jrickards

So did I. I've run into a situation before when I had a bike store install new pedals (before I had a pedal wrench, I bought the pedals there, they offered to install for free so why not?) and then, a couple of years later, I decided to switch pedals, couldn't get the LBS-wrench-tightened ones off so I took the bike to the LBS and they couldn't get them off either without possibly breaking the crankarm or the pedal so I had to return the new pedals (and the store didn't admit to installing them in the first place).

After that, I just finger tightened pedals and never had a problem with them falling off (when I did service or replace any finger-tightened pedals, I did need a wrench to take them off because they had gradually tightened significantly more but not so much I couldn't get them off).

fredfunk

I just got a new bike for my birthday so I had to ride it in to work... 45min ride in near single digit weather! It actually was pretty pleasant, but I really need to get something better than a t-shirt to wrap over my face. Also, my glasses kept fogging up so I eventually just ditched them in the saddle bags and squinted the rest of the ride. Also my toes were cold toward the end.

Hatchet

my ride this morning

Darth Lefty 

Another solid MTB round trip, nothing ambitious. Made it all the way up my final climb without getting off to push, that's an accomplishment for me.

We went to Dick's and bought kiddo a new helmet tonight. He picked out one that... well, it's sort of "fierce girl" styled. I suppose kids will tease him for it one day but for now he's three and he likes colors. The 1yo boy amazingly has the same size head and they had no trailer-appropriate helmets that size, they all have a peak in the back. We'll pick him out a Nutcase, probably. Maybe he can have a watermelon like Dad's.

esmith2039

Not bad until I turned south then it got a bit breezy and froze my beard. Between the studded tires and snow boots hard work! But still better than dealing with the slick roads in the car.

mgw4jc

Roads and MUP were still wet (MUP more than roads) due to a good bit of rain yesterday. It hovered around 32F during the rain. It never snowed or got slick on the roads, but the water on the trees froze and looked pretty cool. But it warmed up in the afternoon and it all melted.

36F for this morning's ride. I stopped by the store that is close to the office for some snacks to stash in my desk drawer. It was a little tricky riding with a couple of grocery bags over one wrist.

jrickards

In the evening, I went out to the garage to re-attach the pedal. I tried to thread it with my fingers and realized, because of the trouble I was having, that the reason the pedal fell off in the first place was because I had trouble tightening the pedal with just my fingers so I left it to be done with the wrench but, in the end, I completely forgot about going back to it and then, ... well, the pedal fell off part way into the ride.

The bike is ready to ride, but at this morning's temperatures (-23C/-9F, windchill -27C/-17F) and the fact that I had forgotten to do a couple of weekend chores, I decided to stay at home for a bit longer, get those chores done (dinner is in the slow cooker now, Indian Butter Chicken), drive in today and ride in tomorrow morning.

Tundra_Man 

Woke up to about 1" of snow on the ground and still falling. We're supposed to get about 3" by 11 AM this morning. During the night I had a dream that I was driving a snow plow, so that was kind of an odd coincidence.

8F with a -5F wind chill. Thankfully the wind was at my back so it was a pretty easy ride in. I dressed for a headwind and with the tail wind I got a bit too sweaty. Traffic was moving pretty slow on the streets due to the falling snow. On the MUP I saw tracks from 3 other bicycles, so I know I'm not the only nut out there.

rhm

It rained most of yesterday afternoon, and the temps dropped to freezing after the rain stopped. Back steps were slick this morning. Streets were black and wet, and I suspected there was black ice, which wasn't confirmed until the halfway point when I tried to take a right turn. I went right down, but I wasn't going very fast and only got some road grime on my pants. No big deal... still, I hate it when that happens.

HardyWeinberg

47F, cloudy around the edges, clear above

kellichou

Good for you, being secure enough to let your little boy pick out the colors he loves! Warms my heart. I have a 2 year old girl who loves dinosaurs, Daniel Tiger, and princesses.

Darth Lefty 

Got a late start this evening due to explaining something to a colleague. Then I sort of forgot I was late and arrived home 5 min later than the nanny was supposed to be rescued. Fortunately my wife was home... unfortunately she was cranky because her 6pm client canceled and then sore because her bike seized up its chain in the FD on the last climb up to the house. Front shifting, man, no one ever needs buy another one, thank God. Looking into a cheap 1x conversion for her.

Added on edit: various sellers on Amazon are offering kits that include the big Sunrace cassette, and a derailleur hanger extension (knockoff Roadlink), or a longer B-screw and Allen wrench, or some other such provision. I think I'll be able to turn her 3x8 into a 1x9 with minimal price... Example 1x8 even less, the cassette is cheaper and I'd avoid buying a shifter, though I'll ask her if she could live with that few/big shifts. There are also a bunch of cheap NW rings but I think I'll get a brand I recognize. The crankset on her bike is a riveted one but I have some 104 arms left over to swap on.

