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Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
I might need to get me some of those.

It's currently light for my ride to work but if I don't get out of here at exactly 4:30 I get caught in the dark.
 

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
I had that Down Low Glow kit for my Xtracycle. It was cool, but I think the bulb died. And I don't have the Xtracycle anymore. Oh well. Looks cool Splat!

Rode in today. I have to be to work at 7, so its still dark when I leave. Pretty cold this morning too, but I found all my Pearl Izumi cold weather gear last night, so I was ready!
 

mrbigisbudgood

Strangely intrigued by Echo
Oct 30, 2001
1,380
3
Charlotte, NC
Nice! Have you ever done it before?
First time. Pain is expected. I am considering buying a trainer for home, because honestly, we might not get to do proper road riding until April. Personally, I don't mind riding in this weather one bit. However, studs don't fit road bike frames, you can't stand and hammer climbs right now anyway, some of the others who signed up don't enjoy the cold as much as me. My wife also signed up for the Tjej version.

Yesterdays thaw and the overnight freeze only packed the snow tighter and made the paths that much more slick. Areas of melt runoff left large perfectly smooth ponds of ice. I remember thinking how cool dubbdäck (studded) tires are, carve left and hear the carbides dig in, wondering how many times I would end up on my ass if I didn't use them.
 

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
So I was doing good with the commuting this year...until I got hit with a respiratory infection this week.
Now that I'm crawling out of the misery, I'm hoping to get back on it next week.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Get better soon. I got caught in a full on downpour yesterday riding at lunch. Why can't this be snow instead of rain dammit!
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
we had a nasty cold stretch and literally overnight the weather turned surprisingly warm. I've been commuting everyday and I'm looking forward to training outside tomorrow!
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
nasty commute the last 2 days . Last Night was COLD!!!

but roads have been narrow from teh now huge snow backs , and the right side is always snow covered at the moment, made for some work!
Be careful out there. Sounds like dangerous commuting conditions. All of you that commute in the snow are way more hardcore than I.
 

mrbigisbudgood

Strangely intrigued by Echo
Oct 30, 2001
1,380
3
Charlotte, NC
MELT!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP we are actually above freezing!

Complete disaster near my house, 2-3K of low speed fighting to keep the bike upright on water covered bumpy and rutted ice, I almost turned around. BUT when I got closer to the city..........I rode on actual pavement! For the first time in 2 months, my tires were on pavement. I didn't wear my shoe covers since it's 5C today, that was a bloody mistake, all the slush and standing water my feet got SOAKED and cold.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Ho hum, supposed to be 53 here. The street sweepers were out yesterday so my roads are clean and dry to ride on now. you like that, "my roads" :)
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Ok, so commuting isn't just to and from work. Derek and I threw the lights on our bikes and rode across town to a dinner party Saturday night. Wine bottles, beer bottles, salad fixins and smiles as we pedaled along the trail above the river.
 

splat

Nam I am
Rode in today , first time in almost a Month. nice out there 30 degree's lots of Snow ice and narrow roads, so I threw the wheels with the studded tires on ( read:HEAVY! ) also Took a longer way that avoided a busy road that has really gotten narrow . so I was slow this morning and Felt it big time ! My legs are already sore , the ride home is going to be fun. also had a flat on the way in :(
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Rode in today , first time in almost a Month. nice out there 30 degree's lots of Snow ice and narrow roads, so I threw the wheels with the studded tires on ( read:HEAVY! ) also Took a longer way that avoided a busy road that has really gotten narrow . so I was slow this morning and Felt it big time ! My legs are already sore , the ride home is going to be fun. also had a flat on the way in :(
We haven't had winter since December so my commutes have been pretty friggin easy.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
We haven't had winter since December so my commutes have been pretty friggin easy.
HAHAHAH - this is so cute! Today I woke up to loads of snow and my ride was a true challenge. Cars littered the roads stuck in the deep snow as I pedaled by. :thumb:
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
how much snow did you get ?

isn't it fun to ride by cars who can't go anywhere ?
Well, it rained all night and switched to snow at 3am. Then it snowed about 10-12" in the next 4 hours as the temps hovered around 33. So the snow was really really heavy and wet which isn't normal for here. I guess that all made for a mess. I got squirrely in a couple places but powered through and kept it upright. They finally got around to plowing the streets so now everything is packed powder this morning. It was an easy ride to work.
 

mrbigisbudgood

Strangely intrigued by Echo
Oct 30, 2001
1,380
3
Charlotte, NC
Finally!!!!!!!! Decent riding conditions in Stockholm. -6C this morning, pink/orange sunrise when I left the house, wore yellow lenses (first time i've used a colored lens since October). Solid sheet of rutted nasty ice for the first 4Km, decent mostly melted bike routes the rest of the way.

I'm assuming the masochistic systematic self abuse on the trainer has been doing me some good. I felt really good, rolling bigger gears than I was a month ago.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Wet wet snow this morning - we are yo-yoing between winter and spring and I never know how to dress on my commutes. Rain pants today, short tomorrow.
 

mrbigisbudgood

Strangely intrigued by Echo
Oct 30, 2001
1,380
3
Charlotte, NC
We had a dinner at work last night with another functional department, catered by the Swedish Cullinary Team. Left work at 8:30PM with a belly full of pumpkin glazed chicken, caviar, and red wine. 1C, raining, complete suckness, granny gearing all climbs. Took me 45 minutes, usually takes me 20.

This morning everything was frozen, kind of, didn't get too crazy with my pace.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
I finally when back to commuting by back after a few weeks of the wife giving me rides. Feels good to ride to work. Got soaked twice last week. We are having some unusually hard rains. We get a fair amount of rain, but these storms have been hard core.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Maybe it's the geese honking as they circle the wetland, maybe it's the flag high atop the landmark smoke stacks, rippling in the morning breeze, or the river that is smooth as glass and seems to barely move and then thrashes and churns as it goes through the spillway dam. Maybe it's the stark contrast of white snowy mountains against the backdrop of blue sky smeared with pink, or the quiet streets of the early morning as my tires crunch on the cinder left in the bike lane as I pedal along blissfully. Whatever it is, it is awesome.

Ride on.
 

splat

Nam I am
Last Night on my Ride home.
as I got to the section of of trail where I change from trail to Road, I have to dismount to get over a Gaurd rail. As I look down I see a Full Sealed Bottle of Jagermister. there was a Dent in the cap, but still sealed ! Yea Hah!
 

mrbigisbudgood

Strangely intrigued by Echo
Oct 30, 2001
1,380
3
Charlotte, NC
  1. Beer tasting for 4 hours
  2. Realize we bought too much beer, fix problem
  3. Ride 10K home, wet snow
  4. Pass out
  5. Wake up
  6. Ride 10K to work, 1C, rain, wind, hammer all climbs as hard as possible
  7. Hangover destroyed
  8. Win