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.

[Melalvai]

I'm sorry you've had some accidents. Hope you are healing well and glad you are back on the bike. It is hard and scary to start back up again. Company helps, if that is an option.

I've been commuting through the snow. It's fun!

Disclaimer: that photo was staged. After I got the picture I walked down that street, and the next. Then I reached a minor arterial that had been plowed. When I got to my destination--I walked the last half block and the parking lot, that hadn't been plowed yet. When I came home, everything had been plowed.

Then it snowed again.

The studded tires didn't help much in this stuff. It's been warm enough that once the streets are plowed, they are clear down to the pavement, no packed ice to deal with. That's where the tires really help.

[inestrozar]

Had a great commute this morning! Weather was nice and my music was catchy. The way home is all uphill but with the lack of wind and rain today I know it will be nice. On my last hill there were some barky little dogs that were driving me nuts because they kept chasing me. Now the road is under construction and the dogs owner does not let them out (yay)! The only downside is that they were replaced with bunches of men working on the road. After a few days of riding through the lewd stares and nasty comments I long for my barky dogs
Total miles for my commute is fourteen, seven downhill and seven uphill. Takes me thirty minutes to get to work and fifty minutes to get home.

[Melalvai]

I haven't used the new bike lanes in a couple months, at first because they weren't plowed and then when the snow melted they were full of gravel and trash. I was going to take a picture of it and then when it was dry I was going to call the city and let them know the bike lanes needed swept. But before I got around to it, the city got them swept! I was completely surprised and impressed!

[redrhodie]

Yay, I can finally post here again! First commute of the year yesterday. It was a perfect day, sunny with a light breeze. Traffic was heavier than I was expecting, but the drivers were nice. I had food in the freezer at work so I didn't even have to carry anything.

It's good to be back!

[NadiaMac]

Wow, I'm feeling very impressed with the hardcore commuters on this list who are riding in despite cold winter conditions. Feeling a bit guilty on my end for letting a little California "chill" and "rain" deter me these last few months-- I'm getting so soft (used to commute year round in Boston)! In any event, I am trying to get back to 3-4 times a week, and had an amaing ride in on Friday that reminded me of why I really really love riding in. I had a smile on my face much of the day! I put up some pics on my blog, check it out: http://nadiamac.blogspot.com/2013/03/glorious.html

[Melalvai]

Everyone is griping about the late snows but I don't care-- in Missouri anything between 28F and 90F is mild, no matter what time of year. Maybe we have to make up for last year's very mild winter. I was surprised that my daughter got her bike out this morning. She biked to school last week. She's been raring to get on her bike-- she calls herself a fair weather cyclist but she will bike in some pretty rough stuff. But her limit is around 35F, today was a little cooler than that but she was so happy to bike last week she didn't mind. She says she sleeps better on days when she bikes. It's not even 20 minutes of light exercise over 4 trips (she comes home during her release hour) but it makes a difference!

[GLC1968]

I'm so happy to be posting to this thread again! I just did my first bike commute since last November (and second one since moving back into town) and it was awesome. I knew the weather was going to be spectacular, so despite a sore rear from weekend riding, I knew I had to commute today. It was glorious!

I was carrying a LOT of weight (3 glass containers of food, a u-lock, a thermos of coffee, my purse, clothing and shoes and a water bottle!) and on a heavy bike, but my effort felt easier than the last time I did it and my time was faster. Maybe I'm finally getting back into shape? Or maybe I just got lucky and hit mostly green lights!

Looking forward to the ride home - I may have to add a few miles to it to enjoy the rare warm sunny spring weather we are having.

[carlotta]

This morning was beautiful!! Warm (45), sunny, not windy. I like these spring mornings, and it's been long enough coming this year.... last week I decided I was sick of wearing full tights so I had a couple days of chilly mornings with just knee warmers and shorts but today I didn't even wear a jacket

(now I'm trying not to look out the window to the clouds/wind that the cold front is bringing us this afternoon, or think about the high tomorrow being 45....)