Snow... seriously???

Right, the pictures are yesterday morning before riding in and then last evening when I got home.

It snowed all day, about half an inch on the grass. Yes it is April, I had to check to make sure...

As the temperature was around 40 it was very very wet snow, which meant that unlike the typical dry snow we get, I was soaked by the time I got in this morning, and really soaked coming home.

Did I mention the wind was from the North West at a sustained ~10 mph? Oh and also that it was gusting to near 20mph? yeaahhh good times. Hence why I was royally soaked coming home.

I am ready for spring, Plattsburgh. Annyyyy time now...

should be 75 by the weekend...

riggghhtttt....

What a week!

I have to say this week was pretty crazy and limited my ability to be on the bike every day. I biked in Monday with no problems.

Tuesday I biked in but conditions after 8pm and slick(and snowy) shoulders persuaded me to take a ride home, so the bike and I piled into the back of a Forester of a good friend who lives only a 1 mile from me and away we went.

Wednesday comes along and snow galore, I wake up at about 6inches of wet snow, the roads are a mess and the rural highway I live on barely has the road cleared, let alone my small 2 foot section of shoulder I ride on. Classes were still on so needed to come in for 11, had my friend pick me up on their way into town. It snowed throughout the day with classes canceling at 4pm that day with the promise for much more snow on Thursday; I had a classmate bring me home.

The roads are clear mostly on Thursday thanks to warm temperatures around 39, it was very wet with lots of water but unfortunately the shoulders were only about 6in to 1 foot along the 2 mile rural rout I have to travel before I get to wider roads. So once again, my friend and her husband were carpooling into town so picked me up and made it to my 9:30 class. I had another good co-op friend bring me home that night, it was late due to Sign class so can be tricky for the people I know since most are home by the time I need to come home.

Today I brought the bike out as the roads were just fine, enough melting had happened to give me a shoulder into town, I knew it would be wet but that’s ok, I don’t mind too much.

Indeed, it was quite wet, I always forget that my front fender is only meant to prevent spray into my face and is crap at keeping it off the chain, my feet, or my legs. I cant wait for the full fenders on my Breezer, that being idk when it will get ridden in the rain since I will be very reluctant to ride it in messy weather!

Oh and the sidewalk was actually cleared! However as is typical the badly designed separated cycle path was not cleared. This city does a horrid job of cleaning sidewalks, mostly because it puts the responsibility on the citizen to do it, so in the areas where nobody lives, it does not get cleared, or in homes with old ladies, its not cleared. This is of course exasperated by the fact that the crews clearing the roads overnight need a place to put the snow and thus designate sidewalks as a dumping ground making snow banks of 2-3 feet in some locations and leaving maybe 1 foot clear right next to the building.

Next week should be better, in good news the temps are warming a bit, which I always welcome!

A wee bit of Snow

Well not to bad for the first real storm of the season. Woke up this morning expecting it, but I also had an 8am ecology exam! well one look at a snowplow going down the road at about 45 meant biking in was not going to happen even if it was doable, I dont trust the cars, and I dont trust the 10ton snowplows with a wave of snow out in front. Hitched a ride in with a housemate and loaded the bike onboard, going to get a ride home and lock the bike in the theatre shop until tomorrow afternoon when it should be mostly cleared.

so I am thinking over winter break, putting together some kind of snow ski contraption thing for riding on roads when they are not plowed, or minimally plowed. I am thinking wooden/composite snow ski's that would attach to the rear frame and/or the front fork. put a mountain bike tire on deflated a bit and go at it, with stability of 4 legs with a wide spread and power from a thick rear wheel I think it has promise. However depth of snow will be important, some type of spring system or adjustment might be needed so wheel can get traction while ski's can ride on top...

or maybe I could get a car :P but thats not nearly as fun ;)

I will throw some pictures up later :)

anybody else crazy enough to ride in a snowstorm on unplowed roads/sidewalks? do you attach a shovel to the front and clear your own path? (also a thought)