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The Long Cold Winter Commuter Support Thread

111K views 1K replies 199 participants last post by  solarplex 
#1 ·
Who else rides through the rain, sleet, snow, cold and dark of winter? We've begun our decent into the cold, dark months, the headlight is becoming a necessity, and it will be April or May before I am wearing shorts in the morning again. This morning it was 39 degrees...chilly, but nothing compared to what January will be like. I've been doing the year-round thing for 4 years now, and I have had no one to share the experience with. I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread where we could share war stories through the winter.

Personally, I'm out there every day that the roads are plowed. I missed 5 days two years ago due to snow/ice, and 41 days last year because I broke my leg snowboarding. I keep track of my 'driving days' to work, and weather is no excuse (unless I use 4wd to get to work, I should have ridden). I always start to wonder during this time of year how cold it will get, and how long and dark the winter will seem. I also never forget the first day in the spring that the sun comes up during my bike ride to work. Glorious.

Who else has made this kind of commitment, and how cold will your winter probably get? I think the coldest I've done is low single digits...I don't think it's been below zero for me yet, but that's a definate possibility. I have done 4 or 5 degrees a couple of times.

Let the winter begin! Who's in this with me?
 
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#1,054 ·
Yes, Eastern WA here. We don't get as much rain over here as the west side, but many of my longer homebound commutes end up being a war of attrition on one of those fronts (staying warm and/or dry), especially if I'm trying to get some training, which means I'm sweating a lot. Sweat like crazy uphill, freeze on the downhill, repeat.
 
#1,058 ·
This will be my first season commuting on bike. I am a Student Teacher for high school Biology and will go pro next year, so in this transition I am trying to build structure/foundation for the life I want to live, and that involves riding my bicycle to work everyday. I also do not have anyone to share the experience with, which mostly for me at the moment means figuring logistics is difficult: how do I get my laptop to work without getting wet/damaged? How do I get my clothes to work still pressed (I starch-iron that **** and it cannot be wrinkled by the time I get to work). I am going to purchase a rack and waterproof pannier bags tomorrow. Last week I drove up and dropped off my clothes for the week, but to keep with that routine I would have to drive at least one day, which might turn out to be inevitable, but any suggestions? I must limit the weight I carry on my back because I have a few herniating disks that rebel otherwise. My morning commute commitment officially begins on Tuesday 11/12/13 because it is my first day of Placement at the high school which is 11.6 miles away and in Santa Cruz I am fortunate for (weather one, and) single track: about 6 miles of the commute.
I am excited to have found this forum to see the adventures of you folks, and I will post some lovely morning pictures from the green as well. Ride STRONG!
 
#1,087 ·
Welcome to bike commuting msscout! And teaching! I finished my student teaching this past spring, and you might as well call yourself a capital T teacher now because you basically will be. :) With all the joys and pains! I'm also a bike commuter of ten years in metro Philly area.

Now, not to be discouraging, but I chose not to combine the two for student teaching.

One reason was that both gigs (for music you do both K-8 and HS) were a stone throw away from Septa stops. The second is, and I don't want to be discouraging here, that you will be busier than you ever have in your entire friggin life. I needed the extra 30 min each day on the train to either mentally prepare, or polish off something I was up to 2AM working on, or just meditate. And being tired bike commuting can get dangerous.

But again, I don't want to sound discouraging, just realistic! I know you want to go full fledged at the start, but that might lead to burn out. Maybe commit to biking in X many days the first month, one more the next, and one more the third? Definitely ride the route a few times loaded down to get an idea of how long and how tired you will be.

You have the right idea about good change of clothes. As you know kids, but high schoolers in general, are very perceptive about appearance. It might seem minor, but it's not. Students will be quicker to respect someone that looks like all their other teachers, and not a sweaty stinky bike nut mess. Once you get past that trust/respect, then you can finally get to the learning ;) I do bike into my current job (after school program... Getting hired for music is rough this year) and the kids definitely respect that about me, once they get over the typical teen comment phase. It also helps there are at least two other bike commuters at that school I know of. See if your co op will let you bring the bike inside somewhere? Maybe mention how you are biking in from wherever when you introduce yourself? Kids like a little mystery about their teachers ;)

I dunno if the part of Santa Cruz you are talking about is really urban, but honestly biking through the blocks near my school -helps- my safety if anything. The kids see me and yell hi across the street, and everyone keeps an eye out for each other. Unfortunately it's one of the worst traffic areas in Philly, so I have to do a really long route back at night to hit several bike lanes.

Definitely buy the best waterproof panniers you can afford (the safe bet is Ortliebs) Then double up the protection (even just a plastic bag) on the laptop. I carry an ipad and I out it on the side I know I am less likely to slide to if I do take a spill. Then pad it with the clothes.

Anyhow, that's my two cents and good luck this semester! Remember, they might call it student teaching the training wheels come off real quick! But you will have memories that you will never forget! I still tear up a little looking at the poster the K-8 kids made me, or watching videos of my hi school singers.
 
