2009-2010 Fall/Winter Commuter Challenge is on!

[pfunk12]

The question becomes, do I cross 6 lanes of traffic (without a light) to get to the side walk on the OTHER side....ride down the sidewalk a mere 1/3 mile to the light, cross as a pedestrian at the light, and start riding again to work? Or...do I just say fuggettaboutit and drag my DH out of the house to take me to Metro each morning and take the subway in until the snow on my side of that hell road melts more?

Is that the same 6 lanes of traffic that you and Tom forced me to go across during our Saturday morning ride a while back? If so, yes! Kidding...do what you feel comfortable with. If it's not a dead deer, it's an iceberg... What is up with that sidewalk?

[7rider]

Is that the same 6 lanes of traffic that you and Tom forced me to go across during our Saturday morning ride a while back? If so, yes! Kidding...do what you feel comfortable with. If it's not a dead deer, it's an iceberg... What is up with that sidewalk?

Yeah, it's that same road.

It's actually cross-able on a Saturday morning. Not so great on a week day during rush hours.

The sidewalk is on the south side of the road. It's heavily shaded by large trees that are part of the regional park at the intersection by the light.

Sigh. I'm not sure what I feel comfortable with. I think it's Metro for the foreseeable future.

[pfunk12]

It's actually cross-able on a Saturday morning. Not so great on a week day during rush hours.

The sidewalk is on the south side of the road. It's heavily shaded by large trees that are part of the regional park at the intersection by the light.

Sigh. I'm not sure what I feel comfortable with. I think it's Metro for the foreseeable future.

Guess I wouldn't feel too comfortable crossing it during morning rush hour. It's nice to see all the snow melting but those huge mounds require a heat wave to make a dent in them.

[Melalvai]

Here are some options. I don't know how feasible they are, I'm just brainstorming.
- Ride as much of that 1/3 mile as you can, and walk what you can't. You'll need flat pedals & boots.
- Get out the snow shovel and shovel the 1/3 mile of sidewalk. Maybe your neighbors will be inspired & join you! (Probably not.)

[pfunk12]

Here are some options. I don't know how feasible they are, I'm just brainstorming.
- Ride as much of that 1/3 mile as you can, and walk what you can't. You'll need flat pedals & boots.
- Get out the snow shovel and shovel the 1/3 mile of sidewalk. Maybe your neighbors will be inspired & join you! (Probably not.)

Melalvai - I suggested a looooong time ago that 7's darling, darling husband get out there and shovel that iceberg for her. What a wonderful gesture of love that would be!

[Melalvai]

Melalvai - I suggested a looooong time ago that 7's darling, darling husband get out there and shovel that iceberg for her. What a wonderful gesture of love that would be!

Aw, they could make a couples thing of it!

[7rider]

Melalvai - I suggested a looooong time ago that 7's darling, darling husband get out there and shovel that iceberg for her. What a wonderful gesture of love that would be!

HA!!!
Yeah. That'll be the day.
Using a broom to brush broken glass out of the way? ...sure.
Shovel a mountain of ice? Uh. No.

I did think of carrying my bike, but unfortunately, it's not really practical where the worst of it is. It's private driveways, fences, and/or a 10' drop over a guardrail into pricker bushes on the non-road side of the 'bergs.

I thought of Yehuda Moon and this about my option:


But then realized, it was more like this:

[out_spokin']

Didn't need one at all in the morning -- this evening I turned it on the last few blocks for the sake of the post-sunset car traffic, but really didn't need it at all. Hooray sun! We've had 2 days in the 50s and tons of sun, so it was also the first day without riding over any ice.

1 for 2 this week and 0 for 0 last week - head cold took me down a bit. Still on track to finish at or above my main goal...gotta keep it up the next couple weeks and hope the inevitable giant spring snow dump doesn't mess me up!

[out_spokin']

Hi everyone,
Well, today's a snow day telecommute for me, sort of a funny way to end this winter's challenge (mild winter in CO, harsh so many other places!)

Congrats to those of you who stuck with it, came back from weather or other setbacks, etc.!!

I'm really grateful people joined up on this challenge again. It really helped me stay motivated. My original commuting goal was a stretch from last year to 75%. I ended up at 79%, so I'm very happy! My original intent to have at least one other car-free weekday collapsed early, but that's one I think I can work on and gain momentum on in the summer and bring the habits with me into the colder weather. I'm still working on making changes that will make car-free more of a reality more of the time!

Thanks again everyone!!

[blackhillsbiker]

Missed only a handful of days (a couple of appointments, a few days to extremely severe weather, and a couple because I was hit by a truck drive who didn't look before he turned). The Dew & I had a spectacular winter. I'm almost sorry to see it warming up. I'm finding that I liked having the path to myself and I enjoyed the challenge of below zero riding. Not that spring isn't fun...

Deb

[malkin]

FINALLY 2/2 this week!

No snow! No off site meetings!
Nevermind the winds, Tuesday and Wednesday were bikeable.

Since Monday and Thursday have become no bike days (driving a kid) I am way more motivated to ride on Tu and Wed, even if the weather is dubious.

I'm happy.

[Biciclista]

we should start a new thread it's not fall/winter anymore!!

[Trek420]

In this hemisphere we can pass it off to TE Ausies, New Zealand etc to keep it going Just they keep us jealous in the dark of winter.