East Coast Snow Storm - Road bike is in hiberation

[DarrenCT]

Starting snowing here in Greenwich, Connecticut in the middle of the night.

Definitely no chance of riding today. What a total bummer!

How much snow did you guys get?

e-Richie, lotsa snow in Chestah?

[William]

Still waiting. Nothing yet. Hey, maybe I can get a quick one in. :p

;) :D



William

[saab2000]

The road riding season is done here in Michigan. No big surprise there. But the road bikes have all been brought in and winterized.

(Winterized = leaned up against the basement wall.....)

[J.Greene]

Definitely no chance of riding today.

Why? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/749208931/in/set-72157600706486450/)
JG

[saab2000]

This is what Michigan looks like this morning after the snow/sleet/freezing rain of last night.

Might ride the trainer today....

[Mud]

Went out at 7:00AM for my every morning 6:00AM hike at the park with the pooch. Lots of snow falling, even the lake had a layer of ice/slush on it. My Lab swims all year long but stayed off the lake since he watched his "safety" very carefully. Roads were slick and plowing spotty because tomorrow is supposed to be leaf pick-up day and most have the leaves in the street. Mine are in bags figuring I did not want them plowed back into my driveway. So I shovelled the driveway. No sense in taking off my 20 degree hiking clothes and then going out afterwards to shovel.

Looks like trainers for a while. It is not the same, even on Computrainers. I used to love to mountainbike after a light snow. We even had bikes set up to ride on ice. At Loantaka Park in Morristown there are walking trails and some off road trails, all flat. On the walking trails they usually send in a truck to pack the snow hard and make tracks for the XC skiers. We would take our bikes with studded tires and do an 8 mile out and back. Alas, those days are gone since a mountainbike is off limits to my wife.

So we will ride the trainers for an hour, do the crossword puzzle and veg out for a rest day. I can live with that. :)

[DonH]

No snow here in Berlin,CT yet. I have a brand new snowblower which means it probably won't snow here at all :)

[Grant McLean]

SNOW?

I went to bed early last night, didn't hear a thing about snow for today.
The forecast that I saw briefly yesterday said 38 degrees today, so
I thought great, i'll ride outside, since I've been at the gym 5 days a
week for the past month.

Woke up this morning to this:


:crap:

-g

[Moveitfred]

Don't put away the cross bikes just yet, if I recall correctly:

12/8/2007 Wonderland Cyclocross Race
Lancaster PA

12/8/2007 6th Annual W.E. Stedman GP of Cross: UCI Cat. 2 - Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series Round #6 & Rhode Island State Cyclo-Cross Championships
Warwick RI

12/9/2007 Phillipsburg Riverfront Cyclocross
Phillipsburg NJ

12/9/2007 NBX Grand Prix of Cross/ Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Final Round, UCI cat.2
Warwick RI

12/15/2007 Natz Schmatz Winter Cross
Owen Bell Park, Dayville CT

[Fixed]

nice chairs imho g.

80 here today perfect oh well there is a slight wind
cheers

[cadence231]

Man that's great Grant! I wish it would do that here. I like that socked type of experience!

[Polyglot]

Why would it not be possible to ride in the snow? This photo was taken in -30° weather on a frozen lake.

[Ray]

nice chairs imho g.

Yeah, what's up with those - do they float? In SNOW? Or'd you just drop 'em in there to mess with us?

No snow here. Bit 'o sleet is about all. Could ride if I was more dedicated than I am, but there's football to be watched. Seahawks and Eagles - my last and current home teams. Don't hardly care who wins.

-Ray

[Blue Jays]

Polyglot, it would be cool to see the spiked/studded tires on that wintertrike!

[saab2000]

Why would it not be possible to ride in the snow? This photo was taken in -30° weather on a frozen lake.

Polyglot, where was that picture taken? It looks disturbingly like right where I used to live in Switzerland!

[e-RICHIE]

just did 90 hard minutes - that's 20 in the bank sandy
i love winter atmo.

[Volant]

Lucky guys! I wish we could get some snow!

[biker222]

It hasn't started snowing here yet. We are expecting 12 to 16" with winds between 20 and 30 mph. I have been riding the Nove indoors and going to the gym for the last month. I so hate indoor training :crap: and will be looking forward to the last week in March to get back on the road.

[93legendti]

SNOW?

I went to bed early last night, didn't hear a thing about snow for today.
The forecast that I saw briefly yesterday said 38 degrees today, so
I thought great, i'll ride outside, since I've been at the gym 5 days a
week for the past month.

Woke up this morning to this:


:crap:

-g
Grant, you leave your Bertoia chairs outside? My Mother's rusted on the bottom of the "legs" from being left outside. I know they are supposed to be outdoor furniture, but mine stay inside.

[dauwhe]

Twenty or so miles early this afternoon, before the snow. Then rake leaves and stack wood... A triathlon of sorts :rolleyes:

Dave

[Ti-Boy]

Woke up early to get a quicky in before the snow. Not early enough as the ground was already covered and snow falling. (I live in Keno's area of the world as a point of reference). Locked out the fork and rear suspension of my mountain bike, put on winter shoes/gloves and hit the road for a slow, but glorious 20 miles. I even took advantage of the mtb granny gear and did a nice steep (15%) climb that I only hit on the road bike when the legs are feeling extra good.

