F(r)ailed

So today the snow beat me!

It is the first day in ages ( years?) when I actually left the velo at home
today

At 6 am this morning the snow started very gently and by 1030 it had
successfully laid a carpet of a good 2 - 3 inches. It wasn't freezing and the
forecast said it would turn to sleet ( which it didn't) and to rain tonight!
Which it hasn't yet!

The main roads are, of course, muddily clear but I didn't fancy jousting with
frustrated motorists who are incapable of coping with a dusting of snow
(slush). I had an "ijot" yesterday in the village who I heard behind me
revving up as oncoming traffic "held him up". As the cars passed he revved up
again and spun in excess of 180 degrees.. What a twit -- but I will admit that
he worried me!

So I put on my knee warmers and my snow boots ( had them for about 20 years
and used them fairly infrequently!) -- and with my winter ( none cycling)
jacket thingy and boots up to my mid lower leg -- and knee warmers to within
2" of my shorts I was too warm as I trudged up hill through the village to do
my Dad's lunch!

Despite the forecast of rain, the snow is still here at nearly 8 pm --
hopefully I can get to market tomorrow earlier than the traffic starts. Need
meat ( some lamb shoulders, belly pork and assorted fruit.

I think my biking will be totally on road this w/e -- so I shall get muddy
and dirty without trying

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Top posted on purpose!

The "F(r)aled" bit was supposed to lead to an aside about advancing years.
But, cos of the advancing years, I forgot to make the pun!

I really do need to give it all up!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


"Trevor A Panther" wrote in message
om...
So today the snow beat me!

It is the first day in ages ( years?) when I actually left the velo at home
today

At 6 am this morning the snow started very gently and by 1030 it had
successfully laid a carpet of a good 2 - 3 inches. It wasn't freezing and
the forecast said it would turn to sleet ( which it didn't) and to rain
tonight! Which it hasn't yet!

The main roads are, of course, muddily clear but I didn't fancy jousting
with frustrated motorists who are incapable of coping with a dusting of
snow (slush). I had an "ijot" yesterday in the village who I heard behind me
revving up as oncoming traffic "held him up". As the cars passed he revved
up again and spun in excess of 180 degrees.. What a twit -- but I will admit
that he worried me!

So I put on my knee warmers and my snow boots ( had them for about 20 years
and used them fairly infrequently!) -- and with my winter ( none cycling)
jacket thingy and boots up to my mid lower leg -- and knee warmers to within
2" of my shorts I was too warm as I trudged up hill through the village to
do my Dad's lunch!

Despite the forecast of rain, the snow is still here at nearly 8 pm --
hopefully I can get to market tomorrow earlier than the traffic starts. Need
meat ( some lamb shoulders, belly pork and assorted fruit.

I think my biking will be totally on road this w/e -- so I shall get muddy
and dirty without trying

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

"Trevor A Panther" wrote in message
om...
So today the snow beat me!

The main roads are, of course, muddily clear but I didn't fancy jousting
with frustrated motorists who are incapable of coping with a dusting of
snow (slush). I had an "ijot" yesterday in the village who I heard behind
me revving up as oncoming traffic "held him up". As the cars passed he
revved up again and spun in excess of 180 degrees.. What a twit -- but I
will admit that he worried me!


I have found motorists more patient in this weather, I think they are
worried I will slide off and so give more room. I have even had them give
way on our main docks road as I indicate to turn right at a big roundabout
which is a usually futile action. I am really flying at the moment and don't
want to lose any fitness due to the weather. Like last year I'll peak in our
first TT in March and then go backwards!


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

On 05/02/2009 18:13, Trevor A Panther wrote:
So today the snow beat me!

It is the first day in ages ( years?) when I actually left the velo at home
today

At 6 am this morning the snow started very gently and by 1030 it had
successfully laid a carpet of a good 2 - 3 inches. It wasn't freezing and the
forecast said it would turn to sleet ( which it didn't) and to rain tonight!
Which it hasn't yet!

