The Chainlink

I rode today. Did you?

Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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Permalink Reply by jlj on January 19, 2011 at 7:59pm
I did an alley ride today and it was hilarious.  Probably wiped out fifteen times.  fun.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on January 19, 2011 at 8:04pm

I saw a nice sight out the gift shop window at work this afternoon around 4-- yellowish sunlight casting long late afternoon shadows across the clean snow cover of Douglas Park.

 

I haven't found it hard to walk or ride . . . I've been on the bike every day.  thinking maybe conditions vary by neighborhood.

The ice cover on the sidewalks has a bit of a rough/tacky surface in most places, at least around here.

 

Gin said:

I can tell that we are 4 weeks post solstice though. I feel the sun getting stronger--not on my skin so much (nope--still cold!) but on my eyes.

 

Hang in there, Bike Winterites! Not saying you need to be biking for all trips all the time. . . . just know that every time you do get out there, you gather more data on how to manage in the future. And, at least for me, 93.7% of the time, the conditions are better than I expect (that is, when I am expecting the worst ;-)

 

Permalink Reply by jennifer james on January 19, 2011 at 10:22pm
We've been off the last two days. Our studded front tire lost it last week- threw its metal wire out of the bead. I have a temporary tire on the front till my new studded tire arrives and didn't want to go out with it the last two mornings under my very loaded bike. Looked pretty tempting this afternoon it was so warm but I didn't take the bike out. It was the train for us. The sidewalk was pretty brutal- we had a wipe out there. Maybe the bike would have been better anyway.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on January 20, 2011 at 7:52am

Stopped by the Winter Biker to Work day booth on my way in to work. Saw a few familiar faces.

Thanks for the hot coffee!

 

Permalink Reply by Melanie K on January 20, 2011 at 8:54am

My office is a bit farther north from the Winter Bike to Work Day booth. I would've ridden south for the free coffee if it wasn't for my brakes locking/freezing up as I made it to my office. I will have to fix that since now my brake system seems to be attached to my tire. I have no idea why. Oh well. I still rode :) 

 

Today is pretty chilly, but it made for a nice ride. 

Permalink Reply by Duppie on January 20, 2011 at 9:25am
Consider it an additional workout

Melanie said:

[...] now my brake system seems to be attached to my tire. I have no idea why. Oh well. I still rode :)

[...]

Permalink Reply by Davo on January 20, 2011 at 9:33am

Since i've acclimated to the cold 20F is the new 30F.

Permalink Reply by Melanie K on January 20, 2011 at 9:35am
I do have to admit, I was actually sweating a little bit by the time I reached my destination :) 

Duppie said:
Consider it an additional workout

Melanie said:

[...] now my brake system seems to be attached to my tire. I have no idea why. Oh well. I still rode :)

[...]

Permalink Reply by garrett on January 20, 2011 at 12:55pm

This week's report

 

Rode everyday but my commute is only 3 miles. 10 on tues/thurs

 

On Monday I ate it pretty hard turning into someones driveway and bent my brake levers but overall this week it seems like it has been harder on the people walking on the sidewalk than for me on the road.

 

they have been doing a great job salting in Evanston

Permalink Reply by igz on January 20, 2011 at 2:01pm
brakes may have seized from the funk on the roads.  happened to me the past two winters.  i did away with the brakes altogether

Melanie said:

My office is a bit farther north from the Winter Bike to Work Day booth. I would've ridden south for the free coffee if it wasn't for my brakes locking/freezing up as I made it to my office. I will have to fix that since now my brake system seems to be attached to my tire. I have no idea why. Oh well. I still rode :) 

 

Today is pretty chilly, but it made for a nice ride. 

Permalink Reply by Melanie K on January 20, 2011 at 2:18pm

Thanks iggi- I will keep that in mind, although I am a bit petrified to try to go completely without brakes.

At lunch I ended up loosening the rear brake cable and pulling the pads outward, so no rear brakes for me and no tire seizing now. The front brakes should be all I need to get the 8 miles home. I didn't see any funk, but I noticed my brake cable wasn't moving when I pulled the brake lever and the lever was super tight, like it was frozen, too. Ugh. I will ride...I will ride... I WILL ride...I must keep saying this to myself before I lose my motivation between the mechanical problems and cold weather.


iggi said:

brakes may have seized from the funk on the roads.  happened to me the past two winters.  i did away with the brakes altogether

Melanie said:

My office is a bit farther north from the Winter Bike to Work Day booth. I would've ridden south for the free coffee if it wasn't for my brakes locking/freezing up as I made it to my office. I will have to fix that since now my brake system seems to be attached to my tire. I have no idea why. Oh well. I still rode :) 

 

Today is pretty chilly, but it made for a nice ride. 

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on January 20, 2011 at 3:18pm
I work in the westloop at a model shop as a machinist. I could take the green line from door to door, but waiting to get on a train full of sick people is not my cup of tea. 

H3N3 said:
Do you work at Finkl?

Juan said:
Going to make these ice tires earn their keep on my treacherous commute home.

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