RidingMatthew

@PatrickGSR94 i have a cheap fleece balaclava that i have used to 27F and my glasses still fog up. I think it traps my head heat. I have a neoprene face mask I bought but have never worn on ride because it smells bad. Plasticy smell is too much.

Congrats on the riding mileage regardless of the rain delays!

Much rain here as well. so i drove. I would like to do a commute and little extra and I think Wednesday will be it. yay a high of 48 (no fun in the dark) I am 27 miles short from breaking 2700 total miles for the year. I am not sure I will get a chance to make it. I did spend some time planning my C&O tour for next year this weekend and it was fun. I am looking forward to it.

PatrickGSR94

This one I got is some kind of fleece construction, but the part over the nose and mouth looks more windproof, and has holes and a nose cutout, and seems a bit more form fitting where it goes over the nose. Then when I add the ski goggles that seals up the top of the face mask portion even more, so hopefully that will keep all traces of my exhaling out from behind the goggles.

joeyduck

I had a very nice ride in this morning. Just around freezing and the roads were quite. The sky was clear and it was just pleasant out.

I put the studded tires on just in case. Only took twenty minutes with the swap and if I put on normal quick releases and not pin heads it would be a little quicker.

I should get at least two or three more rides in this year. I will hit just over 3,000 km since late June. I think this has been my best year day wise. I am not sure mileage wise. I have ridden the most consequence months ever I have rode every month since March or April 2013.

essiemyra

I can contribute today as I was able to ride my bike to work today!!! Lucky me!!! It was cold 17f degrees when I left the house this morning with partly cloudy dark skies and no precipitation predicted until Saturday. So I am thinking I will be riding the rest of this week!

spivonious

My first ride since before Christmas and it felt good! I tried out my new cold weather biking gloves. Nice padding, reflective piping, water resistant and wind proof, but man my fingers got cold! I guess I'll stick with my ski gloves when it's below freezing.

I also got a biking jacket and some bike shorts. Did anyone else get biking-related gifts for Christmas?

wphamilton

Nice rides last night and this morning although I feel like I must be getting soft, being chilled in this weather. Last year I was overjoyed for the rare mid-40's commute. I think I'll telecommute tomorrow so I'm finally done with 2014 with 236 days commuting. Which must be a record for me for days worked at all in a year.

KCBikeCommuter

I met the Arctic cold front in the middle of my 19-mile commute home last night. That turned a moderate head-wind into a gale force head-wind. Thus, I didn't really enjoy the second half of my journey. When you stop pedaling and don't really have to use the brakes to come to a stop... that's too much wind. :-)

joeyduck

I had nice rides this morning and last night. I left a bit early last night and caught the twighlight colors.

I did get annoyed on my 2.4 km uphill where I got stopped at each of the eight lights. I can safely run two since they are t-junctions but they had pedestrians last night. Argh.

This morning was quite and nice and cool. I over slept since my son ewrote me at two thirty and I couldn't return to dream land until almost five thirty; upon return my dreams were extra weird also.

I am getting picked up tonight for a trip to the IKEA for dinner and shopping. Not sure what tomorrow holds yet, I need to drop the car for what is it's now annual service.

enigmaT120

We're getting my favorite winter weather now for a few days -- cold and clear. So it was about 24F and dark for my morning's ride. This afternoon I'm skipping out a little early to catch an earlier bus part way to my normal bike ride, getting off and doing a little longer ride home in -- get this -- the day time! I'm hoping the headwind that was making me cold this morning will be a tail wind this afternoon, as it's not supposed to get much above freezing today despite the sun.

Last week I did the same work pattern to get a long ride home. For the first time I was nearly right-hooked. I was riding in the bike lane still in Salem, with two traffic lanes going my way down a hill. The cars were backed up so I was passing them, and I barely noticed one with his turn signal on preparing to turn right onto a side street right in front of me. I didn't have time to stop though I shed some speed, then I turned right with him. Apparently I can turn sharper. I was still going faster so I ended up in front of him heading down the side street, then I found a loop back to the main street and took it. I guess I need to go much more slowly when passing cars, as not everybody even uses their turn signal. There are no parked cars in that area so no door zone, but there are many business parking lot intersections and other places for people to turn right into. Gah, another reason to dislike riding in cities. I never have that problem out on the rural back roads.

PatrickGSR94

ughhh overslept again this morning, so didn't get to ride today. Last night going home it was cold and windy. Slow as usual.

Mark Stone

Post here for 24 more hours

joeyduck

Thanks @tractorlegs for the 2015 sticky.