Also another edit: the news says it was 75 in downtown Sac today, a record. No sign of weather in the forecast. Seems like we are back in droughtopia after one big winter last year. The Tahoe snow forecaster, grasping at straws: "There are still no signs of any confidence in a significant storm in the next few weeks. But things are shifting around a little and the pattern is not a stagnant as it has been in the long-range over the past week."

essiemyra

Thank-you arsprod. Unfortunately for me be back at this time of year is a day to day thing. We are expecting 4-6 inches of snow tomorrow and I do not ride in snow.


Today's commute was a nice uneventful ride with the temp at 22 f degrees but no wind and mostly clear dark skies.

mgw4jc

If one of the front rings is already about the right size, couldn't you just set it to that and not shift? Or disable the front shifter? In other words, any bike could be ridden as though it was a single speed, right?

jrickards

Finally rode my new Moose Bicycle Fat Bike 2 in to work and it was fun. The tires, Vee Snow Avalanche 4.8", are available with studs, mine are not, but on this morning's ride in, it didn't matter (that will be a summer project to stud them). I knew that fat bikes take more effort to ride so I took the 4km route into work (also partly because I was running a bit late and that would have been the choice no matter what bike I was riding) and I was right, it did take more effort but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I'll take the "normal" 7km route home though.

It was reasonably cool, -19C/-2F with a windchill of -26C/-15F but I finally ditched my lower hiking boots for my taller ones (with more insulation) and my feet were nice and toasty. My hands weren't too bad this morning but my old mitts are gradually falling apart so I'll be looking for good ones for next winter (maybe I'll go out this weekend and see if there are any winter sales).

mgw4jc

A little under freezing here this morning, but calm winds and decent out. Expected high in the upper 50s.

There was a wreck about one mile from my house last night with ambulance and police lights all flashing. It's kind of a bad intersection with just one stop sign (T intersection). Many want to turn left to the main road and misjudge the speed of others. I opted to bypass it through the grocery store parking lot. I foresee a stop light going in there eventually.

Tundra_Man 

Well, I wimped out and feel a little embarrassed about it. I did ride today, but I altered my destinations significantly.

Woke up to discover that it was -5F. The forecast said it was only supposed to be -2F. I also discovered that the city decided not to plow the roads after the 2-3" of snow we received yesterday (probably because we're expecting more snow this week and they're trying to save money.)

I was supposed to ride 8 miles to our office for a meeting, then ride 8 miles to a client's location. Given the low temp and the fact that I was going to be going slow through unplowed snow I conceded and rode directly to the client, which was only 4 miles. It wasn't imperative that I attend the meeting at our office so it wasn't a big deal to skip it.

Once I got to the client's location I decided that the ride was a lot easier than I anticipated. The cold wasn't as cold as I thought it would feel, and the snow slowed me a less than I expected. I could have made it the 8 miles to our office without any trouble. How embarrassing.

arsprod 

Speaking of snow... a couple inches overnight and this morning, 20F. I was expecting icy conditions so rode the studded tire bike and even remembered my shoe cleats. Totally unnecessary - just snow. Oh well I was prepared!

HardyWeinberg

43F, gray

wphamilton

Flooded yesterday, so mud today - why did I neglect to wear shoe covers? I keep shoes at the office, fortunately, I just don't like wearing them ...

Darth Lefty 

needs some kind of chain retention that doesn’t rub. The cheap 1x7 bikes have the ring sandwiched between bash guards. And the middle ring doesn’t give a low enough granny for her without a cassette change

jrickards

Similar to yesterday, rode my new fat bike in, took the shorter 4km route (late again to get going), -20C/-4F with a windchill of -25C/-13F.

Got new mitts last night, very puffy, fingers still cold. I'm thinking that (1) it is the cold transferred from the handlebars that is affecting my fingers and (2) there's nothing I can do. It is not so cold that I'm afraid of frostbite, it's just uncomfortable. However, my hands did feel better closer to the end of the ride so maybe the longer and harder I ride, body heat generation will slowly make it better. When I finally get up early enough to ride the 8km route, then that might be a decent test of that theory.

mgw4jc

Rainy day. I skipped the ride. The wife hasn't been feeling well enough to take kids to activities so I was going to have to leave early anyway. This way I can stay at work a bit longer and drive home to pick them up.

I probably would have been fine for the ride in as it was only a light rain. But it looks to get heavier as the day goes, so I'm okay not riding.

rhm

I had heard such awful forecasts for today's weather that I was pretty much resigned to staying home today. But when my alarm went off the moon was still shining brightly, behind a thin haze, and i figured what the heck. No problem. It is snowing now, and I'll probably get wet on the way home, but then I'll be home and I can take a hot shower if necessary.

ptempel

^ Good on you for cyclecommuting, @rhm. I wussed out and took the train into the city today. The snow was downgraded to 1 inch and I think the upper 40sF and rain will wipe it away. So I think it should be good to resume tomorrow.