mcours2006

Lazy motorist who think it's safe to drive with with just a small section of the windshield cleared while the rest of the entire car is covered in frost and/snow is what irks me the most. They couldn't spend an extra two minutes to clear the side and back windows?

wphamilton

They do that in Toronto? I figured it was only in the South where people didn't know any better.

I am a fair weather winter commuter in spirit, but one of my favorite parts of it is seeing all those poor folks all bundled up and scraping their windows and defrosting the cars when I just roll on by.

tarwheel 

Winter is my favorite season for bike commuting. Our winters are mild in NC with very little snow and ice (usually). It's easy to dress for the cold, with lows usually in 20s-40s, and I usually sweat very little. You do need a good light system, good tires, fenders and the right clothes to make it safe and comfortable. I would rather ride in the winter here than most summer days, which are usually very hot and humid.

fietsbob

Snow stayed Inland, Coast OK, PDX, Salem and Etc, is getting ready flooding next week
as a lot of the valley south of it will be melting it's snow and the Willamette river will be trying to handle a Lot of Water.
weather going back to above 0C at night..

then it will go into the Columbia... Some riverbank trees are going In. when the bank goes downstream.

Aidoneus

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDzamQ635...600/canada.png

mcours2006

I don't think any one geographical region has the market cornered on idiocy.

I regularly see cars and SUV's entirely covered with a good six inches of snow, save for the section they wipe off with their wipes. Yes, wipes, not by hand. It's the most ridiculous thing.

rumrunn6

had a long duration cold ride today & strained my left knee again. not gonna ride Sunday PM & Monday AM. awww shucks. if I had skipped today I would have. instead tomorrow I think I'm driving daughter back to school in VT

zacster

I'll ride on a clear day in the winter, down to about 35, and if the roads are completely clear of snow. If there is snow melt everything gets dirty.

Daniel4

I generally ride in any weather condition. But last week, I was considering what my limit was. High wind gusts combined with low visibility, white-out condition.

essiemyra

Howdy! I work in Haverhill, so you are right down 495 (or 93) the road depending on location. Anyway, I was able to ride this morning with the temp sitting at 16f degrees because the roads where dry and no precipitation falling. It should stay this way until Wed am. So I get to ride again tomorrow!

rumrunn6

impressive. I'll bet the light car traffic was a bonus too, huh?

tjspiel

Funny, for us January is easily the most brutal winter month on average, though things can vary quite a bit from one year to the next.

Wintery weather can show up well into April, but there's usually a definite change after the middle of February. The days are longer and the sun is higher in the sky. Consequently, the city quits maintaining the outdoor rinks after the 2nd or 3rd week of February. Whatever ice buildup has formed on the residential roads starts to break up.

At the same time, February can often be snowier even though it's milder. It's my favorite winter month.

noglider 

Our climate is different from yours, but what you said is true for us except that I don't know about maintenance of outdoor rinks. Also, any ice buildup on roads varies a lot from year to year. Most years, we don't get any. Two winters ago, we had 52 straight days of no meltage, which was unusual for us.

San Pedro

After riding all the way to work in a slight snow, and the temperature around freezing on my road bike I've decided I probably won't do it again. I could deal with being slightly wet and dirty (should have thrown on the seatpost fender I have), but the bridge I had to cross was just crazy. It was bumpy ice all the way over, with me very tense, and constantly sliding and trying not crash.
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CrankyOne

Here ya go. 39f and rain in Rotterdam. https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2...otterdam-rain/

Hearty people them.

essiemyra

Yes!

AlmostTrick

I think it is. Even here in Chicagoland we get plenty of dry (street) days in the winter where it's not that cold. (and a few days where it's almost warm)

It really surprises me how many cyclists around here hang up their bikes for 3-5 months every year because "winter". Not me! Just don't ride on the crappiest days.

noglider 

Bike commuting here in NYC is increasing sharply year after year. This includes inclement weather. The average cyclist is looking less athletic overall, which, if you think about it, is a good thing, because it means not all of us are bike nuts, we're just people getting to where we're going. The biggest increase is among people 55 and over.

SloButWide 

Farther south, but Columbus OH is 55F and drizzling. Two weeks ago it was 15F and dry.

ptempel

Me too. I try to clear off the roof with a broom as best I can. I hate cars and trucks that don't do the same. Especially when I'm driving behind them on the highway and the snow comes off. A small broom with a half length handle is probably one of the best snow items for the car, IMO.

noglider 

Cold-ish and quite wet. The rain was coming down lightly, but headwinds were very stiff. I told myself that it doesn't matter if I get wet, as long as I stay warm, and I did stay warm. I didn't even get that wet. Achieving a (merely) low average speed was possible by using a lot of effort. Without that effort, I would have achieved an astonishingly low average speed.

caloso

46F and raining in NorCal, which is actually typical January weather but we've forgotten that with the long drought.

Todzilla

Southern Wus here.

Yep, I rode in this morning. Too many layers, as it turned out. I'll strip down on the return trip.

noglider 

You're not a wus if you rode today.