Bummer. We had the best part of 2" (nothing compared to what people in
other parts of the country have been reporting, but it's the most I've
seen since I moved to Bristol). The roads were just covered in slush,
but once I hit the cyclepath I had lovely snow to ride through (and more
falling around me).

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun on a bike.

Thankfully my NorthWave Celsius boots arrived yesterday, to keep my toes
warm.

--
Danny Colyer http://www.redpedals.co.uk
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"The plural of anecdote is not data" - Frank Kotsonis

On Thu, 5 Feb 2009, Trevor A Panther wrote:

Top posted on purpose!

The "F(r)aled" bit was supposed to lead to an aside about advancing
years. But, cos of the advancing years, I forgot to make the pun!

It's okay, we got it. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEA? SOME TEA, DEAR?

I didn't go to work monday or tuesday, but did yesterday and today.
Yesterday was fine - my street and the street my office is on, both
largely traffic-free, were iced, but i rode along them slowly, and was
okay. The main roads were clear down the middle, and were fine as long as
i didn't try to get clever and filter up the outside, since that's where
the snowbanks were.

Today, i had a bit of excitement due to excess attempted cleverness:
there's a street which is one-way, but has a contraflow cycle lane, which
is covered in ice. Yesterday, i avoided that and rode the wrong way up the
motorised bit, against stationary traffic. Today, i thought i'd give the
cycle lane a go, at a speed which turned out to be optimistic. The wheels
were skidding about like they were oiled, leaving me making wobbles of
rapidly increasing amplitude. Luckily, the icy bit ran out moments before
the amplitude reached falling-off point!

tom

--
GOLDIE LOOKIN' CHAIN [...] will ultimately make all other forms of music
both redundant and unnecessary -- NTK

Trevor A Panther wrote:
So today the snow beat me!

It nearly beat me today, I almost turned back after dropping the bike
three times in the first 25m. Conti Sport Contacts don't like packed
snow... I had to get off and push at one point, but made it the fourteen
miles to work unscathed.

Cheers,

--
bob [at] bobarnott [dot] com http://www.bobarnott.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Crash programs fail because they are based on theory that,
with nine women pregnant, you can get a baby in a month."
-- Wernher von Braun

Bob wrote:
Trevor A Panther wrote:
So today the snow beat me!

It nearly beat me today, I almost turned back after dropping the bike
three times in the first 25m. Conti Sport Contacts don't like packed
snow... I had to get off and push at one point, but made it the fourteen
miles to work unscathed.

I fell off once in the first 400m, and slid around a lot more(1). I then
walked four miles, and cycled the last 4. My SPD water proof boots are
excellent for walking in the snow.


(1) You can't pedal whilst you are using your feet to steer.

Martin wrote:
Bob wrote:
Trevor A Panther wrote:
So today the snow beat me!
It nearly beat me today, I almost turned back after dropping the bike
three times in the first 25m. Conti Sport Contacts don't like packed
snow... I had to get off and push at one point, but made it the fourteen
miles to work unscathed.

I fell off once in the first 400m, and slid around a lot more(1). I then
walked four miles, and cycled the last 4. My SPD water proof boots are
excellent for walking in the snow.


(1) You can't pedal whilst you are using your feet to steer.

I take my hat off to you all, well done

On Thu, 5 Feb 2009 19:00:10 -0000, "Simon Mason"
said in
:

I have found motorists more patient in this weather, I think they are
worried I will slide off and so give more room.

Mostly, yes, but I was passed far /far/ too close by a WVM on
Tuesday because I refused to get out of the narrow black strip and
onto the white bits of the road.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound
GPG sig #3FA3BCDE http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/pgp-public-key.txt

On 5 Feb, 19:00, "Simon Mason" wrote:
I have found motorists more patient in this weather, I think they are
worried I will slide off and so give more room.

Yeah it has been quite pleasant in that respect, the traffic seems to
have been going a bit more slowly and carefully, and there's less of
it too.

Of course there has to be the exception, this morning it was a bus
that decided to run me off the road by half overtaking just as the
road narrowed