Anyone else ride into work today?
I was contemplating on whether or not to ride today, but decided for it.
I was expecting mounds of snow and surely enough, the snow mounds were there.
Some of the streets were looking pretty good. The vehicle world always gets the shinning of the shoes (its where the masses lie). But, crowded like a heard of cattle waiting to get mounted by the bull. So, I dare not try to put myself in with the traffic. They get all uptight when I do that (even though I end up travelling faster than most of the mass metal boxes in these conditions).

So, some of my route was snow bound as the little tractor didn't pass by many sections of it. Maybe the little tractor is on strike as well?
Then I came across the bus route. Clear it was. Shaved right down like a shepherd would it's sheep.
I heard they are thinking about filling up the bus routes with vehicles as well.
How sweeeet it would be to bike down that!
Continued on my way. Slugging through the snow mounds.

If you did ride in, good on yah! It ain't easy sometimes. The things we do for pain (in my past life, I must of begged for S&M...). Adventure.

Things that have broken apart so far:
bike frame
set of pedals
rear wheel (axel)
I'm sure there will be more... we still have another 3-4 months of this.

Each day*... it's how I get around - unless I'm hauling a DH bike to the hill.

I'm lucky, I've only got a 7km commute (even in the worst weather/traffic it's about 35min)... though today I probably rode 7.5km... that extra 500m was sideways and not really productive to anything other than keeping the reflexes fresh for DH season. I've had really good luck with motorists this season...

Last year my lament was that $7-$10 in parts I had to put into my old (1983) and now retired road bike.

So far I'm running well on a new, frame-up build. Think I had it on the road in October/November. Had a blast building a "year round"/"me" specific commuter. Got the whole thing done for about 5 months of my previous auto insurance premiums.


*maybe about 4-6 one way trip exceptions a year - but I've got excuses.


A.K.A. FAKENGER

cool, I mean cold!
Gave in the vehicle for a fine ride?
I admire people that don't have a vehicle. Can't be easy. Really gotta plan things out.
Just remember in my teen years - it use to be - "who can own the greatest car". Kinda glad I grew out of that... waste of dough really. Now, its how many kms can I put on my ride in a year. Or, how can I get from here to there without a vehicle. Challenge sometimes.

Watcha running on the pawls?
Watcha put on your chain?
What works for yah? - hubs, chain, bb, etc...

I'm always trying a variety of things. This year, I spray everything with Rust inhibitor and chain saw oil.
I have about 22km to work and about 26km return (take a different route home to avoid traffic). Sometimes hell sometimes not. In the winter, every day is a different bite.
This morning was much better than yesterday. It seems to take them a couple of days to really clear things up. But, sometimes they just do a real cruddy job (found Riverside and Vanier parkway to really stink).

Good on yah for being out there! (cause most people would cry trying it)
It aint easy sometimes. Can be a complete btch (esp when pawls freeze up-I gotta take the free-hub apart and regrease with some better stuff)

The van I had gave up over a year ago and I couldn't bear to spend another cent on it.

It's actually rather easy for me. I can get to work in 20-35min. by bike, Food can be found within 20 min. on foot and Beverage is only a 10 min. walk away.

Only problem is I'm one of "those people" that has a DH bike. I don't imagine any of my riding buddies ever think the word "admire" when the mid-week batch text message looking for a ride goes out to crew any weekend I can't borrow or afford to rent a car.

...and my girlfriend is diplomatic when she reminds me that, once when I had borrowed a car, I was ready to drive a couple of blocks to the Burger King at the end of our street. Ok... maybe not so diplomatic.

As far as the bike, it's intended as my year round transportation... Winter, price and durability was taken into account in the parts spec.. Anything of note follows:

Chain Lube: I save, filter, let settle and then decant fork oil after overhauls. I reuse it as winter chain lube and on brake pivots

Bike was assembled with Pedro's Velo Grease - best commercial stuff I've found yet.

Fork: Steel fork with commercial automotive rust proofing sprayed inside. When I'm done the can (still have several bikes worth) I'd rather mix up my own rustproofing.
Front Hub: Shimano Deore - Cup and Cone, $20 CDN Retail
Rear Hub: trying a winter on the stock grease in a "Daredevil" Disc, 8/9 speed, 135mm O.L.D. . went disc to get more even spoke tension. I mix my own winter grease for Freehub body pawls.
Rims: Mavic A319 - Double eyelets, Machined sidewall, Internal wear indicator (won't grove the brake pads).
BB: Truvative Howitzer XR - Even if the cups seize into the frame I'll be able to press new bearings in.
Cranks: Truvative Hussefelts, I'm running the 32T with the bash. The guard protects my boots, not so much the chain.
Cog: 15T - 2.13:1 is Kinda light, but I'm not and injuries add up.
Brakes: Avid SD5. with generic pad holders and Jagwire Switchback Pro redzone inserts.
Pedals: Axiom Step-up Flats - these are great for all weather and short trips.
everything else I either had kicking around or I could get easily/affordably

Tires are Scwalbe Marathon Plus SmartGuard 700x28... so far I'll give em an overall 8/10. Won't buy another set of these again, won't replace them until they wear out... might save them for summer only and get something else for next winter.

