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Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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I've been inside my apartment since Sunday night. Took the bus today and saw several cyclists out and about. Going to ride tomorrow since my commute is only 3 miles.

Saw two other riders today when I was heading south from Evanston. Nods and thumbs up. I love that cyclists acknowledge and support each other in such simple ways.
I dressed well for today's ride. Even hands and feet were warm.

Rode this morning.  my goggles fogged over and my freewheel froze up about fifteen times.  Still it was fun and refreshing.  A nice lady offered me a ride but I declined.  Thanks but I actually enjoy this!

Very happy I got to ride this morning. Contacts + ski goggles, balaclava, several layers of wool and heated gloves worked really well. Only real problem was that the goggles fogged while putting all my stuff on the bike inside the house, so I had to clear them after walking the bike to a clear patch of road (it's rutty, stacked chaos just after my sidewalk). Oh, the chem-pack heated insoles didn't keep my feet warm either. Toes chilly but OK. Maybe having two layers of wool socks on kept the heat away from my feet.

seems like quite a few people had their goggles fog over and toe warmers wimp out after about half hour. me too.

Back on the bike today. Evanston to the Loop via LFT (Ardmore to LaSalle/North). The trail is pretty clear (props to the Chicago Park District!). They even plowed the little dirt path detour just south of Fullerton, though it was pretty bumpy with all the shoe potholes.

The paths in the little park between LaSalle and North Ave weren't plowed. As I trudged across the park on foot, I sunk in about a foot or two. At one point I fell and the bike landed on top of me. It was about the softest fall you could hope for. :-)

Wimped out this morning and took the train again.  Side streets near me are still horrendous and I was worried about the bike lanes on Kinzie in particular. :-(  Feels like a heat wave out there, though, doesn't it?

I was back on the bike today too.  Riding from Logan Square wasn't bad at all.  Milwaukee Avenue was fine.  The Kinzie bike lane was fine as well.  The only part of the ride that sucked was the Dearborn Bike Lane.  Much of it is full of snow/slush/ice.  It is treacherous and should probably be avoided until conditions change.  I wasn't cold at all.  It was a lot more pleasant riding in today than standing on the "L" platform that last two days.



Brendan Kevenides said:

The only part of the ride that sucked was the Dearborn Bike Lane.

I rode into the Loop on Wells. It was fine.

Rode from Lake View to the Loop. 5°F out but it didn't feel that cold. Very minimal wind and relatively sunny. Plus, I was well-dressed for the weather. Lake Front Trail was passable, although some ramps were messy. I ended up walking my bike over the Fullerton bypass. Streets were fine. There was snow in the Wells Street bike lane due to people using it as an extra driving lane. Dearborn is a disaster – especially near Federal Plaza.

Back on the bike today. Comfort-wise was fine. Roads weren't too bad. However, my rear derailleur was frozen, so I spent the ride stuck in the low gear I parked it in. 

Today was bliss compared to the last two. I dressed perfectly, and only my toes were a tiny bit cold at the end of the ride.

To address David's problem and earlier mechanicals I had, I switched to a fixed gear bicycle. No cables or derailleurs to get frozen and superb handling in slushy areas, even with 25c gatorskins. 

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