[Grant McLean]

Grant, you leave your Bertoia chairs outside? My Mother's rusted on the bottom of the "legs" from being left outside. I know they are supposed to be outdoor furniture, but mine stay inside.

? hmmm. don't know.

Mine have been out there 5 years, and look brand new.
They are the outdoor ones, with the rubbery paint on them.
Mine have plastic feet that keep them off the ground, so the
finish doesn't get scratched. Knoll said they're fine outside,
and since i've got no place else to put them, that's where they
live.

-g

[CNY rider]

Just got 45 minutes on the seasonal roads. First ride of the year with the studded Nokians mounted on the effin' cross bike. Surface was 2 inches of fresh snow, with sleet and freezing drizzle falling from the sky.
Beats working out indoors!
Then of course like a total spaz I went down like a turtle at the end of the driveway while I was getting the Pennysaver out of the tube. :crap:

[Blue Jays]

I'm thinking about a slower ride on the road on the Titus MotoLite for a change. That bicycle is somewhat of a pig on pavement, but the secure rubber-soled mountainbike shoes with booties will be nice for colder weather.
I'll naturally have to bust out the LED lights.

[Ray]

Just got 45 minutes on the seasonal roads. First ride of the year with the studded Nokians mounted on the effin' cross bike. Surface was 2 inches of fresh snow, with sleet and freezing drizzle falling from the sky.
Beats working out indoors!
Then of course like a total spaz I went down like a turtle at the end of the driveway while I was getting the Pennysaver out of the tube. :crap:
I rode for a few winters on studded Nokians on my cross bike. Until I realized that while I was very much under control on icy roads, many of the cars I was depending on for my continued existence were sliding all over the place. Including a few directly toward me that required some pretty good evasive action. I stopped riding in those conditions. Be careful.

-Ray

[Bud_E]

Today was one of those stunning days in SoCal that reminds me why I live here. Mid 60's and the rain day before yesterday made the air clean and crisp. After a very spotty year (for various reasons) I'm even starting to get a little form. I had the most enjoyable ride today that I've had in quite a while.

My daughter called from NYC this morning and reported that some sort of white stuff was all over the streets and the buildings. After researching it on the internets we figured out that is what's called "snow". :banana:

[CNY rider]

I rode for a few winters on studded Nokians on my cross bike. Until I realized that while I was very much under control on icy roads, many of the cars I was depending on for my continued existence were sliding all over the place. Including a few directly toward me that required some pretty good evasive action. I stopped riding in those conditions. Be careful.

-Ray


I hear ya Ray.
Last winter was the first winter I commuted on the Nokians and I can think of a couple of days where I really shouldn't have been out there. I was fortunate that nothing happened, and I'm trying to be more sensible this year.
As you noted, the ability to ride on slick stuff is simply incredible with these tires. The danger is definitely from the passing cars. The thing that got me last year, was that we live up in the woods and you see a couple of inches of virgin powder on the road in the morning and can't resist riding to work. The glide down our hill was simply amazing.....surreal silence, unbroken snow. It felt just like a nice glide on cross country skis. Then when you got to the more travelled roads it got scary as the cars were slipping around on the pasty slush and ice.

Today's ride was entirely on the local seasonal dirt roads. Total of zero cars in 40 minutes. :)

[KeithS]

First real snow started here yesterday early AM. Last night during dinner I got a text message from my former neighbor who moved back to Hawaii last winter. It had a picture of a palm tree waving in the breeze. Apparently the a..hole must have seen the weather channel and just had to rub it in. So I dashed out and snapped the picture I have enclosed here.

Today after I went spinning at my LBS I took my 7 year old and his buddy skiing. Had a great time. Kids are fun that way.

[DarrenCT]

storm isnt as bad as expected. roads are better. hopefully i'll be back on the road in a few days

cheers atmo

[93legendti]

? hmmm. don't know.

Mine have been out there 5 years, and look brand new.
They are the outdoor ones, with the rubbery paint on them.
Mine have plastic feet that keep them off the ground, so the
finish doesn't get scratched. Knoll said they're fine outside,
and since i've got no place else to put them, that's where they
live.

-g


Hmm, my Mom's chairs might have been a fluke. They were outside a lot longer than 5 years and I suspect some critters may have mistaken the legs for something edible and chewed thru the rubber/paint.

Nice chairs!

[Polyglot]

Polyglot, where was that picture taken? It looks disturbingly like right where I used to live in Switzerland!

The photo was taken on Dow's lake in downtown Ottawa.

Polyglot, it would be cool to see the spiked/studded tires on that wintertrike!

On a trike there is absolutely no need to have spiked/studded tires. The narrower the tires, the better grip they get. In the race photographed, which was on the slickest ice that I have ever encountered, I put a bit of liquid bleach on the tires (an old loggers' trick) which 'melted' the rubber making them almost 'gluey'. The tires were however ready to be thrown away as soon as the race was over.

