The Chainlink

Traffic 'round these parts dropped off pretty dramatically a few weeks ago... hard to tell from the "I rode today" thread who's still riding, as one would have to conclude that Gene is the only one out there most days by reading it....

Who's sticking it out and plans to continue to ride pretty much every day regardless of weather?

(Was winter 2013;   2014 starts on p. 36;   2015 starts on p. 61)

 

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I have the wrong shoes.... but maybe the right bike (studly is a mess right now-- gears slip and brakes stick);  haven't left work yet.

 

Fleeting thoughts of leaving the bike here...

I didn't find it terribly slippery, mostly just slushy. But yes, a bit slippery. Occasional bits of har-slushpack hidden under snow or liquid slush meant it was occasionally squirrelly, but mostly it was just wet and messy. Even long fenders and a mud flap won't keep my lower legs clean in this kind of stuff. It was a relatvely low-stress ride doing errands and going home.

I stuck to the sidewalk most of the way because I wasn't dressed for this and wanted to keep from getting sprayed with salty grime as much as possible. Very few people out on foot (a rarity for early evening 'round Cermak and California.)  Ended up being fairly painless.... but if this freezes it's going to be very tough to ride in/on.

Radar shows a warm front on the heels of the snow, if I'm reading correctly-- should still be slushy and maybe rainy in the morning.  I'm encouraged.

Yes, it appears that temperatures will stay above freezing through the night.  The side streets near my house are an absolute mess, but maybe will be clear enough to get to Milwaukee in the morning!

I rode 2 miles to Union Station around 4:30. The streets were plowed reasonably well, but there was a lot of packed-down snow about an inch thick which made for a bumpy ride. The studded 20" tires held on pretty well, but would be "re-routed" every so often, so a light grip on the bars was necessary.

The bike lane on Jackson ("buffered", not "protected") was not plowed. This made it necessary for me to ride in the traffic portion of the street. I predicted this would be a problem on the protected lanes, but it was a real disappointment to see it on a bike lane that is basically part of the road (ie, no barrier).

Hoping the streets are reasonably clear in the morning.

Steve

On channel 5 news a minute ago:

Random.

Tonight's was probably the hardest snow I've ever shoveled, short of breaking ice.

Well, it was a bit slushy on the way home today (after 5pm). And had some ice/slush freeze up on my derailleur, so I ended up not having a few gears for about 2 miles or so, until I got frustrated and stopped to knock off the crap. After that, I had 2 of the most used gears for my Beast.

Some drivers were trying to be slick about hitting puddles as they passed me. I had the last laugh. I was in all water-proof outer garments ! LMAO ! I was grinning almost all the way home ! People must have thought that I was a crazy man. LOL ! Too bad, so sad. I was having a great ride. Didn't hit any icy areas (Thank God !) and rode through all of the wonderful slush. (beats having to walk my bike to Archer Ave. the other day due to the soft snow that bogged me down and stopped me cold...no pun intended...before I could get on my Beast)

However, The Beast and I LOVE this cold weather ! What an awesome team we make. I feel alive in this weather with The Beast under my feet and rear. She knows where to go, and how hard I need to push.

That looks like it is across from Union Station, right at the river and Adams St. (120 South Riverside Plaza). Looks like 200 South Wacker is in the background. How close am I ?
 
h' 1.0 said:

On channel 5 news a minute ago:

As if we need more people thinking we are crazy. :-)

Jennifer on the lake said:

Is that a random viewer photo or were they doing a segment on crazy@$$ winter cyclists?

Also, I'm still riding! I'm crazy and I don't care.

WRONG!!!!! His Twitface account says it was taken at CDW Plaza.

Manny FU...Really!? said:

That looks like it is across from Union Station, right at the river and Adams St. (120 South Riverside Plaza). Looks like 200 South Wacker is in the background. How close am I ?
 
h' 1.0 said:

On channel 5 news a minute ago:

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