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Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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that stinks, hope yer ok.  I also ditched the long johns, used thin gloves and no balaclava, just ear warmers.
 
AM 9.5 said:

Switched from winter jacket to lighter bomber jacket and from big gloves to not so big gloves. And no long underwear. I feel about 20 lbs lighter. A great morning until I wiped out on black ice right in front my office.
Sorry to hear about the fall. Crazy how ice in some spots seems to survive especially under bridges and stuff. Nice icicle dagger drops yesterday afternoon. Crazy to be wearing one layer again. Crazier still was the headwind going south and west for my stretch on Ogden toward Douglas. Nearly fell from gust by hectors bike and screamed at a iron mountain. Crazier still, I saw like 5 riders going north on Ogden zooming with the same wind. To all of you all with the tail wind, happy rides!

Those "ice circles" (I think this is the technical name for them - link) were pretty cool this morning.  As I  rode by them, I thought to myself "I hope Gene takes a picture of these." Thanks, Gene!  

Apparently, based on the link, they're either formed by (1) floating bits of ice getting caught in an eddy; or (2) as water cools, it releases heat that turns into frazil ice -- loose, needle-shaped particles of ice that can cluster together. If the current allows this frazil ice to accumulate, it can form an ice circle, a dense, heavy piece of ice with high ridges and a low center.  #2 -- " a dense, heavy piece of ice with high ridges and a low center" -- perfectly describes what I saw.

Gene Tenner said:

I rode to work and it was really hard to not keep on going.  I know for sure the day is coming when I'll get up and go to work and end up in Milwaukee. 

Possibly the most unpleasant ride I've had all winter today-- way more frigid than I expected and 4.5 miles north into a killer headwind.  I would have bailed to the bus if I'd have seen one while still close to Western.

Agreed the north/east wind was quite brutal.

h' 1.0 said:

Possibly the most unpleasant ride I've had all winter today-- way more frigid than I expected and 4.5 miles north into a killer headwind.  I would have bailed to the bus if I'd have seen one while still close to Western.

I rode to Belmont Harbor around noon taking mostly Halsted and then Wellington, and the buildings blocked most of the wind.  Then I tried to go south on the path a little later to go west at Fullerton--which was exactly where that incredible police thing was happening.  A shivering police officer stopped me at the bridge at Diversey and said the path was closed because there was a guy shooting from a car up at Fullerton. Poor guy said he went on duty and they sent him out to the scene right away--did not look like he had much chance to get ready to stand outside in the wind along the lake.  Eerie to see Lake Shore Drive completely empty, too.  

Then, getting west to Wicker Park was an interesting challenge because all of those people who were expecting to be on Lake Shore Drive were trying to get through the neighborhoods and they were not happy campers!

The temps didn't bother me, but the wind was daunting. On my morning commute (straight north), I ditched the LFP and took side streets; the buildings helped, but I still got walloped every time I hit a wind tunnel or stretch of park. The ride home on the LFP (straight south) got only a partial tailwind (wind was more out of the east really) but it was also almost completely empty, despite my route being entirely south of all the business on the LSD. Not my worst winter day, but certainly one of the oddest.

h' 1.0 said:

Possibly the most unpleasant ride I've had all winter today-- way more frigid than I expected and 4.5 miles north into a killer headwind.  I would have bailed to the bus if I'd have seen one while still close to Western.

Yea the wind and the cold wern't as bad as it's been but the fact that I have spring on the brain made it hurt in a nasty way.

I think all of the factors you guys mentioned made it hurt more than usual. My favorite riding temperature is mid-upper 20s.

I had a balaclava in my pocket but the wind was making me late so I never stopped to goof around with putting it on.....  also had thin pants that I haven't worn all winter because of the cold, and regular shoes rather than my cold-proof muck boots that I've worn every day except maybe one all winter.

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