Nazimod it![/quote]
Fifteen to sixteen feet of WHAT?
Nazimod it![/quote]
Fifteen to sixteen feet of WHAT?[/quote]
Various $8 Amazon gloves
Am in Miami for work. This week has been something of a “cold” front, so before the sun comes up that means its in the mid-high 50s or so. I’ve been out riding in shorts, ss jersey, and a cap, and the vast majority of other cyclists I’ve seen out on the roads are decked out in full arctic tundra winter gear. Tights, jacket, vest, shoe covers, gloves, balaclava. What a world…
Yeah, I saw people wearing full on down parkas with fur on the hoods in 65* weather last time I was in Miami.
this is a pretty classic SoCal/Central Valley joke too. Acclimatization is a hell of a drug.
regarding studded tires…I acquired some after spectacularly sliding-out twice in a week on invisible black ice. Scary on an urban commute, and I was fucking up my clothes. They’re good insurance in an icy climate.
[quote=emor]Genuinely wondering if I actually need spike tires. Currently on day six of riding on icy streets on the mostly slick 2” refuse tires and am not feeling any need for more traction.
The only sketchy thing I’ve experienced is the three inch tall ice ridges tires make when psycho Minneapolis drivers careen around turns at high speed. They’re so tall I’m not sure spikes would do anything for those.
Wondering about freeze-thaw cycles as the temp is set to swing 15-20 every day this week. I’m guessing I might experience some sudden black ice or something and crash.[/quote]
I think with some 2" studded tires you could roll over some ice berms but IME you just have to dismount those most of the time unless somebody else has begun clearing a path
You are right about the freeze-thaw cycle and studs. If things stay cold and “dry”, the studs aren’t really that big of a deal. It’s the combo of freeze-thaw plus night-riding that I think makes them really essential. At some point it will warm up just enough to let this trickle of water cover all the roads and bike paths, and then that freezes overnight into solid sheets of black ice. Again, during daylight hours you can ride somewhat judiciously and be alright, but at night you can’t see that shit even with fancy dyno lights.
Nazimod it![/quote]
Fifteen to sixteen feet of WHAT?[/quote]
lol I always read it as 15-16 degrees
yeah even a little bit of melt-freeze on the road, especially at night, makes the studs quite helpful here. i’ve had mine on all week. unfortunately i forgot to pump them up this morning so it was a very slow ride. the nokians actually handle better all around with about 45psi which seems a little weird, but it works.
i forgot to check the weather before i left for my ride to work this morning. i was noticing it was quite cold. indeed it was 6 degrees!
it finally got cold here and snowed 1-2 inches (not much at all), but somehow this turned the MUP into an absolute death trap. pretty sure what happened is that it was warm the day before, so the concrete held heat, which melted the bottom of the snow, until they plowed away the 1 inch of snow, then the water turned into a miles-long sheet of black ice. yesterday’s commute to work was a bit harrowing. pretty sure there were some casualties. i saw multiple people who just gave up and were walking with their bikes, plus a lot of bike and foot tracks in the grass alongside the path.
luckily today it was back to 60 degrees, cuz wtf colorado. it’s still cold in the morning though - 20s-ish. been wearing goggles on my ride in and it’s really enhancing my ride. face is so warm and cozy.
Usually it’s like that for a long time in New England, but this December it went directly to near-Zero, which I personally love. No slush, no ice, and I don’t sweat on the ride in.
Its gotta be 30 degrees here today. The heatwave continues.
Still been nseasonably warm up here. Mid thirties. Rode around without a warm hat or gloves because it felt so hot.
Looks like we’re headed for sub zero next week; HY/WTH I’ll be on vacation in warm Wisconsin, where it will be a few degrees warmer.
I was going to grumble about my mid 30s mornings freezing my everything off, but, nevermind.
bought my first pair of padded thermal bib tights, so naturally the weather warmed up to the low 60’s. It’s headed back into the 30’s soon, so i’ll get to try out the tights and whatever mylar sock sleeves I cobble together.
Come at me bro. Over 40 degrees in western Sydney. The whole town is grumpy from heat-induced poor sleep.
Edit: that’s 106 freedom degrees. Probably should just stay outta this thread…
Come at me bro. Over 40 degrees in western Sydney. The whole town is grumpy from heat-induced poor sleep.
Edit: that’s 106 freedom degrees. Probably should just stay outta this thread…[/quote]
ha ha. Luckily my daughter has left Sydney for the week and is visiting us, but true to form, its gale force wind again (just the norm in Wellington).
Hoping the high temps are back soon ! I couldn’t handle 40 degrees. 18 months in WA back in the 80’s was enough for me. At least its dry heat there.
Super spoiled now in SoCal. Coldest day I’ve seen so far this winter is coming up with an overnight low of 42 and a high of 64. It suits me though. I’d rather ride in 100f than 40f.
Also I don’t know what happened to my cycling gloves, so the other day for an early ride I threw on some $6 harbor freight ones I had for working on the car. They worked brilliantly.
I hate hate hate riding easy when there’s a cool wind though. I start to sweat a bit, and then I just feel uncomfortably chilly all ride, but adding a layer just makes me too hot, and it seems like I can never really find equilibrium
It’s ok. Cold is a state of mind. Even my Minnesotan coworkers think I’m nuts to ride a bike.
In other news, look8ng like we might get an honest to god winter storm this week. Citizen doug is excited, store manager Doug less so.