I got picked up tonight for a shopping trip to IKEA and my boss wanted to see my wife and son since it has been too many months. So no ride. I will get my last rides in tomorrow!!

dcb23

I see we're ahead with a new 2015 thread, thanks Mods.

Happy New Year everyone! Safe riding to all for 2015. 33F / 1 C, light wind, dark closes out my 2014.

essiemyra

12f degrees started out my commute this morning. At about the fifth mile I got a flat tire. I walked the last mile or so to work. I need to get it fixed this morning before heading out this afternoon. So not an uneventful commute.

RidingMatthew

@essiemyra I guess 2014 wanted to go out with a bang! hope you get it fixed and have a safe ride home.

This is the last day of the year and I rode. 29 degrees and wore my new long sleeve wool jersey from On One with a second long sleeve (pretty thin) and my night vision jacket. I would say that after I warmed up I was pretty comfortable. I definately sweat less this way than long underwear and a short sleeve jersey. I still fogged up when I stopped to take a picture. (that made things difficult)

I have to ride 16 miles tonight and I have ridden 2700 total miles this year, which would put me 700 over my goal for this year. I also did bike tour the Great Allegheny Passage this year and it has been a dream for me to bike tour. I am glad I did. Next year I will ride the C&O. I dont know if I will do more miles but I would not mind doing a few more charity rides.

spivonious

Last commute of 2014 was uneventful. About 20F when I left the house with a slight headwind. Got to work and my toes were cold.

PatrickGSR94

Last commute day of the year, 26°F this morning so I decided to try out my new balaclava and ski mask combination. It was okay, still have some bugs to work out. Dang phone didn't actually start Strava so I had to input the activity manually when I got to work.

Leaving early today so I get to ride home in daylight, but unfortunately it won't even make it up to 40, and I'll have a bit of a headwind.

After this afternoon I'll finish off the year with just over 3,650 miles for the year, but just shy of 2,500 commuting miles. I upped my weekly commuting days from 2 to 3 per week when possible just a couple months ago, so hopefully I can continue that into next year.

Note how much more I've ridden this December compared to December 2013:

jhill44

6 degrees! New cold weather record for me! Otherwise uneventful. Happy New Years y'all!

bconneraz

Arguably, the crappiest weather I've had in the morning all year, however, thats based on So Cal stadards, so I have nothing to whine about. I've looked forward to todays commute all week. The accomplishment I'm most proud of this year isn't my total miles, but my total commuting miles. Despite crazy winds and rain last night and this morning, I was determined to get my 5k. Temps were in the mid 30's, and the wind was nuts; thankfully, the rain stopped. Lots of downed trees along my route; I had to hike-a-bike over this one.



I look foward to my final ride home of 2014 this afternoon. Then I get to wake up and do it all over again tomorrow. Happy New Year!

joeyduck

I had a nice ride this morning. It was very quite out.

I dropped off the car for a service. It needed brakes also, darn city driving.

I texted my wife to let her know I got here safe, her reply was asking when I would be home. My son called asking what was taking me so long. I'll head home in fifteen minutes. He really wants to build his new bunk bed.

1nterceptor

Last commute for the year. Cold but the sun was still out when
I left the office. There was a slight breeze but enjoyed the ride.

From New York City; Have a Peaceful and Happy New Year Everybody!
Don't Shoot My Bike by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

joeyduck

I had a nice last commute to get the car from the repair shop. I forget how much labor is these days, no matter how long I pay for service I still wince at the bill.

I had an awesome ride home from the garage. My wife met me with the little man and he and I rode home the maybe 700 m. He got to ride his new bike and since it was all side streets we both rode together on the road. He was a good listener and just needs to get away from the door zone and stop weaving. But he is four and had only been two wheeling since August.

I ended the year with 3,039 km (1,888 miles) since June 21. The full year estimate is probably 4,500 km - 5,000 km. I know since the start of may I only drove four times, which that is the part I am most happy about.

PatrickGSR94

Wind and cold was nuts going home today for the last ride of 2014. I left the office just after noon, had to go the opposite way of the usual commute to stop by the bank, then double back, and I also stopped for lunch about 4 miles from home. Ate at Chick-Fil-A which was absolutely nuts with traffic and people. I just sailed right through and locked up to a handicap parking space pole while I ate inside.

Mark Stone

Happy New Year!! It's almost midnight Eastern Time, so start posting in the new 2015 thread! Link to it here!

2014 is Closed!