You know it's been cold here...

[cpg]

and I'm ashamed to say that I've been off the bike for four days. Well today the wind changed and the temps are in the teens. So I go out to the garage to get out my winter single speed commuter. It lives in the garage because I live in a small house and well it's a commuter so I don't give it much love. Anyway, I roll out into the alley and the freewheel pawls are frozen so it freewheels in both directions. Annoyed, I drag the beast into the kitchen and bust out the hair dryer. Given my lack of hair it's practically a miracle that there's a hair dryer in the house. It's my wife's okay. After a couple of minutes on hot and high the pawls warmed up and voila a working freewheel. I know fixed gears never have this problem but I don't like riding fixed on ice. The ride to work was great. Who's got cold weather stories?

Curt

[sg8357]

Last week on the Breakfast ride, the water/oj mix in my waterbottle turned into a Slushie.

A few years ago there was a regular winter ride to Yellow Springs, 60 miles
social pace. Riding along, pounding the water bottle on the handlebars to break up the ice so I could drink.
And what do you think the destination is on such a cold day ?, Youngs Dairy ice cream shop. Note, nobody would
do this ride in the summer, who wants ice cream in summer ?

Scott G.

[DarrenCT]

total rain out here in CT today.

curt, go for a stroll and get some fresh air. anything to get outside imho

[mschol17]

All I know is that this morning's 34 degrees and pouring rain is about the coldest I've felt on a commute this year.

[Climb01742]

a week or two ago i was riding when the temps were in the single digits. my nose was running like a facet. mid-way through the ride, i looked down at my powertap display. i couldn't see any numbers. crap, i thought, the thing has frozen. but then i looked again. i giant gob of snot had nailed my entire display. yuck in the extreme.

[TimD]

and I'm ashamed to say that I've been off the bike for four days. Well today the wind changed and the temps are in the teens. So I go out to the garage to get out my winter single speed commuter. It lives in the garage because I live in a small house and well it's a commuter so I don't give it much love. Anyway, I roll out into the alley and the freewheel pawls are frozen so it freewheels in both directions. Annoyed, I drag the beast into the kitchen and bust out the hair dryer. Given my lack of hair it's practically a miracle that there's a hair dryer in the house. It's my wife's okay. After a couple of minutes on hot and high the pawls warmed up and voila a working freewheel. I know fixed gears never have this problem but I don't like riding fixed on ice. The ride to work was great. Who's got cold weather stories?

Curt

BRAVO - HARD CORE!
:beer:

[Erik.Lazdins]

I don't have a proper Northern winter story but here is an Oklahoma version...

Saturday December 22nd, the rain had switched over to snow a few hours earlier...

Having mounted the studded Nokians on my Bleriot - I was eager to get out there.

6:15 PM I roll out -temperature is 25 so not cold but the water on the road is starting to freeze. The snow is falling moderately to heavily and the wind is gusting to 35 out of the north.

Between gusts of wind, the studs can be heard but have patches of falling silent as they begin to hit more ice.

I get onto the hwy 169 overpass (sidewalk behind a concrete barrier) and see 2 cars that have slowly spun out and are nose into the barrier - not a crash but an unintended slow motion wintertime automobile ballet.

The look on their faces as I rode by was the best!

Shortly after that I hit the bike trail network and had it to myself.
:beer: :beer: :beer:

[H.Frank Beshear]

Uhm I hope you dont let the wife know what you were doing with her hair dryer on the kitchen floor :D . she'll show you a new use for the rolling pin :rolleyes: .

[Johny]

Having been commuting 5 days a week and has not been stopped by any weather here.

Wintry windy ice storm today...My face was like poked by thousands of needles this morning.

We've got two wind storms this winter and several trees fell on the trail...a good practice for cyclocross?

Several falls so far...

[Clydesdale]

that you have to breathe carefully wearing a balaclava and sunglasses? Fun not being able to see on slippery roads!

Frozen water bottles - not so bad
Frozen feet - really bad - man it hurts when they thaw out.

As the bike shop guy says - "there is no bad weather only inadequate clothing"

[CNY rider]

Having been commuting 5 days a week and has not been stopped by any weather here.

Wintry windy ice storm today...My face was like poked by thousands of needles this morning.

We've got two wind storms this winter and several trees fell on the trail...a good practice for cyclocross?

Several falls so far...

Johny I am truly impressed that you toughed it out today.

The ice here is now approaching 1/2 inch thick. I have no idea how I would have gotten home if I rode my bike in to work today. :confused:

[DRZRM]

I am not looking forward to the ride home! I thought I'd left my rain pants hanging in the office when I couldn't find them this AM. Now we have rain and sleet predicted and me with noting but jeans on. At least I have some SmartWool tights in my bottom drawer, and it's above freezing. I just wish I had my pants.

[Johny]

Johny I am truly impressed that you toughed it out today.

The ice here is now approaching 1/2 inch thick. I have no idea how I would have gotten home if I rode my bike in to work today. :confused:

Only 1/2 inch thick... :)

I got a mountain bike with studded tires (Nokian Extreme 296's).

The crazy ride I had this winter is last Dec when I was riding in a snow storm in the traffic... too much and too deep snow on the trail to ride.

This has been a great winter of riding...and some XC skiing.

[bostondrunk]

a week or two ago i was riding when the temps were in the single digits. my nose was running like a facet. mid-way through the ride, i looked down at my powertap display. i couldn't see any numbers. crap, i thought, the thing has frozen. but then i looked again. i giant gob of snot had nailed my entire display. yuck in the extreme.

Note to self - Don't buy Climb's powertap.......