid snow that thick. I'm out there to get somewhere, not to have "fun" And I hate hate hate falling. At least forwards. Falling because my back wheel slides out from under me is ok.

I have the 294 tires - they certainly have enough studs but I only need them 5 % of the time. Otherwise they're more a "ok, so I can cut that corner or that little hill"-type of "necessity".

Todays commute was brilliant. More, and photos later, when I'm not at work

[lph]

Ok, I'm going to try to post a few photos from my commute this morning, and see if they turn out ok. I waited and left a half hour later than usual, and got some lovely morning light!

First a photo from the "scenic" part of my route that meanders across the valley along a picturesque bike+ped path that is rarely if ever plowed. Then up on the other side of the valley, looking east. Two photos from where I cross the river Alna, now on my main bike path in to town. And one shot of what I looked like at work when I peeled my frozen face out from under all the head gear...