#1,059 ·
^^Welcome msscout! Gotta love the pedaling teachers influencing young people. You may find that the week's worth of clothes you brought in will last longer than anticipated if you are only wearing them inside, which could reduce how often you have to drive. Clean and used underthings are easy to tote back and forth. If possible, it would be great if you could leave the laptop at work and get documents home via flashdrives or the cloud. It's certainly possible to carry it, but I enjoy traveling light. Good luck with the bikecommute, and the first day at the H.S. - have you tried the route out yet?
 
#1,062 ·
Ice with a coating of fluffy snow starting at midnight should make it to mid morning, here. Lake effect off Lake Michigan. Usually can wait until the fifteenth of November for snow tires on the cars and not see any snow until or even after Christmas. Shaping up to be memorable.
 
#1,066 ·
The forecast was 1-3” of snow last night, and a chance of snow this afternoon as well, so I decided it was time to mount up the snow tires.

The ice spiker pro’s I bought for last winter seem OK still, although the center studs are not as long/sharp as the outer ones. I’d forgotten how tight the clearance is on these 2.35’s in my ’98 Litespeed Unicoi frame, but they fit. I forgot to adjust the V brakes and the BB7 discs - they worked but were on the lame side. We ended up with about 2” at my house. It wasn’t the coldest morning, 20F, but it felt coldest because of the gusty winds, which were of course headwinds. I was glad I had added the pogies.

I sadly drove the first 4 miles which was the snowiest part…by the time I parked my car at my normal multimodal lot at a lower elevation, there was just ice and a dusting of snow. At least the ice still justified the tire changeover. The ride was slow, but seemed more slowed by headwinds than by the studded tires.
 
#1,067 ·
12F when I left the house at 4:30 AM. Dark and cold, but a nice ride all the same. A bit chillier when I got to town at 10F and then down to 8F as I moved from the bus stop to the office. The biggest challenge of my winter commute, apart from making my bus connection, will be the bus ride itself. Have to keep from sweating before getting on the bus, staying comfortable while on the bus, and not freezing once I get off the bus. Of course, there is carry over heat, so my first ten minutes are spent sweating and then I get cold. Have to work on that somehow.
 
#1,070 ·
So tonight was my first night in actual snow. I rode down well into the 20s and high teens last year (through mid December), but never when there was a layer of snow on the road. I was terrified that some idiot driver was going to take me out. Also almost ate it on an iced over concrete ramp. Considering a switch to a studded tire. Might switch bikes altogether to the flat bar MTB, but she would need a bit of love.
 
#1,071 ·
So tonight was my first night in actual snow. I rode down well into the 20s and high teens last year (through mid December), but never when there was a layer of snow on the road. I was terrified that some idiot driver was going to take me out. Also almost ate it on an iced over concrete ramp.
Pucker moments and danger...
But in between, it sure is fun! Did you have a good time? Did you get to make an anaconda track down the middle of the road?
 
#1,072 ·
19 degrees this morning, yesterday was warmer bu we had about 1/2 inch of snow on the ground. The roads were all clear and all was melted by the afternoon. I adjusted my usual 35 degree attire this morning by adding thermal long underwear under my tights and a balaclava. With my collars zipped up on my fleece pullover and my outer shell combined with the balaclava I was actually overheating by the time I got to work.
 
#1,074 ·
Yup, waiting for the bus is horrible. Last night it took me nearly three hours to get home due to poor traffic conditions. The bus ride was okay, but slow. By the time the bus ride was over, it was 7F and for the entire ride home I just couldn't keep my hands warm. No fun.
 
#1,075 ·
By the time the bus ride was over, it was 7F and for the entire ride home I just couldn't keep my hands warm. No fun.
You've got my sympathies. If it's pretty cold out (lets say below 0F) I've learned that there's nothing worse than making a quick stop where you warm up, and then heading off again while your gloves/socks/hat are still a little sweaty. That moisture is killer.
 
#1,082 ·
So this morning it was 30 degrees feels like 26 when I biked in. I'm okay for the first few miles, but then I start sweating. And once I start sweating, I'm okay for a while. But after about 10 miles, I become pretty miserable and wet and even colder, since it's the coldest part of the day right around sunrise. Am I over dressing? I feel like I would freeze if I had on less clothing. (Sorry, n00b question.) My commute is fairly long, so it's hard figure out what to wear.
 
#1,084 ·
It definitely sounds like too much clothing, sweating is the quickest way to get cold. Try one less layer, or a thinner layer, you have to start out on the cool side. If you're worried you'll be cold, bring along something easy to add in case you misjudged it. Sometimes you can just unzip a jacket or other layer to prevent sweating on an uphill section, and then zip up again as needed.
 
#1,085 ·
OK, so I am 4 months into my commuting by bike 3-4 times a week. How the hell do you guys not go homicidal (or windicidal?) about wind??!?!?!!!??!?!

