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 will jrot on January 8, 2010 at 6:33pm
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 9:50am
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 1:12pm
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 3:37am
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 9:26am
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 9:32am
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 A.K.A Paul on January 14, 2010 at 2:18pm
I got a rain suit from Active Transportation Alliance that makes me look like a cop. I wonder if that's why people have been swinging wide since I've been wearing it. I even had one guy on the bus call me "officer" while wearing it.

Lionel Senderowicz said:
I use a reflective vest like this. $3.95 + shipping on amazon. Best $4 spent ever.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IDSZ1U/ref=oss_T15_product

Looking like a construction worker might make people want to avoid you. Thanks to the "hit a worker, go to prison and pay $1000000000 signs you often see on highways. :)

Expect questions from people such as "You work in this weather?" or jokes such as "Are you moonlighting?" at your place of employment. That shows me that the style is stuck in people's heads.
Permalink Reply by Eric R on February 11, 2010 at 5:55am
Can we get snow plows to make one more pass around the city to clear bike lanes? Or is there a concern with someone trying to door a snow plow?

I attempted to "act like traffic" today since traffic was moving at a crawl and the bike lanes were impassable on Augusta, but this women in her cage decided cut me off twice when we got closer to Milwaukee, we of course exchanged words then she sped a head ten feet before slamming on her breaks due to a line of cars. Very frustrating.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on February 11, 2010 at 8:29am
ROFLMAO! I'd like to see that. "Officer, one second I had a driver's side door, the next second I didn't and was covered with dirty snow!"

Eric Roach said:
Can we get snow plows to make one more pass around the city to clear bike lanes? Or is there a concern with someone trying to door a snow plow?

Permalink Reply by Eric R on February 11, 2010 at 5:08pm
You must have more faith in the system than I do... I have and do complete 311 online requests (A little over half have been completed successfully), but for this stretch of Augusta your looking at three alderpeople that need to be contacted 1, 32 and 27. Though it does appear that will be the only way to get this done.

H3N3 said:
You can do this anytime you like. Call 311 and put in a request.
If you have time during the day call your alderman and ask for ongoing assistance.
Then get the number to your ward's streets and san office, ask for the superintendent, and ask for ongoing assistance. Note names, and follow up at least once to let them know you're watching for follow-up and aren't going away.

I called in Augusta and the poor plowing after the last storm, the whole time thinking "why can't the cyclists in this part of town take responsibility for their own damn neighborhood?"

Eric Roach said:
Can we get snow plows to make one more pass around the city to clear bike lanes? Or is there a concern with someone trying to door a snow plow?
I attempted to "act like traffic" today since traffic was moving at a crawl and the bike lanes were impassable on Augusta, but this women in her cage decided cut me off twice when we got closer to Milwaukee, we of course exchanged words then she sped a head ten feet before slamming on her breaks due to a line of cars. Very frustrating.
Permalink Reply by Craig S. on April 3, 2010 at 2:34pm
This has been an entertaining thread to read. I used to ride year round through all the crap but not this past winter and I can honestly say I didn't miss it one bit, but my trainer has been banished to the closet as I cannot stand the site of it anymore. Nothing like snow and ice to shine a light on one's bike handling deficiencies, however.

I tend to find riding in a heat index of around 100+ degrees more invigorating than fall and winter riding; I need to live on the equator.
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on April 3, 2010 at 2:39pm
yeah, i heart hot weather. I also need to move to the Equator.

Craig S. said:
This has been an entertaining thread to read. I used to ride year round through all the crap but not this past winter and I can honestly say I didn't miss it one bit, but my trainer has been banished to the closet as I cannot stand the site of it anymore. Nothing like snow and ice to shine a light on one's bike handling deficiencies, however.

I tend to find riding in a heat index of around 100+ degrees more invigorating than fall and winter riding; I need to live on the equator.

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