I rode today. Did you?

Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on January 5, 2016 at 1:35pm

I was busy with some stuff at work this afternoon, so didn't get out of the office as early as usual. There's a huge difference in traffic volume between leaving at 3:20 v. 3:50... 

You may recall that Ardmore is a bit weird just west of Sheridan Rd between the end of the Lakefront Trail and the first street, Kenmore. The car traffic is one-way eastbound, but there is also a small westbound bike lane between the car lane and the parked cars. With the recent snow/slush/ice we had, and Chicago's stellar snow removal process on side streets, that bike lane had about an inch of clear surface, the remainder being ice. I was riding in that when a car came eastbound, and for some reason the driver decided it was in his/her best interest to be as far to the left as possible, with tires not far from the line separating the bike lane from the car lane.
By the time I realized this doofus wasn't going to move or slow down, I was stuck. Moving to my right was a sure recipe for disaster, as it was nothing but ice. (I happened to be riding my bike without studded tires.) There was clearly no room to move to the left. I managed to hold my line. My left hand (protected by my neoprene bar mitt) hit the driver's side view mirror. I didn't fall, and decided to just keep riding. I doubt the driver saw me, despite my headlight and hi-vis yellow jacket. I hope I scared the shit out of him/her.
Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on January 6, 2016 at 6:03am

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on January 9, 2016 at 9:09am

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on January 11, 2016 at 6:22am

Permalink Reply by daniel kernan on January 11, 2016 at 8:33am

not a bad ride this a.m. really.  bundled well but by end of the ride my toes and backside were starting to go numb.   for me I think that this was officially the coldest I have commuted in at -1 .

Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on January 11, 2016 at 8:28pm

Yep, and I got home before the snow started.

Lobster gloves FTW.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on January 12, 2016 at 2:05am
A short Divvy ride to the Metra station.
It was brutal going North.
Permalink Reply by grayn8 on January 12, 2016 at 3:37am
Weirdness. I didn't see a single rider yesterday during my commutes. First time this winter. And, this morning, probably the first true winter ride to work, I saw two fellow riders. One fighting the wind going north on blue island! More power to you!
Permalink Reply by Wuffie on January 12, 2016 at 4:08am

The ride in yesterday was cold (the coldest this season for me) but tolerable, but the ride home was fantastic.  I initially thought I was going to take Clark all the way home to Evanston but quickly realized that the streets weren't in great shape and that I would probably be better off on the Lakefront Path.  What a treat.  Parts of the path were salted and completely clear and parts had an inch or two of snow.  Slippery but not dangerous.  Certainly less nerve racking than Clark.  The big bonus.  It was beautiful.  Nice breeze on the back, warmer temperatures, beautiful scenery and that peaceful quietness that takes over when the snow muffles the sounds of the city.  One of my best rides home in a long time.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on January 12, 2016 at 4:12am

Nice ride in today. A bit nippy.

I'm really amazed at how well the Park District maintains LFT and the streets within the park. To add a little extra mileage (just over a mile round-trip) I've started to detour off LFT at Foster, then it's Foster->Simonds->Lawrence->Wilson->Simonds->Montrose, then back to LFT. That little stretch was plowed curb-to-curb. You would think they were expecting a presidential motorcade, but other than a CTA bus making a turnaround, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Permalink Reply by Ryan Stahlman on January 12, 2016 at 4:25am

The combination of the strong headwind and snow compacting in my fenders made the ride in today one of the most difficult rides I've experienced in Chicago. Hoping for a tailwind and clear paths on the way home tonight. 

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on January 12, 2016 at 8:58am

I made the mistake of leaving my bike out for 15 min before my commute, and the Brooks saddle froze! Took a few miles for it to warm up.  I'm not making that mistake again!

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