Nice ride mon!!!
(my ride is a pretty little thing, but not as pimped up as that machine. Nice!)

"...and my girlfriend is diplomatic when she reminds me that, once when I had borrowed a car, I was ready to drive a couple of blocks to the Burger King at the end of our street. Ok... maybe not so diplomatic."

temptations... cause it was there I take it.



"As far as the bike, it's intended as my year round transportation... Winter, price and durability was taken into account in the parts spec.. "

I hear yah there. I can't justify driving to/from work.
My reason - I just can't be in there with the masses sitting like cattle waiting to park my huge hunk of metal in some spot where it sits for most of the day. Then to chew up more fumes driving it home.
I get to/from work 1/2 hour more so than I would driving. The extra 1/2 hour (full hour for a whole day)taken as work out time cause the good bike lords know I enjoy a good meal.
Cheers goes out to those places in town that build a good indian food meal! Or sushi! (use to hate sushi, but once yah start eating that stuff it gets addictive!). Bless those that build a good meal to propel myself each and every day.
More savings in oil/gas the more dough for the bike world.

Thanks for the specs.
Let us know how the stuff lasts.
I'm always interested in knowing what works and what doesn't work out there... I hate walking (esp with a bike in hand).

Any bad azz monkeys bike in today?

Ah, the media was all up in arms about the freeze.
I tripled up...
Got out in the sun.
Don't know what all the hype was about.
Wasn't bad. Last night was bad. Nearly tore the door off the shack I was at.
Friggen wind was just strong like ox.

So, I got on my ride feeling like the abominable snowman
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Then once I started to get going, I started heating up.
Really felt like getting naked at that point.
But, I didn't.

I really don't mind this weather all that much.
The snow is fast to ride on.
The car crap (sludge on the roads) is hard as rock.
Can bomb off of stuff cause everything is like concrete.

The weekend may bring great fun on some of the local trails if you know where to look for them.

Good on yah if yah biked in.
(probably be one our coldest days. Imagine this cold without fuel. We'd be screwed.
Then again, those in the artic get temps around -90oC. Toughing it out. They probably look at us and say "damn wimps")

It's almost the end of it.
I'd hate to be in TO. In the dark. In the cold. Guess they didn't consider the cold when designing that system (we build'm quick). Good god. Hopefully no one freezes to death!

Anyhow, yesterday was pretty damn cold and I felt it.
My bike felt it. It was like taking a pet for a walk to take a piss!
She just wouldn't function all that well out there.

The pawls were creating great grief. Couple of good nat crackers.
The rear der'l was causing great grief. One of these days I'm going to convert to SS. Too lazy to build it up.
Then the tips of my ears got frost bite and so did my hand (had a hole in my gloove that caused great misery as it touched the steal handlebar for some time).

But, I did see quite a number of cyclists out there. Which is always a good thing to see!
(ussually I see hardly none on my commute to/from work)

I need a hiatus from this weather for a bit... my balls just can't take it (not those balls dirty bird, the balls in my wheel, BB etc..)

Anyone else riding in? (probably just us .00000001% of the population in ottawa).

Friday brought the end of the cold weather.
My pawls were completely frozen and I was stuck walking from place to place. I'd stop off at a school or rec center, haul my bike inside to warm up the little pieces of metal that I put my faith upon.
That would last about 10 minutes then frozen again.
Walking walking walking looking looking looking for a bike shop.
Walking down St Laurent to Montreal road.

Then I found a shop open! Sweet! Cause I don't wanta walk another 20km or so.
But, the shop is closing up for the night. Managed to convince the fella to fix my "what I thought was my freewheel", but ended up being a cassette (I haven't had a chance to look at this since purchasing the sweet little charmer of a ride). No wonder why I was having so many damn problems.
So, the fella scratched me up a cheap wheel with a freewheel. Off I went to tackle the cold night air.
Sweet, glad that worked out or I'd be stuck walking for a looooong while.

Today brought a slush fest.
I usually find myself having an internal conversation with myself over all the traffic in the morning.
"Imagine how screwed most of these people would be if we ever run out of fuel".
(yah know the stuff ain't easy to come by when they gotta start boiling sand to get at it or when they gotta start drilling in hard tough places. And, at 39 bucks a barrel they might as well be giving the stuff away... cheaper than water. Yet, water is easier to get at, for now)

We'd have a lotta people crying that's for sure. Willima!!!

