Corvus Corvax said:Buffalo, NY. City of [censored].
BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP -- the alarm begins to bleat at 6:00 A.M. J.
stumbles out of bed and hits the off switch, then she comes back and
curls up warm and wonderful next to me in the flannel sheets. The
holiday is over. Time to get back to work. I sit up and raise the
window shade and look outside. It is pitch dark, snowy and windy. The
plows haven't been by in a few hours, and there is a thin layer of
snow on the street outside. We lay in bed for twenty minutes, delaying
the inevitable, as the furnace kicks in and warms the house for
breakfast. I and J. and the dog finally all file downstairs, where
espresso and bagels and oatmeal await. I check the outside
temperature: 14.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather report puts the wind
chill at slightly below zero. Looks like we got two or three inches of
snow overnight. A salt truck roars by out the front window, prepping
the roads for the morning commute. J. has her breakfast quickly, and
heads off in the Subaru. I picked up some new snow tires for the car
this weekend: Nokian Hakkapeliittas, natch. When you're used to
spending $60 apiece on winter tires for your mountain bike, spending
likewise on the car doesn't seem nearly so crazy. And she's got a
nasty winter car commute, so cheaping out on tires is the last thing
we wanted to do. I drink espresso and read the paper and wait a
while. I figure once the sun comes up, it will warm up a few degrees.
I check the temperature after sunup. 13 degrees. So much for that.Clothes:
Layer 1:
Pearl Izumi spandex shorts.
Duofold polyester T-shirt
Silk sock linersLayer 2:
Capilene long johns, top and bottom
Columbia calf-high synthetic socksLayer 3:
Performance merino wool jersey
Heavy Performance tightsLayer 4:
Moonstone fleece
Pearl Izumi balaclava
Columbia fleece neck gaiterLayer 5:
Merrell Gore-tex hiking boots
Performance rain shell
Specialized five-finger gloves
Giro E2 helmet
Optic Nerve shades, with rose-colored lensesThe bike:
Singlespeed rigid MTB, my venerable old Giant Sedona
Full fenders
Nokian Mount and Ground tires.The ride to work is six and a half miles of suburban street. The main
arterials are clear, but the traffic is stupid and thoughtless and
aggressive on these roads, and I have a route which winds mostly
through maze-like subdivisions on quiet streets. The drivers of the
town road maintenance trucks all wave at me. I connect to a bike path,
which spares me another mile and a half of angry suburban commuting on
poorly designed roads. The snow is not too deep yet, and I have first
tracks on the path, which is a couple of inches of snow layered over
glaze ice. The studded Nokians handle the conditions perfectly. I
arrive at my office warm and dry and comfortable. We'll see how the
ride home in the dark tonight goes....Happy New Year, and keep your freak flags flying in 2008, brothers and
sisters!CC
Nice! I miss being able to work out my commute between public trans
and my bike year round. I'd have loved to have heard the thoughts of
the people in cars that you passed. Probably "he looks cold" and
"that can't be safe", both of which would be inaccurate due to proper
gear on your part.