Tales from today's commute....

[annirak]

I’ve just ordered a pair of 700Cx30 Schwalbe marathon winter guard + for £15 each on wiggle. CRC appears to have the same price.

Beware: apparently you’re supposed to ride these tyres 40km on bare dry roads to bed them in before riding in snow/ice.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Absolutely nithering cold this morning, and well before sunrise too in the depths of winter.

A rich reward though, with the sight of a barn owl floating low above the frosted fields through the etheral pre-dawn light.

 

[ianrauk]

No suck luck seeing a barn owl where I live in SE Londinium this morning. Don't get many of those in these here parts.

It was a tad cold again this morning. I had trouble with the garage lock freezing. After a couple of minutes tooing and froing with the key, manage to free it. A quick squirt of WD40 will hopefully stoop that from happening again.

Most of the roads are now very clear with the main roads completely fine now and starting to see other hardy cycle commuting souls venturing out again.

Today's commuting sock.
Ice Cream and donuts

 

[palinurus]

I often tell people that my commute takes about the same amount of time all year round but I don't think it's true. When it's cold it takes me ages, the legs don't work so well and then there's the fatter, softer, tyres (a studded one on the front for the last two days)
Feet got cold today- still haven't found those overshoes.

Will find them in June no doubt.

 

[Alex321]

I often tell people that my commute takes about the same amount of time all year round but I don't think it's true. When it's cold it takes me ages, the legs don't work so well and then there's the fatter, softer, tyres (a studded one on the front for the last two days)
Feet got cold today- still haven't found those overshoes.

Will find them in June no doubt.

Yes, I'm definitely slower in the winter.

A combination of a lot of the commute being in the dark, wearing more clothes, wet roads meaning higher rolling resistance, and as you say, cold legs just not working quite as well. I don't change my tyres, but I can see that would make another difference for those who do.

 

[biking_fox]

I deliberately ride slower in winter - higher leg rpm in a lower gear - in order to generate body heat and reduce wind chill.
My first ride for a week! too many parties! -severalC but not too bad once I'd got going. Stayed off the ungritted cyclelanes but the roads were fine.

 

[ren531]

Minus 6 on my regular commute through Lancaster this morning, dry but still very icy on a local shared use path with very patchy gritting, on a long continuous stretch big gaps in between the grit were its very icy indeed.

 

[cyberknight]

Very cold this morning , so cold the edge 130 packed up before i got to work .First of all i though the battery was iffy but it started up fine and was about 2/3 full on the battery indicator .
Although it was cold the roads were clear as they have gritted and there were no patches of ice as its been dry for so long there is no standing water .

 

[Spartak]

Minus 8 this morning on the cycle commute across Bristol.... ❄️😬

 

[roubaixtuesday]

No idea what the temperature was this morning, but definitely the coldest so far, and it's been damn cold every day recently.

Beautiful mind.

 

[ianrauk]

Yep, definitely coldest so far. -5° according to my Garmin. My fingers have only just come back to life after this mornings commute. Tomorrow is looking the same. Monday's commute forcast is for 14º, positively balmy. Back to shorts

 

[biking_fox]

Yep, definitely coldest so far. -5° according to my Garmin. My fingers have only just come back to life after this mornings commute. Tomorrow is looking the same. Monday's commute forcast is for 14º, positively balmy. Back to shorts

And waterproofs
Tomorrow's less cold although still freezing.
Doesn't look like they've been repeating the gritting in Manchester, a couple of squirmy spots even on the main roads.

 

[ianrauk]

Doesn't look like they've been repeating the gritting in Manchester, a couple of squirmy spots even on the main roads.

Luckily, seems down here in Londinium the gritters are actually doing their job. Though the roads are actually quite dry anyway.

 

[chriswoody]

Minus 12 this morning, possibly the coldest I've commuted in, though it's been minus 9 on average all week and not warming up by much during the day. Spectacular morning though, all the fields and trees coated in frost and the sun low in the sky. I love riding my bike in these conditions.

 

[ianrauk]

Where's @hennbell ? Our piffly little minus temperatures will be put to shame I bet