I rode today. Did you?

Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on February 4, 2011 at 8:54am

I'm shooting for Monday. Can't wait.

got the CTA blues.

Serge Lubomudrov said:

Oh . . . Yes, I did ride today, after a three-day break! Woo-hoo!
Permalink Reply by Holly on February 4, 2011 at 12:42pm
I'm shocked--I rode everyday but Wednesday. The week before that 7 days in a row. During the winter, I usually don't go places on my bike on the weekend so I hope to ride to a dinner party this weekend. If it's crazy cold, I won't do it.

After being outside as much as I've been (walking dogs is really taxing in this mess) I need to relax. I am actually kind of sore and I think it's from all the cyclocross training mother nature provided us with this week. As you might imagine, most of my clients live on side streets, and well, somebody's gotta portage her rig to get there!
Permalink Reply by Duppie on February 4, 2011 at 12:52pm

That's pretty awesome! Sounds to me like you are officially hooked ;)

 

I only rode 2 days this week, but will commute to my volunteering tomorrow. The fewest riding days in well over a year.

Holly said:

I'm shocked--I rode everyday but Wednesday. The week before that 7 days in a row. During the winter, I usually don't go places on my bike on the weekend so I hope to ride to a dinner party this weekend. If it's crazy cold, I won't do it.

After being outside as much as I've been (walking dogs is really taxing in this mess) I need to relax. I am actually kind of sore and I think it's from all the cyclocross training mother nature provided us with this week. As you might imagine, most of my clients live on side streets, and well, somebody's gotta portage her rig to get there!
Permalink Reply by Holly on February 4, 2011 at 12:56pm

Thanks, Duppie! I am hooked. I was just thinking today how strange it was that all this time I've been driving my car in the winter and didn't even think of my bike as the ultimate transportation mode! I never used to ride in any inclement weather except extreme heat.

 

My bike store guy recently reminded me--"Aren't you glad you didn't sell that mountain bike last year like you'd planned?" Uh. Yeah. I have a strong feeling that without Chet, I'd have had a much less comfortable transition to winter biking. 

 

Duppie said:

That's pretty awesome! Sounds to me like you are officially hooked ;)

 

I only rode 2 days this week, but will commute to my volunteering tomorrow. The fewest riding days in well over a year.

Holly said:

I'm shocked--I rode everyday but Wednesday. The week before that 7 days in a row. During the winter, I usually don't go places on my bike on the weekend so I hope to ride to a dinner party this weekend. If it's crazy cold, I won't do it.

After being outside as much as I've been (walking dogs is really taxing in this mess) I need to relax. I am actually kind of sore and I think it's from all the cyclocross training mother nature provided us with this week. As you might imagine, most of my clients live on side streets, and well, somebody's gotta portage her rig to get there!
Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on February 6, 2011 at 7:06am

How is everyone finding the main arteries regarding lane width and sharing with cars?

I plan to resume my bike commute tomorrow.

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on February 7, 2011 at 3:51am

This morning Halsted/Lincoln/Wells were in pretty good shape.  I would say able to take bike lane 50% of ride, if not more.  Only rough spot was Wells bridge past Merchandise Mart with some of yesterday's snow still on it.  Made it a little slippery so I moved over to the grating and was fine.

 

Permalink Reply by JeffB on February 7, 2011 at 4:47am
I was a little surprised at how much slop there was this morning.  It looked like the bus/bike lane on Clark hadn't even been plowed.  Still, not too bad.  Enjoying the more moderate temperatures before the big freeze this week.  Did 35 miles on Saturday.  Elston was good, but extremely salty.  Used the warming station at Caldwell Woods sledding hill to dry off after sweating so much on Saturday.  Stood by the fire for 1/2 hour while my coat and gloves dried
Permalink Reply by J.P. on February 7, 2011 at 5:12am
Haven't been riding since last Tuesday, so I decided to get some work done on the bike. New chain/cassette. Hope by tomorrow most of the Sunday snow has been plowed properly on the side streets.
Permalink Reply by Allen Wrench on February 7, 2011 at 5:14am

Well, no, I haven't ridden yet today. But I've noticed in the past few days of riding and driving that even the largest streets seem to be running relatively well for automotive traffic now, and the snow is still taking half a lane on the right side of parked cars. One example: Ashland from 290 to Bryn Mawr.

 

So there is no reason that a raised cycle track can't be put in there where the snow is now, between the parked cars and the sidewalk.

 

I'll save the rant about the tram down the center, where the planters are, for now.

 

Everybody get to work!

Permalink Reply by Allen Wrench on February 7, 2011 at 8:40am

Well, at UIC and similar places they have a narrow little snowplow thing with a salter/sander on the back made by Kubota to clear sidewalk sized paths. A Bobcat can fit on a narrow bike lane, too. In Germany they have similar little machines and the municipality clears the sidewalks in many areas. And I suppose that here in Chicago the same people who plow now - streets and sanitation - would get dibs, or perhaps the project would be interesting enough to get aldermanic or mayoral support, or the lane would be a park district park of some kind.

But seriously, are you truly suggesting that putting in bike cycletracks on major corridors is impossible because it's hard to decide which city department might clear snow off them? 

 

This is a bit off topic for this thread, so I'll make a new one for anyone who's interested called Let's Get Cycletracks. See you there.

Permalink Reply by Holly on February 7, 2011 at 12:07pm

 

Well...that was a snowy ride today. It started snowing at around 2:30. It's really pretty.

 

People driving are going slow, but seem kinda dimwitted.  (Not sure if they were just being cautious, looking for parking or just plain confused.) I had my lights on by 3:00. 

 

My feet are soaked from walking around with the dogs.

 

You should plan on being pretty far in the lane or well into it on your way home. It's accumulating out there slowly but surely.

Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on February 7, 2011 at 12:50pm

Today's snow packed under my fenders and slowed me way down. It also threw itself up in the air as the fenders scraped it off the tire. One point I was going faster and it almost hit my face!

 

The snow covered my shoes, but thanks be to wool socks. Feet stayed warm.

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