2013!! How Was your Commute Today?
#151
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25 degrees, dark, but clear and dry! The roads were dry, too. It's nice riding weather for this time of year. But then, I hate rain. Yet I live here.
#152
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What month is it again? It was sixty degrees this morning, despite a stiff northerly breeze . Seems Like May, but it's January. Cooling off during the day, which I planned for, so it'll be a rare day where I dress warmer for the ride home than I had for the ride in.
2013 riding very nice so far indeed.
2013 riding very nice so far indeed.
#153
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Last night I went to the gym. I guess I had a good sweat going on from my house to the gym, as when I finished my workout I walked out and found a nice sheet of ice had frozen to my seat. I had to chip the ice off so I could ride back home.
Time to warm back up.
Time to warm back up.
#154
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Still very cold (for NorCal). Needed skullcap and ski gloves.
#155
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A couple of firsts for me this morning:
- First ride ever in single digits (4 degrees, no wind thank goodness but I ended up overdressing).
- First ride ever on studded tires (studded mountain bike tires, good grief the rolling resistance!).
#156
Super-spreader
Got snowed on both ways! It was fun, but I'm worried that tomorrow may be too icy.
#158
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It was about 50 degrees, and very very windy, if the wind wasn't trying to blow me down, it was pushing my back making me have to work much harder than usual and made the uphill ride extremely difficult. But I refused to get off and walk my bike and I just gritted my teeth, curse and lowered the gears and pushed harder. Gotta say that 5 mile ride sure as heck tired me out. I have a balaclava to help me stay warm in the cold and some cold weather/wind gloves I picked up from Harbor Frieght real cheap, wore my bright green hoodie and goggles to keep dirt and wind out of my eyes. But no matter how bad the weather I tell myself that it won't stop me from riding.
I don't have a car, if I can't ride to work then I don't get paid and since I'm a temp they'll fire me in a heart beat. Worst case scenario is I take the bus home, but to me its a waste of 1.50 because i have two arms and two legs that work just fine.
I don't have a car, if I can't ride to work then I don't get paid and since I'm a temp they'll fire me in a heart beat. Worst case scenario is I take the bus home, but to me its a waste of 1.50 because i have two arms and two legs that work just fine.
#159
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20F and a nice ride home - and I was surprised to see 4 other bicyclists out (which is more like what I see in summertime).
One was a very rare sight indeed... a salmon with a rear blinky light. That one dominated my thoughts for several blocks afterward. Why on earth would you put a red blinking light on the back of your bike... and then pedal on the left side of the road, against traffic? Who is going to see the light? Why??
Perplexing.
A great commute, though.
One was a very rare sight indeed... a salmon with a rear blinky light. That one dominated my thoughts for several blocks afterward. Why on earth would you put a red blinking light on the back of your bike... and then pedal on the left side of the road, against traffic? Who is going to see the light? Why??
Perplexing.
A great commute, though.
#160
Senior Member
It was a very nice commute to work today, the temp was 30f when I rode through town with clear starry skies. What a pretty sight!! I was a little overdressed on my upper body but better that than to be cold the whole way to work.
#161
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30F/-1C with a headwind this morning. I saw a dead opossum on the road. Blech.
#162
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Nice ride this morning with cool temps in the mid-40s F and light mist. Since forecasters were calling for a rainy day, I felt like I got off easy with the mist. They totally blew the forecast yesterday, calling for rain most of the day and we didn't get a drop. We are stuck in a weather pattern with a cold front stalled over NC, which means it's cloudy every day and the forecasters don't have a clue whether it will rain or not, or how much if it does. Yesterday the predicted rain stayed to the NW and it moved even farther away this morning. It's looking right now like we'll have the same weather all work week, so I'll have to take my chances with the rain or miss a week of riding.
#164
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Yesterday afternoon, the most unfavorable conditions I've ridden in so far; Sleet and freezing rain temp right around 30°F.
The ice was building up on the exposed part of the bike and the top of my helmet. Otherwise, "I" was warm and dry.
Overcast and 32° this morning but there's more wintery precip in the forecast for this afternoon.
The ice was building up on the exposed part of the bike and the top of my helmet. Otherwise, "I" was warm and dry.