[Ti Designs]

just did 90 hard minutes - that's 20 in the bank sandy
i love winter atmo.

Is there a time frame you had in mind for being fit? I see all these group indoor training programs going and they're doing intervals before January, I don't get it. I've always tried to hit my fitness peak in the spring when it's fun to go for longer, faster rides.

For what it's worth, I have 42 pedal stroke workouts in thus far, have hit 200RPMs on the rollers (about a month early on that) and have gotten to 900 pounds on the incline sled at the gym. But no hard rides...

[e-RICHIE]

Is there a time frame you had in mind for being fit?
i'm fit now. real fit.
the off season starts after the natz in 2 weeks atmo.


For what it's worth <snip> have hit 200RPMs on the rollers (about a month early on that) and have gotten to 900 pounds on the incline sled at the gym. But no hard rides...
i'd sell my bike before i rode it indoors atmo.

[Ti Designs]

i'd sell my bike before i rode it indoors

I put up with riding indoors to ride well during the [warm] season...

[flux]

All you have to do is dress properly and use the right bike. I have done many 3-4 hour rides during the last 2 weeks. One of those 4 hour days was in the snow. It's all about equipment selection.

[benb]

I cleaned my road bike and brought it in this afternoon.

I gotta put the studded tires on my MTB.. I don't think I rode them at all last winter.

[Avispa]

But this is how things looked down here today!
83* and 10mph winds... low humidity for our standards.

You'll are welcomed to come down and ride...

..A..

[Blue Jays]

Avispa, do you use studded winter tires under those brutally icy conditions or just regular training tires? :D

[dbrk]

I'm in Phoenix for the weekend teaching a seminar and need to get back to Rochester to teach at the University this week. It was a beautiful day here and the snow in Chicago kept me from leaving, so I'll be back home _hopefully_ tomorrow. Sure, we get a lot of winter in the north country and our season is short (if you are not a die hard winter rider and, I confess, I am no longer) but I have no regrets. I don't really love or even like winter much but it's just part of living in the Finger Lakes and having traveled all over, visited every region, I suppose it's where I find myself most at home. Today the weather in the Great Lakes made travel pretty much impossible (flying-wise) but at least I'm not stuck in O'Hare or in a hotel overnight. Now if I miss Tuesday, that would be bad. Good luck to you all!

dbrk

[RIHans]

First real snow started here yesterday early AM. Last night during dinner I got a text message from my former neighbor who moved back to Hawaii last winter. It had a picture of a palm tree waving in the breeze. Apparently the a..hole must have seen the weather channel and just had to rub it in. So I dashed out and snapped the picture I have enclosed here.

Today after I went spinning at my LBS I took my 7 year old and his buddy skiing. Had a great time. Kids are fun that way.


Start 'em young...They will thank someday for it!

[RIHans]

i'm fit now. real fit.
the off season starts after the natz in 2 weeks atmo.

i'd sell my bike before i rode it indoors atmo.


Relentless!

[Avispa]

Avispa, do you use studded winter tires under those brutally icy conditions or just regular training tires? :D

Tires! Are you kidding?


I put on skis.... Water skis that is. :eek: :D

..A..

[znfdl]

Starting snowing here in Greenwich, Connecticut in the middle of the night.

Definitely no chance of riding today. What a total bummer!

How much snow did you guys get?

e-Richie, lotsa snow in Chestah?

Darren, you need a cross bike with Nokian studded tires.......

[jchasse]

Well, the pouring rain last night here in my part of CT got rid of any trace of snow.

So much for that excuse for me being a lazy slob. :(

[RABikes2]

Today started at 68-70 degrees, but with the cold front coming through as the day goes on, the projected weather forecast for tomorrow morning is 35 degrees! I'll take it ... riding an indoor trainer is like watching paint dry. :crap: I don't know how you guys do it for months. :confused:
RA

[fiamme red]

I was in Central Park yesterday. It was great fun riding on an inch of freshly fallen snow with road tires.

[old_school]

But this is how things looked down here today!
83* and 10mph winds... low humidity for our standards.

Avispa,
Thanks for the photo memories. I spent a week on Key Biscayne last spring: rented a sh#$ty cruiser bike from Key Cycling and rode up and down the Rickenbacker Causeway / Crandon Blvd. in between drinking cafe con leches from some roadside Cuban diner. I hate New England winters, and at that point would have been happy peddling a tricycle in the open air.

[benb]

I'd take winter in New England over living/riding in Florida anytime.. Max Elevation of 345ft would make me a sad cyclist... the hill I live on is taller then that.

[davids]

But this is how things looked down here today!
83* and 10mph winds... low humidity for our standards.

You'll are welcomed to come down and ride...

..A..
Are you planning to do some repeats on that climb?

I rode my mountain bike for 2 hours yesterday morning. 20 degrees when we started, and I stood around outside too long before we hit the trails. It took a good 20 minutes for the feeling to return to my fingers... But once I was warm, it was just fine!

I love mountain biking in the cold. So: :banana: