The Chainlink

First big snow, Jan 2010-- how's everyone getting around in this stuff?

I realized quickly I needed to stay out of the car tire spoors as I could barely track in them-- slippin' and a slidin'. Kept to the undisturbed and less disturbed snow, with a few plowed and virgin sidewalk stretches. Only one short jaunt on a main street-- cleared/salted/wet, but car traffic seemed like it was moving at highway speeds.
Evening commute awaits . . .

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Permalink Reply by E A on January 8, 2010 at 12:16pm
I walked yesterday to a farther CTA stop... it's good to work and stretch those walkin' muscles too.

Matt M. said:
walkin'. More of a workout.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on January 8, 2010 at 12:22pm
I had planned to walk/bus today but time got away from me and I had no choice but to ride . . .
I found the best traction in the deepest tire tracks on the secondary streets (best= asphalt showing through the snow) and then found California to be completely cleaned of snow for the last little bit.
Big contrast in a day's time . . .
Permalink Reply by Liz on January 8, 2010 at 12:45pm
I took Sheridan/Cannon down to North Ave and then got on Clark for the rest of my ride into downtown today since I wasn't sure if the lakefront was plowed yet this morning (side streets still weren't so I figured they hadn't gotten to the bike path). The ride to North was great, but once on Clark the cars where not being accommodating at all. I had a lot of people passing within inches of me since I couldn't ride to the right of the road due to slush even when there was an open lane next to them. They all seemed to be moving quickly and shooting around me only to get stopped in 20 feet at the same light as me. I would then make eye contact and yell not to pass so close. I'm considering printing out some bright yellow 3ft passing fliers, lamenting them and pinning it to my pack and panniers to remind drivers to give bikers space when passing. The first part of my ride was quite pleasant, the park looked great covered in snow and the traffic on Cannon is so light that it was enjoyable.
Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on January 8, 2010 at 8:08pm
I asked Joe about the lakefront path conditions and received this response as of 4:00 PM 1/8/10:
"From Monroe Harbor through 59th street, the Path was not only plowed, but salted. It was basically clean (with some minor exceptions) from Monroe Harbor through 59th street. Absent something crazy, I can't imagine you'd have any problems through 71st street."

My guess is if they've plowed and salted south, then they've plowed and salted north.

Dottie said:
Anyone know whether the Lakefront Trail has been plowed? I wish there was a way to check this info consistently.
Permalink Reply by jonathan on January 8, 2010 at 9:59pm
I rode to work yesterday and took the sidewalk and streets with pretty good control and enjoyed the lsack jawed expressions of co-workers. Last night I went for a joy ride on the lake the path was pretty good . I fishtailed some, but when I tried off roading my tires caked up and didn't want to budge or I slid when I tried deeper packed snow in back of Montrose Harbor drive so i walked it back to the path. Dam I thought the Schwalbe winter marathons would make me invincible!
Permalink Reply by will jrot on January 8, 2010 at 11:33pm
not doing quite so well, but getting by. i walk dogs and ride all over. my clips are too small for my boots to fit in so i'm pushing with just my toes. not very comfortable. i'd switch to my road bike, but the fenders i have don't fit on it (duh, buy some that do...) and i'd rather feel slightly uncomfortable than soggy.

i must say though, there's nothing better than riding through fresh, untouched snow on a lonely street at night. one of my all time favorite feelings.
Permalink Reply by David P. on January 9, 2010 at 2:50pm
No, I meant to refer to the knobs and studs separately. The studs aren't doing anything for me unless I am on ice or perhaps on packes snow if they can make their way to the pavement below, but the knobs help with some snow conditions. Not the ones I was riding in, apparently. The tires on my usual bike have a shallow, inverted file-type tread.

David

H3N3 said:
Are you using "knobs" and "studs" interchangeably?
I'd think knobs would help on the current packed down stuff, but studs wouldn't unless it was a slick/frozen icy surface?

David A. Pertuz said:
Just fine, slightly squirrelly. Using my MTB as my ice/heavy snow/crap weather bike (it's the one that got the studs this year) and I have to re-accustom myself to its handling - quicker front end than my usual bike and I have a hard time generally on the compacted stuff on my unplowed residential street, even with the knobs on the Nokians. Otherwise it's easy. I may try my normal bike tonight to see if the narrower tires push through the packed-down stuff any better.

David
Permalink Reply by jonathan on January 9, 2010 at 6:12pm
The Opposite of Sex is a terribly great movie -good choice!

M.A.R.K. said:
Slow cookers and crock pot cooking is the shit!