I turn enough in my commute that I ride literally almost every direction of a 360 degree circle at some point. And the wind knows this. And it's evil. So it shifts so I SOMEHOW have a headwind no matter what way I am going. But it's not just a headwind. That would just mean focusing my energy on going forward. NNNNoooooooooooo.... it's like a hybrid cross wind and head wind from the quarter. So not only do I focus on moving forward, I focus on going straight too since the damn bike gets blown all over the place.

I'll ride in 0 degrees all freaking day. I'll commute in 85+ degrees. But this Fall, particularly the last few weeks, the wind has really picked up. 20+ mph is just not fun, so I won't do it. My last commute Friday before last) was 30 degrees (fine) with 25 mph headwind. Slowest time ever, and expended WAY more energy than ever. I was so pissed off by the time I got home I didn't even want to LOOK at the commuter bike for a few days.

And then my wife asked me a very good question. "Why do you ride bikes?" "Because it's fun." "And did you have 'fun' on your ride today?" "Hell no. Stupid bike." "So why don't you just ride when it's nice outside and fun, or save the time by driving and then go on a mtb ride at night?" "BECAUSE I AM A BIKE COMMUTER DAMMIT!!!! Touche' though."

But I haven't ridden the commuter since that day. Any tips on how to deal with wind?!?! I am trying to psych myself up to commute in tomorrow and it's looking like (surprise surprise) 15+ mph again.
 
#1,086 ·
OK, so I am 4 months into my commuting by bike 3-4 times a week. How the hell do you guys not go homicidal (or windicidal?) about wind??!?!?!!!??!?!

I turn enough in my commute that I ride literally almost every direction of a 360 degree circle at some point. And the wind knows this. And it's evil. So it shifts so I SOMEHOW have a headwind no matter what way I am going. But it's not just a headwind. That would just mean focusing my energy on going forward. NNNNoooooooooooo.... it's like a hybrid cross wind and head wind from the quarter. So not only do I focus on moving forward, I focus on going straight too since the damn bike gets blown all over the place.

I'll ride in 0 degrees all freaking day. I'll commute in 85+ degrees. But this Fall, particularly the last few weeks, the wind has really picked up. 20+ mph is just not fun, so I won't do it. My last commute Friday before last) was 30 degrees (fine) with 25 mph headwind. Slowest time ever, and expended WAY more energy than ever. I was so pissed off by the time I got home I didn't even want to LOOK at the commuter bike for a few days.

And then my wife asked me a very good question. "Why do you ride bikes?" "Because it's fun." "And did you have 'fun' on your ride today?" "Hell no. Stupid bike." "So why don't you just ride when it's nice outside and fun, or save the time by driving and then go on a mtb ride at night?" "BECAUSE I AM A BIKE COMMUTER DAMMIT!!!! Touche' though."

But I haven't ridden the commuter since that day. Any tips on how to deal with wind?!?! I am trying to psych myself up to commute in tomorrow and it's looking like (surprise surprise) 15+ mph again.
Swear a lot about the wind, seems to work for me...

In all seriousness maybe change your route a bit? My old commute was a straight shot down a road with larger buildings on either side, acted like a wind tunnel and I was miserable. Took about a half mile longer route through a more residential area and had less wind related problems, still windy some days but not a sustained 10-15 mph every day.
 
#1,093 ·
Well the bad storms that rolled through the Midwest are bringing thunderstorms and 30 mph sustained with gusts to 45. Guess I am pussing out tomorrow too.

I am kicking myself now for the handful of days that were beautiful and perfect and I chose 30 minutes extra sleep and skipped a ride. lol.

Lesson learned.
 
#1,094 ·
Well the bad storms that rolled through the Midwest are bringing thunderstorms and 30 mph sustained with gusts to 45. Guess I am pussing out tomorrow too.

I am kicking myself now for the handful of days that were beautiful and perfect and I chose 30 minutes extra sleep and skipped a ride. lol.

Lesson learned.
I can't count how many days I've peddled to work in terrible weather but drove in beautiful. Very aggravating indeed. . .

So the one time in the wind that I actually tossed in the towel and called my wife to come get me, she couldn't get me cause I had both sets of keys to the Jeep with me. My jeep is the only vehicle I have with the receiver hitch bike rack. My wife did volunteer to pack my three kids into the van, however, meet me to get the key and then drive back in the Cherokee. Since this was during the kids' homework time and all, and because I knew at sometime in the future this incident would likely be used against me (how I interrupted the kids' studies even though my wife specifically told me that day to drive in), I just peddled through the last few miles. So windy it took me nearly forty-five minutes to go four miles.

Gotta love the commuting life style. . .right now I'm contemplating whether to peddle the five miles to my CDL physical right now. Problem is, this clinic is in a seedy area and I don't want my bike stolen for a ten mile roundtrip commute. Not sure if there's a bike rack, etc., etc. Maybe I'll just hit the mt. bike trails this afternoon to get in my ride.
 
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