Click to view attachment

"and, why do they get to crap on the roads?"
dogs just can't crap anywhere anymore. Yah gotta bag it up.
humans can't crap anywhere they want. Yah gotta either find a shttr or wear a depends....

Click to view attachment

Yet, how come vehicles get to crap on the roads?!?!?

They need:

Click to view attachment


If yah bike out there this time of year, you'll see what I mean (otherwise your blind to the crap).
The rear of the ride was getting pretty clogged up with road crud. Skipping skipping skipping. I should go SS.
The ride was tough. Many of my routes were still covered in about 4cm or so of snow. Lots of hauling butt through the snow. January is always a btchofamonth (varying temps, slush, usually a thaw etc...). Someone pull the jet stream down!
Slushy crap gets in every orphis. I was kinda liking the really cold stuff in some weird way. Hard as rock everything was (excluding my pawl problems).

If you think we are nuts up here cycling in the winter, check this out:

http://arcticglass.blogspot.com/

alaska! Ekks, now that's cold!

Always amazes me some of these people that go against the norm.
Testing the limits.
Trying something different...
Out of the ordinary makes the world an un-boring place.

Hey mtbasip,

You probably haven't seen me post. I've been registered here forever, but not very active, I just snoop around once every blue moon.

I got my first job downtown about a year ago (and some) starting around December 2007. Being the cheapass I am, paying 100$+/month for parking wasn't my thing, so I told myself I would start biking to work as soon as it was nice out. I've been an avid bike enthusiast for years, but hadn't ridden much yet in the past few years since having my son and purchasing a house. Nonetheless I had bought a new bike in early season of 2007 and had put a few miles on it.

Well here I am antsy pantsy, it's april 2007 and I started planning out what I will do. I live about 60km from work, so I have to drive to wherever, park and bike the rest, that was the plan. The airport parkway has parking restrictions... GREAT START. Think green they say... right! Well the most cost efficient and convenient thing for me to do was park at Canadian Tire near the Vanier Parkway as my father worked there. I got a sweet deal, we'll keep that between us.

Initially I thought 4km from work, that's gonna be a long haul, we'll see if I can do this! So I go scope out the run... pff, 4km is peanuts! So I ditched the bike and skated to work. On day one, I got midway to destination and decided the ride would be too short, instead of going up the Rideau bridge to downtown, I continued on the bike path to the Rideau falls, around the US embassy and back down to Dalhousie. Google maps gives it ~8k. On skates, good little workout. I was feeling like champ again in no time!

This went on from mid april '07 until about mid august when the wife started school. Now I couldn't skate because I had time restrictions, having to pickup my son at daycare daily, on time, after work. I started doing the ~8k route in the morning on my bike, at a very competitive pace, in no time I was holding 30km/hr plus. That's when the biking addiction started again, I love biking!!! I continued on through our horrible rainy season we called summer, enjoying every ride, morning and night.

Co-workers started asking me what I would do this winter, when I'd stop biking. I told them to not keep their hopes up, but I was hoping to gear up for my first ever season of winter biking.

Hope I didn't bore you? Well this is the story of my first year biking, and after reading your stories today "out of the blue", I just had to post and say, I've also been enduring this winter, biking ~4km morning and night. It's nowhere near the feat that you are accomplishing with your daily commute, but my situation makes biking any further/longer impossible at this time. Keep up the good posts, they are very entertaining, your writing style is very comical and informative.

What I'm riding: ~'98 GT XCR-3000 with a bad rear shifter (I only use my front) and a rusty chain. THE front and rear fenders. (This is not the bike I mentioned earlier that I purchased, this is a bike I've had for many years). My budget didn't let me purchase faster studded winter tires, so I just have some Maxxis rubber in the rear and some I dont' now what upfront. It does the job well, I've only fallen once due to my own stupidity (acting like... well... me)

When I read that you did 21000km of commute this year I roughly calculated that I should be in the 3000km range, though 500km+ of that are actually on skates. Now I think I have a new years resolution... to start recording my mileage better and achieve 5000km. We'll see.

I did not bike last week, that was way beyond my "I'm f'in cold" factor, and to say that I'm not geared very well, I'm having ebay issues with a Sugoi Zero winter jacket that I purchased, ARG! Once I get that sorted out, I'll be purchasing a pair of SMITH OPTICS moto goggles, I can't go fast enough with my regular glasses, the snow gets in my eyes.

You also mentioned that you are planning on doing some races this summer. I've got a very competitive attitude and I think it's time I put myself to the test, do you have some "easier" races to recommend? I don't car e if I come in dead last, I want to RACE! Right now everyone I race on the streets, don't know that I'm racing

Keep up the good pedaling, and thank you for this terrific inspiration you have given me today, to keep on biking (and skating).