Winter....anyone.

From the look of the national weather map the whole northern US from
about Montana east is caught up in a real cold spell of weather. In
Milwaukee, we've alternated between snow and cold fairly steadily ever
since late Nov., though with a week or so of record or near record
high temps in between that melted the first batch of snow, the next
batch arriving just as the first was limited to snow banks. In all,
we're closing in on 50" of snow for the season, with a half dozen or
so below 0 degree F days. (My inbound commute this morning started
out at -4F.) Worse, the snow has an an uncanny way of arriving just
in time to make biking hazardous. Two weeks ago, I started home in
what looked to be a little light rain, which turned into an
unpredicted howling snow storm. I had to take cover and get my wife
to pick me up, which took a long time because auto travel wasn't so
easy either. That's the second time this month she's had to do that.
Anyway, I'm about to suffer the indignity of back to back months of
well under 1000 miles, which hasn't happened since 1995. The best I
can say is that I have gotten at least one mile of biking in every
day. The month got off to a bad start when, as per an earlier report,
bike trouble kept me from getting a century. Besides weather problems
and work commitments, I had low mileage days in order to attend the
two Packer playoff games, the last of which they lost, as some of you
may have noticed. At least I was acclimated to the cold and didn't
freeze.

So how's your winter going??

Ron Wallenfang wrote:


So how's your winter going??

Cold and windy many days. I get out most days and am hanging in there,
but I will be glad when the lows get in the 40s again. Here the usual
temps range from the 20s to over 100 in a typical year. It has been
easier for me to adapt to the heat than to the cold. Most of my mileage
is in the 9 or so warmer months.

"catzz66" wrote in message
...
Ron Wallenfang wrote:


So how's your winter going??

here in da Bronx, cold and windy but sun is amazingly hot--go to the breach
every day there is sunshine--bike is doing well no shifting problems but
rear disk brake is sluggish --from tthe cold. Only once had to put newspaper
in my jacket for added insulation

thanks
peter

....here in Marin, Ca - rain, rain and more rain...but that keeps it
warmer - in the 50's today - and perfect weather to ride to the
coast. Best wishes to those impacted by last nights flooding in
Marin and Sonoma counties.

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
From the look of the national weather map the whole northern US from
about Montana east is caught up in a real cold spell of weather. In
Milwaukee, we've alternated between snow and cold fairly steadily ever
since late Nov., though with a week or so of record or near record
high temps in between that melted the first batch of snow, the next
batch arriving just as the first was limited to snow banks. In all,
we're closing in on 50" of snow for the season, with a half dozen or
so below 0 degree F days. (My inbound commute this morning started
out at -4F.) Worse, the snow has an an uncanny way of arriving just
in time to make biking hazardous. Two weeks ago, I started home in
what looked to be a little light rain, which turned into an
unpredicted howling snow storm. I had to take cover and get my wife
to pick me up, which took a long time because auto travel wasn't so
easy either. That's the second time this month she's had to do that.
Anyway, I'm about to suffer the indignity of back to back months of
well under 1000 miles, which hasn't happened since 1995. The best I
can say is that I have gotten at least one mile of biking in every
day. The month got off to a bad start when, as per an earlier report,
bike trouble kept me from getting a century. Besides weather problems
and work commitments, I had low mileage days in order to attend the
two Packer playoff games, the last of which they lost, as some of you
may have noticed.

I have noticed that people in SE Wisconsin say "Packer game" instead of
"Packers game".

At least I was acclimated to the cold and didn't
freeze.

So how's your winter going??

Sounds like the weather here in Milwaukee County. The latest snow
stopped about an hour ago.

Yesterday morning it was cold enough that some of the salt slush refroze
on the road, leaving patches of invisible "black" ice. Bunch of cager
accidents (again).

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"And never forget, life ultimately makes failures of all people."
- A. Derleth

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:00:32 -0800 (PST), Ron Wallenfang
wrote:
So how's your winter going??

Cold, and thanks for asking!

I've been having a pair of low mileage months for me, but then since
I've never made 1,000 miles in a month, all of mine are low mileage
compared to yours! My DW treated me to a case of the creeping crud
last month; first time I'd really been under the weather for 22
months. About the time I started to recover, it got really cold
(meaning way down into the 20s!), and a couple days commuting by bike
convinced me I needed to ease back into it. DW also got T-boned last
month (she's OK), and the shop has been slow fixing her car up. I've
been driving a car at least a couple days each of the last two weeks,
so I could take her to work or pick her up to get the car back.

Of course, the benefit of an exceptional drought (since June 9 in
north Alabama) is that there aren't too many rainy days. I'm hoping
either we get a lot more rain, or I get back on the bike a lot more
Real Soon Now. Or both!

Pat

Email address works as is.

On Jan 26, 4:00*am, Ron Wallenfang wrote:
From the look of the national weather map the whole northern US from
about Montana east is caught up in a real cold spell of weather. *In
Milwaukee, we've alternated between snow and cold fairly steadily ever
since late Nov., though with a week or so of record or near record
high temps in between that melted the first batch of snow, the next
batch arriving just as the first was limited to snow banks. *In all,
we're closing in on 50" of snow for the season, with a half dozen or
so below 0 degree F days. *(My inbound commute this morning started
out at -4F.) *Worse, the snow has an an uncanny way of arriving just
in time to make biking hazardous. *Two weeks ago, I started home in
what looked to be a little light rain, which turned into an
unpredicted howling snow storm. *I had to take cover and get my wife
to pick me up, which took a long time because auto travel wasn't so
easy either. *That's the second time this month she's had to do that.
Anyway, I'm about to suffer the indignity of back to back months of
well under 1000 miles, which hasn't happened since 1995. *The best I
can say is that I have gotten at least one mile of biking in every
day. *The month got off to a bad start when, as per an earlier report,
bike trouble kept me from getting a century. *Besides weather problems
and work commitments, I had low mileage days in order to attend the
two Packer playoff games, the last of which they lost, as some of you
may have noticed. *At least I was acclimated to the cold and didn't
freeze.

