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Written by Zach Magoon
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Wednesday, 16 January 2008 |
It's been tough winter for commuting. I think between the snow rain and cold, this has been the most challenging winter I've seen as a bike commuter. Cyclocross season certainly didn't prepare me for the weather this year. I didn't have one really sloppy, cold race all season. We were rather spoiled in that regard. But so far, here in Portland, we've had nine snow storms since the beginning of December.
I love the snow, in moderation. These have been pretty substantial storms of 8-10 inches which makes for some sketchy traveling in any vehicle. I will ride on snowy days to a point. But if it's really slick with heavy snow that narrows the bikeable shoulders, that's where I draw the line. Yeah I can ride through the snow, but what about skidding cars? Sometimes, it just becomes unsafe to ride. Like yesterday for example. It started snowing around 7a.m. And was coming down at a rate of about 1 inch per hour. By 3 p.m. we had a good 8-10 inches on the ground and travel was slick and visibility was really bad in blowing snow. So I got a ride home. There were just too many dangerous factors for me to justify risking my life. It might be more responsible too. I mean saving gas is one thing, but putting yourself in danger (and others) is another.
We had some brutal rain last week as well. I think those couple of days were the worst--35 degrees, heavy rain, sleet and high wind. My new rain gear held up well, but the Lake books leaked. The top cuff is made of a stretchy material and isn't really built for monsoon rain. My rain pants are tapered and don't go down over that part of the boot so I ended up with a boot full of water. It was at least warm water though--that was impressive. The boots acted like a wetsuit and warmed the water up, so if they aren't going to be waterproof, that's the next best thing.
The last bit of weather that I find the most tolerable is cold. We went down to the negative digits two weeks ago but I was as cozy as a bear in his den with my winter gear. I think the main problem on really cold days is the tendency to overdress. If you're not cold for the first 5-10 minutes of the ride, you've probably overdressed. I still do it though. Generally, it's the mid-layer that throws me over the edge. I sometimes throw on a heavier "active" fleece when it gets down below zero. Every year I seem to forget that it's too heavy and I should just throw on the trusty, stretchy Ragged Mountain Polartec hoodie.
So keep up the faith. I know I'm trying. The Redline is taking a beating and already has some rust spots on bolts, but that's to be expected. I'm gonna need a new freewheel soon. The stock one that came on the wheel is spitting out rust and is a bit crunchy. I have to go with the White Industries as a replacement--those things are the absolute best. I've had a bunch of them for years and NEVER have had to rebuild them. Worth every penny (you'll need a few).
So watch out for crazies on the road. Just be sure you aren't one of them.
Zm |
