Consecutive bicycle work commute number 869:
First, let's back up one day which wasn't a commute. My LBS has an annual New Years Day ride, and yesterday was the 31st one they've held. Frequently I'm traveling home from visiting my wife's family in Ohio on the 1st, so I don't always get to participate. This year we came home on the 30th which allowed me the 31st to do a bunch of catch-up work around the house and freed me up to attend the ride.
The temp for the ride was awesome. Sunny and 33 degrees. Because of the beautiful day there were at least 200 if not more people who showed up. Unfortunately, last weekend there had been an ice storm followed by many inches of snow. This turned the streets and MUP into a frozen rutted mess. Those of us who ride regularly in the winter knew how to handle it, but there were quite a few people inexperienced with these kinds of road conditions. One guy I was riding next to for a while had ridden a total of 3 miles since he got a bike. Needless to say, I saw several people hit the ground and countless close calls. Lots of people bailed out early and either took a short cut back to the shop or called for a ride.
I made it the whole 13 miles. Back at the bike shop we enjoyed chili and hot beverages. I think this was the 4th time I've been able to attend the New Years Ride. The three previous times I was one of the last riders to return to the LBS. This year I was one of the first dozen who made it back. The only thing I can really point my finger as to why would be my heart surgery. It wasn't a race so in the end it didn't matter how soon I got back, but a couple of times by the time I returned there wasn't any chili left. This time there was plenty.
Back to this morning, which was my first commute of the year. 28F, overcast and a 15 mph head wind. The rutted ice remained (and unless we have unseasonably warm temps will probably stick around for at least 2-4 weeks.) I decided to pull out my old winter bike with the carbide studded tires. It was slow (about 7 mph average) but it felt more sure-footed on the ice than my fat bike did yesterday. The ruts beat me up pretty good. It felt like I was riding down the center of a railroad track, with the bike just constantly bouncing on the uneven surface.