So how's your winter going??

I wish some of the winter was headed my way. My skis are quite
lonesome sitting on my porch. I'm at 60deg North (equivalent to 1300
miles north of Chicago) but right in the path of the Gulf Stream and
it has been above freezing for weeks. As high as 7C (45F) a few days,
lows at night around -2C (28F) so sometimes slippery on the parts of
road in the shade (low sun angle adds to this), but mostly fine. I've
been getting in about 8 hours per week on the road. Very windy however
with winds out of the south west which gives me a headwind home, so
I'm going slow disappearing in glare from the low sun and wet road.
Kind of nerve-racking at times.

Joseph

PS: Panaracer Duro Extreme tires stand up to an amazing amount of
sharp wet gravel.

In article ,
Patrick Lamb writes:
On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:00:32 -0800 (PST), Ron Wallenfang
wrote:
So how's your winter going??

Cold, and thanks for asking!

I've been having a pair of low mileage months for me, but then since
I've never made 1,000 miles in a month, all of mine are low mileage
compared to yours! My DW treated me to a case of the creeping crud
last month; first time I'd really been under the weather for 22
months. About the time I started to recover, it got really cold
(meaning way down into the 20s!), and a couple days commuting by bike
convinced me I needed to ease back into it. DW also got T-boned last
month (she's OK), and the shop has been slow fixing her car up. I've
been driving a car at least a couple days each of the last two weeks,
so I could take her to work or pick her up to get the car back.

Of course, the benefit of an exceptional drought (since June 9 in
north Alabama) is that there aren't too many rainy days. I'm hoping
either we get a lot more rain, or I get back on the bike a lot more
Real Soon Now. Or both!

These days, it's really pretty -- sunny, clear and freezing
(but dry) during the weekdays while I'm at work. Then the
weekend comes, and it snows. A local snow storm is incipient
right now as I say this.

I love the rain, even when it's just above freezing.
But I also love clear & sunny & dry, even when it's
below freezing. I despise what we in Vancouver BC
call "snow". It's just an ugly mess that screws up
my weekends and forces me to hoof it to the laundromat
while taking The Lord's name in vain many times,
under my breath.

It's a bad time to bake bread, but a good time to
make (and subsequently eat) clam chowder. It's also
a good time to steer clear of drivers who think
they're able to deal with it.

Worst of all are drivers who come here from places
where they get /real/ snow. They think they're
experts at dealing with Vancouver "snow", and set
out to teach the local populace a lesson about how
to deal with it. Boy, do they get a surprise
(or two,) and leave us locals with the impression
that folks from the wrong side of the Rockies or
north of the 60th Parallel are way too officious.
And dangerous.

How I long for the summer heat! Oh, well -- no
use whining about it. But looking forward to it
gives me sustaining hope. Then, it'll be clear,
dry & sunny while I'm at work during the week, and
just rain on the weekends. I can live with that.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
From the look of the national weather map the whole northern US from
about Montana east is caught up in a real cold spell of weather. In
Milwaukee, we've alternated between snow and cold fairly steadily ever
since late Nov., though with a week or so of record or near record
high temps in between that melted the first batch of snow, the next
batch arriving just as the first was limited to snow banks. In all,
we're closing in on 50" of snow for the season, with a half dozen or
so below 0 degree F days. (My inbound commute this morning started
out at -4F.) Worse, the snow has an an uncanny way of arriving just
in time to make biking hazardous. Two weeks ago, I started home in
what looked to be a little light rain, which turned into an
unpredicted howling snow storm. I had to take cover and get my wife
to pick me up, which took a long time because auto travel wasn't so
easy either. That's the second time this month she's had to do that.
Anyway, I'm about to suffer the indignity of back to back months of
well under 1000 miles, which hasn't happened since 1995. The best I
can say is that I have gotten at least one mile of biking in every
day. The month got off to a bad start when, as per an earlier report,
bike trouble kept me from getting a century. Besides weather problems
and work commitments, I had low mileage days in order to attend the
two Packer playoff games, the last of which they lost, as some of you
may have noticed. At least I was acclimated to the cold and didn't
freeze.

So how's your winter going??

Hey Ron:

I don't talk about it much...I just ride, every day, year round, 20 miles
daily in Chicago.

Winter happens, on a predictable schedule. Dress for it. Ride an appropriate
bike.

Why do I need to lecture a Packer fan on COLD?

This is not rocket science...and I do know rocket scientists.

Chicagoan J.

In article ,
"Jay" writes:

Why do I need to lecture a Packer fan on COLD?

Oh, well.

This is not rocket science...and I do know rocket scientists.

Just as there are various kinds of rockets,
there are various kinds of COLD.

I opine the PNW kind of COLD is among
the most miserable.

Rocket bikes pique my interest.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca