How Was Your Commute Today?

[Melalvai]

I'm off my bike completely for a few days. I feel very grateful for the car.

Part I: I strained my lower back shoveling snow (how cliche) + butterfly drills 3 weeks ago. It wasn't very bad and it got better over the week. Biking was not a problem so I kept riding.

Park II: I had a couple long days in the lab standing for hours without any breaks. My back was awful after that and continued to get worse for a few days. I let one of the med students work on me (this is an osteopathic medical school) but it continued to worsen. Biking was a little uncomfortable but the only really painful difficult part was getting on & off the bike.

Part III: It started getting better again. I had gotten an appointment in the OMM clinic (another osteopathic treatment only this time an experienced board-certified DO instead of a first year med student!) and I kept the appointment although I was so much better. I thought walking laps in the pool would be good for it...no weight bearing, right? Well, I strained it again. Or maybe it was the OMM treatment?? And again it continued to get worse for a few days. When I woke up yesterday morning I could not stand up straight or walk! I had to crawl to the bathroom. Eventually during the day I was able to walk-- my husband thinks I walk like a zombie . So I made myself take frequent, short, slow walks throughout the day. By the end of the day I was walking almost normally.

Today it is much better, zombie-walking perhaps a little faster and longer before I have to rest. However if someone were taking bets on whether I'd manage to re-strain it yet again, I wouldn't risk my money based on my record so far! No biking, no swimming or pool walking, on running. Walking and standing ok for short duration only. I put that plan together with the help of Dr. Google.

I swear when this is over I'm going to go to town on core strength and have the strongest core in the world so that this never happens again! (Someone else told me he's made that same oath, does the exercises, then leans over to pick up a toothbrush and there goes his back.)

[Crankin]

Maybe you should have the DO do an evaluation of your back?
I wouldn't base my medical care on Dr. Google. It seems like while rest might help abate the symptoms, there may be something going on that's chronic that could be addressed by something else? Obviously, I'm no doctor, but, I would get it checked.

[carlotta]

Nothing like taking the studs off to make you feel fast (even with a 20-30mph wind)!

This year has really made me consider a second wheelset for the studs next winter, it seems like there was just enough freezing precip every 5-7 days that I kept looking at the forecast and deciding to leave them on for another week and ended up riding them on dry pavement more than I'd like-- they're not that horrible to ride, and the extra workout was a bonus, but the noise is annoying after awhile (clears joggers nicely though ). There were several days with just enough leftover snow/ice/freezing rain that I was glad to have them

[Melalvai]

Me too! I'm actually thinking about a winter bike, not just winter wheels. Even though there's a big storm coming our way, I went ahead and took off the studs this weekend. There were quite a few days where I was happy to have them, but there were far more days when I was wishing for a separate wheelset or a winter bike. Plus having separate wheels puts less wear & tear on the special tires-- only use them when they are needed instead of all winter.

Even if we get a lot of snow, I don't think it'll last very many days, and I'll just walk until the streets are clear.

Boy howdy I was fast and quiet with my regular tires. Then even faster when I came home and had that wind at my tail!

Edit: By the way my back is fine now. I took 2 weeks off the bike and no exercise. Slowly ramping back up the exercise now, carefully carefully. Biking to work is no problem.

[shootingstar]

Me too! I'm actually thinking about a winter bike, not just winter wheels. Even though there's a big storm coming our way, I went ahead and took off the studs this weekend. There were quite a few days where I was happy to have them, but there were far more days when I was wishing for a separate wheelset or a winter bike. Plus having separate wheels puts less wear & tear on the special tires-- only use them when they are needed instead of all winter.

Even if we get a lot of snow, I don't think it'll last very many days, and I'll just walk until the streets are clear.

Boy howdy I was fast and quiet with my regular tires.

I haven't graduated to studded tires. While it MIGHT get me cycling more often during the winter with ice and snow on ground, the faster wear down of the studs and going slower (when already I'm slow enough in the winter), I kind of wonder.

My partner has been riding on his studded tires for last 2 winters and they are wearing down fast. The winters in our region can be quite cold (this morning was -15 degrees C) down to -20 degrees C or even -25 degrees C is not unusual at all. We get enough snow which then melts, dries off (because prairie air is drier) and then snow again, and on and on the cycle of weather happens at least 10 times during 1 winter. So I fit in cycling whenever the paths and roads allow me to cycle safely and allow me to BRAKE safely soon enough without sliding.

Or be able to cycle and if I should fall, it is not in an area in the path of a car or hitting a bunch of joggers/other cyclists. Sometimes it's best not to brake when cycling over thin ice/snow ...so that's why bike paths are more desirable.

[carlotta]

I think we're about to get the storm you had earlier this week....I got snowed on a little toward the end of the commute tonight (the fluffy, floaty, snow that's fun to ride in), but anything we get here this late in the year should melt fast like you said and there's always other ways to work (train here) for a day or two.

Today was actually a great commute day-- the last two were windy/crappy/cold, and today was just cold with the bit of snow

I still have very, very little wear on the studded tires (schwalbe marathon plus), the rubber is hardly showing any wear, and the studs aren't as shiny as they were when they were new but they're carbide steel so they're tough and still plenty studdy to grip ice. I've lost maybe 4 studs between the two tires over three winters now so I've been pretty happy with them. A snow-bike would be handy, but there are already 4 bikes living in our 1-bedroom apartment (fiancee's bike, plus my fixie, commuter, road bike) and I'm not sure a 5th would be welcome (plus a newer-than-20-year-old road bike is probably next in line). I think the wheels on my commuter might be getting close to replacement, so I may just get new wheels a little earlier than necessary and keep the old ones with the studs....they wouldn't get more than 3-400 miles/winter unless we get dumped on so they should be fine.

[Triskeliongirl]

I had a great commute today. I actually had taken quite a long break from commuting after too many accidents, but was pleasantly surprised when I tried a dry run on the weekend to see how much improved our roads are, and that the previously loose dogs were restrained. I tried once during the construction, and that was awful, but now the surfaces are much improved so it was worth it. There is still one mile that is a bit risky with the cars, but I just really focus during that mile and I am OK. It is so effecient. I get in earlier than when I had to first drive to the gym. I am so glad I came back to it.