Overcast and 32° this morning but there's more wintery precip in the forecast for this afternoon.
#166
ouate de phoque
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-8 celcius, strong headwind, light snow, dry pavement, very nice commute.
#167
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18F this morning, left early so about 1/3 of the ride was in the dark. It was my first commute on my new (to me) winter bike that I finished this weekend. I bought the frame at the local bike co-op, the rest of the parts were from my wife's old bike and my boxes o' parts. The only things purchased new were fenders and a chain. I'm really happy with it - next steps are studded tires and eventually drop bars.
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#168
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Feels a little more like January today than it did yesterday, though still kinda warm. Temperature in the upper thirties to low forties for the ride in, with fog and drizzle. Actually like riding in those conditions, so no complaints from me there, though with all the puddles around me it was a good morning for fenders and lights. Looks like similar weather for the ride home this evening.
#169
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The new year is off to a bad start for me. I've only had a couple of days that I've been able to commute so far. There's just too much ice on the local roads, and I've already had a moderately painful fall about a month ago. Oh well, I'm getting back into swimming at the local gym until I can get on my bike and start commuting again.
I really miss Az this time of year.
I really miss Az this time of year.
#170
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low 30s, dry and clear. I got up a bit later this morning, so the sky was getting bright. The pavement was lovely, because blackice was gone!
#171
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Respect to the kid riding a unicycle to school (RCHS in West Sac). I like your style, kid.
#172
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#173
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Clear and 25F this morning with a constant 10-15mph headwind. Not too bad. It started to spit snow about 3:30 pm and by 4:30 it was full blown sleet! Not really all that heavy, but by 5:00 the roads were starting to be covered. Since I don't ride in the snow I'm not really prepared for it. The sleet seemed to offer a bit of "crunch" so i went for it. I took it slow and easy. Had a fellow in an SUV roll up beside me and ask if he could give me ride somewhere. I thanked him but declined. Must have felt sorry for me! The Bontrager H2's didn't slip, but they certainly would not be my choice of snow tires! At any rate, I made it. Probably won't get to ride in the morning.
#174
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I've got Marathon Winter tires now on my Trek 3700 Disc bad-weather-bike. My commute is 16km each way, all highway - and now that there is snow there is no shoulder to ride on. The only thing I fear is the snowplow coming up from behind me... I hope it will miss me rather than make my widow rich.
I'm glad I use toe clips as it allows me to switch between sneakers and winter boots as required (over socks or sealskinz insulated socks). WPB tights over anything from nothing to varying types of thermal leggings, WPB shell over anything from short-sleeved shirts to varying types of thermal tops, balaclava, earmuffs, ski goggles, rain cover over my helmet and either non- or insulated gloves inside my pogies.
So far so good. As always the wind is not my friend... especially in the winter here as it has often been 50-70+ km/h
Friday morning the morning low is expected to be -22*C. Likely windy as hell. lol
Between the MTB, studded tires, extra gear for changing conditions, wind and who knows what else, my commute has grown from 30 minutes in the summer to 45 minutes or longer.
I better be fast as hell come spring when I switch back to my frankencommuter!
LOL
I'm glad I use toe clips as it allows me to switch between sneakers and winter boots as required (over socks or sealskinz insulated socks). WPB tights over anything from nothing to varying types of thermal leggings, WPB shell over anything from short-sleeved shirts to varying types of thermal tops, balaclava, earmuffs, ski goggles, rain cover over my helmet and either non- or insulated gloves inside my pogies.
So far so good. As always the wind is not my friend... especially in the winter here as it has often been 50-70+ km/h
Friday morning the morning low is expected to be -22*C. Likely windy as hell. lol
Between the MTB, studded tires, extra gear for changing conditions, wind and who knows what else, my commute has grown from 30 minutes in the summer to 45 minutes or longer.
I better be fast as hell come spring when I switch back to my frankencommuter!
LOL
Last edited by Bearhawker; 01-15-13 at 06:36 PM. Reason: forgot gear
#175
Super-spreader
Hovering around the freezing mark today... I had to be pretty careful with ice patches. Nice to not have rain to deal with though!