gearbasher

rando_couche

Those guys were getting paid to do it. I ain't.

SP
Newport OR
...where the first ice storm in 40+ years is over!

Spaghetti Legs 

And younger too!

rando_couche - at risk of thread drift, maybe the most frightened I’ve ever been on a bike was riding across your bridge in Newport.

Oldairhead 

It would be tough riding today in Oregon City! This is my driveway this morning.

merziac

I don't need any pics to make me feel guilty, should be riding way more than I am.

Rick_D

Did they all get brandy at the bottom of the climb? I'm betting on brandy.

Rick_D

What even is that? I doubt the Weather Service here has a code to describe it.

SirMike1983 

I stopped riding in the winter quite a few years ago because of how lethal the road salt products are to steel frames and components. The "brine" used to pre-treat the roads is particularly bad, but the general salt they use during and after the storms is also quite bad. These products are somewhat water resistant and require a thorough cleaning by hand with soap and water each time they get on stuff. If you don't clean them off, the rust starts up quickly. I have enough work cleaning them off my Jeep, let alone vintage bikes too.

VRJAKE 

Car cocoon'd in ice after last night's ice storm in Portland, Oregon...so winter project time:

VRJAKE 

Ditto!

gearbasher

I remember one particular cold day about 35 years ago. It was around 20 degrees and when doing "out and backs" on a bike path by the VZ Bridge in Brooklyn, there was a section about 100 feet long that was a sheet of ice. Every time I reached it, I'd dismount and walk. On one of my trips "back" I see this rider I knew. He was on the ice, holding on to the sea wall and spinning the rear wheel of his road bike, trying to make forward progress. He sees me walking my bike and tells me to give him a push. After asking him if he was serious, I gave him a push. To this day, I'm still impressed that he made it without falling.

Another cold weather story involving the same guy and same path. This time it was about 12 degrees out with a strong wind. I show up and this guy is standing next to a building shielding himself from the wind. He looks at me and says: "If I couldn't do it, you can't". Well, I had to prove him wrong. I did one "out and back". But, for the entire ride, I took one glove off and shoved my hand down the front of my tights, cupping my junk just to keep everything from freezing.

rando_couche

Given the choice, I wouldn't ride it. Were you going north (uphill) or south (downhill)?

steelbikeguy

How cold was it on those mountain passes?
And what sort of "medication" were the riders using??
Still, I went to college at Iowa State University, home of Micheal's Cyclery. This was the shop belonging to Mike Fatka, leader of the Skunk River Cyclists. The SRC was the team for many of the nation's best racers of the era, including a young fellow named Andy Hampsten! In fact, there was a little "shrine" to Andy near the back of the shop. I didn't fully appreciate what was going on at Micheal's back in the early 80's when I was just stopping in for some new toe straps, but it was clear that this wasn't the usual Raleigh shop!

As most of you know, Andy is perhaps best known for winning the Giro d'Italia, as well as the stage over the Gavia Pass in the snow. In 2008, Bicycling magazine did a nice article about Andy and the race. Sadly... it doesn't include an actual photo from the race.
Here's the first few pages from the article....







Here in 2024, the midwest (and beyond) has been dealing with some stupid cold weather! Here in central Illinois, it finally warmed up to a balmy 20F... although the 15mph winds did keep the heat down a bit. Still, it was a good excuse to ride down to the Illinois river and see if the bald eagles were hanging out along the river looking for snacks swimming by.

the view along the Illinois river, near Rome:


and the bald eagle in the tree in the left of center of the photo above:


for whatever reason, the bald eagles tend to not appreciate being approached by cyclists, and he flew off before I could get much closer.
Still, it was a good ride. My prize for the day was not having to ride the indoor trainer again!

Steve in Peoria

Spaghetti Legs 

Southbound, and we were on a tour so not much option to avoid. For the uninitiated it is a narrow bridge with a fair amount of traffic and the bike portion is a sidewalk about 2.5 feet wide with a rail on the right hand side about 2 feet high, other side of that being the water far below. On the left hand side is an about a 1 foot drop onto the road surface. If I have to do it again, I’d ride on the road surface, traffic be damned.

BMC_Kid 

Winter, the best riding season in Bahrain. Going on three years here now and although it doesn’t quite make up for the brutal summers, all in all, the weather is not too dissimilar to south Texas. The summers are more extreme but not by much. The winters though are much milder. No need for winter weather clothes yet. But February will probably bring temps down into the 40s to 50s at night. Daytime though still in the 60s.

nlerner

I bike commuted in icy conditions today. Managed not to fall and only one slight slip even though I was riding knobbies, not studded tires. I guess I should be thankful for the thick coating of road salt on my route though by the time I was heading home, it had all become a fine powder coating everything, including me.

79pmooney

@steelbikeguy, every time I go to Ti Cycles I see the signed poster of Andy riding up the pass. (For a while, they were building Andy's ti bikes.)

(And I want to see that Bicycling page 141 and read the rest of what Andy had to say!)

79pmooney

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldairhead
It would be tough riding today in Oregon City! This is my driveway this morning.


What even is that? I doubt the Weather Service here has a code to describe it.

The Gods came out last night with brushes and rollers. Applied ice over everything, 1/8-1/2" thick in my neighborhood. (SW Portland) Turned up the temps enough that studded crampons tear through the ice. Walking down my driveway, I slid 2-6" every step wearing them. Yesterday on the cold stuff (teens temps) I could go anywhere on them. Today is a day to be 50 years younger. Or more. The kids are having fun.

gugie 

I know what the word is.
It’s an outdoor skating rink.

gugie 

If I had to do it again, I’d use my 2 foot gear.

steelbikeguy

no problem!

p4


p141


p142



There's a 1997 issue of Bicycle Guide looking at Andy's achievements where they do show a photo from the snowy Gavia stage....



Steve in Peoria

79pmooney

Thanks!

merziac

Yep, Hampsten, Howard, Meeker and scores of others, framebuilders too,

Micheal Bornstien worked at/for Micheal's and came to Portland to work with Andy at Strawberry for a year and returned to Micheal's after that.

He built this while he was here and it is reported to be Meekers training bike for the Olympics that didn't happen.

steelbikeguy

I never realized the prominence of the Skunk River Cyclists at that time, but did know of some of the prominent Iowans on the team at the time.. primarily Jeff and Jackie(sp?) Bradley from Davenport, IA. They had a higher profile when they were known as the Levi's/Raleigh team.

I have saved my hoodie from Michael's, and picked up some SRC jerseys over the years... in addition to picking up a T.I./Raleigh Team bike too.





Of course, the hoodie could be useful on those very cold bike rides (to bring this back around to the topic of the thread).
It's a bit of a shame that the SRC glory days haven't been documented or remembered all that well.

Steve in Peoria

msalvetti

Steve, this was awesome! Thanks for posting the whole article.

Mark