As for me, I didn't go out in the snow. As much as I should have and wanted to, I chose to hang with my cat instead. Some good brushing and bonding, clipped his nails and watched terrible movies together. He's got a thing for Christina Ricci so we watched The Opposite Of Sex and shoveled snow..


Brian Kennedy said:
What could be cooler than riding in a fresh snowfall? How 'bout riding in a fresh snowfall with a crock pot!!! That is so funny and awesome! Thanks for the mental image.

Laura Blake said:
Proud to say no wipeouts today! ...unlike the last snowfall. Even with a crock pot in tow, it wasn't too terrible. Only had to walk down a few side streets that haven't seen the plows yet. Now everyone at work *officially* thinks I'm nutty.....love it.
Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 11, 2010 at 8:37am
M.A.R.K, that cat is beautiful! We adopted some kittens a few weeks ago so I'm fully down with the hunkering down for a cozy creature weekend, or winter or whatever.

I am ashamed to admit that I chickened out and took the CTA on Friday (and worked from home on Thursday). I did make a cargo run to the recycling facility yesterday, which went fine - but by then the streets on that route anyway were all clear.

Today however I found the bike lane (or whatever it is) on Loomis north of the river mostly unplowed. A strip less than a foot wide was plowed, but it was sporadically full of chunks of ice and crap. Even in the best of circumstances it can be dicey sometimes on Loomis as impatient drivers sometimes use the bike lane to pass slower vehicles.

So I just called 311 about it. The operator told me he'd "put it in the system make them aware of it and see if we can get them out there to plow." He was super nice about it, as the 311 people usually are.
Permalink Reply by Liz on January 14, 2010 at 2:26pm
Has anyone else noticed that drivers seem especially bad at respecting cyclists lately?

I've had numerous problems with drivers and close calls since the snow his the ground.
In the last 2 days I've almost been hit 5 times. Its enough to make me not want to cycle again until the snow is gone. 4 of the incidents involve stop signs where I had the right of way and a driver started going after I had anyway thinking they would beat me (I'm assuming) and instead by the time they started moving I was directly in front of them. Today on the way to work I had someone pass within 2 inches of me, nearly pinning my against the wall on lower Columbus when there was no one in the left lane, and he was approaching a red light. I'm thinking about getting some reflective 3 ft signs printed out and lamented and pinning them to my back and pannier so that maybe drivers will figure out not to pass so close, especially with all the pot hole, and current slushy areas.
Permalink Reply by E A on January 14, 2010 at 2:32pm
I know what you mean about drivers passing too close. A couple of trucks this morning were literally inching by me. It's scary.

For the 3 ft thing - http://www.3feetplease.com/ (I like the vests.... and now they got a backpack!)

Liz said:
Has anyone else noticed that drivers seem especially bad at respecting cyclists lately?

I've had numerous problems with drivers and close calls since the snow his the ground.
In the last 2 days I've almost been hit 5 times. Its enough to make me not want to cycle again until the snow is gone. 4 of the incidents involve stop signs where I had the right of way and a driver started going after I had anyway thinking they would beat me (I'm assuming) and instead by the time they started moving I was directly in front of them. Today on the way to work I had someone pass within 2 inches of me, nearly pinning my against the wall on lower Columbus when there was no one in the left lane, and he was approaching a red light. I'm thinking about getting some reflective 3 ft signs printed out and lamented and pinning them to my back and pannier so that maybe drivers will figure out not to pass so close, especially with all the pot hole, and current slushy areas.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on January 14, 2010 at 4:48pm
Thanks for making the call. I've probably made 20 in the last week (not all 311, some to aldermen, some to streets and san.)
One was for the unplowed bike lane on Augusta from Western all the way to Ashland. Full of frozen chunkies as you described. Tough to track follow-up in someone else's neighborhood though.


Tony Adams said:
M.A.R.K, that cat is beautiful! We adopted some kittens a few weeks ago so I'm fully down with the hunkering down for a cozy creature weekend, or winter or whatever.

I am ashamed to admit that I chickened out and took the CTA on Friday (and worked from home on Thursday). I did make a cargo run to the recycling facility yesterday, which went fine - but by then the streets on that route anyway were all clear.

Today however I found the bike lane (or whatever it is) on Loomis north of the river mostly unplowed. A strip less than a foot wide was plowed, but it was sporadically full of chunks of ice and crap. Even in the best of circumstances it can be dicey sometimes on Loomis as impatient drivers sometimes use the bike lane to pass slower vehicles.

So I just called 311 about it. The operator told me he'd "put it in the system make them aware of it and see if we can get them out there to plow." He was super nice about it, as the 311 people usually are.

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